Filmmakers and cinephiles alike have long taken issue with motion smoothing and other forms of video post-processing on modern-day TVs. Developed for more fluid video-game play, motion smoothing is being blamed for ruining the cinematic look of movies and TV shows.
Now, the industry has united to make it easier for consumers to watch their works as intended. The UHD Alliance, an industry group that unites Hollywood studios with consumer electronics companies and other industry players, unveiled a new TV setting called “Filmmaker Mode” at a press event in Los Angeles late Tuesday.
“Modern televisions have extraordinary technical capabilities, and it is important that we harness these new technologies to ensure that the home viewer sees our work presented as closely as possible to our original creative intentions,” said director Christopher Nolan in a statement.
The UHD Alliance was able to secure buy-in from three consumer electronics manufacturers for Filmmaker Mode: LG, Vizio and Panasonic all have committed to support the setting, with Vizio declaring Tuesday that it would add it to its 2020 smart TV line-up.
These new TVs will offer consumers an option to turn off all video post-processing, allowing them to watch movies and TV shows with their original frame rates, colors and aspect ratios.
It’s worth noting that most existing TVs already offer consumers similar options. However, many TVs come with motion smoothing enabled by default, and require multiple setup choices to return to a post-processing-free playback experience. Filmmaker Mode promises to simplify this process.
Filmmaker Mode is also being supported by Amazon, Universal and Warner Bros., among others. And on Tuesday, a number of filmmakers including James Cameron, Ryan Coogler, Paul Thomas Anderson, J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay and Ang Lee voiced their support for the new setting in a video produced by the UHD Alliance: