Refresh rate and frame rate
Frame rate is how many pictures per second a video has; refresh rate is how many times per second the screen updates.
Video is a fast row of still pictures, like a flip book. The frame rate is how many pictures there are each second; films usually have 24.
The refresh rate is how many times per second the screen draws a new picture, measured in hertz (Hz). When the two fit together nicely, movement looks smooth.
How does the HDfury Vertex handle refresh rate and frame rate?
HOW IT WORKSIt keeps the frame rate: it scales resolution (e.g. 4K60 to 1080p60) but the manual describes no frame-rate conversion. As an HDMI 2.0b device it does not support HDMI 2.1 VRR.
How to use it with the Vertex:
- Read the refresh rate of each input and output on the OLED, OSD or GUI top section (p.19, p.27).
- A value like 59.933 instead of 59.94 is normal: the Vertex shows the real measured rate (p.113).
- With Auto Scaling, the 4K30 preset is for 4K24/25/30 and the 4K60 presets for 4K60 signals (p.30).
- For 24 Hz film without judder, turn on frame-rate matching in your player.
What it is
Frame rate belongs to the content: film is made at 24 frames per second (fps), European TV at 25 or 50, and US TV at 30 or 60. Many sources use slightly slower versions: 23.976 (24 divided by 1.001) and 59.94 (60 divided by 1.001).
Refresh rate belongs to the screen and to the HDMI signal: a 60 Hz signal carries 60 pictures per second. If 24 fps film is sent as 60 Hz, some frames must be shown three times and others twice (3:2 pulldown). That uneven rhythm causes a small stutter in slow camera pans, called judder. Sending film at its own 24 Hz avoids it; many players call this frame-rate matching.
A higher frame rate also means a heavier signal: 4K60 needs twice the HDMI bandwidth of 4K30.
On the Vertex
The OLED, OSD and GUI show the refresh rate of every input and output, for example 4K59.94 (p.19, p.27). The Vertex reports the real measured value, so you may see numbers like 59.933 instead of 59.94. The manual explains that sources rarely produce the exact theoretical clock, so this is normal (p.113).
The Vertex scales resolution but keeps the rate: 4K24/25/30/50/60 becomes 1080p24/25/30/50/60 and back (p.110). The manual does not describe any frame-rate conversion. The Vertex is an HDMI 2.0b device, so it does not support HDMI 2.1 Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). The 4K30 scaler preset is meant for 4K24/25/30 signals and the 4K60 presets for 4K60 signals (p.30).
Common questions
Why does my Vertex show 59.933 or 23.97 instead of 60 or 24?
The Vertex shows the rate your source really sends, based on its clock. Small differences from the theoretical value are normal (p.113).
What is the difference between 23.976 and 24?
23.976 is 24 divided by 1.001, a leftover from old US TV timing. Most films on disc and streaming use 23.976; a few sources send true 24.000.
Can the Vertex change 24 Hz into 60 Hz?
The manual only describes scaling that keeps the same rate (p.110). Frame-rate conversion is done by the source or the display.