How to level-up the picture quality of your cheap TV

Even a budget-friendly TV can deliver a surprisingly good viewing experience. If you're unhappy with your current picture quality, several adjustments can significantly improve it.

Resolution Isn't Everything

The source material matters more than just the resolution. Cable, streaming, and discs all vary greatly in picture quality. Even two 1080p sources can look dramatically different due to compression. Highly compressed video loses detail and color accuracy. Upgrading the source is the first step to better picture quality, regardless of your TV's capabilities.

Blu-ray and UHD Blu-rays offer the best home viewing quality. Even on a less expensive TV, they'll outperform streaming or cable. Affordable 4K (or 1080p) Blu-ray players are readily available. If you own an Xbox One S or X, you already have a 4K player.

Streaming is convenient, but quality varies. Some services (like Netflix and Amazon) generally offer better quality than others (like HBO Max). Your streaming device also affects quality; a modern 4K device will produce better results than an older 720p model. Finally, ensure your internet connection is fast enough to support the desired resolution; slow Wi-Fi can force your streaming service to downgrade quality.

Cable TV often provides the lowest picture quality. Over-the-air antennas frequently offer a better picture than cable, especially for network TV shows and sports. Consider using an antenna; online tools like AntennaWeb can help you find a suitable one for your location. Outdoor antennas often provide the best reception.

Fine-Tuning Your TV Settings

Adjusting your TV's picture settings can make a difference. While cheaper TVs have fewer options, you can still make improvements.

For dark room viewing, "Movie" or "Cinema" mode usually minimizes visual artifacts. While initially appearing darker or reddish, these modes offer more accurate color representation. If you prefer a brighter picture, "Standard" mode might be suitable, but consider slightly warming the color temperature to reduce overly bluish whites.

Disable unnecessary processing features like motion smoothing (unless your TV has local dimming, which enhances black levels). These features are often found on mid-range TVs and are best turned off on budget models.

Enhance Contrast with Bias Lighting

Budget TVs often struggle with black levels. The uneven backlighting can create a "blooming" effect around bright objects, making the image look washed out.

Bias lighting is an effective solution. Affordable bias lighting strips (around $20 for a 55" TV) can be attached to the back of your TV and plugged into a USB port. The reflected light creates a soft glow behind the screen, improving perceived contrast and making blacks appear deeper.

The image above illustrates how bias lighting works. The grey rectangle appears darker against a lighter background. Similarly, bias lighting makes your TV's blacks appear darker. Unless you have an OLED TV, bias lighting is highly recommended for enhancing picture quality on a less expensive set.

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