In our tips and advice we have often talked about the optimal settings, and therefore basic calibration of your TV, but some people prefer to choose a best picture mode, a preset that is calibrated by the manufacturer. But, what is the best picture mode for your TV and what should you pay attention to?
Manufacturers are getting better at calibrating a TV out of the box. Nowadays we often find at least one mode that offers an image quality that we can live with, especially if you do not want to work with advanced settings between different image modes that you can choose from. There are a number of picture modes that we see on almost all TVs and that often have the same characteristics. In this article, we’ll cover the most common picture modes.
The best picture mode of your TV
The picture mode of a TV ensures that all settings, including brightness and contrast, are adjusted for a specific purpose. This is done with general measurements and by looking at the average living room. But, you may have a living room that is darker or lighter, or you may have different requirements for image quality. We often say Movie mode (or a mode with a similar name) is the best choice out of the box, but this too depends on the room you’re viewing and your own preferences. Nevertheless, we can give you some advice.
Dynamic or Vivid
Dynamic or Vivid is the picture mode that is usually on when you take the TV out of the box. This is also the mode that is often used in stores to demonstrate the TV. We rarely recommend this mode unless you have a brightly lit room and brightness plays a very important role. Note that the accuracy of colors is deteriorated, as are the black values.
Standard and Natural
If you have some control over the light that falls into the room in which you watch TV, the Standard and Natural modes are a great choice. These provide sufficient light output to prevent reflections and to box against incident light, but in terms of black values and contrast, your screen is not getting the most out of it. The Natural mode is preferred in most cases because of the better color reproduction.
Film or Cinema
The Movie or Cinema image mode is the mode that we most often recommend, but keep in mind that you do depend on the light in the room. This mode is particularly suitable for watching TV in the evening or watching a movie or series when you can minimize the incidence of light yourself. The advantage of this mode is that the color reproduction is closer to the standard and the black values are often at the best level.
THX
In addition to a Film mode, many premium TVs nowadays have a THX mode. This mode has been tuned and certified by the company THX, which basically means that you get the most out of your screen. However, please note; with this image mode it is assumed that you can control the light in the room and therefore minimize it.
Game of Games
Nowadays we see a Game or Games mode on many TVs. This mode is generally used for playing games on a connected console and ensures that all video editing techniques are disabled. This is done to minimize the input lag (the delay of the input on a controller and the response on TV). However, this does not necessarily improve image quality.
Sport or Action
When you watch sports games or content with a lot of fast action, the Sports or Action mode can be interesting. In most cases, this image mode ensures that frames are added to the image to make fast movements smoother. The movements do not become more natural, but you have less problems with stuttering or smeared objects.
Custom, Expert or Personal
If you still want to get started with the settings yourself, you can choose the Custom, Expert or Personal mode. In most cases, these image modes offer access to advanced settings that allow you to adjust the image quality to your own liking. It may be that the TV itself switches to this mode when you adjust some settings in another mode. In most cases this mode is not interesting, unless you really go or have a TV calibrated yourself and you know what you are doing.
