The Television: 5 Things You May Not Know About It (But Really Should!)

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

Okay, you look at it every day and probably spend more time with it than you do certain family members. But do you really know your TV? Despite the television set’s status as a living room fixture, many Americans probably don’t know some basics about TVs that could protect their investment and enhance their viewing experience. Here are five things you may not know about your TV:

1. Televisions will last longer if you take care of them.

Televisions today come with more sophisticated insides than sets made even several years ago. They are more like computers and therefore more prone to technical breakdowns. But there are four things you can do to help keep your TV running efficiently for years — and make sure you don’t have to buy a new one unless you really want to.

Turn It Off
Do you watch your TV several hours a day? If so, that’s fine. But don’t keep it on if you’re NOT watching it. I know that may sound silly but many people keep their sets on when they leave the room for a long period of time. And others like to have the set on for background noise.

Both practices take unnecessary hours off your TV’s life. See, a television only has so many hours in it and you don’t want to waste them. (All TVs are different so I can’t say a set should last for a specific number of hours. But any quality set should last for several years even if you watch it several hours a day.)

Do the Bright Thing
Many TVs come from the factory with the brightness level higher than it needs to be. While some people like an ultra-bright picture, it can soften picture detail — and cause your TV to work harder to display all that light. Try adjusting the brightness level so the picture looks more realistic, displaying more detail. Your eyes will be happier and so will your TV. The reduction in brightness will add more hours to your set’s life.

Take a Contrasting View
Finally, the Contrast, or Picture, setting measures the difference between your set’s brightest and darkest colors. Once again, if your set’s Contrast or Picture level is too high, it can force your set to exert more power, again reducing its total hours of use. To ensure this doesn’t happen, I would recommend setting your TV to Standard Mode rather than Vivid or Dynamic. This will keep your Contrast or Picture level at a more efficient setting. The Standard mode will also display a more realistic picture, in my view.

Keep It Clean
Keeping your TV clean will both improve the image and protect the sophisticated circuity inside. Every month or so, take a microfiber cloth and remove any dirt, dust or fingerprints from the screen. The microfiber cloth is designed to do the job without scratching or damaging the surface of your TV.

2. There are five ways to fix a TV’s picture if it becomes too dark.

* If Picture mode is set to Cinema or Custom, the screen may become dark. If the screen is still dark after the picture quality mode is changed, change the setting Backlight, Picture, Brightness and adjust the brightness to your taste.

* If Power Saving is set to Low or High, the screen becomes dark. Example of setting method: Select Settings – System Settings – Eco and set Power Saving to Normal, and then check whether the problem is resolved.

* Some TVs have a Light Sensor; the picture will become brighter or lower depending on room lighting conditions. Turning off the Automatic Brightness Control may increase picture brightness.

* If it is a projection TV, consider replacing the lamp. Sony notes that for projection TVs, a dim or dark picture may be an indication that the lamp needs to be replaced. Refer to the owner’s manual for more information about replacing the lamp.

3. Many TV technical problems can be fixed with a simple reset.

That’s right. Reset it. Like personal computers, which often require resetting, too, today’s Smart TVs and streaming media players include more sophisticated parts and internal workings than the electronics of old. This enables them to perform more elaborate tasks such as streaming video over the Internet, firing off Surround Sound audio, and displaying your family photos transferred from a Bluetooth connection on your smart phone.

But the more complicated machinery also creates a greater likelihood that it will overheat, stall or simply stop working. This is why your Blu-ray player, streaming device, or TV may suddenly freeze in the middle of a movie or even when you are just logging on to a streaming service.

When a device or television is performing multiple tasks, they will sometimes essentially interfere with each other, causing it stop playing. That’s why resetting can fix the problem. By resetting, you are allowing the player to stop all tasks and start clean, so to speak.

And sometimes, resetting will stop a task that you didn’t even know was operating in the background, such as a system update. By stopping the unnecessary procedure, it enables the device’s primary functions to work more smoothly. It may sound a bit complicated, but as many have said before, resetting is your friend.

How Do You Reset a TV?

Now, how should you reset? Most technicians will tell you to unplug your device for 15-20 seconds before re-plugging. That often does the job. But if that doesn’t work, try taking out all the plugs and cables that are connected to your TV and/or streaming device and then wait 20 seconds before plugging them back in. Sometimes simply unplugging the device from the electrical outlet isn’t enough to perform a full reset.

(If you are uncertain how to reset your device, consult your manual or call your device’s customer service department. One more tip: If resetting doesn’t work, try returning your device’s settings back to ‘Factory Settings.’)

Resetting can’t fix a television that has a major internal malfunction, such as a defective motherboard. But it should be your first attempt at solving the problem. If it works, it beats bringing the device into the shop for repairs, or throwing it away, doesn’t it?

4. You might be able to use a Mobile Hotspot to stream on television.

The mobile hotspot can offer varying signal strength when connected to a TV, which could mean you would experience more buffering and picture freezing. But it should be noted that many consumers say they have no issues. So it might be worth a try if your monthly Internet bill is getting out of control. However, before you cancel your Internet plan, give the mobile Hotspot an extended tryout. If it seems to work well for a few weeks, then you can proceed with giving your Internet plan the ax.

How to Install a Mobile Hotspot On TV

Below is a step-by-step guide to using a mobile hotspot to stream on TV. Enjoy.

Step 1: Set up your mobile hotspot.
The first step is to set up your mobile hotspot. This will vary depending on your device and carrier, but generally, you can find the mobile hotspot settings in your device’s settings menu. You’ll need to turn on the mobile hotspot and configure any settings, such as the network name and password.

Step 2: Connect your TV to the mobile hotspot.
Once your mobile hotspot is set up, you’ll need to connect your TV to it. Most modern TVs have Wi-Fi connectivity built-in, so you can connect to your mobile hotspot just like you would connect to any other Wi-Fi network. You may need to consult your TV’s user manual for specific instructions on how to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

Step 3: Choose your streaming app.
Next, you’ll need to choose the app you want to use for streaming. This could be a popular streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, or it could be a specific app for streaming live TV, like Sling TV or YouTube TV. You’ll need to download and install the app on your TV, which may require creating an account or signing in with an existing account. (Note that some streaming services may not be compatible with hotspots. For instance, Hulu Live is not. Hulu, however, does say it might work with its subscription Video on Demand plans.)

Step 4: Start streaming.
With your TV connected to the mobile hotspot and your streaming app installed, you’re ready to start streaming. Just open the app and select the content you want to watch. Again, depending on the quality of your cellular connection, you may experience some buffering or lower-quality video, so don’t be surprised if the video quality is not always the best.

5. Your television’s picture will look better if you don’t set it to Vivid.

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.

What’s the Benefit of the TV’s Vivid Setting?

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.

What’s the Downside of the TV’s Vivid Setting?

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.

What Is a Better TV Picture Setting?

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.

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.

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.