Televisions often come out of the box with the Vivid (sometimes called Dynamic) picture mode in place. Some owners never change it because Vivid/Dynamic is brighter than other picture settings such as Cinema and Standard. People like the brighter picture because it tends to pop more than other types of picture settings. That’s why if the TV didn’t come with the Vivid setting, the new set owner will often change it to Vivid anyway.

The Vivid setting on your TV can be quite tempting, especially if you want to make your picture stand out. However, this setting can actually hurt your picture quality, and it’s important to understand why.

First, it’s important to understand what the Vivid setting does. This setting is designed to increase the color saturation and contrast of your TV, which can make colors look more vibrant and vivid. This can be great for certain types of content, such as sports or nature documentaries, where you want the colors to pop.

However, the downside of the Vivid setting is that it can make your picture look unnatural. The increased color saturation can make colors look oversaturated and unrealistic, which can be distracting and make it harder to enjoy your content. Additionally, the increased contrast can make the picture look overly bright, which can be uncomfortable to watch for extended periods of time.

Another problem with the Vivid setting is that it can exaggerate imperfections in your TV’s picture quality. For example, if your TV has a problem with color accuracy, the Vivid setting will make this problem more noticeable. Similarly, if your TV has a problem with motion blur or other types of image distortion, the Vivid setting will make these issues more pronounced.

Overall, while the Vivid setting can be tempting, it’s generally best to avoid it if you want the best possible picture quality. Instead, you should opt for a more natural picture mode, such as Standard or Movie mode, which will give you a more accurate representation of the content you’re watching. If you want to adjust the color saturation or contrast, it’s better to do so manually using the TV’s settings menu, rather than relying on a preset mode like Vivid.

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In conclusion, while the Vivid setting on your TV can make colors look more vibrant, it can also hurt your picture quality by making the picture look unnatural and exaggerating imperfections in the TV’s picture quality. For the best possible picture quality, it’s best to avoid the Vivid setting and opt for a more natural picture mode instead.

To learn more about how to calibrate your TV, including which settings to use, click here.

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