Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET's key takeaways
- Your TCL TV may not be optimized for home right out of the box.
- A few quick changes can dramatically improve your experience.
- You can also reduce unnecessary data collection while you watch.
TCL is known for its budget TVs, but in recent years, it has delivered some jaw-dropping models and consistently rolled out excellent hardware that often rivals far more expensive sets. My issue, however, is that most TCL TVs ship with default settings that do not give you the best picture, performance, or privacy protections at home. Luckily, the fix is simple.
Also: Own a smart TV? These 13 features can dramatically improve your performance – here's how
Your TCL TV has over a dozen different settings that give you fine-tuned control over how your TV processes motion, color, brightness, and even how much data it collects about you. Changing them is easy and can radically improve your experience.
Below are the TCL TV settings worth changing right away, why each one matters, and exactly how to adjust it.
1. Change the picture mode: Movie or Filmmaker
Most smart TVs now include multiple picture modes, including TCL models, which often default to Standard, Vivid, or Sports. These modes use overly cool colors, excessive brightness, and artificial contrast. They are meant to stand out on showroom floors, but at home, the effect is often too aggressive. Instead, you will want to use Movie or Filmmaker mode, which is tuned for accuracy.
Also: Your Roku has hidden settings and menu screens – here's how to unlock them
These modes use a warmer color temperature, more realistic contrast, and less processing overall. Filmmaker mode goes a step further by automatically disabling motion smoothing and using stricter standards for frame rate, color, and aspect ratio so content is displayed as the director intended. When you switch to either mode, the image may look yellow or…