Don’t start watching your new TV without doing this first

Congratulations on getting a new TV! Finding the right one to suit your entertainment needs, viewing environment, and personal budget is no easy task. That’s especially true when you’re looking to invest in an expensive piece of hardware that you’re hoping will serve as your home entertainment hub for years to come. From Samsung to TCL, from OLED to QLED, there is so much to consider when buying a TV.

So your TV is purchased, and it’s on its way to its new home. That’s great, but there is still work to be done. However, this work is likely to be a bit more fun.

Explore your TV’s operating system

Get online and download your apps

Getting your TV up and running isn’t the quickest process, but it is fairly simple. For anyone buying a smart TV (and that’s going to be most people), you’re going to need to connect your TV to your Wi-Fi, download a variety of apps and services, and maybe even update the TV’s software.

This process is going to take some time, but it’s worth taking a look at your TV’s OS and making sure it works for you. In most cases, apps won’t require you to input your password into your TV. Instead, services often let you scan a QR code so you can quickly log in on your phone and confirm your account. Consider how content is laid out, and whether you can organize your apps, toggle off any ads or banners, and connect to any smart home services.

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Investigate a range of settings

Tinker and toggle your new TV

Once you have the basics up and running, it’s time to explore everything your new TV has to offer. Start going through the settings from the beginning, and make sure you look at each one; some may be superfluous, but there are surely many features worth knowing and setting up.

The first thing you’ll want to do is take a look at the picture and audio settings. A lot of newer TVs will ask you to adjust settings to achieve your desired image, so that the TV can remember it for future use. For example, Samsung’s latest models have a simple AI customization feature that asks you to choose between a group of pictures, picking out what image looks the best to you. This basically tells the TV what you like, and with that information, it will automatically adjust all content to fit what you prefer.

Similar settings exist across new TVs; most models give you the option of toggling settings to automatically optimize the source content. TVs like LG’s latest G4 that feature Filmmaker Mode can have it turn when it detects compatible content, so you don’t have to do anything.

Going through every setting also helps you learn more about your TV and what it can do, including how it might use AI to enhance video or audio quality, as well as the ways in which the TV might be tracking your information. There are also likely tutorials on how to get the most out of the TV, from setting up voice control to customizing a quick launch settings bar.

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Connect a soundbar

Level up your audio situation

Smart TVs aren’t the best when it comes to sound, despite many efforts to improve the audio experience. With ultra-thin TVs that champion the most realistic image possible, it makes sense that audio isn’t a priority. Even the ones that do sound pretty decent are likely not going to be better than an average soundbar. I highly recommend investing in at least an inexpensive 2-channel soundbar, if nothing else, to elevate the audio experience. The difference is massive, and it gets even better if you invest in a quality sound system. It makes sense to have one if you’re investing in a high-end TV.

Your new smart TV will likely feature the top video formats in either Dolby Vision or HDR10+ (or both) to achieve realistic and eye-catching visuals as well as high-end audio formats as well. And in order to unlock these formats, you need a compatible soundbar. While a two-channel model is fine, I think it’s worth paying a little extra to get a three-channel unit that offers left, right, and center speakers. Some soundbars come with an external bass, while others might have one built-in. Some soundbars also allow you to expand the system, adding side or rear speaker sets to create a surround-sound environment.

A soundbar is a key investment if you’re serious about enjoying entertainment at home. If you’ve spent a lot on a big, versatile smart TV, you’ll want to make sure you can get the most out of its audio features with the right soundbar.

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Test out various content

Explore titles and games

Here’s the fun part. It’s time to test out a lot of different content to see how everything looks. This is where you would consider those settings you were playing around with, as well as a bunch of other factors that influence how different content on the TV appears. This includes the positioning of the TV and the seating area, ambient light, and anything else that may influence how you experience entertainment.

You’ll also want to try out different kinds of titles to see if it all feels right. Seek out varied content that is shot in different formats so you can be sure that the content you’ll be watching most, whether that is sports, animation, prestige drama, horror movies, or something else entirely, looks exactly the way you want it to. You’ll be looking at how HDR formats look, as well as settings like brightness, contrast, and color saturation. Try streaming titles and playing physical media if possible. You’ll also want to see how the TV looks when the room is well-lit and dark; you may even have fun trying out different kinds of lighting.

For all the many settings that exist, and all the technological advances offered, how a TV looks is still deeply personal. So sit down in front and find what feels good.

Getting a new TV is very exciting! Just don’t get too ahead of yourself. Your new smart TV is likely capable of great things; you just need to know how to work it, so take time to make sure you have all your apps and services ready, and all the settings are adjusted to fit your space, lifestyle, and visual preferences.

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