There is no single set of picture or sound numbers that works best on every Roku 4K TV: menus and features differ by manufacturer and model, and picture adjustments are stored separately for each input. Use the steps below as practical starting points, make changes while viewing the input and format you want to improve, and keep measurement-based controls at their defaults unless you have the right equipment and expertise.
How to find picture settings on a Roku 4K TV
- Start playing a show or movie, or switch to the HDMI input you want to adjust.
- Press the Star/Options button on the Roku remote and open Picture settings.
- Choose a picture mode, then select Customize picture to see the adjustments available on your TV.
Roku TVs save picture-mode settings by input, so streaming, cable, and game-console inputs can have different settings. HDR10 and Dolby Vision content can also have their own picture modes when the TV detects those formats; after HDR playback ends, the TV returns to the previously selected standard mode. Adjust the mode while the relevant content or input is active. Roku’s picture-mode guide explains the behavior and available options.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Which picture mode should you start with?
For a dim room, start with a balanced or darker mode. Roku describes HDR Dark as balanced and closest to a cinema experience; Normal is brighter, while Bright is more vivid. Treat these as viewing choices, not proof of a measured calibration: try the mode with the content you watch and adjust for your room and preference. The names and availability can vary by model.
For standard picture controls, make small changes while watching familiar content rather than relying on universal numeric values. The available menu may include:
#1 Best Overall
- Breathtaking picture: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 55" flat screen TV, while the QLED screen and HDR10 create bright, accurate colors. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
- Backlight: controls peak screen backlight.
- Brightness: affects dark image sections.
- Contrast: affects whites.
- Sharpness: adjusts edge softness or sharpness.
- Color: adjusts color intensity.
- Tint, picture size, and other options may also appear, depending on the TV.
If experimentation makes the picture worse, use the reset option for the current picture mode, if your model offers it, and start again. Roku’s guide notes that settings may be applied to all inputs; keeping adjustments input-specific is useful when different sources need different treatment. See Roku’s picture-mode instructions.
When to use Expert Picture Settings
Expert Picture Settings (EPS) expose more advanced controls on Roku 4K TV systems. To reach them directly on the TV, start content or select the desired HDMI input, then choose Star > Picture settings > Customize Picture Mode > Expert Settings. Direct TV access requires Roku OS 12.5 or later. On earlier software, Roku says EPS remains available through the Roku mobile app. The settings apply to the current input and picture mode, and options vary by TV model. Roku’s EPS guide lists supported controls.
Rank #2
- Breathtaking picture: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 50" flat screen TV, while the QLED screen and HDR10 create bright, accurate colors. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
EPS may include gamma correction (1.8, 2.0, 2.2, or 2.4), noise reduction, color temperature, 11-point white balance, color space, local dimming, action smoothing, and LED action clarity. These are not universal targets: panel behavior differs, and changing white balance or color space without measurements can make color less accurate. Roku recommends a colorimeter for custom white-balance and color-space work. For ordinary viewing, leave these measurement-based controls alone unless you have a meter and know how to use it.
For color space, Roku identifies Auto as its recommended setting: SDR maps to Rec. 709, while HDR maps to the HDR color space and the panel’s native space. That is Roku’s guidance; it does not establish identical performance across every panel.
Rank #3
- Breathtaking picture: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 65" flat screen TV, while the QLED screen and HDR10 create bright, accurate colors. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
Should you turn on local dimming?
Local dimming, sometimes called local contrast, divides an LCD backlight into zones and dims zones scene by scene. It is not available on every Roku TV. Roku’s US support page identifies Plus and Pro series as supporting it, but check your exact manufacturer and model. If the option is missing from Star > Advanced picture settings while content is playing, Roku says the TV does not support it. Roku’s local-dimming guide describes the feature and menu.
Where offered, the choices are Off, Low, Medium, and High. Start at a lower setting and choose the least aggressive level that looks good to you; panel implementations differ, so High is not automatically best. On TVs with a Dynamic contrast control, enabling local dimming disables Dynamic contrast.
Rank #4
- Bright, clear picture: Bring entertainment to life on our 40" flat screen TV with bright 1080p Full HD—perfect for bedrooms, kitchens, and beyond. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
Best sound settings for clearer dialogue
During playback, press Star and open Sound settings to inspect the options available on your TV. Built-in sound modes vary by Roku TV manufacturer, so menu names and controls are not universal. Roku audio devices have separate sound modes; their settings should not be assumed to appear on every TV.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesTry dialogue enhancement or speech clarity
If speech is hard to hear over background effects, look for Dialog enhancement or Speech clarity. Roku says dialog enhancement boosts speech separately from background content without raising the overall loudness of the scene. Depending on the TV, the option may appear under a manufacturer’s sound menu, such as DTS Studio Sound or Sonic Emotion. Roku’s dialog-enhancement instructions cover the feature.
Best Value
- Bright, clear picture: Bring entertainment to life on our 32" flat screen TV with bright 1080p Full HD—perfect for bedrooms, kitchens, and beyond. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
Some streaming apps use the Star button for another function. If it does not open Roku’s options in the app you are using, switch to another app such as The Roku Channel, change the setting there, then return to the original app.
Use volume leveling for loudness swings
If quiet dialogue is followed by much louder action or commercials, check whether your TV offers volume leveling. Roku documents this route: playback > Star > Sound Settings > Sound Mode > Customize sound mode > Volume Leveling. Available levels may include Low, Medium, and High; feature availability depends on the TV or device. Roku’s volume-level guidance explains the option.
Volume modes are unavailable for some audio formats. With surround formats, leveling may convert the sound to stereo. Turn it off if preserving surround sound matters more than evening out volume.
Recommended Free Tools
Do you need a soundbar, and what about surround sound?
No external audio product is required to adjust your Roku TV’s picture or sound. A soundbar is an optional upgrade if you want more sound; Roku lists Streambar and Roku TV Wireless Soundbar as possible additions. Before choosing a soundbar or AV receiver, check that its connections and supported formats suit your TV, room, and intended use, whether that is dialogue, movies, or music.
Roku describes Auto detect as the default S/PDIF and ARC setting. Auto passthrough sends supported Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, or DTS formats unmodified when the connected system supports them; unsupported formats may be converted to stereo. ARC/eARC, CEC, and receiver capabilities affect available control and audio formats, so check the documentation for both the TV and the audio system. See Roku’s guides to setting up a Roku TV and connecting surround sound.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
