Purchasing a new television ought to be an enjoyable experience. Transitioning from an older model to a newer one brings about anticipation because of the improved visual and audio experiences awaiting you when enjoying your preferred films and series.
However, what if upon bringing the television home, setting it up, you find it doesn’t appear as you had envisioned? Do not worry, for this shared experience is more common than one might think.
Numerous lesser-known settings that impact a television’s performance are tucked away within its menu options. This applies not only to affordable models but also extends to higher-end sets.
best TVs
have several of these bothersome options.
Although television picture settings tend to be personal preferences—with some individuals favoring a vivid, saturated look and others opting for a more authentic appearance—there are certain configurations that ought to remain deactivated irrespective of taste. In the list below, I have selected six crucial tweaks that many viewers overlook during their initial setup process. Coming from my experience working in audiovisual retail, I
know
It might take some individuals quite a bit of time to realize this. However, fear not because I will explain how to adjust these settings for you.
For images, I utilized the
Panasonic MZ1500 OLED
Even though the menu on your TV might appear differently, the underlying concept should remain consistent.
Disable Eco and Power Saver modes.
Were you able to set up your new television but found it seemed somewhat lackluster? This might be due to the Eco mode. Most televisions come from the factory preset to Eco mode, which can help reduce electricity bills; however, this setting may also diminish the visual quality of the display.
The eco mode frequently sets the screen brightness very low, stripping the television image of vibrant colors and fine details, causing movies and TV series to appear dull. If you wish to disable this feature, head over to the settings menu and select Picture Settings. Within this section, you’ll find a variety of Picture Presets—or Picture Modes—which are typically configured for Eco use by default. Switching this option to Movie, Filmmaker, or Standard can provide a richer, clearer display with enhanced accuracy.
Various televisions also conceal additional energy-efficient modes. To access them, go back to the Settings menu and then select System Settings; look for an option labeled either Power Savings or Energy Saver. Although many of these options usually involve time settings, they might occasionally include a power-saving feature that should be disabled.
Switch the television from Dynamic or Vivid Picture Mode.
The Dynamic (often referred to as Vivid) picture setting on TVs typically provides poor image quality similar to the Eco mode. It often yields the least accurate color reproduction, which is something we generally dislike here at . While this mode does increase brightness notably, it also leads to overly saturated hues and enhanced texture details, resulting in an unnatural appearance. To maintain a lifelike viewing experience for both films and television series, steer clear of using the Dynamic mode altogether.
Companies such as Samsung previously relied heavily on the Dynamic mode, however, newer models like the
Samsung S95D
In 2024, their top-of-the-line OLED model is known as the
Samsung QN90D
, one of the
best mini-LED TVs
,, they appear much improved in their Filmmaker, Movie, and even Standard modes.
Look for the most recent software update.
Many TVs will automatically look for the most recent software update when you turn them on for the first time. However, based on my tests, this doesn’t always happen, so I make sure to manually check for updates every time.
Why is a software update crucial? It not only ensures you get access to the newest features—smart TV platforms such as Roku, webOS, Tizen, Google TV, among others, frequently offer these updates for free—but it’s also vital for protecting your TV from potential threats. Since your television connects to the internet, it faces various risks; however, keeping the software up-to-date significantly minimizes this vulnerability.
To accomplish this, return to your TV’s System Settings. Fortunately, most manufacturers label this option as ‘Check for Update’ or ‘Software Update.’ Occasionally, however, you might find this under the About TV section, though this isn’t consistent across all models.
Adjusting or turning off motion smoothing
One of the most contentious features found on televisions today is undoubtedly motion smoothing or motion interpolation. This technology allows a television set to make rapid movements appear more fluid by reducing blurriness and shaking. It accomplishes this by examining the incoming video feed and inserting additional frames within the original footage to smooth out high-speed elements like a moving ball in a soccer match.
Although motion smoothing can be beneficial for sporting events, it frequently renders movies overly smooth, imparting an unnatural appearance that may cause some viewers to experience motion sickness. In particular, Tom Cruise specifically requested audiences to disable this feature when watching his films.
Top Gun: Maverick
As it spoiled the appearance of the film. And since I frequently use that movie to evaluate TVs, I concur!
As mentioned earlier, budget televisions and models equipped with 60Hz panels may have difficulty displaying rapid-action scenes and sporting events; thus, enabling certain motion smoothing techniques might be beneficial. If you wish to adjust or disable this feature, navigate to your television’s Picture Settings menu and locate the Motion subsection. Within this section, you will typically discover adjustable settings such as custom Blur Reduction and Judder Reduction controls alongside pre-set options for managing motion smoothing.
Hisense U7N
Depending on your preference, you may choose to decrease motion smoothing or disable it entirely for a more authentic viewing experience. The degree of these adjustments might also vary based on whether you’re watching a film or sporting events.
Configure HDMI for an improved gaming experience.
If you’ve purchased one of the
best gaming TVs
When you look for it, you’ll see it includes a Game Mode, which could be either a specific picture setting or an adjustable option within the settings menu. However, even after enabling this feature, you might discover that you aren’t achieving the complete 4K at 120Hz experience you anticipated when purchasing a television such as the
LG C4
.
Even though Game Mode stops this from occurring, there is a crucial HDMI setting frequently overlooked. Navigate to Settings and find HDMI Control. Select it; you’ll likely encounter options like Standard, Enhanced, along with potential others. Setting it to Enhanced will enable your TV’s HDMI 2.1 functionalities, such as supporting 4K at 120Hz. This tends to affect primarily older televisions, yet uncertainty remains across models.
Check sharpness, color and detail enhancement
The last set of adjustments to review are largely based on individual preference rather than essential modifications. When you delve into your television’s picture options, you might come across features aimed at boosting colors, clarity, definition, and so forth. While some viewers appreciate their effects, often enough, these tweaks can actually detract from your TV’s overall image quality.
An instance of this is the Super Resolution function available on Hisense televisions like the Hisense U6N. Personally, I’ve noticed that enabling this feature makes textures and details appear excessively sharp and artificial. However, this merely serves as an illustration; every television manufacturer includes similar settings that may cause images to seem overly enhanced.
In the pictures of the MZ1500 shown above, you’ll notice thatNoise Reduction andResolution Remasterare enabled inDynamic, which is the least precise setting,and disabledinFilmmaker,whichis the mostaccurate option.
Although you might enjoy certain settings, it’s advisable to choose one preferred ‘basic’ photo preset that appeals to you and then tweak the settings until you achieve an image you feel most at ease with.
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