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What does 24 FPS look like? The cinema standard and why film feels smooth at 24

By TechCompare · Updated · How we check

24 FPS is a cinema frame rate, not a smoothness guarantee. Projector shutters reduce flicker and film exposure adds motion blur, but neither creates more unique frames. On 60 Hz video playback, 3:2 pulldown makes frame holds uneven and can cause judder. Games render frames sharply and must also respond to input, so 24 FPS usually feels poor on a monitor. For cinematic single-player games that target 30 FPS quality modes, 24 FPS is rarely a goal: it's usually a sign the GPU is choking.

24 FPS next to a 60 FPS reference, both moving at the same speed.

24 fps
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At 24 FPS, each frame lasts 41.67 milliseconds. 24 FPS has been the global standard for cinema since the 1920s, adopted because it was the minimum rate that synced acceptably with optical soundtracks while keeping film stock affordable. Almost every movie you've ever seen in a theater runs at 24 FPS, which is a big part of why it still looks 'cinematic' rather than simply slow.

Frame rate
24 FPS
24 Hz refresh rate
Frame time
41.67 ms
Time per frame
Use case
Cinema & Console
film

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24 FPS can look natural in a cinema partly because film projectors traditionally flash each frame two or three times with a 2-blade or 3-blade shutter, raising the flash rate to 48 or 72 Hz and reducing flicker. The repeated flashes do not add new motion samples.

On a fixed 60 Hz display, 24 FPS video commonly uses 3:2 pulldown: successive frames stay visible for about 50 ms and then 33.3 ms. That uneven cadence produces judder on pans. A 48, 72, or 120 Hz display can repeat each frame evenly, but it still shows only 24 unique frames per second. Film motion blur is a separate part of the look.

Verdict

Don't target 24 FPS in games. Treat it as a film frame rate for video playback. At 41.67 ms per frame it's the longest budget of any common motion standard, about 2.5x the 16.7 ms of 60 FPS. Games render sharp frames and respond to input, so 24 FPS exposes the gaps as stutter instead of a filmic motion-blur look.

For movies, a 48, 72, or 120 Hz display repeats each frame evenly and removes the pulldown judder of a fixed 60 Hz display. It still shows only 24 new images per second, because it doesn't raise the source frame rate.

More Frame Rate scenarios

30 FPS
The console 'quality mode' target: smooth on TV, feels slow on PC.
View details
60 FPS
A common baseline for smooth PC gaming, where mouse movement and motion feel connected.
View details
75 FPS
The budget high-refresh tier: 75 Hz monitors and the Steam Deck OLED's lower-power cap.
View details

Related guides

27" 16:9 monitor screen size
Why 27 inches is the most balanced desktop monitor size for cinema and console content.
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PPI vs DPI for panels
Plain-English explainer for the pixel-density concept behind cinema sharpness.
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Frequently asked questions

Why does 24 FPS look smooth in movies but choppy on a monitor?
A film projector may flash each frame two or three times at 48 or 72 Hz to reduce flicker, but those flashes don't add new images. A 60 Hz display commonly uses 3:2 pulldown for 24 FPS, holding some frames for about 50 ms and others for 33.3 ms. That uneven cadence can cause judder, especially on pans. A 48, 72, or 120 Hz display can repeat frames evenly.
What is the frame time of 24 FPS?
1000 / 24 = 41.67 milliseconds per frame. That's the longest frame budget of any common motion standard, 2.5x as long as the 16.7 ms of 60 FPS.
Should games ever target 24 FPS?
No. Even cinematic single-player games usually target 30 FPS for a filmic look, because 24 FPS is too slow for interactive input. Any game where you control a camera will feel laggy at 24 FPS.

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