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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Kaycee Hill

Why your TV doesn't look as good as expected — this one setting caps quality

PS5 Pro on TV in living room.

You've got an expensive TV, connected your PS5, Apple TV 4K, or gaming PC. Everything works — the picture is sharp, colors look decent, HDR seems to be on, but something just doesn't feel right. For what you paid, the image should look better than this.The problem isn't your TV's panel or your device. It's your HDMI settings. Most TVs ship with HDMI ports set to standard or compatible mode that limits bandwidth. This ensures compatibility with any device you plug in, preventing connection errors and no signal screens. But it also caps your picture quality far below what your TV and devices can actually deliver.Switching to enhanced HDMI mode unlocks the full capabilities you paid for. Here's how to enable it and why it matters.

Why HDMI defaults to limited mode

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