Q: After reading your positive review (as well as many others), I decided to order the 65-inch TCL 8-Series television. Unbeknownst to me, it was on sale at Best Buy's website, and, needless to say, I was very pleased with the deal. The last step is to optimize its operation. Do you have any recommendations for the picture settings to get the best image quality?
A: For those unfamiliar with the TCL 8-Series, it is TCL's best television and designed to compete with the best sets on the market, while usually selling for hundreds of dollars less. It uses MicroLED technology to create a bright, colorful and very sharp picture. It also includes built-in Roku, so you get the best streaming interface available, has Dolby Atmos sound and the stand acts like a small soundbar. You can learn more about the 8-Series at tclusa.com.
If you check the 8-Series review on rtings.com, you will find the picture settings they used to give their review sample the most accurate picture possible. I often use this site as a reference when testing TVs, although I usually tweak the settings slightly because "accurate" does not always mean the most pleasing for everyone. I like an image that is just a bit brighter, more colorful and sharper than what technically is the most accurate.
The most important setting for any home television is the color temperature, which usually ships set at "cool." This makes colors brighter but shifts the overall color toward blue. I recommend the "warm" setting. When you first change it to warm, the colors might look less vivid, but watch for a few minutes before changing back to cool and you will quickly return it to warm.
All TCL television owners should download the Roku app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store because it will unlock additional picture settings not found on the television itself. The most important of these is noise reduction, which should be turned off. That resulted in quite a noticeable improvement on my own TCL 6-Series.
As for the surprise deal you got on the set, TCL is holding a series of "flash sales" during May. The company won't reveal the dates of the sales, but a representative did say that they would involve both the 65-inch and 75-inch 8-Series televisions. Anyone interested in buying one of these should keep an eye on the Best Buy website (bestbuy.com), the company's exclusive outlet.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.
