The first TVs to take advantage of a new (coming soon) feature of the Apple TV 4K 2022 were announced at CES 2023. This new feature is Quick Media Switching Variable Refresh Rate, or QMS VRR for the close friends.
When you watch programs with your Apple TV, it sometimes happens that content does not have the same refresh rate, for example a YouTube video at 60 fps interspersed with ads at 30 fps. If you activate tvOS option so that the refresh rate automatically adapts to the content, switching from 60 fps video to 30 fps results in a brief black screen while Apple TV and the TV switch back and forth frequency to another.
The QMS VRR eliminates that black screen by using variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to instantly change the frequency between the two contents. This only works if the definition remains the same between the two contents, otherwise the black screen is always present.
The QMS VRR is one of the (rare) new features of the Apple TV 4K 2022. It does not appear on its technical sheetApple promised it to some American media. It should have been released by the end of 2022, but it obviously hasn’t been distributed yet. It’s not a big deal, because compatible televisions are long overdue.
LG is the first brand to have unveiled televisions supporting QMS VRR, namely all its 2023 OLED TVs (Z3, G3, C3 ranges, etc.). Their prices and release date are not yet known. Other manufacturers are expected to reveal compatible TVs. We will update this article as announcements are made.
In theory, the QMS VRR can be added to existing devices equipped with an HDMI 2.1a port via a software update, but for now no manufacturer seems to want to improve their older products.
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