IMPROVE THAT ALREADY GREAT TV PICTURE!

Everyone knows that the picture you get on today’s new BIG SCREEN TV is light-years ahead of those in the past. The TV displays brilliant colors, excellent contrast and an overall look that makes for excitement every time you sit down in front of it. But lost in all this are a few simple ways to improve on that already great picture — things that you can do that will make a difference because they’re applicable to your home and where the TV ends up living. The best part is that none of this can cause any problems with your TV either. So lets get started.

A CLEAN DISPLAY MAKES FOR A CLEAN PICTURE

The display of a new TV can attract dust, which will adhere to the screen. This also works against seeing all that the display is trying to show you. Keeping the TV screen clean can be done on a regular basis, for example after you’re done giving the kitchen a once-over or having vacuumed the carpeting. The simplest way to keep the TV screen clean is to use a feather duster and remove all the dust from around the TV on the cabinet it stands on, as well as around the display’s rim/bezel (which also applies when the TV is wall-mounted). And a light feather-dusting of the screen can be done too.

But should there be more “junk” on the screen that can be easily removed, invest in a TV screen cleaning kit. Basically this consists of applying a special fluid to a special, non-abrasive cloth which can then go over the screen: the cloth isn’t rubbed on the screen like wiping a plate but applied to the screen extremely lightly and then moved across the screen to the other side in a single horizontal movement. Reaching the end, remove the cloth and return to the starting point at the other side, only this time moving down a little bit before repeating. The 5 or so minutes that this will take to completely have covered the entire screen will be evident from the minute bit of fluid that can be seen on it (which is replenished on the cloth during the process). Once done, give the screen 10 minutes or so for the fluid to totally evaporate and it’s done. Of course all this will be helped along by not having the TV next to a window where dust can be blown in at it, or across from a heating vent (hot air being forced out), etc.

NO GLARE IS GOOD GLARE

Modern TVs, even BIG SCREEN TVs, are less likely to show reflections like that of their older siblings, especially due to many of the TV manufacturers having incorporated anti-glare technology into their displays. Glare has a debilitating effect on the TV picture, even if the glare doesn’t totally obscure the picture. But eliminating glare will make the TV picture look even more dynamic and so should be done. It’s not hard either — for one thing, if the TV is near a window, try closing the blinds or curtains. If that is not possible (or undesired), then perhaps the TV can be angled so that the glare is no longer happening (the TV showing a window its backside is one way to do that, although then you will have to contend with the light going at the viewer).

Review the lights in the room and see whether they are imparting glare on the TV. If so, and you don’t want to be watching in the dark (which is not always that bad, after all that’s how movie theaters work), try repositioning the lights that are more “aimed” at the TV. Turning out all the lights and then turning them back on one at a time (with the TV screen on) will let you see how much each one contributes to the glare.

NEITHER TOO FAR BACK NOR TOO CLOSE

The size of a TV dictates how close one should be to it in order to be able to see the entire picture with the best resolution possible (and which also contributes to how one can be “enveloped” by the images being presented). Even a 4K TV will look its best when you’re not right up against it, so plan on experimenting with distances to see what looks the best for just a single person looking or a group (for example, on a couch). A basic guideline to start is to multiply the diagonal of the display x 2.5 (for HDTV) or 1.5 (for UltraHD TV). But because each person is different, this type of measurement should be seen as a starting point to work from.

Having a TV perform its best doesn’t end with what the TV maker has put into it. Those who have a professional installer, such as Just One Touch, install the TV into their home for them will gain all the advantages noted above, and more. But regardless of whether you have it done for you or do it yourself, the results will be the kind of TV picture that will keep you coming back to watch over and over again.