60Hz is not enough... 85Hz may not be either!

[CTho9305]

According to this Yahoo! article, the certain parts of the brain can perceive flicker on screens even when you don't conciously perceive it, since the sensitive parts do not "share" this information with other parts of the brain. Apparently this is a problem for some people (specifically, photosensitive epileptics).

I guess this means that your eyes are certainly sensitive to well over 60 updates per second, even if our motion perception is limited to ~60 frames per second (the article doesn't say anything about motion - but 60fps "seems" smooth to most people).

 

[SafeZone]

85hz is about the highest most people go....that article is saying it might not be enough? I could run at 100hz but at a lower res...b000

 

[Mingon]

I use 100hz, you notice the difference going back to 85. What is worse is going from lcd's to crt's

 

[Jeff7]

I guess it's my moral duty then to bypass the puny security programs on the PC's at Walmart (in the back, for general training of new employees) - they've probably never seen Scandisk or Defrag, and they are all at 60Hz.

"People can sidestep side effects of screen flicker by watching plasma screens, which have no flicker, Krolak-Salmon and Henaff said."

There's your excuse to get a plasma-screen TV. You're doing for the safety and health of the family.

 

[Alptraum]

I can't remember exactly who it was, but one of the big consumer safety/standard orgs (OHSA? I cant remember, lol) set the standard for 'flicker free" viewing at 85hz awhile back. That may have been a year ago or 4. I cant remember. But the decided on 85hz as flicker free.

 

[Ipno]

I wish I could find that Osha story, the computers in the lab at a college I attend part time are set to 60hz and it drives me nuts. If I could find some standard like that, maybe I could convince them to fix it.

 

[DimZiE]

the only difference i felt when using lower refresh rates is i tend to get tired looking at the moniter faster compared to using 100 Hz Refresh Rate...

and at 60 Hz i tend to feel dizzy after 10~15 minutes of staring at the monitor...


so i guess higher refresh rates are better.. ( at least it looked and felt better for me )

 

[Ipno]

Here's what you do to see crappy refresh rate really easy.

Get a bigger monitor. Go into Paint, draw a thin straigt line or a box, set the res at 1024x768 or higher and the refresh rate at 60hz.

No, watch the line bounce.

 

[whistleclient]

i might use this to justify getting myself an LCD. i'm a writer and my current CRT's max refresh rate is 66hz!


(should i get an LCD or just a really good CRT?)

 

[mrman3k]

85Hz is the absolute lowest refresh I can handle without my eyes being able to detect flickering. Even at 85Hz, I can sometimes make out flickering on white screens when I am staring at the middle of the screen like when in Word. But usually it is for short periods and not a problem.

 

[murphy55d]

I love my LCD.

 

[helpme]

Originally posted by: murphy55d
I love my LCD.

 

[zephyrprime]

I wish I could find that Osha story, the computers in the lab at a college I attend part time are set to 60hz and it drives me nuts. If I could find some standard like that, maybe I could convince them to fix it.

There have been a couple of standards put out by VESA - the video electronics standards association. They're the group that does stuff like this. It used to be like 70, then 75, then 85. Probably be even higher in the future.

 

[Atlantean]

Mine is at 100hz right now its at 1280x960

 

[Auric]

The other thing to consider which is often overlooked is harmonics. Diff'rent monitors and refresh rates may produce diff'rent almost inaudible sounds from their gutsy wutsies. Depending on your hearing it may be better to choose one over another once it is in a high enough range for the peepers.

 

[cutty]

My eyes are really poor, I really can't feel much difference for all the refresh rates ...

 

[KickItTwice]

You must be Super Human. I can barely detect 75 Hz and 85 Hz is fine for me. 60 Hz looks like total crap.

 

[Sid59]

i can't tell a difference at 85 hz, but last week, when i visited the optometry .. my eyes were dialated and i could see the screen flicker at 85hz. Was cool.

 

[whistleclient]

which CRT's / LCDs are you guys using that you can recommend for the refresh rate sensitive?

 

[helpme]

LCDs don't flicker, so any LCD would be ok?

 

[CallTheFBI]

Originally posted by: tangent1138
which CRT's / LCDs are you guys using that you can recommend for the refresh rate sensitive?

I think any LCD since LCDs don't flicker.

 

[Goi]

Well, if I try hard, I can detect a slight difference between 85Hz and say 100Hz. Beyond that I don't tell any difference, unless I flick my hand in front of the screen real quick. I'd like to be able to run at 100Hz, but my monitor only supports a max of 85Hz at my desired 1600x1200 resolution...

 

[Davegod]

I'd never use a monitor below 85hz. Using a comp for long periods I even get headaches on that, but at 100hz i'm absolutely fine. Refresh isnt everything though, good dpi, res etc helps too At 60hz for me the flicker is horrible and headaches come quickly.

People who work with computers alot in the UK might be interested in: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg36.pdf , e.g. employee's can ask for employers to pay for eye tests.

 

[SWScorch]

I can not use monitors below 75Hz. I can see 60Hz very easily, and even 72Hz produces a flicker on white screens. My boss claims I am crazy, and must have super-human vision to be able to see flicker at 60Hz. Ass. He also claims it is impossible to hear televisions and monitors squeal when they are on.

 

[compudog]

Great thread. I just checked what mine was set at.... 60Hz!!! My monitor supports 100 Hz, so that's where it's at now. Since I built this machine, I never checked, Man! what a difference!