What does refresh rate refer to in display technology?

Refresh rate refers to the number of times per second that a display draws the image sent to it, measured in hertz (Hz). This rate is crucial in determining how smoothly motion appears on the screen. A higher refresh rate means the display can show more frames per second, which results in smoother video playback and reduces motion blur, especially in fast-moving visual content. This is particularly important in applications like gaming or high-definition video playback, where responsiveness and smoothness can significantly affect user experience.

The other choices do not accurately describe refresh rate. The total number of pixels on a screen pertains to its pixel density or resolution, which defines the sharpness and clarity of the images displayed. The resolution indicates how many pixels are in each dimension that can be displayed, but it is not related to the frequency with which those pixels are refreshed. The contrast ratio describes the difference in luminance between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks that a display can produce, and while it is an important aspect of display quality, it does not relate to how frequently images are redrawn.