Everyone wants an improved TV. Even some of the best TVs at times can have their own particular downsides and might require a set of enhancements to make them run better and work better for you.
It could be anything from an interface that's sorely lacking (looking at your Fire TV), to too few HDMI ports that meet your needs. You could also be working with a slow or outdated display that needs a bit extra juice to get it going properly.
Luckily, there's tons of ways for you to enhance your home entertainment setup — most of which are actually free and won't require you to shell out hundreds on a new display.
Not all of my tips are free. But I will stress that the TV upgrades with price tags listed below will come relatively cheap — and they're totally worth it depending on the type of TV you own.
So, get yourself the TV upgrade you never thought you needed with these following tricks. And if they aren't enough, there's a slew of options to pick among the best cheap TV deals right now.
Turn off power saving
One of the first things I tend to do when testing a new TV is turn the various green energy and power saving settings off immediately.
It sounds counterintuitive for environmentalists, and I understand it might also be egregious for those who truly care about properly combatting over-use in terms of energy consumption, but the benefits for TV performance outweigh its actual impact.
Plus, TVs these days tend to have their own various power cycling settings separate from those green energy ones, which tend to just muddle the picture quality more than anything.
Just look at some of the best OLED TVs, like the LG C4 OLED or the Samsung S95D, which both have special OLED burn-in protective measures that limit screen usage (and, hence, energy consumption).
If you want expert picture quality, stick to Filmmaker mode and get rid of those green energy settings. You'll thank me in the long run.
Turn off motion smoothing
Another setting that's easy to recommend toggling off is motion smoothing. Every TV will label this differently, with Samsung calling it "clear motion," while LG calls it "TruMotion."
Whatever the case my be, make sure to either lower it or turn it off completely depending on the type of content you're watching.
Motion smoothing aims to make the content look (hence the name) smoother with additional frames baked into it. In the end, it typically gives content an unnatural "soap opera" effect that a lot of TV owners will want to avoid.
I think the one time you might want it set at a lower degree would be if you're watching sports content, but this is entirely dependent on your preferences and the type of TV you're running.
Otherwise, I'd steer clear from this setting unless you want all of your on-screen content to look like "Days of Our Lives."
Update your TV OS
One major problem your TV could be facing is outdated firmware. Most modern sets these days will; have automatic updates, but even then it's good practice to consistently check how old your TV OS is.
For instance, Roku TVs will often require a check-in when it comes to software updates, but Samsung TVs don't hesitate to alert you when you're firmware is out of date.
You'll find the software update under system settings in most cases and once updated you might not notice a major difference, but it's primarily there for security concerns or updated features.
If there's any TVs out there needing consistent software update check-ins, it would be the best LG TVs. LG announced the webOS Renew program last year, which will retroactively bring new TV interface upgrades to its older sets.
For instance, the new webOS 25 on its 2025 TV lineup will eventually find its way on TVs dating as far back as 2022.
Bottom line: It never hurts to check to see if your TV firmware is up to date, as it could give your display that extra boost you've been asking for.
Clear TV cache
Your TV could be potentially bogged down with all of its years of information and data overstressing the system. This is typically stored in its cache memory, a collection of data the TV stores in order to make programs and app use easier to use.
It's ironic, given that the storage cache is intended to speed up performance, but it can bog your TV down if not cleared every so often.
Once again, not every TV approaches this setting in the same way. You might have to hunt around in the backend to find it and even then you might not. I couldn't find it on the Samsung S90D OLED, but it's most likely hidden in the system settings or support section in your TV OS.
Use a wired internet connection
It might sound like a no-brainer, but a ton of TV users forego a wired ethernet connection despite the immense benefits it offers.
I understand that even some of the best Wi-Fi routers tend to limit inputs to three or four, which leaves little room for a TV connection after your gaming console, PC, and assorted devices that might matter a bit more.
But the TV internet is crucial, especially if it's a smart TV. Some modern displays will often be hampered by Wi-Fi connectivity. Not to mention the fact that most are still stuck on Wi-Fi 5, like the LG C4 OLED and Samsung S95D.
For that reason, I'd hard wire your TV for the best possible performance when watching content primarily via the best streaming services.
Rumors suggest that Wi-Fi 7 is arriving on newer TVs in 2025, but even with the advancements on offer with this new specification, I'd still hardwire your smart TV to the router when possible for the best performance.
Connect an HDMI switcher
Your TV might also be limited in its HDMI ports. Most modern displays these days come equipped with at least four HDMI inputs, typically with two relegated to the HDMI 2.1 spec and the other two being HDMI 2.0.
While we're not quite at the point yet for HDMI 2.2, you would like to see the full range of inputs on your display with the 2.1 specification for various connected devices, including the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X or audio hardware, like some of the best soundbars.
And for that, you'll want an HDMI switcher. These devices add even more functionality to your TV, offering you increased inputs, often ranging between three to even seven.
The best cheap HDMI switchers are for the users with a range of connected devices that might include a full sound system, gaming consoles and even a Blu-ray player.
Use a streaming device (seriously)
You may end up disliking the base interface that comes with your TV right out of the box. Or, perhaps the interface is a bit too slow, as is the case with the Sansui 55-inch OLED TV.
You could even be using a set that's too old to even have a smart OS like most modern displays.
That's where a streaming stick or set-top-box will come in handy. These devices typically come cheap and offer a range of variations to choose from.
Say your TV is older and doesn't even offer 4K resolution. You can just go with a Roku Express to give your "dumb" TV an intelligent boost thanks to the Roku ecosystem.
There's a ton of different options to choose from among the best streaming devices and, given our years of testing in this category, I can safely recommend the Apple TV 4K as the most premium pick.
Those on a budget can go with the Roku Streaming Stick 4K as the next best (and cheapest) option.
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