As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure

What Color Temperature Should I Set My TV To? (Explained)

What Color Temperature Should I Set My TV To? - Easy Home Theater

What Color Temperature Should I Set My TV To? (Explained)


What Color Temperature Should I Set My TV To - Easy Home Theater

What color temperature should you set your TV to?

To me it feels like TVs nowadays have all kinds of settings that affect picture quality.

From things like contrast enhancements to motion settings, there’s lots of ways to customize your picture quality.

The thing is, often times a television may not be set to its most optimal settings, especially if it’s never been adjusted.

One setting you may have noticed on your TV is the color temperature setting.

What does it do and more importantly, what color temperature should you set your TV to?

Let’s find out!

What Color Temperature Should I Set My TV To?


The color temperature you should set your TV to depends on a few things including the television itself, room lighting, whether you prefer complete accuracy, whether you’d rather adjust the picture according to personal preference instead, and your current settings. Generally though, I’ve found the warmest color setting is often closest in accuracy to the visual industry standard of 6500Kelvin.




 

What Color Temperature Is Both In General & On Your TV


Like your ears when it comes to your home theater & sounds, the eyes are very complex when it comes to the things we actually see around us.

In order for us to actually see something, the object has to reflect or emit light in some kind of way.

This light that’s emitted has a range, that’s measured in what’s called Kelvins, and it’s within this range that affects how we see something.

The more yellow, orange, or even red something looks, the lower the Kelvins which you may see being referred to as warm.

Whereas something that appears more whiteish or even bluer color has a higher Kelvin number and can be often called cool or something similar.

This is a simplification since it can become complex, but that’s just the basic premise with understanding color temperature in general.

Like as an example, if you had a dimly lit camp fire, it could be said that its light has a lower Kelvin number and a warmer temperature.

Where if you had a high powered flashlight, it would likely be on the higher & cooler side.

The thing is though, one person’s take on how a color looks to them may be different to another person’s even if the light source is technically the same since we can perceive things visually differently.

So when it comes to the TV side of things, when it says things like warm, cool, or even standard, all it’s basically conveying is the Kelvins number and the way each preset affects the way the picture looks.



 

What Color Temperature Should You Set Your Television To?


By now you might be asking well what should the color temperature be on my tv?

Since not everybody may view colors, and subsequently, color temperature on a TV in the same way, the answer to the original question of what color temperature you should actually set your television to is a bit of a multifaceted one.

That’s because both personal preference and overall accuracy play a role in how things ultimately look.

That’s not even to mention room lighting or that the TV itself may display things differently — meaning the color temperature setting of one TV doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll look the same way on another display.

Plus there’s sometimes variance within the panels of TVs even within the same line so there’s that.

So I’ll answer the question from both standpoints so you have a better understanding of what works for you.

Starting with the accuracy perspective, 6500Kelvin (often called D65) is the standard that film makers create content in, and is the current agreed upon industry standard in that respect.



So with that said, the best color temperature setting is often the warmest setting since it’s often closest to that standard as far as accuracy goes.

However for those who may not be accustomed to the way that content looks, it might appear really reddish or yellow, and can be a bit different visually despite it potentially being more accurate.

I’ve found that adjusting the color temperature in steps over time tends to be a easier way to adjust to it if your concern is your picture quality being more cinematically accurate, but find it too big of a difference initially.

The picture mode also makes a difference, and if you’re concerned with accuracy, then you’ll likely want to use a mode that has the word standard, movie, or cinema in it.

Adjusting the backlight can help with your perception of the picture quality too in that way.

Some people may take longer to adjust to the shift in color temperature than others, and some might prefer it.

Then there might be some that never really adjust to it and/or just don’t like the warmer setting.

That’s where preference comes in.

You may not want a technically accurate picture quality, and may prefer a cooler one or something more vivid.

In that sense, use what looks right to your eyes ultimately, but keep in mind that a warmer setting is closer to that 6500Kelvin number that’s considered the standard.

Do note though that unless the TV is professionally calibrated, it might not be completely accurate as far as white levels go — though you may be able to achieve more accurate white levels than the default with some tinkering (even then it also depends on what settings your TV has too)

Also keep in mind that rest of your settings like black levels and contrast not being properly might affect the way you perceive the image fidelity too.




 

Having Your Television Professionally Calibrated


I briefly mentioned having your TV professionally calibrated, and if accuracy is your focus, having it calibrated would be the way to achieve that.

It can technically be done if you have the tools and comprehensive understanding of light levels, color temperature, etc, but it can be a very lengthy and in depth process often needing access to the deeper menus in the TV and that sort of thing.

Having it calibrated professionally can be a way to skip that.

That said, that’s where preference also comes in because I’ve had friends who’ve have had their TVs professionally calibrated that actually preferred the picture quality before.

On the other hand, I’ve also had friends who much preferred the way it looked after the calibration, so it seems like things can be somewhat subjective in that way from what I’ve noticed.

 

Does Room Lighting Affect Things?


Another thing that can suprisingly affect how your tv’s color temperature looks to you is both the color of the lighting in the room, as well as how bright that lighting actually is.

Preventing external light from reflecting on to the screen is ideal, but that might not always be possible depending on your setup.

One thing that can help in that aspect though are light blocking curtains which can help with sunlight coming through windows.

Check Availability Of Yakamok Blackout Curtains

 

Bias lighting, which basically is some sort of ambient lighting that goes around or under your TV, can also help with your perception of picture quality if you tend to watch your content in dimmer environments.

 



 

Can You Optimize Your Picture Quality Further?


You can optimize your picture quality further by having the basic settings adjusted correctly.

Things like not having your sharpness set to the maximum, having your color and tint values optimized, adjusting your brightness and contrast so there’s proper depth to the image, the right hdr setting, etc. can go a long way in improving your image settings in general.

One thing I’ve found helpful in that aspect is using some sort of optimization disc that gives a better idea of what your TV should be set at since you’ll be able to adjust your settings according to patterns and reference visual content.

In my opinion, the Spears & Munsil Blu-ray disc is awesome in that regard since it has patterns for black levels, contrast and things like that.

Spears & Munsil Blu-ray Disc

 

Also while not directly related to the settings, the amount of time you actually have your TV on daily could have an influence on its lifespan which could affect when it’d need to be replaced so that’s something to keep in mind too.

If you think your current TV might be on the way out though, here’s a few that I think are awesome.

https://easyhometheater.net/the-best-tvs

 

 

Final Thoughts


Hopefully you’ve found this helpful and now understand a little more in terms of color temperature and which one may work for you.

While the warmest color temperature setting can often be closest in accuracy to the visual standard of 6500Kelvin, some may simply prefer a cooler setting or what looks best to their eyes which can be subjective.

Just keep in mind that having the other settings adjusted properly can be helpful in that aspect too.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple!




Are There Ways To Improve A Speaker’s Bass? (Potential Ways)

Are There Ways To Improve A Speaker's Bass? A picture of a speaker - Easy Home Theater

Are There Ways To Improve A Speaker’s Bass? (Potential Ways)


Are There Ways To Improve A Speaker's Bass? (Potential Ways On How To Improve A Speaker's Bass) - Easy Home Theater

When it comes to home theater or even just listening to music in general, there’s often many ways to make the experience better.

That goes for both the quality of the sound itself, as well as for the conditions you’re actually listening to things in.

So since there’s a multitude of things that can often help sound quality, even in older speakers, so today I wanted to cover a more specific aspect.



That is, if it’s possible to potentially improve or boost a speakers bass output; or at least the way you perceive it so that you get more enjoyment out of your speakers.

The answer though may depend on your listening conditions and the type of speakers you have, so these are just a few things I’ve noticed over the years that you may find helpful.

How To Improve A Speaker’s Bass


A few ways that may help improve a speaker’s bass are; moving it closer to the wall, improving the acoustics of the room through acoustic panels, adjusting the bass knob on the speaker if it has one, using the receiver’s auto optimization feature, using a multi-band EQ software to adjust bass levels, or using a subwoofer along with your speakers.

 

 

Moving The Speaker Closer To The Wall


The first thing I’ve found that sometimes helps a speaker when it seems like it lacks bass is actually moving it closer to the wall.

Similar to the way positioning can affect a subwoofer’s bass, positioning of your speakers may have an impact on this too.

This is because the sound waves from speaker travel to (and sometimes through) the wall then back to the speaker & your ears.

This may strengthen the sound in a way that makes it seem more full bodied, but it can also potentially make it sound boomy if not done right.




Where the results of this can vary wildly though is not only the distance you actually place it from the wall, but the size of the speaker itself, whether it’s a ported or sealed type of speaker, your seat positioning, and even the density of the wall.

That’s not even accounting for acoustic treatment in the room which may also help things.

Not saying this is definitive since your results might be different, but the following is what I’ve personally noticed which might at least be a good starting point.

With smaller speakers that have a port on the back, I’ve found that a distance from the wall of about 1 ¹/² to 2 feet can be a good starting point in terms of clarity — and from there, playing content and moving it closer to wall little by little each time might help to dial it in.

Since there are so many variables though, and since it’s up to your preference and your ears, the distance will have to be something you play with to really get right.

For smaller speakers that don’t have a port, you can probably start a little closer, but just be cognizant of how things sound with that initial placement and subsequent ones since you don’t want the sound to become bloated and lacking in detail.

It really is going to depend though, because if you have a larger speaker, then I’d probably recommend starting further away from the wall at first, and going from there if you find the bass to be somewhat lacking with them.



 

 

Improving The Acoustics Of The Room


A picture of a TV on a stand

As I briefly mentioned before, the acoustics of your room play a big role in how things sound too which I’ve covered here if you’re curious about that aspect.

https://easyhometheater.net/should-you-put-acoustic-panels-behind-speakers

 

But simply put, acoustic treatment can impact bass too; and one way to improve the acoustics of your room is through the use of acoustic panels.

These can help to absorb a lot of the excess reflected sound waves in the room which can often detract from the quality of the audio you hear.

There’s lots of awesome options as far as acoustic panels go, but these are ones that I use.

Acoustic Sound Panels

 

 

Using The Auto Optimization In an AV Receiver


Another thing that might help is if you’re using home theater speakers with a home theater receiver that has an auto optimization feature built in.

A lot of modern receivers come with this feature and often include an optimization microphone when they do — which can be plugged into the receiver to optimize your speakers.

Calibrating them in this way can be a quick way to tailor the sound to your particular room, and you can further adjust individual settings from there if need be.

Another quick tip that might help is changing the speakers from small to large in the settings menu if not done already (and if you’re not using a subwoofer)

This will allow for the speakers to be responsible for the frequencies the sub usually would, and while it might not have as much depth as one, may still help with some level of fullness with the audio quality.



Using An Equalization Software For PC/Desktop Speakers


If you’re on desktop or PC and you’re using speakers, then you can use an equalization software to customize their audio output including the bass, which may help.

They typically have what’s known as multi band EQ, and that basically means that there’s individual sliders that can be adjusted for specific frequencies.

The more of these sliders, the more you can adjust the lower end of the frequency range, the bass, to really dial things in. Some PCs may even come with their own EQ software pre installed so check to see if yours might have its own.

If not, there’s still many other EQ software’s that can be downloaded, but the best one for you really is going to boil down to preference and the features you prefer.

 

Using The Specific Mobile App Of The Bluetooth Speakers If They Have One


If you have Bluetooth speakers, it’s possible that they may have come with a mobile app or even EQ software that allows you to adjust the sound profile of the speakers from your phone, so that’s something to be mindful of too.

Using this may allow you to customize things in a way that sounds better, but it also depends on the software and the capabilities of the speakers.

Some bluetooth, or even active speakers (the speakers that require a power source to work) may have a knob or knobs directly on them that allows you to physically adjust the bass & treble.

On that same train of thought, if you don’t mind it not having bluetooth, the Edifier R1280T is an awesome pair of active speakers that can be plugged into devices that support a 3.5mm cable or RCA, and sound really great.

Check Availability Of Edifier R1280T Bookshelf Speakers 

 

 

 

Adding A Subwoofer May Help If You Don’t Mind The Bass Not Fully Being Output By Your Speakers


Then of course if your speakers and current setup allows for it, there is the option of including a subwoofer into the mix.

In a nutshell, the subwoofer is a larger unit who’s main job is bass, so this could help add a layer of dimensionality to the sound if you find your current speakers not up to task in this regard.

 

Final Thoughts


With that, that just about wraps things up for today. In short, with a few tweaks and some smart speaker placement within the room, you can potentially optimize the bass from your speakers to sound better than what it does currently.

These are just a few things I’ve noticed over the years that might hopefully be somewhat useful since the capabilities of your speakers and the acoustics of your room do play a part.

But that’s it for now.

Until next time; make it easy, keep it simple!




Are Tower Speakers Good For Surround Sound? (Things To Know)

Are Tower Speakers Good For Surround Sound - Easy Home Theater

Are Tower Speakers Good For Surround Sound? (Things To Know)


Are Tower Speakers Good For Surround Sound - Easy Home Theater

One of the most awesome things about home theater in my opinion is just how truly customizable it can be.

Whether you decide to simply use a single soundbar sat atop an entertainment center, a fully fledged Dolby Atmos/DTS:X surround sound system, or anything in between — there’s a plethora of ways to really make things your own.

One of those components that I feel tends to add an extra level of dynamism is tower speakers.

Now here’s the thing, tower speakers are often really good when used as front soundstage speakers and even as a center speaker when used right, but can they actually work in another context?

For example, could tower speakers be used as surround sound speakers too?

It’s an interesting thought and one I thought would be interesting to talk about so let’s get into it!

Are Tower Speakers Good For Surround Sound?


Yes they can work for surround sound, often sounding great – though it may be more power than specifically needed for just the surround sound channels. That said, even that depends on things like the capabilities of that speaker, seating, room size, etc since some may prefer them with their particular listening conditions whereas some might like a bookshelf speaker.




 

The Capabilities Of The Receiver Are Important To Get The Best Out Of Your Tower Speakers


A picture of a floor standing speaker

Now before we get to answering the original question, I feel that it’s important to add some context when it comes to actually using tower speakers in general since there’s a few things to be aware of that tie into that answer.

More specifically, the capabilities of the receiver that you use with your floor standing speakers makes a difference in your experience since it’s that very thing that’s going to be powering your speakers.

If your receiver isn’t strong enough to adequately power them, then you won’t be getting the most performance from them.




If you have to turn your receiver all the way up just to hear your speakers at a sufficient level, then it’s possible that the receiver you’re using for your particular speakers isn’t the best suitable for it meaning they might need something that’s more powerful to play more efficiently.

While there’s many receivers that work well, the Denon AVR-X2700H 7.2 Channel & the Yamaha RX-A4A Aventage 7.2 Channel are powerful receivers that in my opinion, work great with regards to the various home theater setup ideas and configurations that exist.

 

The Room The Tower Speaker Is Placed In


Another thing that factors into how well your tower speakers actually play is the room they’re placed in.

The more reflective and hard surfaces in a room, the more sound waves may bounce which can affect how everything sounds.

One way to help mitigate this is through acoustic treatment and placing acoustic panels behind your speakers. This can help dampen sound waves which can often benefit the characteristics of the room and how your tower speakers sound.

Also adding plush and soft materials to the room like couches, rugs and those sorts of things can help with how things sound too.

Many modern receivers also often have a room optimization feature that uses a microphone to account for how sound waves interact in a room so using this feature can helpful in that regard.




There may also be a setting in the receiver settings that allows you to set your speakers to large or small which basically allows you to decide what frequencies you want your speakers to handle.

There’s probably varying opinions on this since things can often be subjective, but I typically like to set my speakers to small (including tower speakers) and setting my subwoofers to 80 hertz in the settings — since I find it leaves more power to those higher frequencies specifically while letting the subs only handle the lower frequencies.

I just find it often gives a cleaner sound at higher volumes, so you can try that setting to see how things sound for you.

Though if it’s a stereo setup without a subwoofer then large is often better in that case.

 

Do Tower Speakers Work In Regards To Surround Sound?


Now that we know all of this, going back to our original question, do tower speakers actually work with regards to surround sound?

I would say yes they definitely work as surround sound speakers, often great in fact actually.

As long as they’ve been optimally placed & setup, and the room they’re in has the space to house them, I’ve often found that using them in this way does allow for a great home theater experience.

Of course that does also depend on things like the capabilities of the speaker itself, seating, and reflective surfaces in a room so that’s something to keep in mind.

The thing is though, it may potentially be more power than specifically needed for just the surround sound channels if you’re just wanting something that would sound good overall (which they often do)




If you already have extra tower speakers and you’re just wondering if you can use them for surround sound then yeah for sure — I’d just recommend setting them to small in the receiver settings so that power is only tasked with the higher frequency sounds.

If you’re asking if you’d specifically need tower speakers for surround sound though, I don’t necessarily think so since from my experience, bookshelf speakers also work amazingly for surrounds when setup right too.

But if you specifically wanted to use tower speakers it’s definitely possible as long as there’s adequate space.

 

Why Someone Might Choose To Use Tower Speakers For Surrounds


Now one reason someone might opt for using floor standing speakers is to sonically match the ones they already have (known as timbre matching)

Timbre matching a center channel with the front left & right soundstage speakers is important for a cohesive sound, but in my opinion, I wouldn’t say that’s it’s as important for the surround speakers to match too.

However some may feel that it is important to match these as well, and may opt to have uniform speakers all around.

Whether this makes a difference in that aspect I feel is subjective since there’s many variables that could factor into it.




Another reason might decide on using these for surrounds is the potential overhead of additional power that these larger speakers might have.

Since a lot of tower speakers often have bigger drivers and watts, some feel that this additional power, while not always necessary, may allow them to play the notes that they do handle more efficiently.

But over the years I’ve also heard the flipside of that thought where one might prefer a bookshelf speaker because they personally feel it’s more accurate and think a floorstander might have a warmer sound.

I can’t really say one way or another since I think it wildy depends on things such as the volume of content being played, the content itself, capabilities of the equipment and whether they’re actually calibrated, etc. but it’s still interesting nonetheless.

 

Final Thoughts


In short tower speakers can certainly work for surround sound purposes, though bookshelf speakers can also often work in those instances too.

Since there’s a lot of customizability when it comes to actually creating your home theater, this allows for one to create a truly awesome home theater experience.

But that’s it for now. Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple!

 

How To Fix A Line Of Stuck Pixels On A TV

How To Fix A Line Of Stuck Pixels On A TV

How To Fix A Line Of Stuck Pixels On A TV


How To Fix A Line Of Stuck Pixels On A TV

Besides our mobile phones, TVs are probably one of the most common devices that we interact with on a daily basis.

Whether you’re a home theater enthusiast, or just the every day person that enjoys a good show from time to time, watching TV can be a fun experience.

However sometimes these devices can unfortunately experience issues.

Whether it’s from an internal defect, or not taking into account proper maintenance, some TVs may occasionally encounter an issue with their display.

More specifically, the pixels in the display themselves might stop working or appear stuck.

So is it possible to fix a line of stuck pixels on a TV and more importantly, how do you do it if so?

Let’s find out.

How To Fix A Line Of Stuck Pixels On A TV


Using a specialized digital test pattern, turning the TV off/letting the panel rest, trying a different cable/HDMI port, & cleaning the screen with a microfiber cloth are different things that may help with stuck pixels. Keep in mind though there’s no guarantee they’ll work since it specifically depends on why it’s happening with your TV in particular.




 

What Exactly Is A Stuck Pixel and How Is It Different From A Dead Pixel?


So the first thing I want to do is make a differentiation between a stuck pixel and a dead pixel since there can sometimes be confusion between the two.

Anyways just to recap, a pixel is what makes up the television screen and the combination of these helps to display the image.

In the typical display, every pixel is made up of the colors red, blue, & green, and the more pixels that exist in the screen, the higher the resolution.

That said, of course there’s also special display technologies where there may be additional colors used to achieve a wider color gamut, but red, blue, & green is what’s traditionally used.

Now here’s the thing, when a pixel experiences an issue, besides the brightness of the pixel itself dimming, one of 2 things may happen; either it gets stuck displaying a single color, or it doesn’t turn on at all.

When the pixel doesn’t turn on at all, this is known as a dead pixel and will present itself in the form of a tiny black square.

This can happen for a number of reasons which we’ll get to in a bit, but when the actual pixels themselves give out, there really isn’t a way to fix it outside of replacing the panel.

The thing that might fixable is what’s known as a stuck pixel, and this will basically look like a small dot that’s a different color than the pixels around it on the screen.

Like the name suggests, it’s a pixel that’s stuck showing a specific color even when the content on the screen changes.




 

Why Does This Happen Though?


Why do pixels fail or even become stuck? Well it could be for a number reasons, but here’s a few reasons that I think could factor into this happening..

Placing A TV In Less Than Ideal Conditions


The first thing that I personally think could affect this is placing your TV in less than ideal conditions.

More specifically, you don’t want to place your TV in places where there’s drastic temperature changes or lots of humidity or moisture.

If the room gets too hot, then it could cause the TV overheat over time, and if it’s too cold, then it could affect the panel.

Not to mention there’s the risk of condensation forming when the TV warms up and there’s a big temperature difference between the display and the room.

Places with lots of humidity or moisture also isn’t a good idea since there’s the risk of moisture forming in the internals of the television which could lead to some abnormalities happening with the display.

So placing your TV in dry and room temperature conditions can certainly help with the wellbeing of the set.

 

The Age Of The Television


The second thing that could have something to do with a pixel becoming stuck is that the television itself might be getting old.

TVs can certainly last for a while, but if you feel the TV is somewhat old, then it could be a result of the fact.

Now how long a TV lasts is going to vary wildly since it’s dependent on build quality, how well the TV is maintained, how long it’s on daily, etc. but an older TV could experience issues and this might be one of the ways it happens to manifest itself.

 

An Internal Defect


Whether it’s a speaker, a TV, or just a tech product in general, sometimes defects can just happen.

Whether it develops over time, or has always been there and you only recently noticed it, it’s certainly possible for there to be a defect with the screen even if in the form of issues with a few pixels.



The Panel Is Accidentally Damaged Somehow


Another reason why this could be happening is the screen was recently damaged somehow.

Whether the TV was subjected to extremely high heat, impacted by an object, or even dropped, the panel itself is very sensitive and any kind of stress to the screen can cause problems to develop with it.

This is why proper maintenance of the TV is paramount when it comes to longevity overall.

 

Using An Extremely High Brightness Setting


Sometimes televisions can be set at their brightest settings right out of the box – and while is used in stores when there’s really bright lights present, at home isn’t always ideal when it comes to optimal picture quality and longevity.

Leaving the TV at a really bright setting not only could contribute to burn-in or image retention when it comes to OLED displays (when a portion of pixels show a prior image that remains on screen) but could cause the TV to get hotter — which could also eventually stress the panel in some way e.g. (stuck pixels forming)

Not to mention a high brightness can cause blooming on portions of the screen as well.




 

How Do You Fix A Line Of Stuck Pixels On A TV?


So with all of that said, is there a way to fix a few or even a line of stuck pixels on a TV?

Well here’s the thing, it really depends.

It depends on whether the pixel is simply stuck or has failed, if the surrounding pixels still work, if the panel itself still properly functions, etc.

So while the following are a few suggestions, keep in mind there isn’t a guarantee that they actually work nor are they definitive since it specifically depends on why it’s happening with your TV in particular.

 

Using A Specialized Test Pattern


So the first thing that you can try that may help is using some sort of specialized digital test for the pixel. These digital tests usually involve changing different colors or patterns to try and get the pixel to respond by changing from whatever color it’s stuck on.

 

Seeing If The Problem Resolves On Its Own By Letting It Rest


Another thing that might help is simply time and letting the display rest.

Whether the TV became too hot internally, or it was some kind of glitch, it might be worth it to turn the TV off for a bit and letting it rest to see if that might help.

 

A Different Cable Or Port


It’s always possible to try a different HDMI cable or even port to see if that helps since a faulty/defective cable or port could present itself in the form of some kind of glitch with the content being displayed.



Actually Determine If It’s A Stuck Pixel Or Something On The Screen


This goes back to the importance of properly maintaining the TV since a speck of dust or something on the screen could look like a stuck pixel from a glance or distance.

Cleaning the screen with microfiber cloths and/or with a specialized TV solution can help with determining if it’s actually a problem with a pixel or just something on the screen itself.

 

Having The Panel Replaced/Repaired


Finally while certainly more involved, it’s possible that something went wrong with one of the internals of the display, and having it replaced/repaired might be an option.

 

Final Thoughts


That about does it for this one.

Stuck pixels can happen for various reasons, and may sometimes never go away; or may resolve itself on its own or through one of the ways mentioned prior.

Keeping your TV in a dry room at a moderate temperature can also help with avoiding moisture that can lead to issues with panel.

Not cranking the TV to maximum brightness at all times may help in that regard too since any overheating could present itself in the form of abnormalities with pixels on screen.

But that wraps it for this one.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple.




How Long Do Home Theater Receivers Last? (Key Factors)

How Long Do Home Theater Receivers Last? (Key Factors)


How Long Do Home Theater Receivers Last? (Key Factors)

Seen in a ways as the heart of the modern home theater system, the receiver’s role in an entertainment system, especially if you’re going for surround sound, is extremely important in my opinion.

That’s because it’s the receiver that’s not only going to power your speakers and subwoofer, but is also the thing that the speakers would potentially be limited by.

The more power the receiver has, the more powerful your system can potentially be overall. But just as important as the type equipment is properly maintaining your equipment so that it actually lasts.



So with that said, here’s an interesting thought, how long does a home theater receiver actually last?

A speaker can last for quite a while, but as one of the most important parts of a home theater, what about the receiver?

Well the answer to that is pretty interesting and actually depends on a number of things so let’s get right to it.

(For home theater receiver ideas, here’s a few recommendations as well – Best AV Home Theater Receivers)

How Long Do Home Theater Receivers Last?


The length of time a home theater receiver lasts revolves around a number of factors including the conditions of the room it’s set in, build quality, adequate ventilation, & proper power management. In summation, when considering these factors, this means they could last anywhere from 6ish years from a feature standpoint, to 20 plus years physically, though it varies ultimately.




 

Things That Can Affect How Long A Receiver Lasts


Accumulation Of Dust


The accumulation of dust in your receiver is a major factor with determining how long it’ll actually last.

Dust can gather over time in the circuitry and fans, reducing how effectively it can cool itself.

This can cause it to overheat, which could cause it to frequently turn itself off or even cause it to malfunction.

Luckily there are ways to properly clean it which we’ll get to in a bit.

 

The Amount Of Ventilation It Gets


The amount of ventilation the receiver actually gets is extremely important for its overall wellbeing.

Just like it’s helpful to clean any dust that accumulates for proper ventilation, where the device is placed is also important in that regard.



For example, placing it in an enclosed cabinet with no airflow might not be ideal since there wouldn’t be adequate circulation of air through the vents of the receiver.

This could then cause it to overheat.

That’s why it’s also important to make sure nothing is placed on top of the unit since that would block the vents and hinder proper airflow.

So when placing your receiver, be sure it’s in an open and airy area in the room for proper function.

 

The Conditions Of The Room


The conditions of the room itself is another thing to keep in mind as the room being too hot or too cold could affect its performance.

If the room is too hot, then it could cause the device to overheat and shut itself off.

However if it’s too cold, then any time there’s a change in temperature and the room or the unit heats up, it could cause different amounts of condensation to form in the internals of the receiver which could damage it.

 

How Often It’s Used


How often you use your receiver would also contribute to how long it lasts since like a lot of electronics, the more you use it, the more of an effect it’ll have on the amount of time it lasts.

 

Fluctuations In Power


Another thing that can affect your receiver is any potential sudden fluctuations in power.

This can happen from an electrical storm or a faulty outlet, as the excess electricity can overload the circuitry causing it to fail.

 

The Impedance & Sensitivity Of The Speakers Used


The impedance (the amount of resistance to a given amount of electricity also known as Ohms) & the sensitivity (a measure of how easily a speaker can be driven by a given power source) with regard to the speaker can also have some affect as it’s this that determines how easily a speaker can reach a given volume.

A speaker with a higher impedance would mean that the receiver has to work harder to allow the speaker to reach a certain volume when compared with one with a lower impedance.



However a speaker with a low impedance means that it’s easier for the speaker to play since electricity flows easier; but the abundance of electricity can also be detrimental since it can potentially stress the receiver thus affecting how long it lasts.

It’s important to be mindful of the specific capabilities of the receiver since that’ll be an important deciding factor in terms of compatibility with different speakers.

 

How Long Do Home Theater Receivers Last?


So with all of that said, long do home theater receivers last?

Well I’m not sure there’s any one specific answer since there’s so many different factors, along with the question itself being multifaceted.

The lifespan of the receiver will stem from the build quality of the device itself along with how well it was upkept (the conditions it’s kept in)

So I’ll answer the question from 2 perspectives; how long a receiver might physically last, and how long a receiver might last from a feature standpoint.

Starting with the first, I know from experience that they can actually last for quite a while if aptly taken care of.



For example, a few years back I bought a receiver that was pretty old even then and to this day it still works just fine

It doesn’t have as many HDMI slots as more recent variants of course, but from a functional standpoint it’s still churning strong.

Funnily enough my friend also has a receiver that’s pretty old now, at least 20 years old, and theirs also still works fine.

My point is that I don’t necessarily know if there’s any one specific amount of time that they’ll last due to the factors I mentioned earlier; but if taken care of and barring defects, they should physically last for years.

Now when looking at it from a feature standpoint that’s a little different since technology is always moving forward and thus with it, newer features are often introduced.

From my experience, I’ve noticed that newer features for receivers such as Dolby Atmos or IMAX Enhanced, or things of that nature tend to take form around 6ish or so years.

Again that’s just what I’ve personally noticed so it could be different — plus that’s not even accounting for wide adoption of said features which could be much longer.

For example formats that have been around for a while such as ultra high resolution and HDR aren’t as prevalent as something like 1080p despite them also being around for a while now (cable is still widely broadcast in 1080p without HDR)

I say all of that to say if you’re the type of individual that isn’t really concerned with always having the newest then this might not be all that important to you — however if you do like to have the latest then that could be a reason to upgrade & that time frame might be more pertinent.




 

If You’re Having Problems With Your Current Receiver, Should You Have It Repaired Or Replace It?


Though if you’re having problems with your current receiver, should you try and have it repaired or simply replace it?

Well I would say it depends on your particular situation. For example if your receiver continously shuts off then there could be a number of reasons for that.

However if it won’t turn on at all then you could find a repair place to see if it is possible to repair it.

Though finding a repair place and going through that process could be more involved then getting a new one, so it’s really up to you at the end of the day.

It’s also possible that your receiver could still be under warranty so that’s something to check as well.

 

Ways To Maintain The Proper Function Of Your Home Theater Receiver


All that said, it’s still important to maintain the proper function and appearance of your receiver so here’s how to do that:

 

Cleaning Dust Out Of The Receiver


So earlier we mentioned the importance of keeping dust out of the enclosure of the receiver, but is there any particular of doing this?

Actually there is but you’ll first want to clean the chassis of the receiver.



You can clean the outside by using a soft microfiber cloth and tiny amounts of water.

If it’s really dusty then a light soapy solution can be used too.

Just don’t use any harsh chemicals since those can actually strip the paint off the chassis.

When it comes to removing dust from inside of the receiver, a canless air duster is preferable since traditional compressed air cans can leave a brief liquid residue which obviously isn’t good for the internals.

Check Availability Of Compressed Air Duster

There’s actually a lot more to keep in mind when it comes to the maintenance side of things so here’s an article that hopefully helps in that regard.

Home Theater Maintenance

 

Keeping It In A Well Ventilated Area


Keeping your receiver in a well ventilated area can go a long way in actually making sure that the thing lasts.

Make sure nothing is placed on top of the receiver, and try to place it in as open of an area as possible or even on a server rack for the best air flow.

Putting it in a closed of cabinet or behind an entertainment center isn’t ideal since there might not be enough air which could cause it to over heat.

Another thing that can help is using cooling fans.

These are devices that are designed to help keep your av equipment cool. Here’s one that I personally think is really good.

AC Infinity Aircom S6 Cooling Fan

 

Using A Surge Protector/Power Conditioner


Electrical surges were something I mentioned earlier that could affect your receiver should it ever experience one.

Luckily there’s something that can help prevent this known as a surge protector.

These are basically small devices that help circumvent potential electrical surges that other electrical components can plug into.



Surge protectors can be helpful when it comes to the wellbeing of your electronics, and is a simple way to keep them functioning properly.

Power conditioners are similar but they also help clean up noisy signals which can potentially benefit audio quality.

This is a helpful one that’s both.

AC Power Filter Power Conditioner

 

Final Thoughts


Well that about wraps it up for this one. In short the length of time a home theater receiver can last varies wildly since it’s dependent on how you look at it.

If from a feature standpoint you’re curious about how long before your current receiver isn’t as advanced, then that can be 6ish or so years from my experience.

But even that’s contingent on what you prioritize or even prefer since you may not be as concerned with a specific feature — plus the there’s no one specific time frame so it’s just what I’ve personally noticed. If you mean how long it’ll last in general then it could be many years as long as it’s maintained properly.

But that’s really it for now.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple!




Can I Use A Tower Speaker For A Center Channel?

Can I Use A Tower Speaker For A Center Channel?

Can I Use A Tower Speaker For A Center Channel?


Can I Use A Tower Speaker For A Center Channel?

You know, one of the greatest things about home theater in my opinion is just how varied it can be — especially when it comes to speakers.

From using ceiling speakers, to even doing an in-wall speakers installation, the amount of ways you can make things truly your own is pretty awesome.

One such way is through floor standing speakers (or tower speakers as they’re often called)



Due to their often larger drivers, tower speakers tend to provide powerful sound even when it comes to larger rooms.

However being that you’re here, you’re probably wondering if these same tower speakers can be an adequate substitute for a dedicated center channel speaker?

Well the answer to that is actually pretty interesting.

 

Can I Use A Tower Speaker For A Center Channel?


Yes a tower speaker can certainly work as a center channel as long as it’s also used with identical tower speakers for the left & right channel since that allows for a more even blending of audio from the front soundstage. A tower speaker would also likely have larger drivers, which could benefit your content by producing fuller sounding dialogue. 




 

What Makes A Good Center Channel Speaker In My Opinion?


A picture of a center speaker

To add some context behind whether a floor standing speaker can be used for a center channel, I figured it’d first be important to mention a few things that might be helpful in determining whether a center channel speaker is right for you.

That way it makes more sense when I answer the original question of why it may or may not be a good idea.

But anyway the first thing I’d say to be aware of is the power of the speaker you’re looking at.

This is typically denoted by 2 things, decibels and Ohms.

Simply put, secibels is a guage of how loud a speaker can get while Ohms is the amount of resistance it faces in achieving this.

This is important because it’s the decibel output that’ll tell you the sensitivity rating of the speaker you might be considering.

The sensitivity of the speaker can be a big factor in the choice since it determines how easy the speaker can be powered by your receiver.

The higher the sensitivity rating of the speaker, the easier it likely is to actually power with your receiver.



Whereas a speaker with a lower sensitivity would likely need a more powerful receiver to fully utilize it however.

For example if there was one speaker that was rated at 87dB and one at 91dB, the 91dB speaker would likely be easier to power with a receiver with less wattage capability.

Ideally the higher the decibels the better in my opinion because it’ll likely be capable of reaching a higher perceived output faster.

Another thing that might be helpful to consider is the frequency response of the speaker.

In other words, that’s basically how high and low of a sound frequency the speaker itself is touted as being able to play. You’ll often see this referred to as Hz (Hertz)

The wider the frequency range or Hz, the more likely the speaker is to be more dynamic in its playback capability.

I’ve found that a center speaker that can play a lower Hz tends to synergize really well with the subwoofer.

Of course by no means is this the end all be all since that doesn’t take into consideration things like the tone of the speaker, clarity, etc.
but I’ve found that to be a good reference point.

Something else I like to look at in my decision process is the overall size of the speaker itself since that’ll directly determine how well it fits the room.

If you use a center speaker that’s too big it might block the TV, but if you get something too small for the room you might have issues with hearing dialogue in your movies.

I always try to use the biggest speaker that’ll fit in the room without blocking the screen personally.

There’s a few other factors to consider too like driver size, tweeter size, etc. but these are primarily the main things to be aware of.

Center Channel Speakers Decision Guide

 




 

Can Using A Tower Speaker For A Center Channel Work?


So with all of that said and back to our original question; is using a tower speaker for a center channel speaker a good idea?

In short, I’d say yes tower speakers work great as center speakers due to their often larger driver sizes which allows them to output a louder & cleaner sound.

Dialogue & other sound effects tend to sound fuller and easier to discern from what I’ve noticed a lot of the time.

This might in part have to do with how they’re oriented too.

Most center channel speakers are horizontal due to the fact that it’s a design that doesn’t block the screen while still providing convincing spatial imaging with the sound quality.



The WTW (woofer tweeter woofer) design of horizontal center speakers ensures listeners in the middle and off to the sides experience the same audio quality by dispersing it evenly in the horizontal plane.

It’s why a single bookshelf speaker on its side doesn’t necessarily work in that configuration because only having a single woofer & tweeter shifts the sound dispersion — or in other words the way things sound in general.

This can cause peaks & dips with its volume, issues with the crossover, etc.

However when you turn it right side up, that isn’t the case.

In fact and ideally, using 3 of the same speaker vertically and in a line array (meaning in a row) can sometimes yield better results than a horizontal setup.

This can present itself in the way of sounding more cohesive or even more detailed when it comes to the more intricate sounds.

This isn’t always of course, since there’s so many variables to consider like the capabilities of those particular speakers, the characteristics of the room they’re in, whether they’re calibrated, etc

But a line array configuration can definitely sound really amazing.

So in the context of using a tower speaker for a center channel specifically, yes it can definitely work as a center speaker — you’ll just want to make sure that they’re 3 of the same identical tower speakers lined up and spaced out evenly if it is something you’re thinking about.

That way you get the most consistent front soundstage that seamlessly blends together.

This is called timbre matching and while it’s typically important for a convincing blending of the front 3 speakers, if you’re using a vertically placed center speaker, then it’s even more important in that case.

So when the sound pans from one direction to another and across your speakers, them being identical might help with conveying that sense of realism in your content.




 

Are There Any Downsides To Using A Tower Speaker For a Center Channel Speaker?


So now that we know that using a tower speaker for a center does work, are there any downsides to doing so? Well there’s a few things to mention.

 

Can Potentially Block The Screen If The Speaker Is Too Big


One potential drawback of using a floorstanding speaker for a center is if the speaker is larger and the TV is sat lower, it could block the viewer’s line of sight from the listening position.

Since the center speaker needs to be directly in line with the other 2 speakers for optimal sound, the left and right tower speaker wouldn’t necessarily affect viewing of the screen; it’s the center one that would if it was too large.

One way that some get around this is by using what’s known as an acoustically transparent screen.

These are screens that basically allows sound to pass through them — allowing you to place the speaker behind it to fully see the screen.

Even though these are screens that are primarily used with a projector setup, it’s still technically one way to circumvent this potential issue.

Acoustically Transparent Screen

 

Another way besides using a smaller speaker would be also setting your TV slightly higher so it sits above the cabinet of the speaker.

 

Could Change The Aesthetic Of The Room


Another thing to keep in mind is using a tower speaker for a center speaker would technically mean using 3 for the most optimal sound — and 3 tower speakers could shift the aesthetic of the room.

If it’s a smaller room tower speakers could make it feel smaller, and even in a larger room they could still call attention to themselves.

Of course every room is different though, and some speakers actually look great in some rooms, so it really just depends.




 

How Exactly Do You Setup A Tower Speaker When Using It For The Center Channel?


A picture of a floor standing speaker

Knowing all of this then, how would you setup a tower speaker when using it as a center?

Well honestly I’d say it really depends on the room. However there are at least a few general things to keep in mind.

Firstly, try to keep all 3 front speakers equal distances from each other.

That way the audio from your front soundstage (the left, center, and right speaker) blend together evenly.

Another thing that’ll help is calibrating them through your receiver.

Most modern receivers include some sort auto optimizer mic that allows it to use room correction software to adjust your speakers to match your room.

Also make sure the center speaker doesn’t block your line of site with the screen.

If it does, moving your seating or propping the display up a bit might help.

Other than that though, a tower speaker is really setup the same way you would a normal center speaker.

 

Final Thoughts


In short, a tower speaker for a center channel can certainly work as long as it’s in tandem with 2 additional tower speakers directly lined up and positioned equal distance from each other.

While it definitely depends on a bunch of things, the likely larger drivers might produce cleaner sounding audio because of their additional sonic capabilities.

As long as it doesn’t block your view of the screen, I’d say this kind of home theater setup can definitely sound amazing.

But that’s it for now. Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple!




How Long Should A TV Be On A Day?

How Long Should a TV Be On a Day?

How Long Should A TV Be On A Day?


How Long Should a TV Be On a Day?

I’d say ideally the TV should be on only when you’re actually watching it, and off the rest of the time. That way it prolongs the life of the TV and doesn’t use excess electricity it doesn’t need to. Personally, whenever I watch TV, I only do so for around 2-3 hours then turn the TV off afterwards.

 

When it comes to home theater and even just entertainment at home in general, we often focus on getting the best out of our equipment, and rightfully so.

Whether it’s tuning the sharpness of your display, or optimizing the display’s picture settings all together, getting the most out of what you have can make all the difference in the experience.

Even adjusting the lighting in the room can make a difference.




But something we can sometimes forget the importance of is the proper maintenance of the equipment itself.

More specifically in this case, ensuring the longevity of your TV.

So how long should a TV be on a day?

Here’s what I think.

 

Things That Can Happen When A TV Is Left Constantly On


It Could Shorten The Life Of The Backlight Faster In LCD & LED Displays


So the first thing that can happen when a TV is left on for extended periods of time is the increased chance of the backlight dying faster from constant use in LCD & LED displays.

Since these tvs use backlighting to display their picture, the more this light is used (the TV being powered on) the faster & more likely it is to dim.

Now how long this takes depends on a number of factors like the type of TV, build quality, the environment it’s placed in, and of course the original question, the amount of time it’s on a day (which we’ll get to in a bit)

But leaving it on constantly day in and day out, could have a compounding effect over time.

 

It Could Cause Pixels In OLED Displays To Dim Faster & The Blue Pixel To Dim In Both


Another thing that could happen, particularly in OLED displays, is the pixels dimming faster as a result of the panel constantly being powered on.

OLED televisions are different from their LED based counterparts since they don’t actually use a backlight — but rather organic materials that light up when exposed to electricity.

This is what allows them to achieve that contrasty & dynamic image that makes movie watching on them so captivating (definitely awesome in my opinion)

But constant use can also cause them to dim over time.

And although OLED & LED TVs utilize red, green, & blue pixels, it’s the blue pixel that’s also likely to experience problems first

This is because the amount of energy required for a blue pixel to emit light is a lot higher than than the others and so tends to burn out first over time.

However if constantly powered on, then the lifespan of that pixel may be shorter which could cause the screen to begin losing quality or even glitch.

That said, there have been advances in display technology though that might help with the longevity of the pixels.

Having the right color temperature setting could be a factor too with how things actually look on screen as well.




 

It Could Use More Electricity By Being Constantly On


Something else to keep in mind is the increased amount of electricity that a TV constantly on might use.

Of course most tvs now have all sorts of ECO and energy saving modes designed to accommodate for that very thing, though simply powering the television off when not in use can be helpful too.

 

It Could Malfunction If Left On In High Humidity/Heat


One potential scenario that could happen especially if a television is left in an environment with high humidity/heat is it could begin to malfunction.

Moisture and/or heat is bad for the internals of electronics, and being powered on in those kinds of environments wouldn’t really help.

So just ensure that wherever the TV is placed isn’t somewhere where there’s a lot of humidity & heat to ensure it continues to properly function and the screen doesn’t become blurry

 

 

Image Retention/Burn In Could Happen


Although this is an issue that primarily affects OLED tvs, leaving a static image on a TV for extended periods of time can cause that image to temporarily or even permanently remain on screen.

This is due to the pixels in that part of the screen having to work harder to display that same image than the others ones.

This could be anything from a video game UI to a news ticker.

Screen brightness tends to play a big part in this too, and the brighter the screen happens to be then over time the higher the chances might be for that to occur.

If it’s temporary, this is known as image retention, and may potentially resolve on its own.

You could also try using a soft cloth to clean the screen and/or playing particular display test sequences online that might help.

However if it’s burn in, that means it’s permanent which the only thing you can do at that point is prevent it from getting worse.

Luckily modern screens have gotten much better with preventing this and isn’t as prevalent as it use to be from what I’ve noticed — but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible either.

So definitely be mindful of having still images on a bright screen for long periods of time.




 

How Long Should a TV Be on a Day?


So with all of this being said, and getting back to the original question, how long should a TV be on a day?

Well the answer to that question is actually going to depend on you.

However long you watch TV per day is how long it should be on, at least in my opinion.

I’d say ideally the TV should be on only when you’re actually watching it, and off the rest of the time. That way it prolongs the life of the TV and doesn’t use excess energy it doesn’t need to.

Just keep in mind the length of time you use it daily might influence the total lifespan of the TV.

Some people find TV to be relaxing, and some even use it to fall asleep at night.

Though there’s the topic of how TV might affect sleep quality since there’s differing views on that — and the concept of blue light exposure when looking at a screen.



What I will say is that for me personally, whenever I do watch TV, I only do so around 2-3 hours and then turn it off when I’m not watching it.

Keep in mind though that when the TV is on, its fans are running too — and it might accumulate dust over time which could also affect your tv’s longevity.

Proper ventilation is important so your TV works properly, and the more dust that accumulates, the more heat that might be present since the dust would be blocking the vents.

Using a canless air duster to occasionally clear the vents can be helpful in that regard.

Properly maintaining your television and electronics in general is important so here’s a few ways to do that.

Home Theater Maintenance

 

If you think your TV might be failing all together though, here’s a few TVs that are quite capable in my opinion.

https://easyhometheater.net/the-best-tvs

 

 

Final Thoughts


In short, while there’s probably different viewpoints on the amount of time a day a TV should be on, I think it really depends personally — but when not in use, it should probably be turned off for longevity of the display.

That’s my take on things at least.

With that though, that pretty much wraps things up for this one.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple.




When Should You Replace Your TV? (Important Signs To Watch)

When Should You Replace Your TV? (Important Signs To Watch)


When should you replace your TV?

Getting a new TV has to be one of the most exciting things in my opinion.

The pure joy and anticipation of how your favorite shows & movies will look on your new screen is something that’s truly special.

But the amount of time that TV lasts depends directly on the conditions you keep it in, and how much you use it daily.

So how do you know when you should replace your TV?

Well there’s typically a few signs to be aware of so let’s dive right in to answer that very question!




When Should You Replace Your TV?


You should replace your TV when you begin to notice a dramatic reduction in the screen’s brightness, clarity, or color vibrancy – which typically happens well after a decade. While dependent on a wide variety of factors, I’ve found that TVs tend to physically last around 13 years, but are succeeded in terms of their feature set in roughly 6 years.

 

How Do You Know Your TV Needs Replacing? (Signs Your TV Is Going Out)


The Screen Looks Dimmer


One sign that your TV might unfortunately be on the way out is you notice that’s it’s looking a lot dimmer than usual.

This might be something that’s gradual or even immediate, but a decrease in luminosity is a key indicator that it could be time for a replacement.

I would first check to see if any settings were accidentally turned on though since that could also be the reason.

If there’s an ambient mode enabled in the settings, it could be reacting to the lighting conditions in the room so turn it off if enabled to see if that makes a difference.

Then check the backlight setting to see what it’s set at and try increasing that to see if it helps.

I would also check the gamma setting to see if adjusting that helps any.

Also, any settings with the word dynamic or something similar could be messing with the black levels in the image so it’s possible that changing this could remedy the issue.

But if adjusting the settings and even switching to a different picture mode entirely doesn’t help, then your TV might need replacing.




 

Less Vibrant Colors


Piggybacking off the last point of a much dimmer screen being a sign it might need to be placed, a similar indication that your TV might be dying is the colors it produces aren’t nearly as vibrant as they once were.

First, before anything though, ensure none of the settings related to color weren’t accidentally changed on your display.

A changed color value can affect your picture’s display dramatically so definitely make sure it wasn’t reduced.

Also see if changing the picture mode helps any and if your TV supports it, ensure the HDR setting for your TV is actually on.

I know that some TVs actually allow you to change which HDMI ports pass through 4K & HDR signals, so make sure the port you’re using has passthrough for those features enabled in the menu if it supports it.

 

Picture Quality Isn’t As Sharp


If you notice your TV as of late is starting to look fuzzy or it lacks clarity, then it may be indicative of a failing panel — although not always necessarily.

I say that because an incorrect sharpness setting can majorly impact how clear the image looks.

Even though it’s often recommended to keep this setting at 0 for accuracy sake, some displays can actually do the opposite by introducing an intentional blurring of the image.

So a good rule of thumb for the sharpness setting that l feel often looks good is 1 or 2 clicks above or below the 20 percent of the maximum value.




For example if your sharpness setting goes to 20, then 20 percent of that value would be 4.

So turning the sharpness to 5 or 6 (above) or 3 or 2 (below) might give a good result visually.

But every person along with every television is different so if the picture doesn’t look right by your own eyes, try increasing or decreasing the sharpness to see if it helps.

Also make sure the resolution on the device your TV is connected to is set at the highest resolution since otherwise it might look off.

 

Random Pixels Aren’t Working


The occasional dead pixel isn’t likely anything to worry about, and might have even been there from the start.

However if you start suddenly noticing a bunch of these pixels that simply aren’t working then this might indeed be a sign that something is awry.



Blue pixels are the most likely to stop since the amount of energy needed for them to emit light at a normal level is much higher than red or green and so tend to burn out at a higher rate.

Though advances in display technology have greatly improved the issue compared to how it use to be, there’s still the possibility that those pixels give out first.

If you notice discolored pixels though, then these are known as stuck pixels which may be reversible since they still technically function.

Using a soft cloth to massage the area of the screen affected and/or playing particular test sequences can potentially alleviate the issue.

By using a pixel test, you’ll be able to identify if there’s any pixels that aren’t working correctly.

However if it’s a large number of them that’s easily visible then that’s a sign of a mechanical failure.

 

Noticeable Image Retention


Image rention simply put, is when a static element that’s left on screen for an extended period of time (like a brand logo or news ticker) is visible on the screen even when that piece of content or movie isn’t technically playing.

It’ll often be the most visible when the screen is bright and typically only really affects OLED screens due to the way they work.

Newer OLED tvs luckily have features that greatly reduce the occurrence of this happening, but if you have an older television then there’s a much greater chance that it could develop some degree of image retention.




 

HDMI Ports Stopped Working


If you notice that one of your HDMI ports abruptly stopped functioning or receiving signal, then there’s likely some form of internal failure in the components of your TV.

Unfortunately once one fails for good, there isn’t really an easy way to fix this.

In addition to this if you do notice a port fails, the potential that subsequent ports fail may be a possibility so that’s something to keep in mind.

There’s always the possibility of the wire itself being the culprit too so make sure there isn’t any fraying or bends in the wire that could be causing issues.

 

Check Availability Of High Speed HDMI Cable

 

 

White Levels Seem Green Or Reddish


Something else that might tell you that it might be time to soon replace your TV screen is you notice that the screen itself is starting to look green reddish when it didn’t before.

This could be for any number of reasons from panel failure, to an abundance of stuck pixels, to even an incorrect tint or color temperature setting; but just know that a change in the white levels of your television screen could possibly indicate a future issue with its capabilities.

 

Artifacts Or Lines Across The Screen


This is certainly one of the more obvious signs but if you begin to notice artifacts or lines beginning to spread across the TV when you turn it on, then that’s a big sign that it may be time to replace it since it indicates a failure of the panel itself.




 

Other Reasons Someone Would Want To Replace Their TV

 

Your TV Now Seems Small


Now there’s other reasons one might want to replace their current television even if it’s working fine.

One good reason is it now seems small.

Initially it might have seemed like your TV was grandiose, but if you’ve gotten accustomed to it over the years then you might now be finding it to not be as impressive as it once seemed.

So getting a larger TV to recapture that initial feeling of awe might be a reason someone would want to upgrade.

 

To Fully Utilize New Devices & Gaming Consoles


Let’s face it, technology moves fast and with that comes new devices designed to be the most compatible with those newer screens.

In addition, if you’re a gamer, newer consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5 have all sorts of visual features like high refresh rates and 8K resolutions that newer screens support.

However if you have an older display then you wouldn’t be able to fully take advantage of all the features they have to offer and thus wouldn’t be getting the full experience.

By getting a newer TV that supports those features, you’re then able to experience a much different way of playing your favorite games.

 

To Future Proof Your Viewing Experience


Finally with things like Dolby Vision, 8K resolution, etc. slowly but surely gaining traction, you might just feel the need to future proof yourself for when these newer features eventually become more mainstream.

By getting ahead of the curve and opting for a feature rich display, you allow yourself to experience the latest in visual technology ahead of time.




 

How Many Years Should A TV Last?


So as for the original question and the very point of this entire article, how many years should a TV last exactly?

Well there’s actually 3 answers to that question suprisingly.

There’s a number of things that impact the duration of your tv’s lifespan from the temperature of the room it’s placed in, to how long the screen itself is actually on daily.

Even the type of TV it is and its build quality play a massive part.

But what I’ve found from personal experience is the amount of time a TV lasts physically, as in how long it’ll actually show a picture before not working adequately is about 13ish years.

Again I want to reiterate that this number can vary wildly depending on a number of factors that can make it last longer or shorter — but on average that’s just what I’ve personally found so by no means is that definitive.

However the amount of time before you start to notice issues with the screen may be a slightly shorter time period than that.

I noticed that around about year 11 is where visual abnormalities tend to occur with a screen.




This could be a dimming in the backlight, pixels starting to not work, etc.

Of course not always, and it might even be perfectly fine by that point, but that’s just the point in time I tend to notice a change.

Now another way to look at how long a TV lasts is the amount of newer devices that sport features your current TV can’t take advantage of — or even just newer types of televisions themselves!

This could be a new display technology, a newer form of HDR, a higher resolution, etc and while much less necessary than the TV not physically working itself, a growing number of newer devices with higher specifications could also give you the itch to upgrade.

With that metric, TVs tend to be outdated in terms of the newest features by year 6 give or take from what I’ve noticed.

That’s if you’re talking about the very latest in display technologies and want absolutely no compromises with your entertainment experience.

Again whether it’s worth upgrading for that is completely up to the individual, but from my experience, that’s just what I noticed personally.

 

What Tvs Would I Recommend?


With all of that said, what tvs would I recommend?

Honestly it’s a difficult question since there’s a lot of good options out there and what someone is looking for in a TV might not be what someone else is looking for.

For recommendations at different sizes, this might help.

https://easyhometheater.net/the-best-tvs

 

But for brevity sake, these are 2 tvs I think are pretty awesome.

Check Availability Of The LG OLED C2 TV

 

Check Availability Of The Samsung Q60B series TV

 

 

Final Thoughts


To wrap things up, the basic takeaway here is that the time to replace a TV is going to depend on a number of factors — and the introduction of newer display features can certainly play a role in that decision.

But with proper care, your TV should last quite awhile.

Hopefully this helped clarify the original question and you now have an idea of what to look for when it comes to identifying signs that your TV might be failing.

That’s pretty much it for now though.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple.




Does Your TV Look Blurry? Here’s 11 Potential Reasons Why

Why Does My TV Look Blurry (7 Potential Reasons Why)

Does Your TV Look Blurry? Here’s 11 Potential Reasons Why


Why Does My TV Look Blurry

Your TV looks blurry because of either an incorrect aspect ratio, a lower default resolution setting, a lower bitrate or sharpness setting, an older HDMI cable that isn’t high speed, a blur reduction/motion setting that should/shouldn’t be toggled on, electrical interference, or the TV’s panel itself could be failing.

 

If your current TV’s picture quality negatively changed all of a sudden, or you noticed a lack of image clarity on your new TV, it could stem from a low sharpness setting, to a defective HDMI port.

A fuzzy image could even be caused by a faulty outlet from my experience over the years.

There’s other possible reasons too, so lets go over why your picture quality might not be looking the way it should, and ways to potentially fix it!




 

Reasons Why Your TV Might Appear Blurry & How To Fix Your Image


1). The Aspect Ratio Somehow Changed


The first thing that could have potentially happened is the aspect ratio was changed somehow.

If the aspect ratio was changed in your settings, you may have to change it to a more suitable one.

To give a little context beforehand so you understand how, aspect ratio is basically a comparison between the height and width of the TV’s picture, represented as a ratio.

This ratio between the 2 on screen dimensions helps to standardize content creation for those screens.

Modern televisions have an aspect ratio of 16 by 9 inches, (16:9) whereas movies are often filmed at a 21:9 ratio.

So for that movie to fit the screen, there needs to be black boxes at the top and bottom (known as letter boxes)




Older shows however were created through a 4:3 aspect ratio.

In order for those shows to work on a modern screen, vertical black bars are placed on each side of the screen (called pillar boxes.)

The reason I’m explaining this is because cable boxes and TVs often allow you to adjust the image by using different aspect ratios.

However if your current aspect ratio wasn’t compatible with the content you were watching, or it somehow changed from a previous setting, then it could have an unwanted effect on your picture quality.

This could be in the form of the content itself looking stretched out or the content appearing too small for your display.

So in the settings menu of the TV, look at the aspect ratio it’s currently using.

The specific menu varies by TV, but it’ll typically be found under a sub menu called picture settings, display settings, or something similar to those.

Do same within the menu for the device you’re also using with that TV — whether it’s a cable box, streaming device, etc.

If it’s not set at 16:9, change it to that to see if it helps your image quality to not look blurry or stretched since that’s the standard one used on modern TVs.

If it’s already set at that and still looks off, try using a different aspect ratio to see how it affects the picture quality.

Otherwise, it could be another issue entirely.

 

 

2). The Resolution Might Be Set Low


Another potential reason why your picture quality looks soft is there’s an incorrect resolution setting that’s causing the image to look bad.

An HD television has a maximum resolution of 1080×1920 pixels, meaning there’s 1080 pixels in height and 1920 pixels in width.

A modern 4K TV meanwhile, has a larger amount of pixels with a maximum native resolution of 2160×3840 height and width wise.

While this increase in pixels results in better clarity, if the devices you connect to your TV aren’t set to the correct resolution, you won’t see it.

In that case, your TV and/or those devices connected will internally upscale the image to fit the display.

So that upscaled image itself might appear blurry when forced to fit your screen.

This is especially if the original resolution is set below the TVs full capability.




For example if the TV or device is set to 480p in the resolution settings, the upscaled image is going to look blurry on a larger display up close.

So to fix this, make sure that the highest resolution settings are always applied with whatever device you’re using.

As an example, my one Samsung TV allows 4K HDR playback on all 4 HDMI slots.

However through the settings in a sub menu called HDMI UHD Color, which is under another sub menu called External Device Manager, that higher clarity can be enabled & disabled for each HDMI input.

So if I wanted to play games on my Xbox Series X or PS5 in 4K HDR, I’d need to make sure that both my console and screen were outputting at that max resolution.

I say all that to say check that you’re using the highest resolution settings you can for both the TV and the device.

It could be possible the individual input isn’t enabled for that higher fidelity if it’s something that can be toggled on & off.

By having it enabled, you get the best clarity and dynamism that it’s capable of.

Keep in mind this applies to streaming too, as some services may launch with a default visual setting that’s lower than what your TV can actually do.

So if you’re wondering why your movie streaming quality almost looks out of focus, that could be why.

Keep in mind too that the quality of the upscaling technology itself plays a sizeable factor in the picture quality you experience.

That’s because the upscaling capabilities can vary from each device.

A fuzzy TV screen/picture could of course be the result of a faulty HDMI cable, the display being set on the wrong input, or a failing panel too, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

As a side note, using a soft microfiber cloth to gently clean any dust off the screen itself can also help with keeping the image looking pristine.

 

 

 

3). The Birate Might Be Too Low If You’re Streaming


Something else you’ll also want to be sure of is that you’re using the highest bitrate that your internet can handle while streaming content.

The higher the bitrate, meaning the more bits at that time, the more clarity your screen might seem to show — even at the same resolution.

So if you notice that your content doesn’t look as clear as you think it should, a lower bitrate setting could be a potential reason why the screen appears grainy.

This becomes especially apparent if you have a bigger display or are seated closer to the display.

To fix the blurry TV screen, try raising the bitrate setting to the maximum your internet can handle so the streamed image appears crisp without buffering.

Buffering can happen when the internet connection can’t keep up with the amount of data that’s being processed for the image, or there’s an issue with the server.

When the bitrate drops, if it doesn’t buffer, you might notice the image quality either get blurrier or become pixilated.

Also keep in mind that different apps have different bitrate settings — so one streaming app could by default, be set on a lower setting compared to another.




 

4). Your Sharpness Setting Could Be Set Too Low


The proper sharpness setting can definitely add to the depth of an image, but if it’s set too low or too high, this can diminish image fidelity by making it either too sharp or the opposite.

In fact, it’s often recommended that setting this to 0 is best.

From my experience though, this isn’t always the case.

Occasionally some TVs will actually introduce some element of blurring to the image when sharpness is turned off.

So my recommendation is setting it at 20 percent of the sharpness range and going 1 click above or below that point.

For example, if the sharpness on your TV goes to 20, setting it at 4 and turning the sharpness up to 5 or down to 3 would likely provide the best result.

I’ll caveat that by saying every TV is different so that setting could be different in your case.

But I’ve personally found that starting at a click above or below 20 percent of the sharpness range always gave me a good balance between granularity and clarity in my TV’s picture quality.

Also if there are any settings specifically tied to sharpness like edge enhancement, try disabling it in the settings since this may be altering the picture in an undesirable way.

The right sharpness setting, among other visual settings, can have a large impact on your overall viewing experience.

 

 

5). Too Close Of A Seating Position


Another problem that can affect your perception of how sharp the image looks is sitting too close to the screen.

If your home theater seating is too close, then things might also seem a little fuzzy, (especially if sat too close to a larger screen)

Getting your seating placement right is important for not only experiencing the best sound, but getting the best picture quality as well.

Furthermore, the size of the screen plays a factor into this too as a bigger screen is going to likely require you sitting a little further back so things don’t look out of focus.




So you could also try by moving your seating back a bit to see if that helps with how it looks to your eyes.

But if you’re unsure what distance you should sit, don’t fret.

To figure out the best seating position for the right amount of screen clarity, this awesome seating calculator can help you determine exactly that.

https://www.inchcalculator.com/tv-size-viewing-distance-calculator

 

 

6). Using An Older Cable Type


If you’re using an older cable like an analog, composite, or even component cable in your setup, you could be limiting your resolution capabilities.

HDMI will give the best clarity due to its much higher bandwidth.

Using an older cable will likely result in a less clear image since they can’t transfer as much digital information as an HDMI cable could.

An older cable would only be capable of a lower resolution, which wouldn’t look as good on a larger display especially since there’s more area within your view.

So upgrading to HDMI may be helpful in that regard.

 

 

7). The Wrong Type Of HDMI Is Being Used


The HDMI itself also matters because if you use a lower bandwidth HDMI cable on a 4K TV, you’re going to be limited to a lower resolution (1080P at the max)

HDMI 2.0 cables, also referred to as high speed cables, have a 18 gigabytes per second bandwidth meaning it can support a maximum 4k resolution at a 60 frames refresh in content.

Ultra high speed, or HDMI 2.1 cables allow for 48 gigabytes per second.

This allows for 8K resolutions at 60 frames which is a lot more information comparatively.

So if you’re using a somewhat modern TV screen, using an ultra high speed HDMI cable allows your TV to fully utilize the maximum resolution it’s capable of.

Plus they’re backwards compatible, meaning they can still be used with lower resolution displays too.

 

Check Availability Of Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable

 

 

8).The HDMI Cable Could Be Faulty Or Damaged


There’s also the possibility that the HDMI cable could be faulty, which could result in your picture quality not looking so great.

This could come in the way of frayed wire strands, or bends in the wire that may have caused the wiring inside to break.

So check the wire to make sure there aren’t any tears or bends in any of the cables.

Seeing as how this is the component directly responsible for properly carrying the video signal, any damage to the wire can disrupt the signal and negatively affect image quality.




 

9). A Faulty HDMI Port Could Be The Issue


Following on from that last point, it’s possible that the HDMI port is faulty which would be the reason your content doesn’t look the way it should.

A faulty port could cause the signal to be interrupted if it’s damaged, or it could cause the screen it to glitch in some way.

If the connection of one port is bad, try switching the port and use a different cable to see if that helps.

 

 

10). Check If Any Motion Or Specialized Image Settings Are Enabled


TVs will often come enabled with all sorts of settings for image quality, however sometimes they can have the opposite effect.

Check if any settings with motion blur, film grain, noise reduction, blur reduction, or something similar in the name are enabled/disabled — and try toggling them on or off.

Some of these settings may make a TV’s picture look realistic and might be something some prefer.

In other instances it may even make things look worse.

I keep saying every display is different but it’s something I’ve certainly found to be true over the years especially when it comes to settings.

Troubleshooting problems with image quality can be tricky since I’ve seen displays where these settings sometimes help, and others where they don’t.

So try toggling them on or off to see if they help with your image clarity.

Also, using a different color temperature mode as well as calibration could help the image’s overall fidelity.



 

11). The TV Display Could Be Experiencing Interference Somehow


Something that may be causing that degradation in your picture quality is your TV could be experiencing electrical interference from a device that’s close to it.

This could be causing distortion in your television’s picture.

This could be caused by any number of things including the outlet it’s plugged into.

So to fix this, change where the TV is plugged in to see if that helps the issue.

If changing where the TV is plugged in helps, then you’ll know there was some element of interference happening.

Or it’s also possible that whatever it was plugged into could have been faulty.

To add to that, a surge protector in particular can help with this as its specialized circuitry can help mitigate any extraneous electricity.

I know I’ve had this happen before, and in my case a surge protector did actually help.

Also, If you’re using satellite TV, then make sure that the dish itself doesn’t have debris or anything on it.

That can directly impact the image quality of your content due to the signal possibly not being as strong.

If you’re using an antenna, damage to it can cause images on screen to distort so that’s something to keep in mind.

 

Check Availability Of Surge Protector Power Strip

 

 

 

Additional Potential Reason: The TV Itself Could Be Failing


Depending on the television’s age, it could be possible that the TV itself is failing.

That means it could be time to either get professional service for the TV, or replace the panel entirely.

How long a TV lasts and when you should replace it depends on a number of factors including usage, humidity, quality, etc.

However I’ve found picture quality start to diminish after year 8 typically.

This time period could always be longer or shorter, but if you notice things aren’t looking how they use to, this could be a reason.

It also depends on the backlighting approach the TV uses itself too.

Some TVs use local dimming which basically allows the panel to adjust parts of the image based on what’s on screen.

The more dimming zones it has, the more accurate it tends to be.

There’s even different types of local dimming, like backlight, edglit, etc.



But if you find yourself asking why your TV picture looks cloudy or unclear, it’s always possible that the TV’s local dimming zones aren’t functioning properly.

This can make some areas of the screen look more pronounced in visibility which could present itself in the form of blooming.

The fewer the dimming zones, the more pronounced this may look.

Though blooming can be minimized, it can’t really be “fixed” since it’s the dependent on that display’s capabilities.

This only applies to LED TVs though since they have light bulbs inside to illuminate the pixels.

But that doesn’t mean it’s something that you’ll automatically experience with these types of TVs either since some quality ones can have an incredible black levels.

OLED TVs don’t experience blooming since they don’t have a backlight and use a different process to show an image.

But if the panel is looking unclear in some spots or is unusually dark in specific parts on screen, then that may be a sign it could be failing.

If you do think it might be time to replace your display though, the LG C4 & Samsung Q80D are awesome TVs in my opinion.

Check Availability Of LG 55 Inch Class OLED Evo C4 Series

 

Check Availability Of Samsung 50 Inch Class QLED 4K Q80D Series

 

They do a great job with color vibrancy, picture quality, and have some pretty amazing HDR too.

Here are other TVs that you may find incredible regarding their image clarity too.

The Best TVs

 

 

Final Thoughts


Those are some the reasons why things might not be looking they way they should.

But hopefully the information talked about here helps remedy the issue.

I know how important getting a good picture quality is, however there’s things we unknowingly do that can dramatically affect the clarity we ultimately experience.

Luckily, as long as the TV panel itself isn’t degrading, and it isn’t defective, there’s usually a way to improve the way your content looks.

That’s about it for this one though.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple!




Should You Turn Sharpness All The Way Down? (Explained)

Should You Turn Sharpness All The Way Down? (Explained)


When getting a new TV for the first time, it’s very possible that their settings not be set optimally right out of the box.

That means that for the average person that decides to leave the television on its default settings, they may not be getting the full capability of their display.

This could be in the form of blooming due to the backlight being too high, or a color setting that causes the image to look off.

Now with that said, a common piece of advice that’s given is turning the sharpness setting all the way down.

However is this something you should do for every TV?

Well here’s what I’ve learned…

 

Should You Turn Sharpness All The Way Down?


Turning the sharpness all the way down doesn’t always yield better picture quality as I’ve found that 1-2 notches above or below 20 percent of the sharpness value often gives a good balance between clarity and accuracy. Setting this too low can sometimes soften the image, whereas setting it too high can introduce visual artifacts making the image look artificial.




 

What is The Sharpness Setting?


So to figure out the right sharpness setting, it’s important to understand what sharpness actually is so you have an idea of what it actually does.

To simplify it, basically think of sharpness as a way to make the picture look more defined by crisping up the edges of everything that’s on screen at the time.

It’s an immediate way to artificially “sharpen” (for lack of a better word) an image by adding additional information around edges to make it appear sharper.

It’s also often referred to as edge enhancement since it basically enhances the edges of the elements visually present by adjusting the area around them.

However here’s the problem with this setting; setting it too high can actually decrease picture quality since it can make it harder to actually discern specific details in an image.

Setting it too high can introduce all kinds of noisy artifacts that just makes the picture look off (this is especially apparent when set at the maximum level)

You’ll notice how much the image changes depending on how high or low the setting is.

Speaking of which..

 

Is Lower Sharpness Better?


With all this being said, is a lower sharpness setting better?

Interestingly enough, not necessarily in my opinion, since there’s something else that you may not have been aware of when it comes to setting your sharpness too low.

You may have heard the common recommendation of turning down the sharpness to 0 because setting it too high can throw the picture quality out of whack and making things look unnatural.

But did you know that turning it too low can also sometimes have a similar effect depending on the TV?

With some particular TVs, setting it at 0 doesn’t just simply remove sharpness — some TVs can actually introduce an image softening algorithm that slightly blurs the image when set at 0 rather than simply not using it.

That means turning the sharpness setting entirely off may not always yield the best picture quality on every TV.

Why this happens even I’m not exactly sure, but it’s definitely something I’ve seen a few times through the years so it’s something to be aware of.

 

What Is The Best Setting For Sharpness?


So then knowing all this, what exactly is the best setting for TV sharpness then?

Well first I would say from where you would normally sit, try turning the value all the way to 0 and seeing how much the image changes.

A slight change is normal since the default value was likely set higher — however if the picture quality becomes really blurry then it’s definitely possible your TV could be implementing some sort of image softener to the edges in the scene which certainly doesn’t help clarity.




From my experience, I’ve found that 1 to 2 notches higher or lower from 20 percent of the sharpness value that the TV uses is a good starting point.

This of course is also going to depend on how much variance the sharpness setting has since every TV is different.

For example if you can only adjust it 5 notches in total, then fine tuning it wouldn’t be possible since it would change in larger increments.

In that case, it would be better to set it on 1 since that would be 20 percent of that sharpness range.

However if you could adjust the setting say 20 notches for a particular TV, then a setting value of around 4 might look good in terms of clarity.

This of course is going to be personal preference too since some may prefer the look of a higher or lower setting, (and it even depends on the capabilities of the television itself) but this is just what I’ve personally found to look best.

Though, even this isn’t always going to be the case, so it’s really ultimately best to go by what your eyes tell you.

Try adjusting the image until there aren’t any artifacts and lines around the stuff that’s on the screen while it still appearing sharp.

That’ll be the setting works best.

Keep in mind too that the type of content your viewing can also have some sort of impact on your sharpness setting.

For example, an older movie with a lower native resolution may actually look better with a higher sharpness setting than a lower one.

Conversely, the opposite could be true too.




Some older content may have been created with a naturally higher sharpness value too, so compounding that with setting your own sharpness too high could make it look artificial so it depends.

Again adjust it until you reach what you think looks best, but just be aware of the introduction of visual artifacts on screen since that’ll be a good indicator that the sharpness setting is set too high.

 

Final Thoughts


That about wraps it for this one but I just wanted to quickly cover the sharpness setting and provide some clarity on what it should be set at.

It’s definitely something that’s subjective since everyone’s preference and television might vary, but hopefully this could serve as a helpful starting point with getting an awesome picture quality.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple!