Getting the most out of a late-model TV requires a little effort. It doesn’t matter if it is entry-level or if it is a premium device; If we want to take advantage of its full potential we will be forced to adjust your settings. People who are used to using devices with an internet connection on a daily basis will probably not have any problems with this process, but for many older people it can represent a real challenge.
Unfortunately, manufacturers of “smart” devices, whether mobile phones, tablets, watches or televisions, do not usually pay attention to the elderly who use their products, although there are exceptions. But that’s what we are for. Users who feel comfortable with technology. This article is intended to be a guide that you can use if you want to help the elderly people around you and leave their television adjusted so that they can enjoy it effortlessly. Some of the steps we propose are designed expressly for them and can have a very beneficial impact on their experience.
Ten steps to help our elders enjoy their television more than ever
Our first tip is the most obvious of all those we are going to delve into in this article, but it is also the most important. If you are installing a new television, it is crucial to connect it to the home network so that it can communicate with the Internet. Otherwise, of course, a good part of its benefits will go to hell. It is usually possible to do this from the initial configuration wizard that appears when we turn on a television for the first time, but we can also do it later from the interface.
Wired connections are more stable than wireless ones, so we recommend using a network cable
If for whatever reason we need to use this last connection mode, we will only have to go to the menu Settings/Network. The name of the menus and options vary slightly from one television to another, but the routes that we indicate in this article will help you Identify the settings you need to manipulate. To connect the television to the Internet, you must do the same as with any other device: select the name of the wireless network to which you want to connect and enter the password. However, wired connections are more stable than wireless ones, so we recommend using a network cable if doing so does not make your life too complicated.
Currently, almost all modern operating systems for televisions allow us to customize the interface with some flexibility. Our advice is that if your elders’ television allows it, you should rearrange the apps that appear in the main part of the interface in order to place those that they will use most frequently in the first positions. They may regularly consume content from DTT and some streaming video platform, for example. In that case, if you place the accesses to the apps in the most visible and accessible area of the interface, you will be able to improve their experience.
In the last step of this article we will briefly investigate the calibration of the television image, but as a preview we suggest paying attention to a parameter that usually degrades our experience as users: image smoothing. This technique uses motion interpolation algorithms more or less sophisticated to improve the continuity of moving objects, but they frequently give us artificial and unnatural images that ruin the cinematic finish of some films. It is usually known as the ‘soap opera effect’.
Our proposal is that you deactivate the parameter that enables image smoothing, which can be called Image enhancement, Image clarity or something similar. This parameter usually resides in Settings/Image Settingsalthough, as I mentioned a few lines above, its location may vary from one television to another. Still, it shouldn’t be difficult to find it.
Our next proposal is very simple, but also important. And if the television is new, we suggest that you ask your elders which video-on-demand platforms they use and take care of identifying yourself on all of them. using your user data. This way they will not have to undertake the always tedious introduction of the email and password using the on-screen keyboard. If you do it, all the better.
Let’s go with our next proposal. Most modern televisions, especially if they are mid-range or high-end, incorporate an automatic image mode selection system. This technology allows the image processing engine to adapt precisely to the type of content we are playing at a given moment.
If your elders’ television includes this feature, we advise you to use it, and if not, we suggest that you explain to them in the simplest way possible how to change the image mode. In order not to complicate their lives, the ideal is that they stick to two or three modes at most. With that your experience will be adequate. Many televisions incorporate direct access to the image modes from one of the most accessible sections of the interface.
Now let’s go with the sound. A priori we don’t have to do much with it beyond making sure that the television’s speakers are enabled, or the optical output if we need to send the audio in digital format to an external device. However, some televisions offer us to adjust the volume level automatically so that it is homogeneous and listening is more pleasant. This option is interesting for any user, but older people will probably especially appreciate it. Our advice is that you activate it if your elders’ television allows you to do so.
Fortunately, television manufacturers are increasingly paying more attention to older people and those who have a visual or hearing disability. For this reason, in the menu Settings/Accessibility some of them allow us to increase the contrast between the text and the background so that the superimposed texts can be read with less effort; increase the size of the menus and texts on the screen, and even enlarge some portion of the images, among other options. If you believe that any of these options can help your elders, we suggest that you resort to them with conviction. It can greatly improve your experience.
Our next suggestion is not available on all televisions, but if your elders’ television contemplates this possibility, we suggest you take advantage of it. And some manufacturers have developed their own security technology that encrypts our user information and allows us to act on the permissions that applications have, among other tools. This component is similar to the security module that most mobile phones offer us. Be that as it may, if it is available, it is a good idea to use it, although it may be enabled by default.
A simple but important reminder: we suggest that you make sure that your elders’ television has the latest available revision of the operating system installed. As with computers, mobile phones or video game consoles, having the latest version of this software installed can have a noticeable impact on system stability and security operational, as well as application performance. The effort we have to make to check if an update is available is small, and the reward is often worth it. This option usually resides in Settings/Support or a similar route.
Our latest proposal is aimed only at the most seasoned users. If you feel comfortable acting on the image configuration parameters of the televisions, it is worth leaving your elders’s as best adjusted as possible. These devices, especially if they belong to the entry or mid-range, do not usually leave the factory impeccably calibrated, so we have room for maneuver if we want to enjoy the best image quality that they are capable of delivering.
The best option when adjusting the image quality of a television is to use a probe and professional calibration software, but we are aware that this solution is out of reach for most users. For this reason, we suggest that you follow the steps that we indicate in our calibration guide. It is affordable even for users who They have never addressed this processeffective, and, furthermore, you will not have to spend a single euro. We assure you that it is worth trying it. And, of course, you can also take advantage of it on your own television.
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