Vizio has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a 2018 California class action lawsuit in which the company was accused of deceiving consumers over the refresh rate of its televisions.Vizio claimed that its black frame insertion technology improved the "effective refresh rate" from 60 Hz to 120 Hz, which Vizio claimed was an increase in the "effective refresh rate.

It also applied the same language and thinking to 120Hz panels, raising the "effective" refresh rate of those sets to 240Hz. The terms of the settlement (via The Verge) can be claimed by anyone who purchased a Vizio TV in California after April 30, 2014, and will receive between $17 and $50, depending on the number of claimants.

Vizio, of course, unequivocally denies any wrongdoing, meaning that it believes the settlement is more expedient than truly justified. Nevertheless, as part of the settlement, Vizio plans to discontinue television advertising that uses "effective" refresh rates.

Given the relatively low payment, the main benefit here appears to be a reduction in nonsense in television advertising. Hopefully, this settlement will not only help Vigio to clean up its act, but also discourage other TV manufacturers from using similar tactics.

Speaking of which, Vizio is not alone in hyping TV refresh rates; both LG and TCL are reportedly facing similar class They are reportedly facing a lawsuit.

No doubt all of this is particularly ridiculous given the low refresh rates of actual video content, which is what TVs are most commonly used for as opposed to gaming. 120Hz and 240Hz, let alone 60Hz video, except for YouTube content. Almost none. The HFR (High Frame Rate) version of "The Hobbit" was only 48 Hz (and looked pretty awful to my eyes).

Ultimately, the benefits of technologies such as black frame insertion, backlight scanning, and frame interpolation will remain debatable. Especially when Nvidia's marketing implies that the frame rates achieved by frame generation are equivalent to those achieved by traditional rendering techniques.

However, the basic refresh rate of a screen is a specification better quoted directly, untainted by purported "enhancements. Screen technology is complex enough without worrying about whether the claimed refresh rate is a native specification or "effective."

Oh, and for the record, if you purchased a Vizio TV during the qualification period, you have until March 30 to file your claim. But if the payment amount is close to the lower limit, then $17 might not seem like compensation for the TV being sold to you.