# Best Picture Setting on a LG-42ln5400 HDTV/ **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611 "2014-07-08T05:03:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pauly01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Pauly01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pauly01)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/1 "2014-07-08T05:03:39Z")
We got this 42’ tv and when we opened it, the picture/settings seem to be not very good. Does anyone know a site where they show best picture setting for specific model of tv? Example the current default mode is eco and i know from playing around with it, sport looks much better than eco. then you have options like cinema etc but the default seems to have a very dim color. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/2 "2014-07-08T09:45:26Z")
New TVs are often set at a very bright level which makes them stand out in the shop display. This site will give you all the information you need, and people on the forum will answer questions knowledgeably. > **[Picture Perfect TV setup guide](https://www.avforums.com/PicturePerfect/)** > > We help you set up your TV so that it looks better. Start here ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/3 "2014-07-08T10:40:11Z")
I think it’s just personal preference. I like mine on a setting called “Vivid”. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/4 "2014-07-08T10:51:29Z")
It depends on your environment. How big the room is and how far away from the screen you are, how dark it gets in the room at different times a day, what you’re used to on your old TV. I recommend resetting to default and starting from scratch. Usually there’s a preset that will be good enough. I can also set mine to different options for either movies or TV (and probably video games, though I don’t play any). ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/5 "2014-07-08T13:52:00Z")
We used to have one of those. . . I think we usually used the Sports setting or a custom one. . . just play with it until it looks good. ---
**Author:** ![Pauly01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Pauly01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pauly01)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/6 "2014-07-08T16:30:33Z")
But is there a site that posts best tv settings for picture/sound for each tv? I checked that site and it mentioned cinema or expert is best for my tv model specific but would what about sound, brightness etc? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/7 "2014-07-08T16:38:25Z")
Here’s a [page](http://forums.cnet.com/hdtv-picture-settings-forum/) where the CNET TV reviewer posts his calibrated settings for each TV he reviews. I used it a few years ago for my new TV and was pretty pleased. ---
**Author:** ![Pauly01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Pauly01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pauly01)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/8 "2014-07-08T16:44:43Z")
Does caalibrated settings mean the best settings? i saw a page where someone posted the calibrated settings for this model tv i have. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/9 "2014-07-08T17:22:47Z")
Best is often personal preference. You won’t ever see what you want in a simple form. Most people seem to like (at first) overly saturated colours. Many TVs have a preset which is “shop mode” which creates an overly saturated picture - to try to stand out from the other TVs in the store. Places like AVS forums are populated by home theatre enthusiasts. When you get to this point there **is** a quantitative best. However it is usually is not available as a preset. Indeed many TV’s don’t have the ability to get there without considerable effort, or external equipment. Most people who see a properly calibrated screen think it looks washed out, until they sit down and watch high quality content on one. Properly calibrated means your screen will reproduce the colours correctly. Movies will look the same as they would in the cinema. The trouble is, there is manufacturing variability between screens, and they age, shifting the colours, so calibration needs external measurement to get right. However, someone else’s settings are likely a pretty good place to start. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-picture-setting-on-a-lg-42ln5400-hdtv/692611/10 "2014-07-08T17:24:05Z")
Since the OP is asking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator