How to adjust your TV settings for the best picture quality

Ever wondered whether your TV's picture could look any better? Confused by what some of your TV's picture settings even do? We've got answers. This basic tutorial on what to adjust, how to adjust it, and what to avoid adjusting will help most TV owners get the best from their TV.
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[@dautolover]

Day 5 of quarantine: "I should change my TV settings"

[@platonicguardian6923]

😂

[@aljunaibi9690]

Day 40 of quarantine

[@GhettoChild]

@Oo oO same, last week just bought 1 of 4 of the last Samsung 65" Q90r "2019 edition" in Canada at Best Buy. Just in case there will be tariffs against china next year. Prepping for the future :-)

[@angeliquealberts8989]

Day 70 lol

[@vyKen]

@@angeliquealberts8989 Day 85 🕒

[@epd1584]

Turning off sharpness is the best thing I have ever done on a 4k. Makes the picture so much better, thanks Caleb.

[@nitroxylictv]

actually if you turn it on 1 or 2 it will basically make your picture look great with just a little extra sharpness. for me it makes the image look like it has higher detail without looking blown out with high sharpness, but it does not look good with all types of media

[@emikogula6429]

Thank you very much for this post. I bought a new UHD Smart TV. The picture quality was very poor. I had buyer remorse so I searched online and found this video. I wrote down notes, got home and applied it and was AMAZED at the significant change. I cant believe that SHARPNESS should be low. Mine is now at zero. I cant thank you enough for this post. I love my new tv now. lol

[@georgevavoulis4758]

Thank you Caleb for all your advice . I just stumbled onto your channel by chance .

[@iansonofthor]

A general rule of thumb of adjusting picture settings for me is to make it look exactly the way the creator intended to view the content. Therefore, color temperature is so important. A warmer color temperature causes more neon green and vivid reds, while cooler color temperatures add a more bluish tone to whites, which are the bane of calibration. You want to make the whites as neutral as possible. Most movies and TV shows are shot in 6500K, which is the standard color temperature for white, equivalent to a cloudy day. Usually, the setting for this color temperature on most TVs is either 'Standard,' 'Normal,' 'Warm,' or 'Dark'. Generally, the warmest color setting is the most accurate.

[@ryanm2084]

That's a bit confusing because 6500k is more on the blue spectrum which would be a cool setting not a warm setting

[@OtisF96]

The director's vision = YELLOW!

[@sarcasticsaber8902]

I feel like Palpatine would watch content the way the director intended

[@dws84]

What about sport? News? Documentaries? Gaming? The creator has no standard intention. There’s more to tv than just movies and shows. You can jam Rec. 709 obsession up your arse!

[@mahdithabarber1354]

Normal is best it’s neutral.

[@Naji_1]

i like your explaining. simple to follow and straight to the point

[@roberthuntley1090]

Apart from the Spears & Munsil test patterns, I've found that a quick way to setting the brightness (black level) is play a letter-box format movie and then set the level so that in a really dark room the cropped black bars at the top and bottom of the screen become totally invisible against the screen bezel. On my LG OLED it results in a value of 52 instead of the default 50. Would welcome any comments as to how this method compares with others, and is the similar quick and dirty test to set the contrast (peak white) level.

[@antoniobaskerville6823]

Thanks for the video. It really Helped Me.

[@oneeyetruth4128]

👏 Congratulations For 800k ....🥰 Love from India 🇮🇳 ♥....✌

[@4nobject]

Big thanks man. Extreme helpfulness ❤

[@periurban]

I have a new HiSense TV, running with a new Yamaha receiver. I have found getting the right settings to be very tricky. Strangely, the biggest positive difference with an SDR signal came when I used gaming mode. Previously, altering the smoothing made no difference at all - the soap opera effect persisted regardless, and it didn't matter whether I upscaled to 4K with the receiver or not. Also, the autoblack function made things look awful. When we sat down as a family to watch something with gaming mode off, and autoblacks still enabled my daughter (who gets out a lot more than me these days) said that the picture looked "just like everyone else's TV. That's what TV looks like these days." I really think the manufacturers are missing a trick here, because when people see what an unadjusted modern TV looks like (when visiting others) they will surely not be incentivized to upgrade.

[@ManchaTwoFr]

That Faze SWAGG intro thru me off 🤣

[@arieltorres3440]

Dude ! Awesome video 👌🏽

[@22hagel]

Have you done a review and setup video for the Panasonic TX58HX820B tv

[@jimmyhardy7188]

What settings do recommend for the samsung q60r 43 inch 2019

[@Gofr5]

Has that HDR calibration video come around yet?

[@triviamp4149]

Thank you very helpful

[@loulopez554]

Excellent review!

[@mingraves]

I've been working on this for 5days now...lol

[@Taslacitelj]

Contrast enhancer low/high really brightened my picture. I used movie mode with contrastenhancer off, and it was too dim and dark, couldnt see anything haha. Now I have to rethink it

[@bestsony4933]

He said he doesn’t like to share his tv settings because it’s free stream so maybe he means give him money so he can show us lol 😂

[@dennyhiett6271]

Value tech cents KZbin channel calibration settings begin with Vivid for hdr 10 and Dolby vision and calibrated for cable, movies and gaming for 2019 vizio m558-g. Amazing picture quality.

[@jhanblanco6124]

Can you make a calibrating video for LG C9?

[@taffaboi84]

Please, make a HDR video!

[@steve4321able]

I'm always adjusting my Samsung settings. I like having full control over the details. I will change settings as I change channels. Every input source or show is different. I find this part of the fun.

[@arniesilverberg764]

Would you consider doing a video on the proper technique to clean a tv screen? Ty

[@GerardPinzone]

Video starts at 1:04. You're welcome.

[@SoggyNachos69]

I got a vizio v series 50 inch and the only setting that trips me up is the sharpness on my ps4 input, if i set it low its not as detailed but if i set it high everything is crisp and clearer

[@cookiewoman8959]

I have a slight audio sync issue when playing about 30% of my blu rays...I find if I set my tv mode to game optimizer mode it fixes it. What are your thoughts on using this mode for movies?

[@bctay152]

What’s the best settings for a Samsung Q95t for watching sky Q and football thanks

[@travisspazz1624]

Thanks! I just bought a TCL 6 r615!!

[@angeliquealberts8989]

IS IT STILL AWESOME?

[@BANESKI]

Terrible tv

[@carlmclemore6104]

@@BANESKI it's a great TV for a midrange with a low cost, and as long as you know how to calibrate it halfway decent. I bought a refurbished one (with 5 year protection plan from Wally World) for less than $300 over a year ago. I will likely upgrade to a larger and newer model 6 series within another year.

[@BANESKI]

@@carlmclemore6104 my 4K went out after a 2 years using mine .

[@carlmclemore6104]

@@BANESKI that sucks. I understand that they're quality control is likely an issue, especially that year and model, hence the protection plan. Hopefully they've improved on that since becoming more of a household name.

[@umbrellaunderdog]

I have an older colby HDTV with no backlight settings. Do you have a recommendation for settings to calibrate it?

[@ankitraj-ee9uj]

Your whole life is picture setting ,,,you are king

[@michaelehsani2168]

Thanks!

[@szak9094]

I like ur channel , Pls could tell which smart tv Nice best sound quality and picture, we want buy good TV, Thanks

[@gerrylopez9060]

I have a sony a80k. Should I get it calibrate it, and will it make a difference?

[@colebennett3288]

Does the 24 inch 1080p d series vizio have motion smoothing?

[@artietheman3294]

Great video Honestly🤗👍.ppl.just to darn Lazy to set UP / tune their T.V.'s just to play their video games 🤦And i love 4k Blü Ray itz Awsome😁👌thankz again for your suggetions, Happy Holidays🎇🎄🎁🙏

[@robfidler3708]

What settings do you recommend for a Sony xf9005

[@jhankennithednalabas8020]

Thank u it helps .. our netflex is reatored..

[@milomix2284]

Hi I have a toshiba tv with onkyo speaker but it is on dolby audio smart but is it ok to uses dynamic bass instead?

[@centillion7]

This Caleb Denison guy is just the best. He is Smarter than a Smart TV.

[@byronmacdowell3732]

Considering "smart" TVs aren't smart in the slightest, I agree. That said, for anyone with even a little knowledge on picture settings, this video is beyond useless. He doesn't even cover the most basic of settings. At least he hadn't by the half way point, which is when I stopped wasting my time with this "how to" video.

[@TheRoadbots]

Mine has sports, mild, standard and user, which should i start with?

[@khaledwaleed5360]

Very veryyy helpful

[@papaspaulding]

I run my desktop through my tv and use it alot for both viewing artwork and image making as well as streaming and watching movies etc so am very fussy about getting all colour profiles exactly right. Over the years from using everything such as different calibration software and hardware (colour spyder) and alot of frustration I've found the best way these days is to adjust it by eye using my phone as a reference point. Phones having near perfect calibration right out the box I can calibrate it image for image till exact then cross reference that by clicking on social media on both phone and tv calibrating such until they all match up

[@bradking9668]

When watching a tv show Caleb, you see how really crystal clear sharp hq looking image is over the broadcast, when I play a 1080p movie from my usb drive or my laptop connected to my hdml, the quality is nice but it doesn't look as good as if its essentially being transmitted over the network What I am saying in english. Is there some output format, effect, setting on the tv, i need to change etc if I want to make a video on my tv set look like it is on the tv and from an input source?

[@JB-dm5gm]

I have a Sony XBR55X900E and I'm looking for specific settings from your channel. Any suggestions and great channel btw

[@OptimumSlinky]

Settings will vary from panel to panel, so you can’t just copy what settings he uses and get a good picture. You need to calibrate it to your TV.

[@vaslim80]

Worked like a charm, thanks ✌️✌️

[@txmike1945]

Good stuff but leaves out one valuable technique. Simply put, go into the menu and turn "color" all the way down to zero to get a B&W picture. Then make small adjustments in contrast and brightness to get what appears to be the best B&W image. Then gradually add back "color" until the picture looks normal, then tweak the "balance" if needed to get a neutral, realistic color. For many of us that is the easiest way to get a really good color image.

[@mannya7590]

txmike1945 Exactly this.

[@240mains]

Basic Color Grading technique , to get started to set the Tone of the image. The only way to adjust White Balance , is to have a proper level of Color . Setting the Tone first , is important . Later , we need to make sure the RGB values are Balanced , by inspecting for White Balance . Get the Tones correct first . then look at the color. Nothing new , but good advise . Adjusting TV picture settings is "Color Grading" .

[@SpalFj]

Thank uu!!!

[@thedutchfisherman7078]

I really don`t have a clue why manufacturers add so many features to "improve" picture quality and the first thing in every tutorial they say is...turn everything off! Doesn`t make any sense...

[@AbhijitBiswasDBZ]

Marketing 😂😂 the more features, the better it looks and feels to the layman who just walks into the store to buy! Sony and LG TVs with no local dimming work better than budget brands with local dimming 😂😂 tried this on LG UN7300 and Sony X800H recently, and i not name the budget brands 😂😂 too many and fans might share hate, even my preferences got shattered!

[@flamehiro]

It's argument of vivid vs accurate though I never got how accurate is accurate when white looks brown rofl

[@KingdomWithin7]

Right 👌

[@ModestCube100]

Because its all personal preference. I seen all these “how to adjust your tv settings for best quality” and tbh I made those settings and they are just crap to me.

[@kngilbert]

Why do people hate "soap opera effect" setting? I just bought a new TV and think it's fantastic. Makes things look "real". (Then, again, I could be quite insane. YMMV.) 😁

[@abhinavsharma4507]

You are not insane. I also prefer movies with motion smoothing turned on. Makes every thing smooth.

[@classicgalactica5879]

Same.

[@fede018]

@SeanJ2A soap opera effect on a movie is horrible. There's a reason 48fps movies never caught on after The Hobbit movies.

[@no_misaki]

@@fede018 The prominent motion blur and judder of true 24hz is honestly nauseating once you've experienced anything better. It's a standard that should've been deprecated long ago, critics and film buffs be damned.

[@jeansilvaTC369]

I have the samsung TU8000 that I use with a PS4 PRO and the games are very blurred! should I use sharpness at 0 as I always used in previous models or the standard 10?

[@UnseenSpirit]

What settings do you recommend for a Samsung 1.6 litre Toyota zetec AMG Sony Apple Q177161616 BFF Ford blah blah please. Yes I want Digital trends to work out what mode I should use for MY specific model.... 🙄😅

[@zeekyboo891]

HDR changes everything. Definitely better on standard with some tweaking imo. Everything else movie mode FTW

[@biteme263]

Ya I am not a huge fan of HDR either. And my tv automatically throws it into a different picture mode when it senses a HDR signal. I have a 4K ultra blu ray player and honestly I tend to like the standard blu ray disks that come in the set better lol. I probably won't buy anymore 4K disks since the standard blu ray version is cheaper. I gave it a shot, it didn't win me over.

[@adamthompson6669]

Hi great video i made some adjustments on my 4K HDR samsung QLED 75 inch tv looks a bit better to be honest, I also enjoy gaming and i am just wondering will my tv be a good choice for next generation of console, Xbox Series X, my tv model number is QA75Q75RAWXXY thank you

[@danaustin7475]

Motion smoothing is simply the insertion of interpolated frames between frames. Movies are normally shot or produced at 24 frames per second. That rate is too slow for our eyes to see the motion as 'real' or 'smooth'. That jerkiness is most obvious in scenes with slow panning. That jerkiness is called 'judder'. An obvious way to see the judder is to watch the credits slowly scrolling up at the end of a movie. The judder can even make the writing hard to read. For those of you who might dare to consider violating the 'expert's' advice, try experimenting with your motion control settings, including on or off, while watching the slowly scrolling credits at the end of a movie. With motion smoothing on, the writing will look very clear and not jerky as it moves slowly up the screen. Turn smoothing off, and you'll see the jerkiness. It is interesting that The Hobbit movie was shown in some theaters at 48 frames per second, and thus had smoother motion. Here's a quote from the Digital Trends article on it: "Many people who saw the film thought it looked unnatural, and frequently commented that it looked too real." I want my 4k big screen TV to look as 'real' as possible. Motion smoothing makes it look more 'real' and less like 24 frames per second jerky motion movies. I want 'real', not 'jerky', even if the experts prefer jerky .

[@robsmall6466]

CRT. It's superior to sample and hold when it comes to motion. That's the problem we have today. A cheap and nasty technology that is inferior to it's predecessor

[@thomastommy1192]

I have a " Hisense tv 40eu300. While I am watching it. The SOUND will go to MUTE for no reason. Then I have to turn the TV off and then back on to get the SOUND back. Can you help me with this problem? Awesome video thanks for sharing it.

[@raystyles5840]

How do I adjust an Lg nano cell 9 to get rid of the bluish blur or shadow it has.

[@walkermanstick]

Tnx

[@kriswingert1662]

On the Sharpness setting, the middle is the default as it is whet the source input is. Going down blends frames as turning up introduces noise. So, keep it in the middle. I am a videographor and electronics tech of over 30 years. I have been calibrating a/v equipment for decades and have extensive experience and training in this area.

[@yasq1482]

True my TV's default sharpness is at 20 and I usually turn it down when I play old 3D games through HDMI to somewhat hide those pixelated textures or the aliasing

[@thetrumanshow4791]

Which model KEF Q series are behind you in the video? 550? 750? or 950?

[@khurrumk]

550 I think

[@shawng4886]

Going from my 2018 Samsung QLED to an LG C9, I’ve definitely noticed the ‘Samsung color pop’. But, those pure blacks on my LG😍! Depending on what you’re watching, the picture just jumps off the screen! I typically have mine on cinema mode

[@shawng4886]

Gags I’m the same way. I’m always tinkering lol. I wasn’t aware until recently that most manufacturers have their most accurate color settings in Movie or Cinema modes. When I adjusted my old Samsung QLED to Movie after having it on Natural for months, I could tell the difference right away. Most consumers honestly just don’t give a shit... a lot of people just set the their TV to Vivid and call it a day. But then again, most people aren’t really into tech because it can be overwhelming and confusing. I’ve always been fascinated by it!

[@itachiuchiha-sk4sf]

@@shawng4886 how can you live with movie mode ? I put the picture on it and honestly i can't live with that yellowish colors it is so bad

[@biteme263]

On my C9 I use ISF expert dark and adjusted the brightness and contrast with a test signal. And turned my oled light down to 45-50. Every review I have seen says the ISF modes on the C9 are incredibly accurate out of the box.

[@akb7086]

@@itachiuchiha-sk4sf I agree

[@240mains]

Colors that Pop . Sound like Photoshop . Colors may Pop ! But , is that how nature looks ? Nope . i like a natural looking image . I have never seen green grass outside in natural sunlight , where the Green Pops off the lawn . Brighter or Dimmer outside, but Never Popping .

[@ryanmahoney6141]

I’m now getting used to the cinema picture mode but on default settings has noise reduction on and to my eyes it looks a little bit blurry so I’ll turned that off and to me it’s looks more clearer to my eyes and I can see more details on face’s

[@bctay152]

What’s the best settings for a Samsung Q95t for watching sky Q

[@dws84]

Unless it’s a movie or tv show, I want the picture to look like a window to what I’m seeing - especially docos and sport. Not to mention some standards aren’t ideal for a bright room, so different settings need to be used for daytime/nighttime viewing if one doesn’t have light control set up.

[@Believer7154]

Hello all. Thanks for the video. Appreciate your efforts and time. How do we go about calibrating the TV for the best color quality the NANOcells have to offer? Please advise. Thanks in advance. Rock rock on!!!

[@Ohkeh640]

I still prefer dynamic mode. My standard, natural and cinema mode is too dark.

[@thegam317]

I like dynamic setting for my tcl p8 led. Sharper and clear picture quality.

[@ok2593]

Oversaturated as fuck. It’s literally a demo mode so the TV picture looks good in a bright shop

[@PauloRenato23]

Have you done the HDR video? If not, please do it! :)

[@rafikchbaklo]

DigitalTrends, I need your help please. I am willing to get a new TV. I had a 32 inch screen Sony Bravia, so everything I am going with now is considered a huge change and an Uplift. am aiming at 55inch or 65inch screen. I am lost between Samsung Q60T - Q70T, or if I should get the TCL C8 series 2020? or should I wait for the TCL 6series 2020?, or I should consider something else from LG, if yes, am not sure which series I should check at LG, that are in parallel to the other stuff I have mentioned. I am into movies and series, and classic gaming from time to time. what do you advise me? should I consider the hdmi 2.1 in my next tv? thanks a lot. I hope you get to read this.

[@billcooper6674]

Hello I just purchased a 2020 LG 6950 at Walmart for $499 and realy like it. My 49" 11 year old Samsung Plazma is a hard TV to beat (Best Picture I have ever Had) on any TV I have owned. BIGGER IS ALWAYS BETTER IF YOU CAN : I found this formula for viewing distance from your TV. 1. Multiply x's 2 the size of your screen. 2. Divide that by 12 inches for veiwing distance. Example: TV 65" x 2 = 130" divided by 12" = 10.83 inches or 11 feet veiwing distance.

[@zaharagroup903]

@swagg .. Jacked you're intro

[@zaharagroup903]

@Swagg Copyright ©️

[@chrisperez8289]

Best setting for h9e Plus

[@sgtjenko]

Hmm I have a Colour Munki calibrator but it's for a MAC.. How do you import the calibration to the TV?

[@Bill0102]

This is an excellent composition. A similar book I read became my life's turning point. "A Life Unplugged: Reclaiming Reality in a Digital Age" by Theodore Blaze

[@keresene3936]

The faze swagg intro

[@brenodryl]

I came to the comments jus to see if anyone noticed lol

[@yrazy5290]

yes

[@leannvr]

I was like wait a second

[@cheyennebielawski723]

I got a veon tv what settings are best for picture

[@Kirinketsu_]

Tip for monitors for games sure turn the sharpness up but for movies and shows to it to 0 or 1 Make two profiles one for say games and the other for movies/shows

[@flamehiro]

Actually good idea. Having profile for each different type of content is the way to go. Maybe an accurate profile, vivid, game for me. Though I probably never actually use the accurate coz it's boring af lol

[@subhasishmukherjee5841]

Could you please give CRT TV colour setting , exact colour levels

[@mrmotown1004]

I use hdr dark on my TCL 6 series

[@jGRite]

Are those test images on your site?

[@BacalahAlquran951]

nice broo

[@kushalpatel3353]

Which tv are you using in this video

[@legendkiller4815]

I love soap offer effect which makes things go smoothly however, whenever, I am watching sports e.g. cricket. The cricket seems blurry or judder caused by the ball movement which literally ruins the mood. So I need your help to adjust the perfect settings while maintaining motion smoothness in LG C1 OLED. I watch your every video. Hope you will help me.

[@goat9295]

I like it for sports, but it's terrible for movies.

[@BUZZYBUZZIE]

If that's how you roll more power to you 👊👊👊💨

[@BlueSpiderManiac]

I have a question for my NU6900. I have all my settings set for my Movie Picture Mode. But when I switch to Game Mode for my Xbox One X, some of the settings change like Color Tone, Contrast Enhancer and Color Space Settings. Should I change these to match my Movie Picture Mode or leave it as is? (I fall into the 'accuracy above all else' category.)

[@titancrash8926]

Personally for my Q6FN, I have it Contrast Enhancer on low, Color Tone on Warm1, and Color Space Settings on Native. I think these settings make the colors pop more

[@amazingdany]

Personally, I don't bother using game mode.

[@striker9502]

Hi i have a hisense a6h UHD 4k do you have a setting for me please

[@Ryan-rr6tz]

So I don't really need to pay for a professional calibration service that includes a full Q/C for dead or stuck pixels, abnormal banding, tinting, screen uniformity and any defect in the TV... It would cost $600... Worth it? I'm looking at 77" A80J and I'm running out of time trying to decide as its sale price ends tomorrow! Thanks in advance!

[@EmmettLBrown2015]

I got a new Philips 4k und tv and I only use it for PS4 gaming. My console picture is ser to "automatic" and my TV screen size is "automatic" nd things look a bit blurred and blocky..so I was playing with the picture settings and notice when I change the screen size to "full" the picture is all there but I think it's supposed to be "Automatic" I'm trying to get best picture quality.

[@michaelelkin9542]

Thank you. My Samsung 4K always had horrible pixelation. Setting contrast to 0 pretty much removed it. I still have periodic pixelation and I would really like to remove it. The pixelation is only present with TV or other media source. If connected to a PC or a Firestick the pixelation is not present.

[@240mains]

antenna TV . some stations broadcast at 480i resolution . Are those the channels that pixelate ? They do it here . NOT the TV . low resolution upscaled to 4k can't fix everything . "Block Noise" reduction helps a lot . unfortunately , the parameter is not stable and causes the image to pulsate in the noisey areas . So , i keep "Block Noise" reduction OFF , for Everything .

[@alangeles9548]

What did you do please.

[@azarelthecreator7098]

pixelation has nothing to do with contrast its low resolution content that creates pixelation. All you are doing is tricking yourself into thinking the pixilation is gone by removing all the contrast from the image that would make it stand out. This isnt how you fix the problem.

[@arashkhamedifar2942]

Day 412 of quarantine:... Guys I need help

[@matthewb8919]

:) anybody else notice all the content was from Portland in the background?!

[@TheSaabzternater]

Egad I love vivid mode

[@pras18rash]

When will you make HDR picture settings video?

[@Eric-hr5cg]

You had suggested to turn off many settings as they will make the picture look worse. The big question why these settings were created by the tv manufacturers?

[@Valdaemonium]

Here in the south hemisphere, I set the overall white balance like: 100% red / 50% green / 10% blue, this way the whites get warmer, and "natural" for my eyes, and nope, whites and greys don't seem "orangeish" as I also expected they'd get, that's because I think my tv manufacturer must have set the intensity of this setting impact by 35% minimum or something...

[@no1unorightnow]

Where can we find the HDR calibration video?

[@heidigriffith-jensen9633]

How do you make the tea black and white

[@yesrasta]

Have they made the HDR video yet?

[@MrDoubtful42069]

Literally made my tv look like a Cathode Ray Tube

[@blackabivak1583]

Hello everyone. I have a 2021 tv for a year already, when is it appropriate to change my tv?