120Hz Monitor HOWTO: Reduce motion blur in WinUAE!

mdrejhon · 27 July 2013, 23:43

HOWTO: Reduce Motion Blur in WinUAE on 120Hz LCD Monitors

There are two methods of reducing motion blur with WinUAE on a 120Hz monitor. You can do either (1) or (2) or preferably both (for maximum improvement in motion clarity). This also applies to 100Hz and PAL, because nearly all 120Hz monitors can also do 100Hz.

Also, another bonus of running at 120Hz is less input lag in WinUAE, which is another secondary benefit of running at 120Hz. Even though you may run at only 60fps, the frame is displayed quicker (displayed in 1/120sec, rather than displayed in 1/60sec).

____

1. Enable LightBoost in your monitor.

Strobe backlights such as LightBoost eliminate motion blur on LCD displays. Several 120Hz monitors now have a refresh-synchronized strobe backlight feature that can be enabled, to allow CRT crystal clear motion on LCD. BlurBusters.com Blog covers this stuff, plus also TFTCentral: Motion Blur Reduction Backlights Including LightBoost

Instructions: LightBoost HOWTO

Popular Blur Busters pages: 60Hz vs 120Hz vs LightBoost | media coverage | rave reviews | high speed video | LightBoost FAQ

One problem is that LightBoost motion blur elimination is limited to 100Hz to 120Hz, which makes it a problem for emulators. Fortunately, the WinUAE developers have added software-based black frame insertion to simulate 60Hz flicker on a 120Hz monitor, which actually also works great in conjunction with LightBoost.

____

2. Enable WinUAE black frame insertion.

Software-based black frame insertion has officially been a part of WinUAE since WinUAE version 2.6.0. This is a feature of WinUAE that adds a black frame between refreshes. This reduces motion blur.

The result is:
~50% less motion blur on many 120Hz monitors (improvement noticeable in platform scrollers)
~90% less motion blur on LightBoost 120Hz monitors (big improvement, CRT quality scrolling)

If you combine both (1) and (2), especially at LightBoost=10%, you will get zero motion blur; perfect CRT motion on your 120Hz monitor. The two techniques combined makes it flicker like a 60Hz CRT; and have the motion clarity of a 60Hz CRT.

____

Animation of Black Frame Insertion

For people who has never seen black frame insertion, make sure you have a supported web browser and then click the below web-based animation of black frame insertion on a fast GPU-accelerated computer (e.g. Google Chrome):

www.testufo.com/#test=blackframes

If you are using a 60Hz monitor, this demonstrates 30fps with less motion blur via the black frame insertion technique. If you are using a 120Hz monitor, this demos 60fps with black frame insertion. If you are using 100Hz, this demos 50fps with black frame insertion. Note that 60fps black frame insertion (via 120Hz monitor) will flicker a LOT LESS than 30fps black frame insertion.

Remember, for 50fps / 60fps black frame insertion, you will need to run 100Hz / 120Hz, with a 120Hz monitor.

turrican3 · 28 July 2013, 18:27

how do you set black frame insertion in winuae ?

Toni Wilen · 29 July 2013, 15:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by turrican3

how do you set black frame insertion in winuae ?

Option is in misc panel.

vagrant · 09 October 2013, 17:12

So I purchased a snazzy ASUS VG278HE today that's lightboost capable.
Having lightboost enabled with black frame insertion is impressive - however I noticed a lot of temporary image retention, it's a bit disappointing really.
With 'black frame insertion' disabled there is no image retention at all.. also no IR on the windows desktop with lightboost enabled.

Is this a downside to the lightboost technology or black frame insertion in general?
I can't find any info regarding this issue anywhere

turrican3 · 09 October 2013, 17:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Option is in misc panel.

it seems you must have a really powerfull computer !

mdrejhon · 10 October 2013, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by who

So I purchased a snazzy ASUS VG278HE today that's lightboost capable. Having lightboost enabled with black frame insertion is impressive - however I noticed a lot of temporary image retention, it's a bit disappointing really. With 'black frame insertion' disabled there is no image retention at all.. also no IR on the windows desktop with lightboost enabled.

It's monitor-specific, alas.

But there's a scientific explanation for IR caused by software-driven black frame insertion -- it's an unexpected interaction with LCD voltage inversion. It's nothing to do with LightBoost -- but the black frame insertion -- flicker on some panels (rapid on/off cycles) sometimes causes temporary image retention on some because of the LCD inversion pattern (www.testufo.com/inversion). To keep the electricity (DC) balanced, LCD panels create a rapid alternating positive/negative voltages, as explained in the Lagom link and Techmind link at the motion test above. Sometimes that interacts with flicker patterns (including software-driven black frame insertion). Some LCD panels create a temporary retention effect during 30fps@60Hz flicker, or 60fps@120Hz flicker. Reducing the Contrast via your monitor menus *might* help slightly.

I've seen it happen on my VG278H 120Hz, but not on my BENQ XL2411T 144Hz. I suspect the XL2420TE won't have this retention effect.

vagrant · 11 October 2013, 04:57

Interesting, thanks for replying

Well I'm going to try the BENQ series.. I'd prefer a 27" screen, would you suspect the XL2720T would also be void of retention?

vagrant · 14 October 2013, 09:21

So I bit the bullet and the lads were nice enough to let me swap for a XL2720T (+$100).
The IR on this screen is even worse than the ASUS

Not to mention I was lucky enough to get a screen riddled with DSE..
I guess the only positive here serves as a warning for others.. looks like my CRT will not retire into storage after all.

Retroplay · 14 October 2013, 11:02

Doesn't it support 50hz like BenQ G2420HD does ?

I am very happy with my G2420HD that's for sure.

WinUAE is as smooth as butter, no ghosting, no motion blur - just perfect in my eyes.

With Twistys shadowmask filter enabled it's really on par with my 1084S, if only Indi Mk2 supported 50hz it would be perfect for A1200.

Toni Wilen · 14 October 2013, 11:19

I haven't seen this kind of effect on 24" Asus VG248QE, does it depend on panel size or some other settings? Lightboost level? I use very low value because higher levels are too bright or "type" of scene shown, like very high contrast changes?

Quote:

it seems you must have a really powerfull computer !

Of course!

EDIT: btw, I had to use non-lightboost mode for a while (due to nvidia beta drivers being crap and I didn't bother to revert back until next day) and FPS games looked horribly blurry when doing fast movements (even at 100Hz+) compared to lightboost mode! Difference is huge.

vagrant · 14 October 2013, 13:21

@Retroplay
Ironically, my old lcd is a G2420, I'm holding on to it after seeing it accepts 15khz

Although I never used it for winuae native output.. (to me it exhibits typical LCD blur).

@Toni
It looks to depend on panel size.
I think the VG278 and XL2720 are the only two 27" lightboost capable monitors available and they both have the same issue. On both monitors I tried reducing lightboost to 10% as well as lowering contrast but it made no difference.
The IR is very quick to set in and takes 10-15 seconds to disappear, so I'm sure you would notice it. You even get IR simply moving windows around on a default workbench.

Either way this screen has to go back due to the horrible DSE alone..

Retroplay · 14 October 2013, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by who

@Retroplay
Ironically, my old lcd is a G2420, I'm holding on to it after seeing it accepts 15khz

Although I never used it for winuae native output.. (to me it exhibits typical LCD blur).

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?...ghlight=2420hd

Read post 10.

Love monitor indeed.

vagrant · 14 October 2013, 16:38

Yep it's because of that thread I'm holding on to the G2420

But TBH only as a convenient way to get a display out of my real amigas, not for regular use (and not for winuae). I couldn't handle the incorrect aspect and surely motion blur is still inevitable, even at 15khz!

Because of this lightboost hack I'm so close to putting my CRT into storage where it belongs.. it's more then 'outstayed it's welcome' and tbh - I'm sick of my friends laughing at the sheer sight of it

Just need to find a monitor that works without issues!

vagrant · 17 October 2013, 02:50

So I ended up exchanging for a BenQ XL2411T. (They did not have the VG248 in stock.)
I took my PC with me so I could test the monitor first.
Absolutely no IR on this model.
However.. the monitor has some horizontal banding & backlight bleeding. Not a major problem but with 'black frame insertion' enabled it really highlights the banding for some reason..
Anyway I grabbed the monitor since it's still better than my old LCD.

The CRT is a clear winner and I suspect it will remain on my desk for some time

Maybe I'll try again when the technology has matured, or when OLED becomes economically viable.

mdrejhon · 24 October 2013, 14:48

G-SYNC is a variable refresh rate technology announced by NVIDIA, running dynamically at 30Hz->144Hz. Monitor refreshes immediately upon Direct3D frame presentation, instead of waiting till the next VSYNC. Before, 60Hz monitors needed 1/60sec to transmit the refresh from the GPU to the monitor. Not anymore. In a G-SYNC monitor, the frame transmission time is always 1/144sec, even during 60fps.

Apparently, this makes it possible to do ultralow input lag 60Hz for emulators!

For developers, it is actually very simple to run G-SYNC at a fixed refresh rate: Basically, emulator runs at 60fps@60Hz, but with frame transmission times of 1/144th of a second from GPU to display. In G-SYNC mode, you just simply do Direct3D Present() 60 times a second accurately (based on QueryPerformanceCounter()), and viola! G-SYNC 144Hz running at 60fps@60Hz.

1/60sec frame transmission to monitor = 16.7ms (traditional VSYNC at 60Hz)
1/144sec frame transmission to monitor = 6.9ms (G-SYNC)
Input lag reduction = almost 10ms

To Emulator Users: Tell your emulator creators, link to this post.
To Emulator Creators: It's a very simple programming change to emulators:
- A command line option or mode that ignores VSYNC, and instead uses microsecond-accurate timer to call Direct3D Present(). This allows the emulator to control a G-SYNC monitor's immediate refresh (e.g. 50Hz or 60Hz). The emulator briefly runs as fast as possible for 1/60sec (surged emulation execution) then frame is immediately delivered as fast as possible to the monitor (in 1/144sec) without waiting for VSYNC. Rinse and repeat 60 times a second. Low input lag bliss.

Also, G-SYNC monitors have multiple modes included:
1. Variable refresh rate mode.
2. Fixed refresh rate strobe mode (sequel to LightBoost), might allow 60Hz strobed.
And the ASUS VG248QE is upgradeable to G-SYNC!
Google for it, and I've posted some of these news at Blur Busters in the G-SYNC menu.

mdrejhon · 24 October 2013, 15:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by who

Maybe I'll try again when the technology has matured, or when OLED becomes economically viable.

G-SYNC strobe mode is superior, and probably fixes the banding:
http://www.blurbusters.com/confirmed...light-upgrade/
Time will tell if this LightBoost sequel fixes the colors/banding!

Toni Wilen · 24 October 2013, 16:53

I already mentioned g-sync here: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=71170

vagrant · 25 October 2013, 02:07

..if only I had waited a few weeks

Very interesting indeed.. I'll keep an eye on the progress of this.

amilo3438 · 26 October 2013, 13:58

Well, maybe this demo could be a good test case ... http://janeway.exotica.org.uk/release.php?id=4899

Does anyone manage to read the scrolling text on his LCD using any of new Motion Blur reduction technology?!

Toni Wilen · 26 October 2013, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by amilo3438

Well, maybe this demo could be a good test case ... http://janeway.exotica.org.uk/release.php?id=4899

Does anyone manage to read the scrolling text on his LCD using any of new Motion Blur reduction technology?!

It is very easy to read in 100Hz + lightboost + black frame insertion mode. (It is less clear without black frame insertion)

Standard 60Hz is really blurry.

27 July 2013, 23:43	#1
mdrejhon Chief Blur Buster Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 40	120Hz Monitor HOWTO: Reduce motion blur in WinUAE! HOWTO: Reduce Motion Blur in WinUAE on 120Hz LCD Monitors There are two methods of reducing motion blur with WinUAE on a 120Hz monitor. You can do either (1) or (2) or preferably both (for maximum improvement in motion clarity). This also applies to 100Hz and PAL, because nearly all 120Hz monitors can also do 100Hz. Also, another bonus of running at 120Hz is less input lag in WinUAE, which is another secondary benefit of running at 120Hz. Even though you may run at only 60fps, the frame is displayed quicker (displayed in 1/120sec, rather than displayed in 1/60sec). ____ 1. Enable LightBoost in your monitor. Strobe backlights such as LightBoost eliminate motion blur on LCD displays. Several 120Hz monitors now have a refresh-synchronized strobe backlight feature that can be enabled, to allow CRT crystal clear motion on LCD. BlurBusters.com Blog covers this stuff, plus also TFTCentral: Motion Blur Reduction Backlights Including LightBoost Instructions: LightBoost HOWTO Popular Blur Busters pages: 60Hz vs 120Hz vs LightBoost \| media coverage \| rave reviews \| high speed video \| LightBoost FAQ One problem is that LightBoost motion blur elimination is limited to 100Hz to 120Hz, which makes it a problem for emulators. Fortunately, the WinUAE developers have added software-based black frame insertion to simulate 60Hz flicker on a 120Hz monitor, which actually also works great in conjunction with LightBoost. ____ 2. Enable WinUAE black frame insertion. Software-based black frame insertion has officially been a part of WinUAE since WinUAE version 2.6.0. This is a feature of WinUAE that adds a black frame between refreshes. This reduces motion blur. The result is: ~50% less motion blur on many 120Hz monitors (improvement noticeable in platform scrollers) ~90% less motion blur on LightBoost 120Hz monitors (big improvement, CRT quality scrolling) If you combine both (1) and (2), especially at LightBoost=10%, you will get zero motion blur; perfect CRT motion on your 120Hz monitor. The two techniques combined makes it flicker like a 60Hz CRT; and have the motion clarity of a 60Hz CRT. ____ Animation of Black Frame Insertion For people who has never seen black frame insertion, make sure you have a supported web browser and then click the below web-based animation of black frame insertion on a fast GPU-accelerated computer (e.g. Google Chrome): www.testufo.com/#test=blackframes If you are using a 60Hz monitor, this demonstrates 30fps with less motion blur via the black frame insertion technique. If you are using a 120Hz monitor, this demos 60fps with black frame insertion. If you are using 100Hz, this demos 50fps with black frame insertion. Note that 60fps black frame insertion (via 120Hz monitor) will flicker a LOT LESS than 30fps black frame insertion. Remember, for 50fps / 60fps black frame insertion, you will need to run 100Hz / 120Hz, with a 120Hz monitor. Last edited by mdrejhon; 27 October 2013 at 00:16.

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28 July 2013, 18:27	#2
turrican3 Moon 1969 = amiga 1985 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: belgium Age: 48 Posts: 3,913	how do you set black frame insertion in winuae ?

09 October 2013, 17:12	#4
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	So I purchased a snazzy ASUS VG278HE today that's lightboost capable. Having lightboost enabled with black frame insertion is impressive - however I noticed a lot of temporary image retention, it's a bit disappointing really. With 'black frame insertion' disabled there is no image retention at all.. also no IR on the windows desktop with lightboost enabled. Is this a downside to the lightboost technology or black frame insertion in general? I can't find any info regarding this issue anywhere

11 October 2013, 04:57	#7
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	Interesting, thanks for replying Well I'm going to try the BENQ series.. I'd prefer a 27" screen, would you suspect the XL2720T would also be void of retention?

14 October 2013, 09:21	#8
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	So I bit the bullet and the lads were nice enough to let me swap for a XL2720T (+$100). The IR on this screen is even worse than the ASUS Not to mention I was lucky enough to get a screen riddled with DSE.. I guess the only positive here serves as a warning for others.. looks like my CRT will not retire into storage after all.

14 October 2013, 11:02	#9
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,082	Doesn't it support 50hz like BenQ G2420HD does ? I am very happy with my G2420HD that's for sure. WinUAE is as smooth as butter, no ghosting, no motion blur - just perfect in my eyes. With Twistys shadowmask filter enabled it's really on par with my 1084S, if only Indi Mk2 supported 50hz it would be perfect for A1200.

14 October 2013, 13:21	#11
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	@Retroplay Ironically, my old lcd is a G2420, I'm holding on to it after seeing it accepts 15khz Although I never used it for winuae native output.. (to me it exhibits typical LCD blur). @Toni It looks to depend on panel size. I think the VG278 and XL2720 are the only two 27" lightboost capable monitors available and they both have the same issue. On both monitors I tried reducing lightboost to 10% as well as lowering contrast but it made no difference. The IR is very quick to set in and takes 10-15 seconds to disappear, so I'm sure you would notice it. You even get IR simply moving windows around on a default workbench. Either way this screen has to go back due to the horrible DSE alone..

14 October 2013, 16:38	#13
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	Yep it's because of that thread I'm holding on to the G2420 But TBH only as a convenient way to get a display out of my real amigas, not for regular use (and not for winuae). I couldn't handle the incorrect aspect and surely motion blur is still inevitable, even at 15khz! Because of this lightboost hack I'm so close to putting my CRT into storage where it belongs.. it's more then 'outstayed it's welcome' and tbh - I'm sick of my friends laughing at the sheer sight of it Just need to find a monitor that works without issues!

17 October 2013, 02:50	#14
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	So I ended up exchanging for a BenQ XL2411T. (They did not have the VG248 in stock.) I took my PC with me so I could test the monitor first. Absolutely no IR on this model. However.. the monitor has some horizontal banding & backlight bleeding. Not a major problem but with 'black frame insertion' enabled it really highlights the banding for some reason.. Anyway I grabbed the monitor since it's still better than my old LCD. The CRT is a clear winner and I suspect it will remain on my desk for some time Maybe I'll try again when the technology has matured, or when OLED becomes economically viable.

24 October 2013, 14:48	#15
mdrejhon Chief Blur Buster Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 40	G-SYNC is a variable refresh rate technology announced by NVIDIA, running dynamically at 30Hz->144Hz. Monitor refreshes immediately upon Direct3D frame presentation, instead of waiting till the next VSYNC. Before, 60Hz monitors needed 1/60sec to transmit the refresh from the GPU to the monitor. Not anymore. In a G-SYNC monitor, the frame transmission time is always 1/144sec, even during 60fps. Apparently, this makes it possible to do ultralow input lag 60Hz for emulators! For developers, it is actually very simple to run G-SYNC at a fixed refresh rate: Basically, emulator runs at 60fps@60Hz, but with frame transmission times of 1/144th of a second from GPU to display. In G-SYNC mode, you just simply do Direct3D Present() 60 times a second accurately (based on QueryPerformanceCounter()), and viola! G-SYNC 144Hz running at 60fps@60Hz. 1/60sec frame transmission to monitor = 16.7ms (traditional VSYNC at 60Hz) 1/144sec frame transmission to monitor = 6.9ms (G-SYNC) Input lag reduction = almost 10ms To Emulator Users: Tell your emulator creators, link to this post. To Emulator Creators: It's a very simple programming change to emulators: - A command line option or mode that ignores VSYNC, and instead uses microsecond-accurate timer to call Direct3D Present(). This allows the emulator to control a G-SYNC monitor's immediate refresh (e.g. 50Hz or 60Hz). The emulator briefly runs as fast as possible for 1/60sec (surged emulation execution) then frame is immediately delivered as fast as possible to the monitor (in 1/144sec) without waiting for VSYNC. Rinse and repeat 60 times a second. Low input lag bliss. Also, G-SYNC monitors have multiple modes included: 1. Variable refresh rate mode. 2. Fixed refresh rate strobe mode (sequel to LightBoost), might allow 60Hz strobed. And the ASUS VG248QE is upgradeable to G-SYNC! Google for it, and I've posted some of these news at Blur Busters in the G-SYNC menu.

24 October 2013, 16:53	#17
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,507	I already mentioned g-sync here: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=71170

25 October 2013, 02:07	#18
vagrant Registered User Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Australia Age: 44 Posts: 1,126	..if only I had waited a few weeks Very interesting indeed.. I'll keep an eye on the progress of this.

26 October 2013, 13:58	#19
amilo3438 Amiga 500 User Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: EU Posts: 1,504	Well, maybe this demo could be a good test case ... http://janeway.exotica.org.uk/release.php?id=4899 Does anyone manage to read the scrolling text on his LCD using any of new Motion Blur reduction technology?!

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