My parents just got a new TV with 4k resolution and the Soap Opera Effect to it is so distracting. Seriously, I don't understand why this effect was put in with the new TV

Kind of bizarre. You'd think after almost everyone hated it in the first Hobbit movie people would reconsider using it in the future, but nope, the seller knows best, apparently.

I think the real problem when people refer to this is not the resolution (which is more or less the resolution movies have always been shot on), it's the feature modern TV have that interpolate new frames to double the framerate. You should try deactivating it to get a more cinematic feel.

This. It's just the motion-blur setting. Simple enough to turn off, problem solved.

Some of the new 4k TVs don't allow you to turn that feature off.

Really? Is there a source to confirm this? I've been pricing the market recently and I don't recall a single brand or model with such a standard.

There is probably a quick way to turn it off.

Usually this video effect can be easily turned off on any tv.

Like others mentioned, it has to do with the TV's motion smoothing features (it's called a bunch of things, but that's the general term), which can be turned off. It has nothing to do with how clear the resolution is.

As a side note: most TVs have that sort of feature because it creates a "clearer" picture. Which, to be fair, is does and when used to watch sports or news programming, it actually works very well. And believe it or not, some people don't even notice the soap opera effect.

And believe it or not, some people can even drink piss and eat crap.

Okay?

its not 4k. its image smoothing. you can turn it off.
i know what you mean. it looks like high framerate video.