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Motion Blur & Ghosting Test — Check Response Time Online

Check for motion blur, ghosting, and response-time artifacts.

A shape moves across the screen. Watch for blur trails and ghosting.

FPS: 0 Position: 0%

How it works

What is a motion blur test?

This test moves a high-contrast shape across a dark background so you can evaluate your display's motion clarity. Watch the trailing edge of the UFO as it moves — if you see a smeared tail or a faint ghost image behind it, your display has noticeable motion blur or ghosting. The pursuit camera mode locks the shape in place while the background scrolls, simulating how your eye tracks a moving object.

Understanding motion blur and ghosting

Pixel response time

Every pixel takes a finite amount of time to transition from one colour to another. If this transition is slower than the frame refresh interval, the pixel will still be changing when the next frame arrives, creating a blur trail. Grey-to-grey (GtG) response time is the most commonly quoted specification — lower is better. A 1 ms GtG panel will show significantly less blur than a 5 ms panel.

Sample-and-hold blur

Even with instant pixel response, your display holds each frame steady until the next one arrives. As your eyes track motion across the screen, the static frame creates a perceptual blur proportional to how far the object moves per frame. This is called sample-and-hold blur, and it is the reason higher refresh rates (which reduce hold time) improve perceived clarity even on OLED screens.

Panel type comparison

OLED offers sub-0.1 ms response times and the best motion clarity, though sample-and-hold blur remains. Fast IPS panels now reach 1 ms GtG with good colour. TN panels are fast but sacrifice viewing angles and colour. VA panels have the slowest dark-to-dark transitions, often exhibiting black smearing where dark objects leave a purple-tinted trail.

How to interpret your results

If the UFO appears sharp with only a faint, uniform tail, your display has good motion handling. A distinct double-image or "echo" indicates ghosting from aggressive overdrive or slow response. If the entire shape smears across the screen, pixel response is the bottleneck. Use the pursuit camera mode to separate sample-and-hold blur from response-time issues — in pursuit mode, any remaining blur is primarily pixel response.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What causes motion blur on a monitor? expand_more
Motion blur has two main sources. Pixel response time is how fast a pixel changes colour — slow response leaves a visible trail behind moving objects. Sample-and-hold blur (also called hold-type blur) is inherent to LCD and OLED screens: your eye tracks a moving object while the display holds it stationary for the whole frame, creating the perception of blur. Higher refresh rates reduce sample-and-hold blur by updating the image more frequently.
What is ghosting and how is it different from motion blur? expand_more
Ghosting appears as a faint, shifted copy of an image trailing behind a moving object, like a ghost following it. It is usually caused by pixel overdrive being too aggressive (overshoot) or by very slow pixel transitions. Unlike general motion blur which looks like smearing, ghosting has a distinct double-image or echo effect.
Which display type has the best motion clarity? expand_more
OLED panels offer the fastest pixel response (near-instant) and the best motion clarity, though they still have sample-and-hold blur. Among LCDs, TN panels are fastest but have poor colour/contrast; IPS panels offer a good balance with modern fast-IPS variants; VA panels have the slowest response times, especially in dark transitions, making them most prone to visible ghosting.
Does a higher refresh rate fix motion blur? expand_more
Yes and no. Higher refresh rates reduce sample-and-hold blur by shortening how long each frame is held, making motion appear smoother. However, they cannot fix blur caused by slow pixel response — a 240 Hz monitor with slow pixels will still show smearing. This is why pixel response time and refresh rate matter together.
How can I reduce motion blur on my current monitor? expand_more
Many monitors include an overdrive (OD) setting that pushes pixels to transition faster. Start with the medium setting — too much overdrive causes overshoot ghosting. Some displays also offer black frame insertion (BFI) or strobe modes that cut sample-and-hold blur at the cost of brightness. On laptops, ensure your screen is not set to a power-saving mode that caps refresh rate.