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People people people ! Set your HDTV up correctly for consoles/PC !

Ogs

Member
I recently had a revelation with my HDTV. I found i wasn't using the correct HDTV settings, causing god knows what shit to ruin the image quality.

When i got my PS4, i noticed immediately that things still sort of looked a bit like my Xbox 360, stuff i chalked up to being because it was at a lower resolution, so never bothered. Now i had a PS4 that should be outputting games at 1080p, and still seeing some of these iffy things on screen, i decided to look into it.

I basically found that the TV was adding all sorts of processing to the image, with this crazy amount of sharpening that was making everything look like it had been through a Photoshop filter. The TV also didn't display the full picture, but i had changed that donkeys ago using the option "screen fit", so that wasn't an issue.

I had also tried using my PC through my HDTV, and the desktop looked like ass, overly sharp with shitty colours ass. I thought "well i guess my TV sucks". It wasn't until somebody (sorry I couldn't find the post or name) in the Thief console war thread brought up the name of the exact issue i was having, that i realized what was going on with the image.

I didn't feel like fiddling with the settings too much, as i knew i would be at it for hours. I was getting a bit miffed that there wasn't some option to just remove all processing that the TV does to the image. But then i found it .....

On my Samsung 32" HDTV, when selecting the "Source" input, i found i could rename them. I was given a list, and I selected the "PC" name for it.

Immediately, the picture looked as good, if not better than my PC monitor. The screen resized itself to screen fit automatically. Picture quality was amazing, to the point where I wonder how i even played things before (i kind of want my 360 back now to see what they all looked like !).

I hooked up my PC again, Desktop now looked crystal clear, sharp and awesome. Loaded up Crysis 3 and good lordy ..... i don't really like the game that much but crikey what a spectacular treat it was seeing it on a 32" TV.

So basically, take a look into your TV settings to try and find an option that removes any processing the TV does to your console/PC signal (unless you like it of course).

Examples -

For those that need a visual representation:

TV input as GAME:
hpuppID.jpg



TV input as PC:
4Pt1zLc.jpg

"Default" Settings vs Renamed to PC

normal7dosh.jpg
pcruo47.jpg
 

iMax

Member
On a side note to this, make sure you've set your RGB range up properly. Goes a very long way to ensuring accurate image quality.

Choose 0-255 if you're using a PC monitor and Limited if you're using a TV. Getting these mixed up will give you crushed blacks or colour loss.

If you choose 0-255 for your TV because it thinks it supports it, double check with a grayscale calibration, because many actually don't.
 
My Sony KDL-32S5600 somehow doesn't seem to allow me to select “Full Pixel” in “Display Area” for 720p (it works in 1080p). It's terrible.
 

Wotanik

Banned
My Sony TV made it really easy. Just select GAME mode and your done.

Actually no. If you check what this does you'll find all those "image processing tools" and whatnot working there. Now, disable these and be amazed how the quality goes up.
 

Atlas157

Member
Actually no. If you check what this does you'll find all those "image processing tools" and whatnot working there. Now, disable these and be amazed how the quality goes up.

My Panasonic Viera TC-L47E50 has terrible color banding on game mode. If I take it off game mode then I get a massive delay when I play games.
 
I wish I could find that MrHicks MSPaint "fuck?" pic right about now.

And yeah like the first reply mentions, it's all about your RGB range settings. It drove me nuts before figuring this out when I initially hooked up my TV to my Retina MacBook Pro while in Windows.
 

SMOK3Y

Generous Member
I recently had a revelation with my HDTV. I found i wasn't using the correct HDTV settings, causing god knows what shit to ruin the image quality.

When i got my PS4, i noticed immediately that things still sort of looked a bit like my Xbox 360, stuff i chalked up to being because it was at a lower resolution, so never bothered. Now i had a PS4 that should be outputting games at 1080p, and still seeing some of these iffy things on screen, i decided to look into it.

I basically found that the TV was adding all sorts of processing to the image, with this crazy amount of sharpening that was making everything look like it had been through a Photoshop filter. The TV also didn't display the full picture, but i had changed that donkeys ago using the option "screen fit", so that wasn't an issue.

I had also tried using my PC through my HDTV, and the desktop looked like ass, overly sharp with shitty colours ass. I thought "well i guess my TV sucks". It wasn't until somebody (sorry I couldn't find the post or name) in the Thief console war thread brought up the name of the exact issue i was having, that i realized what was going on with the image.

I didn't feel like fiddling with the settings too much, as i knew i would be at it for hours. I was getting a bit miffed that there wasn't some option to just remove all processing that the TV does to the image. But then i found it .....

On my Samsung 32" HDTV, when selecting the "Source" input, i found i could rename them. I was given a list, and I selected the "PC" name for it.

Immediately, the picture looked as good, if not better than my PC monitor. The screen resized itself to screen fit automatically. Picture quality was amazing, to the point where I wonder how i even played things before (i kind of want my 360 back now to see what they all looked like !).

I hooked up my PC again, Desktop now looked crystal clear, sharp and awesome. Loaded up Crysis 3 and good lordy ..... i don't really like the game that much but crikey what a spectacular treat it was seeing it on a 32" TV.

So basically, take a look into your TV settings to try and find an option that removes any processing the TV does to your console/PC signal (unless you like it of course).

so you changed the channel name to 'PC' and it changed the settings automatically? i have a Samsung 46" just wondering whether to give it a go but i do have a PC input
 

DryvBy

Member
On a side note to this, make sure you've set your RGB range up properly. Goes a very long way to ensuring accurate image quality.

Choose 0-255 if you're using a PC monitor and Limited if you're using a TV. Getting these mixed up will give you crushed blacks or colour loss.

If you choose 0-255 for your TV because it thinks it supports it, double check with a grayscale calibration, because many actually don't.

This is really important. My friend couldn't see anything in a few of his games because dark areas were just too dark. He set it to limited and after his eyes adjusted to the grays, he was just fine.
 
God damn I had my S60 set to limited when used as an cloned monitor, set it to "uncommon", which is 0-255 and now I can SEE.

So long crushed blacks!
 

Klocker

Member
Yep did this a couple of years ago and it makes all the difference especially in jaggies.

when other people.complained their eyes were getting cut I would wonder what game they were playing. The processing is like a sharpening filter.

on Samsung you have to be on HDMI 1, I believe to have it change to PC mode.

also reduces lag on many Samsung's compared to game mode
 

Ogs

Member
so you changed the channel name to 'PC' and it changed the settings automatically? i have a Samsung 46" just wondering whether to give it a go but i do have a PC input

Yup ! I read about it on another forum, and they mentioned it changes the TV to "4:4:4 chroma signal" or something, I am really not sure exactly what it means, nor do i know the exact other settings that get changed (i would be interested in knowing though, if anyone knows ?), but its a significant difference. I noticed it also prevents me from changing various settings like sharpness etc, which I can only assume means various processing options have been disabled.
 

SHarris78

Member
This is an interesting topic to me, as i recently went from a 32inch Panasonic tv (which was great) to a 40inch Samsung which i'm very disappointed with. The image blur is horrendous and the general crispness of the image is worlds away from pics I see post on the net. I first noticed it on NFS Rivals - the text on the screen was crisp and 'static', but on my first go with the Samsung I noticed there letters were flickering. Not a huge deal sure, but I never had that on my Panasonic.

I'm not technically minded so i've had my Samsung on 'Game' setting assuming it was the correct option. Looking at this thread i've just changed it to 'PC' and i'm not sure if I can tell any difference other than the colour has gone from vibrant to dull/washed out.

Gotta pop out briefly but i'll check back in a bit to see if you guys have any further info / help (or whether i've just bought a shitty TV!).
 

NIN90

Member
I had also tried using my PC through my HDTV, and the desktop looked like ass, overly sharp with shitty colours ass. I thought "well i guess my TV sucks". It wasn't until somebody (sorry I couldn't find the post or name) in the Thief console war thread brought up the name of the exact issue i was having, that i realized what was going on with the image.

Anyone know what this is referring to? Because I hate the way colors look when I play on my TV via PC.
 

Ogs

Member
Was really spurred my on to look into this was playing Killzone Shadow Fall. I have seen all the great screenshots people have posted on here, and could see how crisp the image looked, lack of jaggies etc. On my TV it didn't really seem like AA was on, if that makes sense, the edges looked really rough. Now i have done this change, it looks just like the screenshots. Its easy to tell its now a nice, clean, 1080p with AA image.
 

big_z

Member
pc mode basically guarantees all processing is disabled. the only thing being done in that mode Is matching the pixels 1:1. the downside is that with all the processing turned off your motion resolution is about 300(on a lcd). so while you get a nice 1080p image when not moving, everything goes to n64 mode as soon as you start playing.
 

TUROK

Member
Actually no. If you check what this does you'll find all those "image processing tools" and whatnot working there. Now, disable these and be amazed how the quality goes up.
You're way off. Game mode turns off all post-processing in order to maximize response-time.

Turning on Game mode for my Sony Bravia makes the response time quicker.
 
When I did the same thing with Wii U, it looked better somehow BUT colors felt wrong, Lego City was totally grey. I'm now playing in Game Mode with colors and other settings changed by me.
 

LoveCake

Member
What about if your console is connected to a amp first for the audio & then through to the tv ?

I have never really had a issue, the 60fps games on my WiiU look great as does the few PS4 games.

I do mess with the setting though, there are too many people though that just plug in the leads & that's it.
 

Klocker

Member
This is an interesting topic to me, as i recently went from a 32inch Panasonic tv (which was great) to a 40inch Samsung which i'm very disappointed with. The image blur is horrendous and the general crispness of the image is worlds away from pics I see post on the net. I first noticed it on NFS Rivals - the text on the screen was crisp and 'static', but on my first go with the Samsung I noticed there letters were flickering. Not a huge deal sure, but I never had that on my Panasonic.

I'm not technically minded so i've had my Samsung on 'Game' setting assuming it was the correct option. Looking at this thread i've just changed it to 'PC' and i'm not sure if I can tell any difference other than the colour has gone from vibrant to dull/washed out.

Gotta pop out briefly but i'll check back in a bit to see if you guys have any further info / help (or whether i've just bought a shitty TV!).


not sure I can help but I did realize that PC mode essentially feeds the tv with a direct feed from source so check your source settings. Also it made me realize that I'd been running all kinds of fake color in my normal mode with color at 50 and game mode.

if in game mode now I need to dial color back to almost 40 to get a natural picture...

also helps to run in warm mode. Note many of these settings appear dull or washed because most people run on torch sharp color mode and don't even realize it.


Also not sure why you were getting blurry or flickering images unless something in source or another setting was messed up


edit: I'm on plasma BTW
 
Yup ! I read about it on another forum, and they mentioned it changes the TV to "4:4:4 chroma signal" or something, I am really not sure exactly what it means, nor do i know the exact other settings that get changed (i would be interested in knowing though, if anyone knows ?), but its a significant difference. I noticed it also prevents me from changing various settings like sharpness etc, which I can only assume means various processing options have been disabled.

Ahhhhh I just found the setting for the 4:4:4 video format and it looks so much better with the full RGB range.

Holy fuck I was using my TV as cloned monitor all wrong until this thread! I have it beautiful calibrated but it still didn't look right on the monitor input, and now it's just like my PS4 input!

Faaaaaaaaaantastic! Thanks thread! Thanks Ogs!
 

robertoci

Member
Just renamed my HDMI channel to PC on the list and I can already notice the difference in the text itself on the PS4, will test a game on it later on after the football, gotta say thanks for this tip I was getting annoyed by the jaggies on my screen.
 
On a side note to this, make sure you've set your RGB range up properly. Goes a very long way to ensuring accurate image quality.

Choose 0-255 if you're using a PC monitor and Limited if you're using a TV. Getting these mixed up will give you crushed blacks or colour loss.

If you choose 0-255 for your TV because it thinks it supports it, double check with a grayscale calibration, because many actually don't.

This doesnt really work for PS4 on a monitor though as those settings dont exist in the PS4 system menu.
Unless there called something else.
 

nicjac

Member
For people doing the HDMI input renaming to PC trick, what other settings do you use (e.g. contrast, sharpness)? I have a hard time finding something that looks OK on my PC (font rendering, especially).
 

iMax

Member
This is really important. My friend couldn't see anything in a few of his games because dark areas were just too dark. He set it to limited and after his eyes adjusted to the grays, he was just fine.

If they're grey, something's up. Sounds like his TV is still set to Expanded. Make sure they're both set to limited and he adjusts brightness and contrast accordingly, in order to get true blacks.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
My Sony KDL-32S5600 somehow doesn't seem to allow me to select “Full Pixel” in “Display Area” for 720p (it works in 1080p). It's terrible.
Think about what you are typing here. How is your tv supposed to do 1:1 mapping (full pixel) on different resolutions? Your tv is in the right on this one.
 
I don't even have a very "good" TV. It's an insignia brand, bought it at best buy 2 years ago for $500. 42 inch. It's still amazingly low latency, can disable all of those stupid filters easily, and allows for proper "full pixel" mode. Been using it on my gaming PC and I don't regret the purchase in the least. Full RGB too.

Research and actually playing around with the display models at stores is something I always recommend everyone do.
 

Marvel

could never
I'm going to try this... I have a Sony KDL Bravia R5 and I noticed when I put the HDMI cable into PC MCHL slot I got less ghosting and a quicker response time. Picture looked different too.

I need to fiddle more with it.
 
Every problem listed in the OP is why I'm sticking with my Sony 34XBR960 CRT until it explodes. Best HD gaming TV you can get, providing you have the manpower required to move it.
 

MilkBeard

Member
Never had a problem with my tv or the tv my mom just bought. But I usually sit there and test all the different image modes and adjust settings manually for the best look.

Judging by this thread and the one posted above, it seems like it's a Samsung thing.
 

Pop

Member
I've spent hours getting my monitor to look perfect for me. Hell, all my electronics actually. It's gotta look right to me or I'll freak the fuck out.
 
My Sony TV made it really easy. Just select GAME mode and your done.

Game mode actually makes it easy on Bravia sets because it disables bunch of post-processing effects and improves response time, but you still wanna go through it manually and fine tune stuff.
 

Zafir

Member
Never had a problem with my tv or the tv my mom just bought. But I usually sit there and test all the different image modes and adjust settings manually for the best look.

Judging by this thread and the one posted above, it seems like it's a Samsung thing.

Well, Samsung TV's do have a game mode as well, but it seems to give varying results depending on the model. I mean game mode is fine on mine, and I could clearly tell the difference when I turned it on.

Edit: Oh, and it's worth noting Game Mode even on my Sammy has turned post-professing effects off.
 
And my friends wonder why I'm still rockin' my ginormous 58", 300 lb Toshiba Theater Wide rear projection CRT... it's because it looks so damned good on everything and I don't have to deal with this crap... (of course, I have had to calibrate it a couple times over its life span, and that's kind of a pita)

I kind of dread the day a gun goes south or a transistor blows and I'm forced to replace it...
 
I have that samsung 51inch plasma that was on sale during holidays hooked to my PS4 and its dark as hell. Will this tip work or will I have to calibrate to my desire? Like black flag is dark along with quite a few other games and movies.
 

Klocker

Member
I have that samsung 51inch plasma that was on sale during holidays hooked to my PS4 and its dark as hell. Will this tip work or will I have to calibrate to my desire? Like black flag is dark along with quite a few other games and movies.


don't know what your RGB options are in ps4, but on xbone, if you have it set to full RGB, then you need "normal" black mode setting on tv. If running limited RGB then "Low" black setting on tv... Otherwise wrong combo produces either washed out or crushed black

and this is irrespective of PC or game modes
 
Sharpening slider to 0, always.

Turn off any " HDMI Black " type stuff

Color to 49 / 100

" Smooth Motion " anything off

Game mode On

Color Range - Limited

Color - Warm 2
 

REDRZA

Banned
Actually no. If you check what this does you'll find all those "image processing tools" and whatnot working there. Now, disable these and be amazed how the quality goes up.

What "image processing tools"? I have a Sony Bravia also, and when i select "game mode", all of the post processing options are turned off, or "greyed out" automatically.
 
Think about what you are typing here. How is your tv supposed to do 1:1 mapping (full pixel) on different resolutions? Your tv is in the right on this one.

Let me word it differently. When displaying a 720p source, a noticeable amount of content is cutoff on the borders. When displaying a 480p or 1080p source, the image takes the whole screen and nothing is cut.
aka the 720p→1080p upscaler or whatever you'd like to call it sucks terribly.
 
My TV has tons of cool features. Sharpening, contrast enhancer, black corrector, clear white, live color, even LED motion. My pictures looks absolutely stunning when I set it all to the off position.
 

arhra

Member
Think about what you are typing here. How is your tv supposed to do 1:1 mapping (full pixel) on different resolutions? Your tv is in the right on this one.

Disabling overscan should still be an option for sub-native resolutions via a digital signal. There's no excuse for ever overscanning a digital signal.

Sharpening slider to 0, always.

Not always. Some TVs have a sharpening slider that varies between "actively blur the image" to "sharpening halos everywhere", so you need to find the sweet spot in the middle that leaves the image unmolested (luckily it's usually at the halfway mark).
 
I'll try this later on my tv. when I'm playing pc games and down sample the image gets darker but regardless of what hdmi color mode I set it to it doesn't make a difference.
 

MCD

Junior Member
Sharpening set to zero = blurry mess in both Sammy and Panasonic TVs I own. I have to set it to 10 or 15 out of 100 for readable text.
 
Disabling overscan should still be an option for sub-native resolutions via a digital signal. There's no excuse for ever overscanning a digital signal.



Not always. Some TVs have a sharpening slider that varies between "actively blur the image" to "sharpening halos everywhere", so you need to find the sweet spot in the middle that leaves the image unmolested (luckily it's usually at the halfway mark).

I've worked with TV's for 30+ years. Been working on HDTV's for gaming for the past 10 years+

Never once seen a set handle a gaming image better at +0 compared to 0.

Just leave it at 0. It may look blurry at first, but that is just how it is supposed to look with the AA at work. Setting to 0 lets the rendering engine of the game itself handle the image, not your TV sharping the edges. On one hand you have your TV sharping the edges of everything on screen, on the other you have the rendering image of the game blending the edges. It creates a very bad looking picture. I mean .. i guess 5-15 isn't horrible .... do what you like lol.
 
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