Some Roku TV owners are unable to turn off motion smoothing on their TVs after updating to Roku OS 13, which also added motion smoothing to some TVs that previously did not have it.
Imagine installing a software update only to find out that you are now stuck with motion smoothing, turning your movie into a 'soap opera' and greatly increasing input lag while gaming.
- "Contributors on Reddit and in Roku’s community forum reported seeing the change on TCL TVs running on Roku OS 13, as did a few staffers on The Verge. However, for others who have access to “Expert” picture settings, the same update is in place without a change, and the settings to control it are still available," reported The Verge.
According to the report, owners of more expensive Roku TVs with access to 'Expert' picture settings are still able to make changes to the 'Action Smoothing' setting, which is Roku's term for motion smoothing.
Also read: Tom Cruise is asking you politely to turn off 'motion smoothing'
Roku is looking into the matter
Roku started rolling out Roku OS 13 in April. The system software update features a new 'Smart Picture' feature that "optimizes the brightness and colors and selects the best picture mode".
It is unclear what the exact cause of the issue is, but it is likely related to this auto-optimization feature.
- "Hopefully as more people experience it, the quicker we get a fix. The TV is unwatchable as it stands," owner jp223 wrote on the Roku community board.
A Roku employee posted on the company's community board that they are looking into the matter, but at the time of writing, there is no timeline for a fix.
- Source: The Verge, Roku, Reddit
