Thanks to their irresistible combination of futuristic, super-slim designs and consistently outstanding picture quality, LG OLED TVs have become darlings of the high-end TV world – they are not only among the best OLED TVs, but the best TVs of all kind.
Nor are we just talking about movie fans here; in recent times, LG OLED TVs have also been hailed as the best gaming TVs, thanks to their ability to deliver all the very latest gaming features available from Xbox Series X, PS5 and the latest premium PC graphics cards .
However, as with all high-end TVs these days, the impressive and far-reaching capabilities of LG’s OLED TVs make them rather complex beasts that can be hard to get the best out of. Especially when research suggests that the vast majority of TV owners hardly touch their TV settings once they have gone through the initial installation routines.
The problem is that very few TVs are set up to deliver their best possible viewing experience out of the box, so if you have not chosen the right settings, you will not get the most out of your TV.
So let’s look here at some of the most common setup errors that LG OLED owners make that may prevent them from getting the viewing experience they deserve.
1. Does not change the picture mode for different viewing conditions
We have never had it so good when it comes to both the range of sources our TVs have access to and the range of content available across all of these sources. While this is great news in most ways, it does reveal the fact that despite all the cool things about the latest video processing systems you get with LG’s latest OLED TV, optimizing an LG OLED’s performance means you’re taking your time to select appropriate image presets for different types of content.
Advantageously, LG tries to help with this by creating various presets with names that reflect both the content they are best suited for and the current environment in which the TV is viewed.
For regular daytime TV viewing, along with sports, the default preset, as LG’s TVs standard, is generally the best option. However, if you want to watch a movie or streamed high-quality TV show, you should definitely make an effort to switch to the most appropriate movie-based preset.
LG offers three options here: Cinema Home, Cinema and Filmmaker Mode. The first of these is a good opportunity to watch a movie in a fairly bright room, as it tracks closer to the film industry’s video standards than the standard mode, but pushes color and brightness up a bit to combat ambient light in the room you are. in.
Cinema is the preset that LG has established to deliver a seriously accurate looking image in a dark room, mimicking what you would have seen if you looked at the image as it was created in a mastering studio. Ideal for evening viewing when the light is dimmed and the curtains closed.
Filmmaker mode is quite similar to cinema, but was designed by the independent UHD Alliance to recreate the conditions that the filmmakers the Alliance represents use when making their recordings. Personally, we would lean towards LG’s Cinema Home or Cinema modes rather than Filmmaker Mode, as they take a little more account of the specific options for each LG OLED screen – the picture is a little more optimized.
We should add to this section that we would advise against using LG’s Vivid preset for really any display, as it pushes color, contrast and brightness to such extremes that the image can become distractingly unnatural.
It’s also worth reminding gamers to make sure their TV has switched to its Game mode when playing, if you want to take advantage of the amazingly low response times that LG OLEDs are capable of. This should happen automatically, but it’s easy to double check on newer LG TVs, especially using the Game Optimizer menu.
Adheres to default motion settings
The way different TVs handle motion, and the quality of their motion processing, can greatly influence the viewing experience. Still, it is one of the most ignored or misunderstood aspects of TV setup.
Many AV fans (and Hollywood luminaires) would argue that all motion processing on LG’s TV – or other TVs when it comes down to it – should simply be turned off by default. At least when watching 24p movies. Otherwise, the argument goes, you no longer get the natural 24 images another shaky effect associated with a movie theater experience, and instead make movies look like cheap soap operas.
Personally, although motion processing can actually have a rather unpleasant effect on picture quality in many ways, we would argue that there are motion processing options available on LG TVs that can help instead of hindering picture quality.
The relatively new Cinematic Motion mode in LG’s TruMotion treatment, for example, can be quite clever in removing the harshest effects of TV (instead of cinema) turmoil without over-smoothing the image or throwing up too many unwanted digital artifacts.
Another option worth experimenting with if you find that shaking shakes after turning off motion therapy is to select Custom in the TruMotion menus and set the blur and shake reduction elements to a setting of three or four each. This in turn typically reduces (without removing) the effect of shaking without making anything look too artificial.
3. Leave eco mode settings enabled
Virtually all TVs now come with so-called Eco settings. In fact, most TVs come with Eco modes turned on by default. This is normal so that they can comply with the strict rules of power consumption set by electronics agencies around the world.
Although the cost savings that these conditions bring are actually quite small, they can unfortunately have a big impact on the image quality. Typically, they make the picture look much less bright than it would with Eco modes turned off – even when a TV has a built-in camera, it can be used to change pictures a bit for the amount of light in the room.
In fact, the darkness of Eco mode images can be particularly devastating when it comes to the effect you should see with HDR content if you are watching TV with a light sensor in a dark room.
All of this is a long way to say that one of the first things an AV enthusiast should do when getting an LG TV is to make sure all Eco features are turned off so it’s you , which controls how the image looks.
4. Does not optimize game settings
LG TVs are amazing gaming screens that are capable of handling literally anything any current gaming device can throw at them. However, there are a few options that players may not be aware of and that can make a noticeable difference to the gaming experience. Note that here we assume that you have already made sure that your TV is running in game mode with game sources, ideally with automatic low delay mode and modes with variable refresh rate set to “on”.
The first ‘hidden’ game trick you need to be aware of is RGB mode. Setting the TV to accept RGB over the HDMI input that your gaming devices connect can provide richer, cleaner colors with game sources. This feature can be activated by switching the HDMI you have your console or PC connected to ‘PC Mode’ in the LG OLED TV’s Home Dashboard menu. You also need to set up your console or PC to broadcast RGB.
The other key but often forgotten gaming graphics setting is HGiG. An abbreviation for HDR Gaming Interest Group, this mode, available in LG’s HDR menu settings, is designed to be used with gaming devices such as the Xbox Series X and PS5, which have their own console level (instead of just in-game) HDR setup systems. Basically, HGiG mode selection turns off the TV’s built-in dynamic HDR processing features, which are designed to continuously adjust HDR images to optimize their effect so that the TV essentially delegates HDR optimization tasks to the console or PC. you have already set up to deliver their best HDR output.
5. Using Dolby Atmos sound mode with built-in speakers
The LG OLED TV has a long and proud tradition of carrying built-in decoding of the stunning Dolby Atmos audio format. Unfortunately, the Dolby Atmos sound mode LG OLEDs by default for a few generations now have not actually delivered the best sound results when using the TV’s built-in speakers.
For some reason (though things have improved for LG’s new 2022 models), the Dolby Atmos mode on LG OLED TVs tends to sound rather engrossed and ineffective, and even falls away in terms of power when great Dolby Atmos moments reach a crescendo, rather than continuing to expand as they should.
A significantly better option, even when playing Dolby Atmos soundtracks, is LG’s AI Sound mode. This essentially reproduces the sound to take full advantage of the known capabilities of each TV’s speaker setup and typically results in a much more powerful, dynamic and powerful sound than the original Dolby Atmos mode can produce.
The AI Sound system can sometimes get too aggressive, it must be said. Most of the time, though, it provides a much more satisfying experience.