If you purchased a Vizio TV in California after April 30, 2014, Vizio may owe you some money. The company agreed to pay $3 million after a 2018 class action lawsuit alleged that its marketing of 120Hz and 240Hz “effective” refresh rates was “false and deceptive.” Vizio denies any wrongdoing under the agreement. The deadline to submit a claim is March 30 next year, and some kind of proof of ownership, including proof of purchase or a serial number, is required to qualify.
In addition to paying verified claims, Vizio will “cease advertising practices” and “provide all Settlement Class Members with enhanced service and a limited one-year warranty,” according to details on a website set up for filing claims. The long-form notice said the claim would cover all televisions between April 30, 2014, and final approval of the agreement, with a hearing scheduled for June 20, 2024.
TV manufacturers often use marketing terms like “effective refresh rate” to refer to motion smoothing features, often called the “soap opera effect,” which are designed to reduce motion blur on modern TVs. Motion smoothing is controversial enough on its own, but companies like Vizio use refresh rate terms in their marketing with a frustratingly casual nature. For casual shoppers, their phrasing often means the TV offers a refresh rate beyond its native refresh rate, which is often just 60Hz. To make matters worse, every TV manufacturer uses its own marketing name for motion smoothing, and it’s often difficult to turn it off, so we’ve written complete guides on how to turn it off for many popular brands.
