Fullmotion

Fullmotion is a term used to describe visual media that presents continuous, smooth movement across the entire frame. In practice, it is most closely associated with full-motion video (FMV), a designation used for pre-recorded video sequences that are integrated into software, games, or interactive media. FMV contrasts with earlier media that were limited by lower frame rates or line-based animation, where motion could appear choppy.

Historically, FMV gained popularity in the late 1980s and 1990s with CD-ROM multimedia and interactive games. Early implementations used modest resolutions and low frame rates due to storage and bandwidth constraints, but advances in compression, storage, and streaming allowed higher frame rates such as 30 or 60 frames per second.

Technically, fullmotion implies that the video runs at a frame rate sufficient to render fluid motion on the target display. Frame rate, resolution, and encoding quality influence perceived smoothness. Common codecs include MPEG-2, H.264/AVC, and newer standards; hardware and bandwidth constraints may affect streaming performance and latency.

Applications include consumer video playback, broadcast and cinema, educational or promotional FMV sequences in software, video games where cutscenes use pre-recorded video, and surveillance or security systems that capture continuous footage.

Notes: The term is used variably; not all uses adopt a formal standard. In some contexts, fullmotion is simply marketing for high frame-rate video rather than a specific specification.