What the Tech: Tips to get your TV ready for football season
BY JAMIE TUCKER, Consumer Technology Reporter
Football season is just a couple of weeks ahead. If you’re going to be watching the big games on your home tv, the right settings will make the game look sharper, brighter, and more lifelike.
You spent a lot of money on a new tv, but there’s a good chance you’re not getting the best picture for the money, if you’re using the settings it came with.
First, forget “sports”, or “game” modes. Sports mode pumps up the colors so much that grass can looks neon and uniforms glow. And it cranks up motion smoothing that makes the picture look fake. “game” mode is for video games.
For the most natural picture switch to movie, or cinema mode. You can stop there but if you want to fine-tune, adjust brightness and contrast for your room. Brighter for daylight, lower for dark rooms.
Check “motion smoothing” settings. Too much gives you the “soap opera effect”. Dial it down or turn it off to see what looks best.
Turn off energy-saving or eco modes that automatically dim the screen, especially during daytime games when the room is bright.
Here’s a pro-tip: pull up a black-and-white test pattern on Youtube. The #1 square should be solid black, then adjust until you can see each shade of gray. That tweak calibrates your tv or computer monitor for the best possible picture.
You may see different labels on the settings because each manufacturer calls them something else and you may not like the results. But by skipping the factory presets and turning off eco mode you’ll get a more lifelike picture.
