Can you see flicker at 60Hz?

[SWScorch]

My boss at my old job was adamant that no one could see a monitor flicker at 60Hz, even though I can very easily and it gives me a headache. Most notably, with a whitebackground the monitor flicker is quite apparent. Still, he insisted I was imagining things, that the human eye could not possible pick up on something refreshing at 60 times a second. In fact, he even went so far as to say the human eye had a refresh rate of 24 fps. Presumably he got that little piece of information from hearing that movies are filmes at around that rate, and thought that meant that was the limit for the human eye.

Furthermore, he also inistsed that humans could not hear high-frequency sounds, such as the ones given off by monitors or televisions. Again, I can. A television that is on emits a very high-pitched squeal that I can feel in my eardrums even more than I can hear it. It sounds like a cicada except much higher pitched. Again, even though I am living proof that it is possible, he refused to believe me.

So, I ask you, minions of ATOT, are you among the few who can discern such things? Gimme a few minutes to work on a poll as I haven't created one since the forums were upgraded.

 

I can. It bothers me endlessly. Each time I log onto a system with a non-flat panel monitor at school, I'm forced to change the resolution to 75 Hz so I don't get a headache. Thank goodness that amount of 'administration' isn't locked down on my school's loadset.

 

[bandana163]

I can and I can't endure it for more than a few minutes.
I know a few people who can't notice it at all, but they all wear glasses.

 

[BaboonGuy]

L C D

CRT's suck unless they are at 100hz or more.

 

[Cattlegod]

TV buzz is somewhere around 16-17khz, easily heard by most anyone, esp if you are < 30-35 yrs

the reason you don't see the refresh rate flicker ( choppiness ) on TV or movies is because of motion blur that is associated with recording. 60hz is easily seen.

 

[cronos]

my eyes are not as sensitive as my friends, but 60 Hz really bothers me.

 

[DingDingDao]

Does watching TV give you guys headaches then? I'm only curious, seeing as how broadcast TV runs at 29.97Hz...

 

[Pex]

I run at at least 85 all the time. anything less and it burns your eyes/gives you headaches. waiting in my 22 inch plasma screen ;p

 

[bandana163]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
Does watching TV give you guys headaches then? I'm only curious, seeing as how broadcast TV runs at 29.97Hz...

60Hz on a CRT and on a TV is different.

 

[SWScorch]

actually, I do get a headache from watching TV or movies for more than a few hours. My eeys are usually pretty damn tired at the end of a movie. I think because of the motion blur your eyes can't pick up on the flicker as easily, but it still does affect them.

 

[StrangerGuy]

The flicker @ 60Hz is definately very noticeable to me.

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: Pex
I run at at least 85 all the time. anything less and it burns your eyes/gives you headaches. waiting in my 22 inch plasma screen ;p

They make plasmas that small? Wouldn't LCD be the way to go on that?

 

[Kenazo]

I could always tell when the TV in the conference room at my last job was turned on from well down the hall. As for monitors, 60hz on my 19" in is almost unbarable.

 

[torpid]

I'm not sure that all tvs make that noise. I have definitely noticed it on some, though.

I've heard lots of people claim they can't tell the difference between 60hz and 80+hz. I don't know what's wrong with these people. The easiest way to help them see it is for them to look to the right or left of the monitor and notice the waviness.

 

[eLiu]

Not on an LCD (well, duh), but 60hz on a CRT gives me a headache within 10-15 minutes. I can't stand it. 75 is ok for a while, but it makes my eyes hurt after a few hours (no headache though), but I prefer 85 or higher. Thank god for my new dell 2001FP

Edit: and yeah, I can hear the TV thing too. It's kinda funny in school sometimes when the teacher has left the TV on...and I tell her to turn it off, and she's like, "It's not on." So I pick up the remote, hit power, and it turns off...hehe. On the other hand, hearing that high-pitched noise is annoying.

 

[Bassyhead]

i can 60hz flicker but not hear tvs squeal

 

[Amused]

For 2K or 9x, I could only stand it over 75Hz. Anything under 75Hz was painful to look at.

But for some reason, with XP, anything under 100Hz flickers for me.

 

[Kev]

60hz on a monitor makes me nauseous

 

[memo]

i can see the 60hz. it's weird though, i think i have a very accute sense of TVs. I can tell a TV is on 1 floor above or below me, even if i can't hear the sound. Good to hear im not a weirdo.

 

[Tiamat]

I see flicker at 75Hz. I need to have 85hz at least or else i feel like i have to puke.

Also, I cant stand Fluoresent lights (spelling?) When one is about to go, its high frequency noise clashes with the high frequency noise of the rest of them.

 

[Aharami]

these both annoy me to no end!! especially flickering screen

 

[brunswickite]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
I see flicker at 75Hz. I need to have 85hz at least or else i feel like i have to puke.

yea i keep my montior on 100-120hz refresh rate

 

[Ogg]

Yes

 

[Trente]

Your boss is an idiot.

 

[SWScorch]

Originally posted by: Trente
Your boss is an idiot.

you have no idea. When I first worked there, and knew nothing about computers, he convinced me that Via Apollo 133 chipset was faster than the Intel 440BX and told me that all the benchmarks that said otherwise were wrong because "they overclocked the 440." I won't even get started on some of the other stuff he's said. Suffice to say I am glad I'm out of that job.