5 things I’d never do as a TV expert
From messing with the contrast to spraying furniture polish on the screen, here are the things I wouldn't do with my TV – plus a few things I would
Every year, we put more than one hundred TVs through a whole host of independent checks, measurements and assessments in the Which? test lab.
After studying the results, I’ve built up a good understanding of the settings that are more trouble than they’re worth.
Here are the things I’d recommend avoiding – either because they’re not necessary, or because they could end up damaging your TV.
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1) Don't turn on adaptive contrast
Adaptive contrast is a setting that adjusts the darkest and brightest parts of the picture on your TV.
It has different names on different TVs and is sometimes known as auto contrast or contrast enhancer.
But these settings can negatively affect your TV's picture quality by forcing the whites and blacks beyond what the content can cope with, so in my view it's best left switched off.
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2. Don't mess with adaptive brightness
This setting adjusts the brightness of the screen and picture, depending on how light your room is.
It's often touted by manufacturers as being a useful energy-saving measure.
However, the fluctuations in brightness – as the lighting in the scene and in your home changes – play havoc with the picture quality.
It's best to turn off this setting or at least set it to low, so the shifts aren't extreme.
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3. Don't assume energy-saving modes will save you much money
Our testing has found energy-saving modes on TVs makes minimal difference to overall cost – and, therefore, to the planet.
However, they can make an enormous difference to picture quality.
We found eco modes usually sap all the brightness from the screen, making the picture far too dark in some cases.
This is because the backlight, a layer of bulbs that shines on to the colour-producing layer of liquid crystals, requires the most power. To cut down on running costs, these bulbs can be turned down to the point you can barely see anything.
Some of the TVs we tested saw the star rating drop from five stars to one when we turned on the eco mode or energy-saving settings.
We didn't notice a huge difference to annual running costs either, so unless you're counting every penny it's probably not worth it.
How much does your TV really cost to run? Read how we calculate the annual running cost of every TV we review
4. Don't hit ‘accept’ on all the terms and conditions
If you’ve just bought a new TV and you’re setting it up, you’ll generally find a screen that asks you to select what data you are willing to share. Some of these boxes may even have been preselected.
Don’t just skip past them, because you may be giving permission for more data to be shared than you’d like.
If you set up your TV years ago, go to your settings and see what data collection you can turn off. This can help cut down on the number of ads in smart menus, too.
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5. Don't use surface cleaner or polish on the screen
This can affect the coating on the screen and damage it.
Brands recommend using a clean cloth and making circular motions to get streaks and marks off the screen.
LG even states not to use glass cleaner. Check your TV manual, which you can also usually find online, to see if your manufacturer has any specific instructions
For more tips on looking after your telly, read our piece on how to clean your TV without damaging it
And here are 2 things I would recommend doing:
1. Do check our optimal picture settings
Before testing any TV, we tinker with the picture settings to make sure each one looks its best. We don’t keep this to ourselves either.
Check our guide to getting the best TV picture and enter your model name to see our optimal picture settings.
Even if you don’t use ours, make sure you adjust them to suit your preferences as we often find the out-of-the-box settings look a bit unnatural.
Find out how to grab a great TV at a fantastic price with our guide to the best TV deals
2. Do try out motion compensation
This can be a touchy subject, so we’ll let you make up your own mind.
Some people like the dreamy, cinematic blur of films with no motion compensation, but if you like things a bit smoother and crisper then try adjusting your motion settings.
Some TVs have a filmmaker mode that automatically disables all motion compensation, so you can always use that if you don’t want programmes such as news and soaps to look quite so cinematic.
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