Just a bit of a general frame rate question I was pondering recently - when watching let's say YouTube, the clip can be in a variety of frame rates, 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60 etc for example. Now I assume the PC (or playback device) converts these on the fly to be displayed at the device's own refresh rate, let's say 60Hz for most PC monitors.

Should we be setting our PC graphics setting to 50Hz when playing back PAL based material and 60 for everything else so there's no framerate conversion to get best results? I've always assumed any conversion results in the sometimes seen juddery horizontal pan shots.

In a word, yes. But most computer monitors won't allow a 50 Hz. (or 100Hz.) refresh rate (59 or 60 is all I can have). Digital TVs are better, mine (as a 2nd screen) allows from 23 Hz to 60 Hz so I set it to 50Hz but the graphics quality is inferior on non-video material (text etc.).

What we need are dynamic computer monitor displays and operating systems, that seamlessly switch refresh rates to match or be a multiple of whatever video frame rate is detected. Fat chance of that I suspect, as long as 'the industry' continues to build most everything for compatibility with the US and Japanese markets at rock bottom prices, not to mention Windows being able to handle it...

My external monitor says
50 Hz to 75 Hz (DP/HDMI), 24 Hz to 60 Hz (MHL)

The internal Laptop screen is 60 Hz.

FreeSync and G-Sync Monitors allow for varying refresh rates. These are available.

Significant upgrade cost though, for the vast majority who have sub £200 monitors especially larger ones, and IIRC they need a new graphics card too. Not sure if Free/GSync solves the original question though as it seems to be aimed at gamers, it may do, but does it?

Either way though, it's progress and the AMD HMDI extension will help, but the range seems to be very limited at the moment. Something to watch.

Well then, get on with the development of your cost saving solution.

Eh?

Does FreeSync/GSync automatically solve the problem posed by the O/P? is what I asked. If you know, please tell, because I don't, and it's going to be a waste of money upgrading if it doesn't.

First of all you have determine what the frame rate is of the video you are actually watching, for example by downloading it via keepvid. UK produced content should be 50Hz but when encoded incorrectly it may end up at 30/60Hz.

It's worth noting that some displays can be forced to display frame rates not listed in the EDID (which might not work with onboard graphics). The available frame rates for my sub £200 Dell monitor are 25, 50, 59, 60, but I can add 24 to the Display Manager in the AMD Catalyst Control Center.

Most people in the UK probably watch Netflix on their TVs at the wrong frame rate. On my Panny TV Netflix runs at 60Hz. I have a WDTV box which runs the Netflix app at 50Hz. I can force the frame rate on the WDTV to 24Hz, though I then have to change it back to 50Hz when watching any UK made TV show!

Does Netflix actually regionalise their programming I wonder? (I doubt it) so presumably all their output is 30f/60Hz as everyone in the world uses that (except a small 75% of the rest of the world)

The Netflix catalogue varies from country to country but I haven't noticed any standards conversions. As is well known 50Hz mode is blocked on most US TVs, but that is unlikely to be a problem as the Netflix app on American TVs will output 60Hz. Repeating or skipping frames may cause stuttering but that doesn't seem to bother many people.

Is it any more? - I would presume that their TV's now accept 50/60Hz just as ours do - isn't it a requirement for HDMI?.

However, I wouldn't say the Americans 'blocked' 50Hz, merely that with their usual arrogance they simply ignored the rest of the world

I found a big Panasonic LCD TV I was using while in the USA (that was probably 3 years old) would not accept the 50Hz output of my digital camera via HDMI.

The well known brands, Panasonic, Sony, etc are hobbled in ex NTSC countries not to work at 50Hz. I say hobbled as the same chips are used as elsewhere but it may be a case of some ancillary parts left out. The cheapos, Vestel equivalent, Chinese imports etc often do work at 50Hz.

Yes it's nothing new really but you have to wonder how much they save by doing this versus having models that work in more places without modifications. The days of having a TV built to work in a specific region are long gone (technically) but I suppose it's to protect one market from being sold cheaply into another market.