Some people tune in for the football game, others for the commercials or halftime show. No matter what your game plan is, everyone deserves to score the best picture quality on their TV for the Super Bowl.
The experts at Consumer Reports are here to help you tackle your TV settings like a pro.
Making a few tweaks to your TV’s picture settings in time for the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 can be a real game changer. Having the right settings can make the difference between making it seem like you’re watching a cartoon versus watching real life.
And since no one wants a cartoon version of the biggest game of the year, the first play of the game might surprise you: Trading your TV’s preset sports mode for one that can help you score better picture quality.
CR typically recommends filmmaker mode. It will get you closest to the settings that they use. If your TV doesn’t have filmmaker mode, you can try movie mode, custom mode, natural, or one of the expert modes.
With just a few more moves, you can take your TV’s picture to the next level.
Find a dark scene and pause it to adjust the brightness or black level. You want to lower it so that the TV is as dark as possible without losing any background details.
You’ll need a bright scene to set the contrast or white level. So, you want to raise the contrast until the image is bright, but you’re not losing any of the background details.
Then, choose a “warm” or “low” color temperature so the yard lines look white and not blue. Adjust the tint to the middle of the range so the players’ flesh tones look natural.
And don’t sweat a fumble. Most TVs have a reset option that will return the TV to its factory settings so you can still be the MVP of game day.
CR says using both black and white level test patterns from YouTube can save you the time of looking for a movie scene.
CR members can save even more time with their exclusive TV Screen Optimizer, which offers expert settings for TVs dating back to 2013. The link is on Cr’s website.