5 TCL TV Features You Need to Activate Yourself

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If you own a TCL TV, you may not have experienced some features. When it comes to TVs, the company is known for producing solid displays at rather affordable prices. Users should also be aware that getting the most out of these displays may take a little more time than unboxing one and plugging it in. For those who have never explored the Settings menu, here are some TCL features you should enable yourself.

From setting up smart home features to potentially getting a better picture from your TV, TCL displays can include a variety of features that may not be immediately apparent. We can tell you where these options are and why you might even want them in the first place. Fortunately, most of these features simply involve navigating to specific settings menus and ensuring your devices have the right connections (home features will of course require the appropriate accessories).

Keep in mind that you may need to do additional research to ensure your TV actually supports these features, and some steps may be approximate. With that in mind, here are some ways to get the most out of your TCL TV.

A TCL TV may have a sharp display, but you can turn on some settings to give it a touch of pizzazz. One thing users should try is enabling the High Dynamic Range (HDR) setting. If you’re unfamiliar, this helps improve the contrast and colors on your TV, providing more detail.

Here’s how to enable HDR on your TCL TV:

1. Start a streaming video on your TV, for example something from the YouTube app.

2. Press Settings on your TV remote.

3. Select Image from the Settings menu.

4. Choose Smart HDR.

5. Select Apply All Picture Modes.

6. Choose All Sources.

Note that there are several options that you can modify or adjust as you wish. For example, when you select Smart HDR, you may see additional options such as Sports, Movie or Game modes. After selecting a specific mode, it may also have additional settings, such as adjusting brightness or color saturation.

It is worth noting that you can also set the Apply all images to current source mode. This allows you to have different picture settings for different input sources connected to your TV. Some TVs may also have additional settings that improve picture quality, like adjusting gamma or another feature that we’ll take a closer look at below. However, if you’re the type who really likes to tweak and tinker, the Image menu may really be something worth exploring.

If you want to potentially improve the appearance of your TCL screen, try LED Motion Clear. On some brands, this feature may also be known as black frame insertion (BFI), and it can inject a single black frame between the regular frames of the video. This may make the image a little darker (or cause flickering), but it can also help make the motion in the footage sharper. Motion Clear may not be something for everyone, but it’s worth knowing about and trying.

Here are the steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Select Picture Settings or Picture.

3. Select Advanced Picture Settings.

4. Switch LED Motion Clear (or Clear LED Motion) to On.

You may find that LED Motion Clear is better suited for sports or other fast-moving footage. Additionally, some TCL TVs may also have the Clear Dimming option. This feature can automatically reduce color banding (posterization) to help improve color gradients. Gradation Clear is also found in the Advanced Picture Settings menu.

Finally, there may be additional options under Advanced Picture Settings worth exploring. For example, if you find that some sequences are too smooth and have a “soap opera” effect, try turning off action smoothing or setting it to Low. Getting the best image can really depend on your preferences, so be sure to experiment and remember what you’ve done so you can undo any changes.

Alexa can be useful for controlling your TV with just the power of your voice, and setting it up correctly can give you a hands-free experience when using your screen. With an Alexa device paired with the TV, users can search for specific media based on a number of attributes such as genre or even the director of the project, and they can even access real-time sports scores. There are different tips and tricks for using Amazon Alexa with your TV, but you need to set it up first.

Users will need a few things to get started. First, make sure to download the Alexa mobile app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store depending on your smartphone model. If you don’t have one, you’ll also need an active Amazon account, and your TV and smartphone will need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. It’s also a good idea to make sure both devices are running the latest firmware.

Once everything is ready, follow these steps:

1. Open the Amazon Alexa app.

2. Select Skills & Games.

3. Tap Smart Home.

4. Choose Connected Devices and enable the Smart TV skill.

5. Once enabled, select Link your device from the drop-down menu. Follow the instructions on the app.

From there, you’ll be able to use Amazon Alexa commands to control your TV. You can say phrases like “Alexa, turn on the TV” or “Alexa, change the channel to The Food Network.”

For Apple users, your TCL TV may include support for AirPlay and HomeKit, depending on the model. AirPlay is pretty useful for casting your Apple device’s screen to the TV for easier streaming, while HomeKit is Apple’s smart home framework that controls certain accessories via Siri. You’ll need to make sure your TV and Apple devices are on the same network for the features to work.

To set up AirPlay, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings on your TCL TV.

2. Select Apple AirPlay and HomeKit.

3. Set AirPlay to On.

4. Now, on your iPhone, open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of your screen.

5. Select the Screen Mirroring icon (looks like two rectangles).

6. A code may appear on your device that you need to check on your TV.

From here, you should now see your Apple device’s screen on your TV. In some streaming apps, you can simply use the SharePlay icon to stream media to your TV.

To enable HomeKit:

1. Open the Settings app on your TCL TV.

2. Select Apple AirPlay & HomeKit Settings.

3. Go to HomeKit and select Configure.

4. Use your Apple device’s camera to scan the QR code displayed on the TV.

5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You can also add an accessory from the Home app on your Apple device. Simply tap the Add button (plus sign) in the Home app and choose Add Accessory. Your Apple device will guide you for the rest.

Like HomeKit and Amazon Alexa, Google also offers Google Home to control smart home products. Google Home recently received a major update with various new features. Enabling it allows you to control your TCL screen, use voice commands, and even remote control options through the Google Home app.

Here are the steps:

1. Open the Google Home app.

2. Select Add in the lower right corner.

3. Choose Device.

4. Select Works with Google Home.

5. On the next page, search for TCL, then select TCL Home.

6. Select Accept and create link.

You can then go back to Google Home and select the TV. You should see the TV’s volume controls, but you can also tap Remote to use the app as a remote control for your TV. You may need to enter a code that your TV gives you to make sure they are paired. The voice commands button will be in the lower right corner of the remote option.

For what it’s worth, some TCL TVs also have the ability to link your Google Photos account to use its images as screensavers. You can find Ambient Mode under Settings > System > Ambient Mode. Select Google Photos from the list, enter your Google account information, and choose your Photos album. It’s not the most important feature in the world, but it’s a nice customization option nonetheless.