Making a few simple adjustments to your TV’s basic settings can instantly enhance the picture quality ahead of this weekend’s big game.
Whether you’re considering buying a new TV or your old flat panel seems to be doing fine, there are still ways to optimize your viewing experience, and it all begins with your television’s settings. Let’s explore some of the key factors determining how your TV performs and what you can do to make it look even better.1. Turn down the sharpness
The sharper the picture, the better. Right? Not necessarily.
Contrary to popular belief, the « sharpness » setting on your TV doesn’t affect the actual sharpness of the displayed image. True sharpness is determined by factors such as screen resolution, source material resolution, and contrast. Instead, the sharpness setting alters the artificial edge enhancement — a processor-driven adjustment that can introduce unwanted noise and, ironically, distort details in the image.
Edge enhancement is designed to make on-screen objects more distinct by emphasizing the boundaries between them, theoretically creating a more lifelike image. However, this feature acts like a universal Instagram filter, potentially leading to an unnatural appearance in some media.
While it may not be necessary to reduce sharpness to zero, it’s generally recommended to turn it down significantly. For most TVs, a sweet spot between five to 10 percent can help achieve a balanced image, although you should experiment to find the level that looks best to you. 2. Turn off Motion Smoothing
An important setting to consider adjusting is Motion Smoothing, a frame interpolation feature created to reduce the blurring effect noticeable during fast-paced sequences. This feature aims to reconcile discrepancies between movie frame rates (usually 24 frames per second) and the TV’s frame rate.
When scenes filmed at 24fps are played on a higher frame rate TV, watchers might notice an effect known as « judder. » TV manufacturers developed Motion Smoothing to tackle this problem. However, it can degrade the visual quality of images by generating additional frames, resulting in some janky viewing. Some TVs also add frames or alter refresh rates to minimize motion issues.
