This Trick Will Let You Set The Perfect Brightness On Your TV

Being able to adjust the brightness on your TV is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, that degree of flexibility theoretically lets you customize a key element of the image quality to your liking. However, once you start adjusting the brightness, you might find it impossible to achieve the specific results you're aiming for. Luckily, there's a simple trick you can use to ensure your TV's brightness is ideal.

First, it's worth noting that "brightness" is a bit of a misnomer. The technical term is actually "black level." That's because brightness refers to how dark a particular TV's screen can get. When you adjust the brightness (or black level), you're not really changing how bright the image is. Instead, you're adjusting the black-level depth. This is important because the high contrast you get from deep black levels affects the overall depth of the image on the screen.

Naturally, different TVs will offer different features, settings, and technical specs that all influence the picture quality. For example, several smart TVs offer settings that can address washed-out colors. Generally, familiarizing yourself with all the TV settings other than black level that affect image quality can help you better understand how to make the most of your set.

That said, there is a hack you can try with almost any TV to get the black levels just right. Start by putting on a movie or show with dark nighttime scenes. A good paranormal horror movie or a neo-noir might do the trick. Once you find a reasonably detailed nighttime scene, pause or freeze-frame the screen.

Next, turn the black level (aka brightness) up to the point where the details in the darkest parts of the screen are visible. Now, reduce the black level until the black or dark areas are as dark as possible without preventing you from seeing those details. This should be the right brightness setting for most viewers.

The results will vary from one set to another. This is just a general tip that applies to virtually any unit. Give it a shot today to see if you can get the kind of dark detail usually reserved for Spinal Tap album covers.