Optimize the image quality on your Android TV: Settings to enjoy your series and movies to the fullest

2023-07-18 16:59:16

If you have an Android TV, you’re about to experience the best operating system (in our opinion) in terms of apps, fluidity, and customization. Especially, the customization option opens the door to getting the best picture quality possible, as long as you set up your TV properly. If you are not sure how to do it, don’t worry, we will explain you step by step and we will tell you the importance of each parameter.+

Perspective Writing

It is important to bear in mind that a correct configuration of the image will allow you to adjust the screen not only to the type of content you are watching (because watching a football game is not the same as watching a series as dark as ‘Game of Thrones’), but also to the environment in which you find yourself.

Here’s a guide to setting up your Android TV and enjoying better picture quality. Turn on your TV, grab the remote, and follow this path: Go to “Settings” (TV settings, not OS settings) > “Device Preferences” > “Picture.”

There you will find two options: the presets and the possibility of manually modifying the different available parameters:

Image mode: «Live», «Standard», «Sport», «Cinema», «Games», are some of the modes available on the smart TV. The advantage of choosing these preset settings is comfort and practicality, since you save having to configure the parameters one by one for each use situation. For example, if you select the “Sports” mode, you will enjoy settings optimized for fast-moving images.
Custom: This option may be within the list above or in the “Advanced” section (or it may even appear separately). This will allow you to adjust variables individually, such as “Backlight”, “Brightness”, “Contrast”, “Saturation”, “Warmth”, and “Sharpness”. Although you can experiment by trying different settings until you find the one you like best, it’s best to search the internet for the make and model of your TV and see the specific calibration recommendations.

If you find the preset modes impersonal or unsatisfactory, in addition to consulting specific recommendations, we suggest that you spend time playing around with these parameters until you find the settings that you like best. Although the adjustment options may vary depending on your television, the parameters mentioned are common:

Glow: Allows you to adjust the depth of blacks on the screen, which affects how darker scenes look. Turning it all the way up will make blacks look gray and dull, so it’s ideal to find a balance between deep blacks and enough brightness to maintain quality. You can use a standard video to calibrate the brightness (SDR): try to make level 16 of the image as black as possible and from level 17, it should flicker with all levels tending towards gray. Start by setting the brightness to the minimum and gradually work your way up.
Contrast: Control the white level on your TV. If you turn it up to the maximum, the images will look very vivid but oversaturated in the light areas. To adjust the contrast, turn it all the way up and play a reference video, then lower the contrast until levels 230 to 234 blink.
Sharpness: This parameter modifies the detail of the image, but increasing it to the maximum does not mean that you will see a better image. In fact, if you go too far, you will notice “saw teeth” on the edges and more aggressive textures. Find a balance by following a video pattern similar to the one used to adjust contrast, brightness, and color. Look at the top of the circle and keep adjusting until the bars are clearly differentiated.
Color: Adjusts the saturation level of the colors. If you keep it to a minimum, the colors will look washed out and less intense. If you increase it to the maximum, the image will be oversaturated. Although this parameter is very personal, “Cinema” or “Movie” modes offer a good balance from which you can make minimal adjustments to your liking. The goal is to be able to clearly distinguish each band of color and, at the same time, see all the shades correctly.

Choose the “Cinema/Movies” mode and here we explain why. First of all, we must warn you that the “Cinema” mode is not activated by default, since normally the image is displayed in “Standard” or “Dynamic” mode, designed to be visually attractive with vivid colors (especially the dynamic mode), but in the long term they can be tiring, since they use brightness, colors and contrasts to the maximum, as well as somewhat artificial image processing.

So why choose cinema mode? Because it is a mode that represents the image and sound more faithfully to the original signal, which translates into enjoying the highest quality and visual impact. While it’s clearly the best mode if you watch movies and TV shows the most, it also works well for shows like news and documentaries. From this point, if you wish, you can adjust some parameters according to your preference.

You are now ready to set up your Android TV and enjoy a high-quality viewing experience. Enjoy your favorite movies, shows and events in the best possible picture!