Why Does My PS3 Lag With 120 Hz?

120 Hertz versus 60 Hertz

• 120-hertz televisions have been a big selling point since the introduction of 1080p plasma and LCD HDTVs. What makes 120 hertz superior to 60 hertz, other than it having a higher hertz value, is the picture is much smoother during Blu-ray movie playback. The drawback is that both the Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 were developed to play best with a 60-hertz refresh rate. By doubling the value, the PS3 needs to do double the work to process the point of button press to on-screen action, or make the video game do what you want as soon as the button on the PS3 controller is pressed. During 120-hertz playback, there is sometimes a delay from when the button is pressed to when the button action is displayed on screen.

HDMI vs Component cables

• Many Sony PS3 users that experience lag say they are using HDMI cables to connect the Sony PS3 to their 120-hertz HDTVs. HDMI is a single cable that sends video and audio to the HDTV from the PS3. Sending both streams through one cable often is the culprit of PS3 game lag. To test this theory, if you are experiencing game lag, use the component cables that came with the retail Sony PS3 package. Component cables split video and audio into three separate connections. A few that have switched to component cables have stated that the game lag has dropped considerably or even completely.

Turning Off 120 Hertz

• Some LCD HDTVs actually come with a function that turns off the 120-hertz playback. Samsung HDTVs have a setting known as "Auto Motion 120 Hz" that can be disabled from the HDTV's setup menu. Many other LCD HDTVs have a similar setting that can disable or reduce the lag you might be experiencing with 120-hertz playback.

Resetting the PS3 Video Output

• The Sony PS3 itself does need to be configured properly to make sure it is using the best known settings for your specific HDTV. Doing this alone could alleviate the 120-hertz video game lag issues. By holding the PS3's "Power" button until you hear two beeps, the PS3 automatically searches for the best video settings. This is a great first step and could fix any lag problems you may be experiencing.