4K TV Reviews

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

The settings here that are most likely to translate reliably from one sample to another are those involving 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 (grayscale) and color management (most but not all manufacturers offer this feature under different names; Samsung calls it Color Space). Even relatively small differences in the common control settings, such as Contrast, Brightness (which is actually Black level), and Gamma, can shift the white balance, though the resulting visible change may be minor. Production tolerances can do the same.

We strongly recommend that you find the optimum basic video settings for your sample by using one of the many available 2K/SDR setup discs, such as the Disney WOW or the Spears and Munsil High Definition Benchmark (or the new Spears and Munsil UHD Benchmark). These will help you set the basic controls correctly, such as Brightness (Black level), Contrast (called "Picture" in earlier Sony sets), Sharpness, and 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 easily reset. Adjusting these by eye is unlikely to produce an accurate result and is no substitute for a full calibration. The latter is best left to a trained and properly equipped technician such as those certified by the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) or THX. But small tweaks to some of the controls, in particular here Brightness and Gamma Adjust could sometimes result in a worthwhile improvement (a single step of the Brightness control on the Q90R, for example, might turn a slightly light look into a well-saturated image).