LCD TV Reviews

Unit-to-unit sample variations, the viewing environment, and the source might render these recommendations less than optimum. They are provided only as a potentially useful starting place.

All the settings here are for controls found in the user menus. Those most likely to translate reliably from one sample to another involve specific features with only a few selections, such as Gamma and Noise Reduction. The ones most likely to be subject to sample variations are video controls offering a wide range of adjustment, such as white balance (gray scale) and color management (where available). Different-sized sets in a manufacturer’s same model range are also unlikely to perform optimally with these settings.

We strongly recommend that you find the optimum basic video settings for your sample by using one of the many available display-setup discs, such as Digital Video Essentials (DVD) or DVE HD Basics (Blu-ray). These will help you set the basic controls correctly—brightness, contrast, sharpness, and sometimes color and tint. Experimenting with the more complex color calibration and other controls in the user menus will do no harm; the changes may be reset easily. But tuning a TV “by eye” with such controls is no substitute for a full calibration, which is best left to a trained and properly equipped technician such as those certified by the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) or THX.

Picture mode	Movie
Backlight	40
Contrast	87
Brightness	9
Color	–5
Tint	–1
Sharpness	0
Color Temp	Warm
Auto Brightness Sensor	Off
DynaLight	On
Dynamic Contrast	Low
MPEG NR	Low
DNR	Off
Edge Enhancer	Off
ClearScan	Off
White Balance adjustment
Setting Type	2P
Red Offset	–4
Green Offset	–4
Blue Offset	–3
Red Gain	–5
Green Gain	–5
Blue Gain	0

Base Color Adjustment

	Hue	Sat.	Bright.
Red	+1	0	+1
Green	+2	–3	0
Blue	–12	+6	+15
Cyan	0	0	0
Magenta	0	0	0
Yellow	0	0	0