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Feb 7, 2018 · Dark twists are fine, but scenes that are lit so dimly we can’t tell what is going on, or even with whom, are quite problematic. Yes, TV sets are making technological advances, and many of us...
- Matt Webb Mitovich
- Why Are Some TV Shows and Movies So Dark Now?
- Enable HDR
- Calibrate Your TV
- Adjust Contrast, Brightness, Gamma, and Backlighting
- Disable Power Saving
- Enable Dynamic Contrast
- Change Picture Mode
- Reduce Ambient Light
- Use A Better Quality Source
- Buy A Better TV
The topic of why some shows and movies have scenes of such utter darkness in them is a complicated one. The most direct answer is that camera and display technology has improved so much, that it now allows for these extremely dark scenes to be captured and reproduced. Since creators have been given these tools, they're using them with artistic inte...
If you have an HDR TV and you're watching a film made with HDR in mind, it's important to make sure HDR is actually active. This means checking that it's enabled on your TV and any connected device like an Apple TV or Amazon Fire Stick. It's also worth checking that your HDMI cableis certified for HDR, since some older HDMI cable standards may not ...
To get the best out of your TV, it's essential that you calibrate it. While some degree of calibration can be done in the factory, to get it right, it has to be done in the conditions where the TV will actually be used. To properly calibrate your TV, you'll need some special tools, but usually, your local TV installer will be happy to perform a cal...
Your TV has settings that can improve image reproduction in dark scenes. Pause on the scene that's too dark for you to make out any details, and try adjusting the contrast, brightness, gamma, or backlight settings. Each of these has its own pros and cons, but adjusting each one a little can tease out details from dark scenes you might otherwise mis...
If your TV has any power-saving features active, turn them all off to see if his helps. Power saving modesdon't just reduce brightness, they may also reduce the panel's performance in other areas, as well as the amount of post-processing that's done to optimize the image.
If you don't want to mess around with multiple image setting sliders, one quick potential fix is to enable the dynamic contrast feature if your TV has it. This automatically adjust the contrast level of your TV based on the current scene. So it will compensate for dark scenes without blowing out brighter scenes as would happen with a fixed setting....
Most modern TVs have several "picture modes" which are just combinations of settings tuned for specific kinds of content. For example, you may have ones for movies, sports, games, and so on. Try flipping between these picture modes to see if they are good for elevating detail in dark scenes. Don't worry about what they're labeled as, just try them ...
The most common reason your TV may be struggling to show you detail in dark scenes is that it's competing with other bright light sources or with screen glare. Your eyes adjust for the bright lights, and then can't see the dark detail on screen as it's drowned out. So draw the curtains, turn off the lights, or move lights that are causing screen gl...
Not all sources of video contain the same amount of detail. Highly-compressed video or video with a low bitrate, color depth, or otherwise deprived video data stream will "crush" dark details togetherinto an unsightly mush. Here are some ways to combat this: 1. If you're streaming video, try manually turning up the quality setting to maximum. 2. Tr...
The final, most painful solution is to buy a new TV. If you own an HDTV from before proper HDR sets came to market or even before HDR was a thing, or perhaps a modern TV from the budget segment of the market, it might just not be capable of showing dark details that filmmakers expect it to. New display technology such as OLED and mini-LED have many...
- Sydney Butler
- Editor, Hardware And Cutting Edge Technology
Sep 8, 2024 · Do you find that certain TV shows are too dark to see? You're not alone. Here's what can be done about it.
- Michael Desjardin
Mar 12, 2022 · While dark scenes are usually due to the filmmaker’s vision, there are several factors both at movie theaters and when viewing at home that will affect the viewer’s ability to see what’s going on...
- Sasha Urban
- Your Brightness levels aren’t properly set. The very first thing to check for a dark screen is the brightness setting. Regardless whether it’s an old unit or the latest Smart TV.
- The Picture Mode is set to Theater or Cinema. Modern TVs offer a wide range of preset Picture modes. The most common include Theater or Cinema, Sports, Vivid, Dynamic, and Standard.
- Power Saving Mode is on and set to high. Smart TVs now have a Power or Energy Saving mode option. This is great if you want to reduce electric consumption.
- Light Detection Feature is turned on. As years go by, Smart TVs also become, well, smarter. More features are added. And one that can affect your TV’s brightness is the Light Detection feature.
While dark scenes are usually due to the filmmaker’s vision, there are several factors both at movie theaters and when viewing at home that will affect the viewer’s ability to see what’s going on onscreen. Home viewing. For home viewers, one culprit could be the viewing environment, according to digital imaging technician Nicholas Kay.
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Sep 11, 2023 · Dark TV screens can be frustrating, but they are not an insurmountable problem. By adjusting the settings on your TV, optimizing your viewing environment, or even considering a new TV with better backlighting technology, you can significantly improve your viewing experience.
