5 things you can do to keep your 4K TV in tip-top shape

Summary

Lower your TV’s brightness to avoid burning out pixels or backlights, and keep it out of direct sunlight.
Update your TV regularly for bugfixes, security patches, and the occasional new feature.
Enabling auto-sleep and power modes should save energy and avoid strain on components.

Even without a precarious global trade war going on, it’s probably a wise idea to do everything you can to stretch out a 4K TV‘s lifespan. That’s several hundred dollars’ worth of tech at least, and possibly thousands for cinephile-level equipment — buying a replacement is going to be expensive. And as I recently learned the hard way, recently, losing a TV can wreak minor havoc if it’s a part of your household’s daily routine. Everyone in my family uses our Apple TV to watch YouTube videos, and my wife wants access to her favorite comfort shows.

Some breakdowns are unavoidable, but there’s a lot you can do to optimize your TV’s lifespan if you put in some effort. Most of these steps aren’t even hard. It’s just a question of remembering them, and setting aside a few minutes out of your schedule.

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1 Adjust your TV’s brightness and backlight settings

Physics at work, ladies and gentlemen

A24

Everyone loves a bright picture, but you shouldn’t ramp your TV’s brightness levels up high if you can avoid it. Simply put, increased brightness means increased power consumption, which translates not just into higher energy bills but more heat in the circuitry. You’re increasing the chances of burning out pixels or backlighting, and there’s probably nothing you can do to fix that short of buying a new set.

Some TVs have sensors that automatically adjust brightness to match ambient lighting. Even when they do, though, it’s a smart idea to go into your TV’s Settings menu and lower brightness levels as much as you can while still getting a pleasant image. Test things out with a dimly-lit movie or TV show, such as Hereditary. If you’ve got an LCD or mini-LED TV, you may also be able to adjust separate backlight levels. OLEDs operate without any backlighting system.

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2 Update your TV’s software regularly

There’s more than bugfixes going on

Samsung

Smart TVs run on complex app-based operating systems, so while they don’t need to be updated as frequently as your phone or computer, you should make it a point to check for updates periodically — assuming your TV isn’t set to update automatically. Newer software releases can quash bugs, guard against the latest security threats, and in some cases enhance performance.

If you leave your TV’s software the way it was when you first bought the set, you could also end up missing out on new features, such as improved compatibility for apps and accessories. That’s not guaranteed, but it’s a distinct possibility, especially with smart home standards like Matter and Thread gaining more traction.

Locate update commands in your TV’s Settings app. If there’s an auto-update option, toggle it — your TV should be ready to go whenever you are, since most auto-update downloads trigger during off hours.

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3 Enable auto-sleep and auto-power modes

Screensavers are the enemy

Samsung

Is it more convenient to leave your TV on all day, or even just when you duck out of the room for 15 minutes? Yes. But as with keeping your brightness maxed out, it’s a waste of power, and puts unnecessary strain on your TV’s components. If you (or the other people in your home) can’t remember to turn the TV off manually, use Settings options to have it trigger sleep or power-off states automatically after a set amount of inactivity (i.e. no media is playing). Personally, I prefer a 30-minute auto-sleep timer as a failsafe — I’m pretty good about turning off TVs.

In any event, you shouldn’t use screensavers as a substitute for sleep or power controls, even if you bought an art frame TV. They might enhance your room’s aesthetics, but the only way they’re saving your screen is by preventing paused images from burning in. It’s better to have your screen go completely black.

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4 Dust and wipe your TV thoroughly

A minor but useful aid

Patrick Campanale / Unsplash

Although you’re unlikely to run into major problems with a dusty TV, substantial build-up could increase internal heat or even cause interference. Be sure to dust around your TV’s vents every few months, or at least once a year. You should also clean out ports to prevent problems with connected peripherals, like game consoles, but you may need some form of pressurized air for that — just avoid getting liquid inside your TV. An air bulb should do the trick.

On a related note, be sure to spray and wipe the screen occasionally. Dust and residues can have more of an impact on picture quality than you might think, and of course, they’re just plain disgusting after a while. Don’t be that friend (or family member) who refuses to wipe the pizza sauce stain off the corner of the TV for movie night.

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5 Keep your TV out of direct, extended sunlight

Smart for multiple reasons

Samsung

Naturally, the most immediate reason to keep your TV out of direct sunlight is visibility. Even the best models are going to look awful with the sun (or other objects) reflecting off the glass. And really, cranking up your screen’s brightness to compete with a gigantic nuclear furnace is the definition of futility.

You’re unlikely to do major harm to your TV through sunlight, but prolonged exposure may generate a lot of heat, degrading the quality of the display panel over time. You should keep your TV out of the sun for the same reason you wouldn’t want to leave your phone sitting out on the back porch during the summer. In the case of OLED TVs, heat damage could prevent pixels from getting as bright as they used to.

Let me emphasize the word “direct” here, however. Sunlight bouncing off your walls is perfectly safe, so all you really need to worry about is blocking the sun when it’s low on the horizon and can shine straight through your windows. In the mid-day sun, your roof will absorb any harmful amounts of radiation.