How to reduce motion blur in fast-moving scenes on your Roku TV system
If your Roku TV looks blurry during sports, seems washed out, or shows haze or fuzzy edges when things move fast, you’re not alone. These issues are common and usually come from motion settings, picture modes, or HDR settings, all of which can be adjusted. Below are the most common problems and how to fix each one.
Note: Availability varies by hardware and model. Action Smoothing, Action Clarity, and LED Motion Clarity only appear in Expert settings and may be absent or named differently on some partner Roku TVs.
Problem 1: Fast motion looks blurry or smeared (especially with sports)
When the TV can’t keep up with quick camera movement or player motion, the picture can look fuzzy or soft. This is often caused by the Action Smoothing or Action Clarity settings being off, or set too high.
How to fix it:
- Play a show or sports video on your TV.
- Press the Star
button on your Roku remote. - Select Picture settings > Customize Picture > Expert settings.
- Find these options (names may vary by model):
- Action Smoothing – controls motion processing.
- Action Clarity (available on Roku Select 4k, Plus and Pro Series TVs) – helps sharpen moving objects.
- LED Motion Clarity (available on Roku Plus and Pro Series TVs) – reduces blur by inserting dark frames (only on some models).
- Try these settings:
- For sports: Turn Action ClarityOn or Low or Medium.
- For movies: Set Action SmoothingLow or Off to avoid “soap-opera” effect.
- Avoid High settings as they can cause odd motion or ghosting.
- Watch for a minute or two and adjust again until the motion looks natural.
- If the picture on your TV still looks blurry, this could be an issue with your Wi-Fi connection. Learn how to improve your Wi-Fi connection.
Problem 2: Picture looks dim, faded or “washed out," especially in bright scenes or HDR
The TV may not be handling HDR (High Dynamic Range) content properly. Sometimes the HDR signal makes colors look flat or grey instead of bright and detailed.
How to fix it:
- Press the Star button > Picture settings.
- Go to Customize picture> Expert settings and make sure Picture mode is set to HDR Dark, HDR Standard, or HDR Bright. (HDR settings are available on Select 4k, Plus, and Pro Series Roku TVs.)
- Check for HDR Brightness, Color Temperature, or Local Dimming settings.
- Try lowering Brightness.
- If colors look dull, increase Contrast slightly and lower Brightness a little.
- If the picture still looks to dark, turn HDR Off. Navigate to Home > Options > Display Type and choose a non-HDR display type.
- If you’re using an HDMI device (like a cable box or game console):
- Go to Settings > TV inputs > [your HDMI input] > HDMI mode.
- Change from Auto to Standard.
- Restart the TV and check the picture again.
Note: HDR Dark/Standard/Bright appear only when the TV supports HDR
Problem 3: Motion looks “off” or unnatural, like a soap opera
When motion smoothing is too high, it adds fake frames that make film and TV look overly smooth or artificial.
How to fix it:
- Play a movie or show.
- Press Star > Picture settings > Expert settings.
- Turn Action Smoothing to Off or Low.
- Leave Action Clarity on Low if you still want a little sharpness.
Problem 4: Edges look hazy or there’s a glow around moving objects
This can happen when motion features overlap, or the sharpness/contrast settings are too high. It's important to note that only Roku Plus and Pro models have Local dimming and support the LED Motion clarity setting.
How to fix it:
- Go to Picture settings > Expert settings.
- Turn Sharpness down to 10–20 (too high can cause halos).
- Make sure Action Smoothing is set to Low or Off.
- If you see flickering, turn LED Motion ClarityOff.
- Restart the video and check again.
Problem 5: Everything looked fine before, but got worse after a software update
Some Roku OS updates change motion or picture defaults, sometimes turning motion smoothing back on or altering HDR color balance.
How to fix it:
- Go to Settings > System > System update > Check now to install any new fixes.
- If the picture changed suddenly after an update:
- Factory-reset picture only: Settings > System > Advanced system settings > Factory reset > Reset TV picture settings.
- Re-adjust your preferred motion and picture settings.
Note: Not all third-party Roku TV models support Action Smoothing, Action Clarity and LED Motion Clarity. In addition, your model might use a different name for these options. Refer to the manufacturer of your Roku TV system for details.
If none of the above worked
Most blur or haze problems on Roku TVs come from picture settings, not hardware issues. Adjusting motion controls, HDR settings, and picture mode usually clears things up in a few minutes.
If the issue continues after trying all steps, take note of:
- Your TV model number
- Roku OS version
- The app or input where the problem appears
Then contact Roku Support. If your TV is not a Roku-branded TV, refer to the manufacturer.
Last updated at 2/24/2026 10:21:29 PM
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