Five TV settings everyone should fix to instantly improve picture – even if you’re using a Roku or Fire Stick
NO matter what TV or streaming device you’re using, you should be making sure you’ve got the right settings.
Many televisions, set-top boxes, and plug-in smart sticks have similar settings that can make or break your picture quality.
The Sun has picked out five settings you should definitely check right away – don’t leave your TV’s visuals to chance.
It doesn’t matter if you’re using a regular smart TV, a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick, or some other combination of streaming gadgets.
Motion Smoothing
First up is Motion Smoothing, which is a highly controversial setting that’s worth switching off for movies.
Modern TVs often have a refresh rate of 60Hz (or sometimes 120Hz). At 60Hz, the image on the screen will refresh 60 times a second.
But Hollywood films are often produced at 24 frames per second – which means they don’t line up perfectly.
This mismatch has led to a cinematic feel that we have all come to know and love.
Motion Smoothing amends the footage to bring the movie up to 60 frames per second – to match the TV and create a smooth effect.
It does this by inserting artificial frames based on computer-generated guesswork.
TV experts say this ruins the feel of a movie, so consider switching it off.
Filmmaker Mode
Second is a feature that you should be turning on: Filmmaker Mode.
It was created by the UHD Alliance to basically show off movies as their directors intended.
That means it tweaks a wide range of settings on your TV – including (no surprises) Motion Smoothing.
“Modern televisions have all kinds of incredible possibilities in terms of their technical capabilities,” said Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, in a promo for Filmmaker Mode.
“But that also means that we need to be sure that the original intent of the filmmaker is carried through to the presentation.”
And Martin Scorsese (who directed Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street), said: “Most people are watching these classic films at home rather than movie theaters.
“And the filmmaker mode is of particular importance when presenting these films, which have specifications unique to being shot on film.
“Including the size of the frame, their aspect ratios, their approach to light and shadow, to color or black and white.
“In each case, absolutely specific and unique to the given film. Filmmaker mode is a long overdue and welcome innovation.”
WHERE CAN YOU GET FILMMAKER MODE?
Some of the TV brands that serve up FMM include:
- BenQ
- Hisense
- LG
- Panasonic
- Philips
- Samsung
- Vizio
But it’ll depend on your specific model – just go into your TV settings to see if you have it.
Plenty of TV brands offer Filmmaker Mode so head into your TV settings and switch it on for your next movie.
Game Mode
Next up is Game Mode, which is something offered by plenty of televisions – and streamers.
For instance, Roku has its own dedicated Game Mode.
Some Game Modes require manual activation, while others are triggered automatically when you switch your console on.
For instance, Samsung describes its Game Mode as follows: “Enjoy playing games with optimised image quality and low latency with the Game Mode function on your compatible Samsung TV.
“The low latency allows for smoother gameplay, without motion blur or stuttering issues – even on a large screen.”
Roku also offers one, and says: “All Roku TV models support a low-latency setting called Game mode.
“When Game mode is turned on, video processing elements such as noise reduction, de-interlacing, and motion smoothing are turned off to optimize TV performance for video game play.”
So if you’re a gamer, take a look at your settings to make sure that you’ve got it switched on.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio is the relationship between the width and height of an image.
So a 16:9 image will have 16 pixels horizontally for every nine pixels vertically.
Movies and TV shows can be produced at a wide range of aspect ratios.
Thankfully aspect ratio very rarely an issue as your TV will usually adjust automatically, but it can be problematic from time to time.
This is especially true if you’re plugging in strange media devices that your TV might not necessarily recognise properly.
The dead giveaway that something is wrong is when your movie or TV show looks stretched or squashed.
Usually you’ll notice this if you’ve been watching TV with the correct aspect ratio previously – as the difference should be stark.
Thankfully you can easily go into your TV settings to adjust the aspect ratio.
Toggle between the settings until you find one that looks right.
Normally on a TV, you’ll be watching in either 4:3 (especially for older content) or 16:9 (for newer productions).
DON'T DELAY – FIX YOUR TV TODAY
Here’s what The Sun’s tech expert Sean Keach has to say…
Look, I know it’s a pain.
Trying to fix your TV settings isn’t how anyone wants to spend their evenings.
But think about it: you’ve spent hundreds (or maybe thousands…) on a posh TV, so why not make sure you’re getting good value for money.
It takes just a few minutes to check through these settings, and it could seriously upgrade your viewing experience.
And once you get used to where these settings lurk, you’ll be able to switch between them with ease.
It’s also likely that you’ll be able to automate a lot of the switching in your settings if you have a modern smart TV.
If you’re spending hours a week in front of the big screen, take a few minutes a month to make sure your telly is set up properly.
Movie makers will thank you. Your friends and family will thank you. But you’ll also be able to thank yourself.
Power Saver Mode
Finally, check your TV for Power Saver Mode – or a similarly-named setting.
This is a mode designed to reduce the power that your TV uses.
It has the advantage of cutting your energy bills slightly.
When you use Power Saver Mode, it’ll likely change a few of your TV’s settings.
But the main one it will typically affect is brightness, limiting it to reduce power demand.
So if you want the best picture when you’re watching a specific movie, consider turning Power Saver Mode off.