New Blur Busters Logo Program 2.2 for OLED, LCD & Video Processors

Posted Jan 5, 2024 by in: Display Motion Blur Industry Standards Press Releases

CES 2024 Press Release

[Toronto / Hamilton, Ontario, Canada — January 5, 2024]

Blur Busters is announcing a brand new Version 2.2 expansion to our logo certification programme, that is now open to all vendors, to represent excellent motion clarity in display and devices.

This is a major expansion to our earlier Blur Busters Approved logo program (Version 2.0 and Version 1.0) to accommodate new technologies such as improved LCD displays, OLED displays and video processors.

We now offer three different logo certification programs; two for displays, and one for non-display devices.

Blur Busters Verified for Displays (Non-Strobed)

Blur Busters Verified is a brand new logo designed for displays that achieve superlative motion quality without needing BFI or strobing.

This logo is for OLED and MicroLED displays of minimum 240 Hz refresh rate, capable of 100% refresh rate compliance (<1% error margin). At 240fps, these displays achieve virtually perfect 1/240sec (4.17ms) of motion blur from persistence.

Blur Busters Approved for Displays (Strobed / BFI)

Blur Busters Approved is our existing logo designed for displays that achieve superlative motion quality via the use of BFI or strobing.

This logo is available for both OLED and LCD with BFI or strobing. In addition to our existing Version 2.0 rules for strobed LCD displays, this program is expanded to include BFI for OLEDs that also includes retro-friendly refresh rates. Only extremely fast displays (OLED, TN & Fast IPS) can pass certification; we also provide custom strobe tuning services and BFI tuning services to help you obtain this logo.

Blur Busters Approved for Video Processor Devices

Blur Busters Approved for Video Processors that inject BFI into the video signal to reduce motion blur of low frame rate content. A great use case is reduce blur of 60fps and 120fps content when output to high-Hz OLEDs without BFI.

Many classic gaming enthusiasts of retro consoles (e.g. NES, Sega), as well as retro video content (e.g. CRT/plasma quality sports video) use these devices to allow a modern display to emulate a retro display such as a CRT tube.

We worked with Retrotink 4K to add BFI via video signal injection. The Blur Busters Approved Retrotink 4K was our first non-display logo licensee to be awarded this logo. It can insert 120-240 Hz+ BFI to any legacy video signal (including S-Video, VGA, Composite, Component) when converting to a high-Hz HDMI signal, even in conjunction with CRT filters (scan lines / phosphor masks / HLSL style effects).

Retrotink 4K has lower-latency and brighter BFI than the BFI built into OLED television firmware, because of how fast it processes BFI (faster than display firmware) and brightens BFI (by converting SDR to HDR and brightness-boosting it). Digital Foundry’s John Linneman confirmed the excellent brightness and motion clarity that is made possible by BFI injection into a video signal.

Blur Busters UFO as a Familiar Logo of Motion Clarity

In several markets including esports and retro, our logo is widely recognized.

More than 500 content creators (consisting of hundreds of million readers/subscribers) use at least one of our Blur Busters testing inventions such as TestUFO or others. In addition, we are cited in dozens of peer reviewed display industry papers.

Therefore, our UFO logo is a great advertisement of your product’s superlative motion handling capabilities.

Who Is It For? Which Logo Is Better?

  • Blur Busters Verified is for users who want lowest motion blur without using strobe technology;
  • Blur Busters Approved is for users who want lowest possible motion blur, and don’t mind flicker

In general, strobing/BFI requires flickering but can achieve less motion blur. The clearer strobed LCDs still have less motion blur than even a 480 Hz OLED, thanks to ability of shorter backlight pulse widths (under 1/480sec).

It is a large reason why virtual reality headsets are forced to use flickering to reduce display motion blur. In VR, there was more headaches from motion blur than from flicker.

Impulsed displays versus sample and hold displays

Therefore, we recognize some people prefer Verified displays, and other people prefer Approved displays. This is why we have not declared one logo being better than the other, because everybody’s needs is different (motion blur discomfort versus flicker discomfort). Some people get more eyestrain from display motion blur than from display flicker, and we recognize this. The virtual reality industry agrees too.

  • Blur Busters Verified for best non-strobed blur-reducing displays;
  • Blur Busters Approved for best strobed blur-reducing displays;

Displays may apply for both logos concurrently (e.g. OLED with optional BFI that can be turned on/off).

Qualifying Products

  • OLEDs may apply for Blur Busters Verified (without BFI) and/or Blur Busters Approved (with BFI);
  • LCDs may apply for Blur Busters Approved (with custom strobe tuning by Blur Busters);
  • Video Processors may apply for Blur Busters Approved (with BFI assistance by Blur Busters);
  • Other display technologies (MicroLED, VR microdisplays, LCoS, etc) are also invited to apply;
  • No slow panels incapable of refresh rate compliance (e.g. pre-2024 VA panels).

For Blur Busters Verified (GOLD logo), displays must have 100% refresh rate compliance (<1% error margin) at their maximum refresh rate, and be 240Hz minimum. Generally, OLEDs can successfully qualify.

For Blur Busters Approved (GREEN logo for LCD), displays must have a strobe backlight mode capable of any refresh rate the display supports (including 60Hz), with fully adjustable pulse width, pulse phase, and overdrive gain, as described within Version 2.0 rules. Advanced users and retro users appreciate the flexibility of strobe. Generally, TN and Fast IPS have a chance to qualify.

For Blur Busters Approved (GREEN logo for OLED), displays must have a BFI mode capable of any refresh rate the display supports (including 60Hz), up to half the maximum Hz of the display (120Hz for 240Hz OLEDs, 180Hz for 360Hz OLEDs, and 240hz for 480Hz OLEDs). This is an acknowledgement to most OLED panels only capable of BFI up to half the panel’s maximum Hz, however, it is a bonus if specifications are exceeded.

For Blur Busters Approved (GREEN logo for Video Processors), devices must be able to optionally inject BFI into the video signal, to the full flexibility of the specifications the box can allow. Boxes capable only of 120Hz output for 60Hz input, can qualify for logo with just one optional black frame (TestUFO 120Hz BFI Example). However, while boxes capable of 240Hz output may be able to allow user to configure multiple black frames for variable persistence (TestUFO 240Hz BFI Example),

Logo Licensing Process

The new process for obtaining a Blur Busters Logo involves a series of steps:

  1. Apply: Contact [email protected] with Subject: Blur Busters Logo to apply for testing.
  2. Free Pre-Qualification: We inform if product is testable by one of our two Blur Busters Labs;
  3. Product Sample & Testing Fee: Send product sample and certification testing fee;
  4. Testing: We use our testing equipment to confirm product meets certification;
  5. Pass: If product passes; product is awarded certification and Logo License;
  6. License Award: Ability to market with the Logo on product in marketing material;

Testing fee covers the entire cost of testing & the conditional Logo License, conditional upon passing the rigorous testing thresholds required for the Logo. Testing fees also helps supports the operation of Blur Busters, including future expansions of the upcoming brand new version of TestUFO.