Cathodes and 60Hz: A Legacy of AC Power

Why are monitors predominantly 60Hz? The answer lies not in display physics, but in the early 20th-century American electrical grid.

Early television broadcasts and CRT monitors locked their refresh rates to the 60Hz alternating current (AC) frequency of the power grid to prevent visual interference and "hum bars" from rolling up the screen.

Decades later, LCDs and OLEDs have no mechanical or electrical reason to default to 60Hz, yet the standard persists as the baseline for digital media, games, and UI animations.