Is Higher or Lower FPS Better? | Full Guide

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Melissa Lee updated on Aug 01, 2024 | Home > Glossary and Terms

Have you ever noticed how smooth the picture is when immersed in an action movie or the latest game? This involves a key factor, which is frame rate. Is higher or lower FPS better? Let's delve into it.

What Is Frame and Frame Rate?

is higher or lower fps better

A video, animation, or other moving image media is composed of countless pictures, and one picture represents one frame. A frame is a single static image or picture, when displayed in rapid succession, creates the continuous of motion. If an animation has a constant frame rate of 60fps, then it has 60 frames in one second. Then, the number of frames updated in 1 second is the frame rate.

Frame rate, also known as frames per second (FPS), refers to the number of single frames displayed in a one-second video or animation. For instance, if a 1-second video plays 24 frames or 24 photos, its frame rate is 24fps.

24fps-vs-60fps-one-second-duration.png

What Is Frame per Second(FPS)?

FPS stands for Frames per Second, a unit that measures the frame rate of a video or animation. FPS is indispensable in determining the smoothness and fluidity of movement in visual media.

Frame rate affects the smoothness of the picture. In general, the larger the frame rate, the smoother and more relative the picture will be. Conversely, the smaller the frame rate, the picture will be stuttering or distorted.

15fps 30fps 60fps

- Source: ColorSpace

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Is Higher or Lower FPS Better?

The optimal frame rate ultimately depends on the specific needs and preferences of the viewers or application. For example, if you want the picture to be more realistic, a high frame rate is more suitable; if you want the picture to have a movie-like or blurred effect, a low frame rate is a good choice. Here are some examples:

  • Hollywood films are often played at 24fps, as this frame rate creates a more film look and dated feel.
  • When creating animated GIFs, use a lower frame rate to get a smaller file size.
  • Sports events or video game recordings usually use a higher frame rate, such as 30fps or 60ps.

24fps effect

So, since high frame rates make the picture smoother, should we keep pursuing higher frame rates?

Actually, the higher the frame rate, the more data it has, so it needs more storage space. And the more it will be more difficult to process later. Furthermore, the higher the frame rate, the higher the requirements for hardware devices. These kinds of devices are more expensive. Therefore, when choosing the frame rate, it should also be determined according to your own situation, and there is no need to pursue it mindlessly.

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Different Frame Rate

The following are some suggestions on choosing different frame rates for different purposes.

Frame Rate

Features

Scenes

24 FPS

Movie-like visual effects, Standard frame rate

Film shooting, broadcasting

30 FPS

Higher than 24FPS fluency, clearer and more real-time

TV show, live TV including sports and news

60 FPS

Smooth and coherent images, less lag,

Video games, live sports events, capture details and realism

120 FPS/240 FPS and higher

Ultimate smooth experience, less dizziness, higher hardware requirements

Generate slow-motion videos and capture high-end action video games (fighting, shooting, sports games, etc.)

slow play effect

Nowadays, 4K videos are becoming more and more popular, if you want to know more about the best frame rate for a 4K video, you can read the following post.

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What Is the Best Frame Rate for 4K Video

Discover the best frame rate for 4K videos. Explore factors, comparisons, and tips to enhance your video quality. Now, you can read this article to find the right answer!

what-is-the-best-frame-rate-for-4k-1.jpg

Final Words

This article describes what is an FPS and answers the question about whether a high or low frame rate is better. When choosing a frame rate, it is important to decide on specific video content and viewing needs.

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Updated by Melissa Lee

Alin is an experienced technical blog writing editor. She knows the information about screen recording software on the market, and is also familiar with data cloning and data backup software. She is expert in writing posts about these products, aiming at providing users with effective solutions.

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