Earlier this year when Sony was the only TV manufacturer selling 200Hz TV's, megahertz meant better picture quality. "We have the best and fastest TV in the world" Sony said. Now that Panasonic, LG and Samsung are rolling out 600Hz TV's, Sony is suddenly saying that megahertz size doesn't count.
Rolling out their spin doctors to try and convince journalists that 600Hz is really 200Hz Sony is now trying to defend their 200Hz position as their share of the TV market declines up against a surging Samsung who is set to roll out a major 600Hz campaign for their plasma range.
According to Sony Audio Visual specialist, Craig Jackson, you're better off comparing apples with oranges than trying to compare 600 hertz TV technologies with 200 hertz.
"Bigger isn't necessarily better, it's just different, MotionFlow 200Hz would be better for watching smooth fluid accurate movement on sport than other technologies." He told journalist Martin Vedris.
"Not true" said Kurt Jovias marketing director at Samsung Australia. "It is a totally different technology, that you cannot compare to 200Hz".
Panasonic have said the same. In a statement issued by Panasonic Canada they have said of 600Hz.
"A standard video signal is actually a series of still images, flashed on screen so quickly that we believe we are watching a moving image. The typical frame rate used in Australia is 50 frames per second (50Hz) or 100 frames per second meaning that a TV would display 100 individual still images every second. Sub-field drive is the method used to flash the individual image elements (dots) on a plasma panel. For each frame displayed on the TV the Sub-field drive flashes the dots 10 times or more, meaning that the dots are flashing 600 times per second (600Hz) or more. (Example: 60 frames per second x 10 sub-fields = 600 flashes per second).
