Why is UK TV 50 frames per second?

European TV standards grew up around the 50 Hz mains electricity frequency, and broadcasting kept that timing. Most UK programmes are made at 25 or 50 frames per second; US programmes use about 30 or 60 for the same reason with 60 Hz mains.

Is 50 fps better than 25 fps?

For fast motion such as sport, yes: 50 frames per second shows movement more smoothly. For drama and films, 25 frames per second is normal and intended.

Why does the screen go black when a channel starts?

With frame-rate matching on, the device changes the TV’s refresh rate to suit the channel. The TV takes a moment to switch, and the screen goes black briefly. That shows the setting is working.

IPTV Frame Rates: 25, 50 and 60 fps and Smooth Motion

Frame rates: 25, 50 and 60 fps explained

Frame rate is how many pictures a video shows each second. UK and European channels are made at 25 or 50 frames per second, US channels at about 30 or 60, and films at about 24. When your device outputs a different rate from the channel, motion stutters. Understanding the numbers makes the fix obvious.

Updated 27 September 2026 · 2 min read

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The common frame rates

Frame rate	Where it’s used
23.976 and 24 fps	Films and many drama series
25 fps	UK and European programmes, drama and entertainment
50 fps (or 50 fields)	UK and European sport, news and live events; 1080i broadcasts carry 50 fields a second
29.97 and 30 fps	US programmes
59.94 and 60 fps	US sport and live events; the default output of many devices

Why mismatches cause judder

A TV refreshing 60 times a second can’t show a 50-frame-per-second channel evenly. The device has to repeat some frames to fill the gaps. With 50 frames spread across 60 refreshes, the pattern is uneven, and fast motion (a panning camera, a moving ball, scrolling text) shows a regular hitch. At 25 fps into 60 Hz the pattern is also uneven. At 25 into 50, every frame is simply shown twice, which is perfectly smooth.

The fix: match the frame rate

Frame-rate matching, also called auto frame rate or AFR, tells the device to switch the TV to the channel’s own rate: 50 Hz for UK sport, 25 or 50 Hz for UK programmes, 24 Hz for films.

On Fire TV, look for Match original frame rate in the display settings.
On Apple TV, turn on Match Frame Rate under Match Content in Video and Audio settings.
On Android TV and Google TV, it depends on the device, and some players have their own option.

Our guide to lagging and choppy playback covers the steps and the settings that make motion worse.

If your device can’t match frame rates

Set its output to 50 Hz if you mostly watch UK and European channels. You lose smoothness on the occasional 60 fps channel but gain it on everything else.

Interlaced channels

Many HD channels are broadcast as 1080i: 50 half-pictures (fields) a second, combined by the player into full frames. The quality of that combining (deinterlacing) also affects how smooth motion looks. See interlaced vs progressive.