Java™ Media APIs: Cross-Platform Imaging, Media, and Visualization

Video Primer

Persistence of vision is the name of the phenomenon that enables humans to see a succession of still frames, projected at sufficient speed, as a smooth moving picture. Both video and animation rely on this property of the human visual system. The fusion frequency is the rate at which the frames must be projected in order for them to “fuse” into a perceptually continuous stream. The particular frequency varies between individuals (and the amount of motion between frames) with around 40 frames per second ensuring a flicker-free perception of smooth motion. However persistence of vision isn't a binary (all-or-nothing) effect: lower frame rates still convey the illusion of motion, although with worse flicker and jerkiness as the frame ...