How does Intelligent Motion Smoothing work in HDR10+ ADVANCED?

Judder, the characteristic stutter of 24fps film,  is intentional. Filmmakers rely on it as part of the cinematic aesthetic. The problem is that as home displays get larger and brighter, judder becomes more noticeable and potentially distracting, so displays have historically applied their own motion smoothing globally, overriding the filmmaker’s intent in the process.

HDR10+ ADVANCED Intelligent Motion Smoothing addresses this by embedding the content provider’s motion intent directly into the video metadata, scene by scene. Rather than leaving smoothing decisions entirely to the display, the metadata communicates the creative latitude the content provider is permitting — on a scale from no smoothing at all (preserving the original cinematic cadence) through to full smoothing. At the maximum setting, the content provider is signalling that smooth motion is the priority for that scene — appropriate for sports, fast action, or scenes where motion characteristics that were imperceptible in a darkened cinema at reference brightness become more apparent on today’s larger, brighter home displays. The display reads this signal and applies motion processing within those bounds, taking into account the viewing environment and the display’s own characteristics.

The reference point is the cinema experience at 14 foot-lamberts — the standard cinema brightness at which filmmakers intend their content to be experienced. HDR10+ ADVANCED Motion Smoothing is designed to help certified displays replicate that intended motion experience, even as real-world viewing conditions vary.

The motion smoothing metadata can be generated automatically at content encoding or set manually by content providers, giving studios full control when they want it and an efficient automatic path when they don’t.