For a reliable starting point, choose Filmmaker Mode or the TV’s Movie/Cinema preset, set screen brightness to suit your room, and connect external audio through the compatible HDMI ARC/eARC ports. Then check settings separately for your apps, inputs, and HDR content. There is no single picture setting that works best on every TV or in every room.
Set the picture in a practical order
Most TVs let you make useful picture adjustments without specialist tools. RTINGS notes that a true calibration requires equipment to measure the colors and light a particular TV produces, but everyday setup changes can still make a noticeable difference. (RTINGS’ TV calibration guide, updated April 22, 2026.)
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1. Choose an accuracy-oriented picture mode
Start with Filmmaker Mode if your TV offers it and you want an image closer to the creator’s intent. Otherwise, try a preset named Movie, Cinema, Professional, or Custom. Picture mode affects more than color: it can change color temperature, white balance, and motion processing. Filmmaker Mode is not guaranteed to be perfect, and it may limit some controls.
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2. Adjust screen brightness for the room
Look for Backlight on many LED/LCD TVs; OLED models may use a model-specific OLED pixel brightness or brightness control. A bright room generally calls for more screen light than a dark room. Adjust while watching your usual content, aiming for a comfortable image rather than copying a number from another TV.
3. Use a warm color temperature as a baseline
Color temperature may be labeled Warm, Color Tone, or something similar, depending on the manufacturer. A warm setting is commonly closest to the 6500 K calibration target, but menu labels and available steps vary. If it looks too warm to you, adjust to taste; the target is a reference, not a requirement for every viewer.
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4. Leave black level, contrast, and sharpness alone at first
Black level is usually set correctly by default. Avoid changing it unless you have a clear reason: a poor adjustment can crush shadow detail or make blacks look gray. Excessive sharpness can add artificial outlines rather than reveal real detail, so start at the default and reduce it if edges look harsh. Test patterns can help with basic checks, but they do not replace measuring equipment for precise color calibration.
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A TV may save picture settings separately for each input, treat built-in apps differently, or switch to a separate configuration for HDR. A change made while watching one HDMI input may not carry over to a streaming app or another device.
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- Check the picture mode and brightness with a built-in app and with each external device you use.
- Try both SDR and HDR content. When playing HDR, confirm that the TV indicates it has received an HDR signal.
- If HDR does not activate from an external device, check the TV and device manuals for input-format settings. On the Samsung S90D reviewed by RTINGS, an input-specific Input Signal Plus setting may be needed for external devices; that menu and behavior are model-specific. Its native apps enable HDR automatically. (RTINGS’ Samsung S90D settings guide, updated April 18, 2024.)
Decide how much motion processing you want
Motion interpolation can make films look unnaturally smooth to some viewers. If that effect bothers you, reduce or turn off the relevant motion-processing setting. Other viewers prefer the smoother look, so this is a choice rather than a universal picture-quality rule.
Some TVs separate controls for different motion problems or content types. RTINGS’ S90D guide, for example, distinguishes blur reduction for high-frame-rate material from judder reduction for low-frame-rate content. Names and options vary by model; consult your TV’s manual if you want to adjust them individually.
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- 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.
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Use Game Mode when lower input lag matters
For console or PC gaming, enable Game Mode if your priority is reducing the delay between an input and the on-screen response. Game Mode may change picture processing, and features such as variable refresh rate (VRR) depend on the TV and source. On the Samsung S90D in RTINGS’ guide, VRR support is enabled automatically in Game Mode; do not assume another model behaves the same way.
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Connect a soundbar or receiver through ARC/eARC
For an external audio system, connect an HDMI cable from the TV’s port marked ARC or eARC to the corresponding port on the soundbar or receiver. Sony’s guide also documents optical audio as an alternative. Which ports and sound formats are available depends on the TV, audio device, and region, so check both manuals. Sony notes that an HDMI cable is not supplied with its setup. (Sony’s guide to connecting an audio system.)
- Connect the cable to the ARC/eARC-labeled port on each device.
- On the TV, choose the audio system as the sound output. Sony’s instructions for applicable models set eARC mode to Auto; enable eARC on the audio device as well.
- Play audio and confirm it comes from the external system. If you use optical instead, select the appropriate output on both devices and follow their manuals.
Fix delayed sound if dialogue does not match the picture
If voices arrive after the picture, look for an audio delay or lip-sync adjustment. The right setting depends on the connected equipment. eARC devices may adjust automatically, but manual correction can still be necessary on some setups. RTINGS documents this as a model- and equipment-dependent adjustment in its S90D guide.
Do not copy another TV’s calibration values
Settings for white balance and color calibration can vary substantially between individual TVs, even within the same model. RTINGS describes its published S90D white-balance results as references, not values to copy one-to-one. Use another set’s settings only as context; precise calibration requires measurements from your own unit.
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