Have you ever watched a movie on your LG TV and felt something was off about the picture? That strange smoothness that makes films look like soap operas can ruin your viewing experience. This effect, known as motion smoothing or the “soap opera effect,” is actually a feature on your LG TV called TruMotion. To turn off motion smoothing on your LG TV, press the Settings button on your remote, navigate to Picture settings, select Advanced Settings, find Clarity, scroll down to TruMotion, and set it to OFF or Cinematic Motion.
Many LG TV owners don’t realize this setting is on by default. The feature was designed to reduce blur in fast-moving scenes like sports, but it often makes movies look artificial and unnatural. Directors and filmmakers have been vocal about their dislike for motion smoothing as it changes how their work was meant to be viewed.
What Is Motion Smoothing, and Why Turn It Off?
Motion smoothing—sometimes referred to as TruMotion on LG TVs—is a feature designed to make fast-moving images appear clearer by increasing the frame rate. It does this by inserting extra frames between the actual frames of a video. In theory, this reduces motion blur and creates a smoother picture.
But in reality? It often makes movies and shows look unnatural, like they were shot on cheap video cameras. This effect is known as the soap opera effect, and it can ruin the cinematic experience directors intended. Gamers might also notice extra input lag when motion smoothing is active, which can throw off timing in fast-paced games.
The good news is you can turn it off completely—or adjust it to your liking. Here’s how.
Step-by-Step: How to Turn Off Motion Smoothing on Your LG TV
LG TVs call their motion smoothing feature TruMotion, and depending on your model and year, the settings may be in slightly different places. Here’s the general method that works on most LG TVs.
1. Open Settings
- Press the Settings button on your LG remote. If there’s no dedicated button, press the Home button and navigate to Settings (usually a gear icon) on the screen.
2. Go to All Settings
- Scroll down and select All Settings (sometimes labeled Advanced Settings or Picture Settings, depending on the model).
3. Select Picture
- In the menu, choose Picture. This is where most display settings are located.
4. Open Picture Mode Settings
- Select Picture Mode Settings or Picture Mode, and then choose Picture Options.
5. Find and Select TruMotion
- Scroll to TruMotion. On newer LG TVs, you’ll find it under Clarity Settings or Advanced Controls.
6. Turn Off TruMotion
- Once inside the TruMotion menu, you’ll have a few options:
- Off: Completely disables motion smoothing.
- User Selection/Custom: Lets you fine-tune De-Judder and De-Blur settings.
For the most natural picture, choose Off. If you want to experiment, set De-Judder and De-Blur both to 0.
Model-Specific Instructions
LG OLED Models (C1, C2, CX, G1, etc.)
- Press Settings > All Settings > Picture > Picture Mode Settings > Clarity Settings > TruMotion > Off.
LG NanoCell and LED Models
- Press Settings > All Settings > Picture > Picture Options > TruMotion > Off.
If your LG TV uses webOS 22 or newer, TruMotion may be under Picture Clarity Settings instead of Picture Options.
Adjust TruMotion Instead of Turning It Off
If you like the idea of smoother motion for sports or documentaries but hate the soap opera effect in movies, you can customize TruMotion.
- De-Judder controls how smooth slow camera pans appear. Lower numbers (0-2) reduce the soap opera effect.
- De-Blur affects fast-moving objects like players in a sports game. Higher values sharpen movement but may introduce artifacts.
Recommended settings:
- For movies: De-Judder 0, De-Blur 0.
- For sports: De-Judder 3-5, De-Blur 5-10.
Try a few combinations and see what looks best for you.
Turn Off Motion Smoothing in Game Mode
For gamers, motion smoothing can introduce input lag, which makes controls feel sluggish. Luckily, Game Mode automatically disables most post-processing, including TruMotion.
How to Enable Game Mode:
- Press Settings on your remote.
- Go to Picture > Picture Mode Settings.
- Select Game Optimizer or Game Mode.
- TruMotion should already be off, but double-check under Clarity Settings.
This mode minimizes input lag and gives you the best experience for fast-paced games.
Why LG TVs Have Motion Smoothing Turned On By Default
TV manufacturers like LG enable motion smoothing out of the box because it makes their displays look more fluid and sharp in stores. On a brightly lit showroom floor, TruMotion helps action scenes look punchier. But at home, when you’re watching a movie in a dim room, it often feels over-processed.
Filmmakers and professionals recommend turning it off for a more accurate, cinematic picture.
Extra Tips for the Best Picture Quality
Once you’ve turned off motion smoothing, you might want to tweak a few other settings for the best experience:
- Picture Mode: Choose Cinema, Filmmaker Mode, or ISF Expert (Dark Room) for more accurate colors and contrast.
- Energy Saving: Turn it off or set it to minimum; it can dim the picture unnecessarily.
- Sharpness: Lower it to 0 or close to it. High sharpness adds unwanted halos around objects.
- Color Temperature: Set it to Warm 1 or Warm 2 for a more natural look.
Final Thoughts
Motion smoothing might have its place, but for most people, turning it off makes movies and shows look the way they were meant to. LG gives you plenty of control over these settings—whether you want to disable it completely or fine-tune it for different content.
Once you’ve made the change, you’ll probably wonder how you ever watched anything with it on.
Key Takeaways
- Motion smoothing on LG TVs (TruMotion) can be disabled through the Picture settings menu under Advanced Settings and Clarity options.
- The soap opera effect makes movies look unnatural by artificially increasing frame rates for smoother motion.
- Different content types benefit from different motion settings—sports may look better with it on, while films are best viewed with it off.
Understanding Motion Smoothing on LG TVs
LG TVs come with motion smoothing technology called TruMotion that affects how movies and TV shows look on your screen. This feature has benefits and drawbacks that impact your viewing experience.
What Is Motion Smoothing?
Motion smoothing (also called motion interpolation) is a feature on modern TVs that creates and inserts new frames between existing ones in video content. On LG TVs, this technology is branded as TruMotion.
The primary purpose is to reduce motion blur and make fast-moving scenes look smoother. Most films are shot at 24 frames per second (fps), while TV content often runs at 30fps. Your LG TV, however, might have a refresh rate of 60Hz, 120Hz, or higher.
Motion smoothing works by analyzing consecutive frames and generating artificial in-between frames to match your TV’s higher refresh rate. This process helps eliminate the slight stuttering or juddering effect you might notice during camera pans or fast action sequences.
Different Motion Smoothing Technologies
LG’s TruMotion offers several preset options to customize your viewing experience:
- Clear: Reduces blur with moderate smoothing
- Smooth: Maximizes smoothing effect
- User: Lets you manually adjust de-judder and de-blur settings
- Cinematic Movement: Preserves film-like quality while reducing judder
- Off: Disables all motion processing effects
Some newer LG models include AI-powered motion processing that analyzes content types to apply optimal settings. The manual settings let you customize de-judder (reduces stuttering in 24fps content) and de-blur (sharpens fast-moving objects) independently.
Many viewers prefer a subtle approach with de-blur at 0 and de-judder at 2 for a gentle correction that maintains the original look of content.
Common Viewer Complaints: The Soap Opera Effect
The most frequent criticism of motion smoothing is the infamous “soap opera effect” – a hyper-realistic, too-smooth appearance that makes movies look like they were shot on video rather than film.
This effect gets its name because soap operas were traditionally shot on video at higher frame rates, giving them a distinct look compared to film. When motion smoothing makes a blockbuster movie look like a daytime soap opera, it can be jarring.
Many directors and cinematographers strongly dislike this effect because it undermines their artistic intent. The ultra-smooth motion can make expensive productions look cheap or artificial, and can reduce the cinematic quality they worked to achieve.
For serious movie watching, film purists and many experts recommend turning TruMotion off completely to preserve the filmmaker’s original vision.
Navigating the LG TV Settings Menu
Finding your way through LG TV menus is key to turning off motion smoothing. The settings are organized in a specific way that helps you adjust picture quality for a more natural viewing experience.
Accessing the Settings Menu
To begin adjusting your LG TV settings, press the “Settings” or gear icon button on your remote control. This opens the quick settings menu along the right side of your screen.
For more detailed options, select “All Settings” which appears as a button at the bottom of this quick menu. If you don’t have your remote, most LG TVs have physical buttons either on the bottom, back, or side of the screen. Look for a button labeled “Menu” or “Settings.”
You can also use the LG ThinQ app on your smartphone to control your TV if you’ve connected it to your home network. This app works as a replacement remote and gives you full access to all settings menus.
Overview of Picture Settings
Once in the settings menu, navigate to the Picture settings section. This area contains all options that affect how images appear on your screen.
LG TVs offer several preset Picture Modes to choose from:
- Standard: Balanced for regular viewing
- Vivid: Brighter with enhanced colors
- Cinema: Optimized for movies
- Sports: Enhanced for fast-moving content
- Game: Reduces input lag for gaming
Within each mode, you can adjust basic settings like:
- Brightness
- Contrast
- Color
- Sharpness
For motion smoothing specifically, you’ll need to dig deeper into the Advanced Settings. The Picture settings serve as your gateway to more specific adjustments that affect how motion appears on your screen.
Advanced Settings and Their Impact on Picture Quality
The Advanced Settings section is where you’ll find the motion smoothing feature, which LG calls “TruMotion.” To access it, navigate to Picture → Advanced Settings → Clarity.
Scroll down in the Clarity menu until you see the TruMotion setting. When enabled, TruMotion creates additional frames between existing ones, making motion appear smoother but often creating the “soap opera effect” that many viewers dislike.
Your options typically include:
- Off: Completely disables motion smoothing
- Smooth: Maximum smoothing effect
- Clear: Moderate smoothing
- User: Custom settings for De-Blur and De-Judder
- Cinematic Motion: Subtle smoothing designed for films
If you’re watching movies and want the most natural film-like experience, setting TruMotion to “Off” or “Cinematic Motion” will provide the most authentic picture quality as the director intended.
Disabling Motion Smoothing on LG TVs
Motion smoothing (called TruMotion on LG TVs) can create an artificial-looking “soap opera effect” that many viewers find distracting. LG provides several ways to adjust or completely turn off this feature for a more cinematic viewing experience.
Step-by-Step Guide to Turn Off TruMotion
To disable TruMotion on your LG TV, follow these simple steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your remote control
- Select Picture from the menu
- Look for Advanced Settings or Expert Settings (depending on your model)
- Find the Clarity menu option
- Select TruMotion from the Clarity menu
- Choose Off to completely disable motion smoothing
On newer LG OLED models, you’ll find TruMotion settings under the Clarity menu. Some older models may have it directly in Picture settings.
You can also use Filmmaker Mode as a quick solution. This preset automatically turns off motion smoothing and other processing features to deliver a more accurate picture.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Can’t find TruMotion? The location may vary based on your TV model and software version. If you can’t locate it following the steps above, try these alternatives:
- Check under Display & Sounds > Advanced Settings on some models
- Look for “Auto Motion Plus” in Expert Settings on certain LG TVs
- Use the Quick Settings by pressing the gear button while watching content
- Search for “TruMotion” in the TV’s settings search function if available
If motion smoothing reactivates after changing inputs or power cycling, you’ll need to apply these settings for each individual input source and picture mode you use.
Sometimes a simple TV restart can resolve settings issues if the TruMotion option appears grayed out.
Impact of Disabling TruMotion on Viewing Experience
Turning off TruMotion creates a more film-like experience, especially for movies and TV shows. Without motion smoothing, you’ll notice:
- More natural-looking movement that matches how directors intended their work to be seen
- Elimination of the “soap opera effect” that makes expensive productions look like daytime TV
- Potentially more visible motion blur during fast action scenes (this is normal)
For sports and fast-moving content, you might prefer a low TruMotion setting rather than turning it completely off.
Many film enthusiasts and directors advocate for disabling motion smoothing to preserve the original cinematic look. Most LG OLED TVs excel at motion handling even with TruMotion disabled.
Adjusting Picture Clarity Settings
LG TVs offer extensive picture clarity settings that help eliminate the soap opera effect while still maintaining excellent image quality. These settings work together to create your ideal viewing experience.
Modifying Brightness and Contrast
Brightness and contrast settings form the foundation of your TV’s picture quality. To adjust these settings on your LG TV:
- Press the Settings button on your remote
- Navigate to Picture > Advanced Settings
- Select Brightness
For optimal viewing in a dark room, try setting brightness between 45-50 and contrast around 85-90. These values help maintain deep blacks while preventing shadow detail loss.
You might need different settings based on your room’s lighting. In brighter rooms, increase brightness slightly (50-55) to combat glare. Adjust contrast to enhance the difference between light and dark elements without washing out the image.
Remember that each content type benefits from different settings. Movies look best with slightly lower brightness, while sports and games often need higher brightness and contrast.
Sharpness and Detail Enhancements
Sharpness controls edge definition in your picture, while detail enhancements like Super Resolution can improve image clarity. To find these settings:
- Go to Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity
- Adjust Sharpness (recommended range: 10-25)
- Configure Super Resolution settings
For most content, setting sharpness around 15-20 provides crisp images without creating artificial-looking edges. Higher values can cause unwanted artifacts that detract from picture quality.
Super Resolution enhances detail in lower resolution content. For 4K sources, you can typically leave this off. For HD content, try the Low or Medium setting to gently enhance details without creating noise.
The TruMotion setting, responsible for the soap opera effect, is also located in the Clarity menu. Turn this completely OFF or use Cinematic Motion for a more film-like experience.
Noise Reduction Options
Noise reduction settings help minimize visual artifacts and grainy appearance, particularly in compressed or older content. Access these options through:
- Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity
- Scroll to find Noise Reduction and MPEG Noise Reduction
Standard Noise Reduction works best for broadcast TV or streaming content with visible grain. Use Low for high-quality sources and Medium for standard definition content.
MPEG Noise Reduction specifically targets compression artifacts (blocky patterns or pixelation). This setting is particularly helpful for heavily compressed streaming content or standard cable broadcasts.
Smooth Gradation reduces banding in color transitions (like skies or walls). For most content, the Low setting provides the best balance between smooth images and preserved detail.
You can typically disable these noise reduction features entirely when watching 4K or Blu-ray content, as they may soften fine details unnecessarily.
Advanced Features Related to Motion
Modern LG TVs come with several motion-related settings that affect how you experience fast-moving content. Understanding these features can help you customize your viewing experience beyond simply turning off motion smoothing.
Auto Motion Plus and Its Effects on Motion
Auto Motion Plus on LG TVs (often labeled as TruMotion) creates additional frames between existing ones to reduce motion blur. This feature works by analyzing consecutive frames and generating intermediate frames that create smoother transitions. When you turn off TruMotion, you’re disabling this frame interpolation process.
If you prefer a middle ground rather than completely turning it off, many LG models offer a “Cinematic Motion” option. This setting applies less aggressive smoothing that preserves more of the original filmmaker’s intent while still reducing some blur.
You can also try the “User” setting where you gain access to individual sliders for blur and judder control, allowing more precise customization than the preset options.
Impact of LED Clear Motion
LED Clear Motion (sometimes called Motion Clarity) inserts black frames between regular frames to reduce motion blur. This technique is different from frame interpolation used by TruMotion/Auto Motion Plus.
When you activate this feature, it briefly darkens the screen between frames to create a more defined image during fast-moving scenes. While this improves clarity, it also reduces overall brightness, which may be noticeable in already dark content or bright rooms.
To adjust Motion Enhancement settings, navigate to:
- Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Advanced Settings
Many sports viewers prefer this feature enabled, while movie enthusiasts typically turn it off for a more traditional cinematic experience.
Adjusting Blur and Judder Reduction
Blur and judder reduction are two separate components you can fine-tune on many LG TVs. Blur reduction focuses on clarifying fast-moving objects, while judder reduction smooths the stuttering effect common in 24fps content shown on 60Hz displays.
To access these controls:
- Go to Settings
- Select Picture
- Choose Advanced Settings
- Find TruMotion
- Select “User” option
This reveals separate sliders for blur and judder. Start with both at lower settings (around 2-3) and adjust based on your preference. Higher blur reduction values help with sports and gaming, while lower judder values preserve the cinematic look for movies.
The Real Cinema setting works alongside these controls to properly display 24fps film content without conversion artifacts. You’ll find this option in the same advanced picture settings menu.
Optimizing Your LG TV for Different Content Types
LG TVs offer different picture settings that work best for specific types of content. Adjusting these settings can significantly improve your viewing experience whether you’re watching movies, sports, or regular TV shows.
Settings for HD and 4K Content
When watching HD (1080p) or 4K content, you’ll want to optimize your LG TV for the best picture clarity. Start by accessing your Picture Settings menu, which you can find in the main settings area of your TV.
For 4K HDR content, make sure your HDR mode is properly enabled. Look for settings called “Ultra HD Deep Color” or “HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color” and turn them on for HDMI ports connected to 4K devices.
To reduce the unwanted “soap opera effect,” you’ll need to turn off TruMotion settings. Navigate to:
- Settings → Picture → Advanced Settings → Clarity
- Scroll down to find TruMotion
- Set it to OFF or use Cinematic Motion
For standard TV shows, the “ISF Expert” or “Cinema” picture modes often provide the most accurate colors.
Customizing Settings for Live Sports
Live sports benefit from different settings than movies or TV shows. The fast-moving action needs some motion processing to look smooth without blurring.
For sports viewing, start with “Sports” or “Standard” picture mode, which typically has brighter settings and more vibrant colors. Unlike movies, some TruMotion settings can actually help with sports content.
For the best experience watching fast-paced games:
- Use TruMotion on a low setting (not completely off)
- Increase the “Sharpness” slightly (around 25-30)
- Consider using “Dynamic Color” mode for more vibrant team colors
Higher frame rates (fps) content like sports broadcasts at 60fps benefits from a slightly different approach than the 24fps used in most films. You might want to adjust your settings when switching between watching a movie and a basketball game.
Filmmaker Mode for a Cinematic Viewing Experience
Filmmaker Mode is designed to show movies exactly as directors intended. This special viewing mode automatically turns off motion smoothing and other unnecessary processing that can alter the original look of films.
To enable Filmmaker Mode on your LG TV:
- Press the Settings button on your remote
- Go to Picture Mode Settings
- Select “Filmmaker Mode” from the options
For the best cinematic experience, you should also enable “Real Cinema” in the advanced settings. This setting preserves the original 24fps cadence of films, maintaining the authentic film-like motion.
For older movies or standard content, Filmmaker Mode combined with proper brightness settings creates a more authentic theater-like experience. Many LG OLED TV owners particularly appreciate this mode for its accurate colors and film-like presentation without the artificial smoothness.
Connectivity and Inputs
LG TVs offer multiple connection options that affect how motion smoothing appears across different devices. Understanding these connections helps you optimize picture quality and eliminate the soap opera effect.
Managing HDMI Inputs for Optimal Performance
Your LG TV applies motion smoothing settings differently across various HDMI inputs. To turn off motion smoothing for external devices like gaming consoles or Blu-ray players, you’ll need to adjust settings for each HDMI port individually.
Navigate to Settings > Picture > Select Mode for the specific HDMI input you’re using. Each HDMI connection can have different TruMotion settings saved to its profile.
For 4K devices, make sure your HDMI cables are high-speed compatible. Lower-quality cables may cause picture issues that make motion smoothing problems more noticeable.
Use the Quick Settings menu while content is playing by pressing the gear button on your remote to make real-time adjustments to motion settings for that specific input.
Configuring Settings for Different Frame Rates
Different content plays at various frame rates, which affects how motion smoothing appears. Movies typically run at 24fps, while TV shows often use 30fps or 60fps.
For 24fps movie content (most films), turn TruMotion completely off or use the “Cinematic Motion” option to preserve the original film look.
For 60fps content like sports or gaming, you might prefer:
- For sports: Low TruMotion setting
- For gaming: Game Mode (which disables most processing)
- For 4K/1080p streaming: Off or User setting with De-Blur 0, De-Judder 0
When switching between content with different frame rates (like going from Netflix to a gaming console), check your settings. Your LG TV should remember separate settings for each input, but it’s worth confirming after major system updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Motion smoothing on LG TVs can be confusing to disable. These common questions address specific methods to turn off TruMotion features across different LG TV models and troubleshoot common issues.
How can I disable the LG TruMotion feature on my TV?
To disable TruMotion on most LG TVs, press the Settings button on your remote, then navigate to All Settings → Picture → Advanced Settings → Clarity. Scroll down to the bottom of the options list to find TruMotion and set it to OFF.
Alternatively, you can select “Cinematic Motion” instead of OFF if you want some motion processing without the full soap opera effect.
What are the steps for turning off motion smoothing on an LG C3 model?
For the LG C3 OLED model, press the Settings (gear icon) button on your remote. Select Picture settings, then Picture Mode Settings, followed by Picture Options.
Look for the TruMotion option and set it to Off. The C3 models may also offer additional options like “Cinematic Movement” which provides some smoothing without the artificial look.
Is there a way to deactivate motion control on LG televisions?
Yes, you can fully deactivate motion control on LG TVs. Navigate to Settings → Picture → Picture Options → TruMotion → Off.
This completely turns off all motion interpolation effects. Some newer models might have this setting under “AI Picture Pro” or “AI Picture Settings” which you may also want to adjust.
How do I eliminate motion blur on the latest LG C-series OLED TVs?
To eliminate motion blur on LG C-series OLED TVs while avoiding the soap opera effect, you can use the “Cinematic Movement” option instead of turning TruMotion completely off.
Access Settings → Picture → Picture Mode Settings → Picture Options → TruMotion → and select “Cinematic Movement” instead of complete deactivation. This reduces blur while maintaining the cinematic look of film content.
Where can I find the settings to adjust motion smoothing on my LG TV?
On most LG TVs, motion smoothing settings are found in the Picture settings menu. Press the Settings button on your remote, then select All Settings → Picture → Advanced Settings → Clarity.
Scroll down to find the TruMotion settings. Depending on your model year, it might also be located under Picture → Picture Options or Picture Mode Settings.
What should I do if I cannot locate the TruMotion settings on my LG TV?
If you can’t find TruMotion settings, try checking under different menu names. On some models, it might be under “AI Picture Pro” or “Picture Mode Settings” rather than directly in Picture settings.
For older models, try looking in Settings → Picture → Advanced Controls or Expert Controls. If you still can’t find it, try using the TV’s search function by pressing the home button and using the search icon at the top right.
If you don’t have your remote, you can use the LG ThinQ app on your smartphone to access these settings or connect a universal remote to navigate the menus.
