5 tricks to breathe new life into your old TV

Let's be honest – most of us can't afford to upgrade our TVs more than once a decade or so. But if you're staring at your current model and feeling a little underwhelmed, don't despair – there are ways to improve its performance without replacing it entirely.

The following tips should give you a better viewing experience without costing much money – if any at all.

There are a couple of caveats. They won't bring it up to par with the best TVs available. And they won't all work with every model. But they are a good starting point when trying to optimise your TV's performance.

You might be surprised at what a difference they make...

1. Turn on Filmmaker Mode

We're big fans of Filmmaker Mode. For the uninitiated, this tries to make the content look as the creator intended.

The idea is to tweak the colours and contrast to create a picture that's as close to the filmmaker's original vision as possible.

It does this by disabling all post-processing (which includes artificial sharpening, motion smoothing, and anything else the TV makers think will improve your viewing experience).

Not all TVs support Filmmaker Mode, but it is very common on 4K models and works across both SDR and HDR content.

LG, Panasonic, TP Vision (which makes Philips TVs), Samsung, Vizio and Hisense are among the brands that support it.

And if yours doesn't? There's usually a similar preset named something such as 'Movie' or 'Cinema'. This might still have some processing switched on, but you can always manually disable individual settings if the default picture doesn't look quite right.

Filmmaker Mode isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. How successful it will be depends on the TV you're using, and what you're watching. But we highly recommend that you give it a try.

2. Rearrange your seating

Most people get their front room how they want it and leave it at that. But your seating arrangement might be hampering your viewing pleasure.

While most modern TVs offer some pretty decent viewing angles, you will get the best experience from sitting straight on to the screen.

This is especially important on older LCD TVs, on which blacks will look washed out when viewed from more severe angles.

Ideally, you want as many seats as possible to be straight on to the screen. And you want to nab one for yourself if you want the best seat in the house.

Next, distance. For a 4K TV, the distance you sit away from the TV should be around 1.2x the screen size.

For a 42-inch TV, that's 50.4 inches (42 x 1.2), or 4.2 feet.

An easy way to remember is to work it out in feet and inches by multiplying the answer by 2.54. Then the distance for a 42-inch TV is 4.2 feet, a 55-inch TV is 5.5 feet, a 65-incher is 6.5 feet, and so on.

Here's a handy reference guide.

Sports fan? You might want to sit a little further back, as your eyes will be darting around the screen a lot more than when you're watching a film.

For HD TVs, you'll want to sit a little further back to avoid seeing the pixels that make up the picture. Experts recommend a distance of between 1.5 and 2.5 times your screen size.

Remember, these figures are not prescriptive, but a rough guide. A lot will depend on your room layout and your eyesight. But don't be afraid to experiment.

3. Buy a soundbar

It's a depressing fact that even some of the best TVs feature pretty poor sound quality. We're firm believers that the audio makes up at least 50 per cent of the viewing experience. By suffering sub-par sound, you're really hampering your enjoyment.

It doesn't have to be this way.

A soundbar is a relatively affordable way to boost your TV's audio. While they do tip over into four figures, even some of the best soundbars can be had for under £100.

Because it's a single bar that sits beneath the TV, it doesn't mean reconfiguring your entire room to accommodate it.

(Of course, if you want to spring for an entire 5.1 system, we can recommend the best surround sound systems currently available.)

Just remember to measure up first to make sure that your soundbar fits on your TV cabinet, and that it won't obscure the bottom part of the TV screen.

4. Add a streamer

Would you believe that some TVs lack even the most basic streaming apps such as BBC iPlayer? Sad but true.

It's all down to complicated licensing agreements. But never fear, one of the best media streamers should plug any gaps.

They're generally pretty affordable. The Apple TV 4K might start at £140, but the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K can be had for just £60, and a lot less during the sales.

They're very simple to use, too. Just plug it into your TV's HDMI port, connect it to the internet (either via wi-fi or hard-wired using an ethernet cable) and you're good to go.

• Apple TV 4K vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: which 4K streamer is best?

5. Adjust to the viewing conditions

Lastly, continue to adjust your settings and environment as the conditions demand.

Sunny? Close the curtains. As we found in our LG G5 hands-on review, an anti-reflective coating will deflect sunlight successfully, but older models will be unwatchable in direct sun.

You might want to boost your TV's brightness if watching in daytime conditions, and lower it in a darker room.

You can also place lamps behind your TV to avoid any reflections on-screen when watching at night.

Familiarise yourself with your TV's settings, and don't be afraid to tweak them based on what you're watching and the environmental conditions.

It might take a few minutes, but it should be time well spent.

MORE:

How to set up your TV and get the best picture

How to turn off motion smoothing on your TV

How far away should you sit from your TV? Read our full guide