Watching the Super Bowl this weekend? Your TV might need a tune up

CTV News Toronto has the expert advice you need to know before watching the big game this weekend. Pat Foran reports for Consumer Alert.

More than 10 million Canadians tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVIII last year and it’s expected a similar number will check out the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles match-up this coming Sunday.

Along with stocking up on chicken wings and nachos, you may also want to give your TV set a tune-up before game day, because even if you think its picture looks good, there’s a chance you can make it look even better.

Making a few tweaks to your TV’s picture settings can be a real gamechanger according to Matt Ferretti with Consumer Reports.

“Having the right settings can make the difference between making it seem like you’re watching a cartoon versus watching real life,” said Ferretti.

If you want to improve your view for the big game, the first move may surprise you: trading the preset sports mode for one that can actually help you score better picture quality.

“We typically recommend filmmaker mode. It’ll get you closest to the settings that we use. If your TV doesn’t have filmmaker mode, you can try movie mode, custom mode, natural, or one of the expert modes,” said Ferretti.

Another tip? Find a dark scene and pause it to adjust the brightness or black level.

“The way some TVs are set up currently, it’s too dark so you can’t see some of the details in the background. If you raise the black level, you’ll see details kind of emerging from the darkness. Too much can make it hazy, which will mean you’ve set it too bright. What you want to do is lower it to the point that the TV is as dark as it can be without losing any of these details in the background,” said Ferretti.

Alternatively, you’ll need a bright scene to set the contrast or white level.

“If the contrast is set too high, you can’t see any detail. As you lower it, you’ll start to see more details appearing, but the image will get too dark if you go too far. So, you want to raise the contrast until the image is bright but you’re not losing any of the detail in the background,” said Ferretti.

One other thing to adjust on your TV to maximize the picture for the big game involves choosing a “warm” or “low” colour temperature so the yard lines look white and not blue. You can also adjust the tint to the middle of the range so players’ flesh tones look natural.

Don’t sweat it if you fumble - most TVs have a reset option to get you back to the factory settings if you’re unhappy with any changes.