Get a better picture: TV settings to change on day one
Most TVs ship in a showroom mode that looks bright in a shop and wrong at home. Five minutes in the menu fixes it.
TVs are set up to stand out under bright shop lights. At home, those settings often look too blue, too sharp and over-processed. A few changes make a big difference.
1. Choose the right picture mode
Switch from Vivid or Dynamic to Movie, Cinema, Filmmaker Mode or Calibrated. These are closest to how the content was meant to look. For daytime viewing in a bright room, Standard can be a reasonable compromise.
2. Turn off motion smoothing for films
Motion smoothing (called different names by different brands) adds artificial frames, making films look like video — the "soap opera effect". Turn it off or down for movies; some people like a low setting for sport.
3. Lower the sharpness
Extra sharpness adds halos around edges. Set it to zero or low; the picture will look more natural.
4. Switch off unnecessary processing
Noise reduction, dynamic contrast and "enhancers" can create artefacts. Try turning them off and keep only what visibly helps.
5. Adjust brightness for your room
Use the backlight or brightness setting to match the room: brighter in the day, lower at night. Leave the energy-saving light sensor on if it adjusts sensibly.
6. Enable Game Mode for consoles
When gaming, Game Mode reduces input lag. Many TVs switch automatically when they detect a console.
Sound
Built-in speakers are often weak. A dialogue or voice-enhancement setting helps; a soundbar helps more.
The bottom line
Pick Movie or Filmmaker Mode, turn off motion smoothing and extra sharpness, and set brightness for your room. It costs nothing and often looks like a new TV.