13-year-old LG TV-55LM660S-ZA, LCD TV (German version). Picture settings
Picture settings for a 13-year-old LG LCD TV-55LM660S (-ZA)
Hi there. I own an LG TV-55LM660S (-ZA) I think the (-ZA) stands for the European German version, that has been running on average 6 hours a day for the past 13 years. I use either satellite or a Wi-Fi NAS. I’d like to sincerely thank the company for this high-quality device back in the day. I consider myself lucky to have made that significant household investment back then and to still have the TV in use.
After connecting the TV to a higher-end soundbar and enjoying the impressive sound boost, I got the idea to tweak the picture.
Time doesn’t stand still. The built-in algorithms have become obsolete. I needed something fresher, but I thought that wasn’t possible. The only option left was to tweak the settings and grapple with the deeply nested menus.
For reference: I’ve had this device for thirteen years; it runs on an operating system that hasn’t been updated in a century, yet it works flawlessly for me with all the technical solutions built in back then. Both original remotes are still in use, and the device hasn’t needed to go to the repair shop yet.
Here are my settings for standard TV and movies from the NAS.
My living room environment is on the brighter side, and this is my approach:
First, select Expert 1 mode (or ISF Expert 1). This turns off most of the unnecessary “worsening improvements,” and here we go:
Backlight 50 – 60 (depending on room brightness)
Contrast 85 – 90
Brightness 50
H-Sharpness / V-Sharpness 10 (Do not set higher to avoid double outlines)
Color 50
Tint 0
- Expert Control (Advanced Options)
This submenu is used to fine-tune color accuracy.
Dynamic Contrast: Off (distorts brightness gradation)
Super Resolution: Off
Color Space: Standard (BT.709)
Edge Sharpening: Off
Color Filter: Off
Gamma: 2.2 (or 2.4 for a cinematic look in very dark rooms)
White Balance (Important for the look)
Color Temperature: Warm 2 (This often looks “yellowish” at first, but it is the industry standard for movies. If it seems too extreme after a day or evening, select Warm 1.)
- Picture Options
Noise Reduction: Off
MPEG Noise Reduction: Off
Black Level: Low (only important for HDMI sources)
True Cinema: On
LED Local Dimming: Low or Medium (prevents clouding in dark scenes)
TruMotion: User
De-Judder: 2 – 3 (prevents the “soap opera effect,” but smooths slightly)
De-Blur: 5
Important tip:
This is an AI translation of my German summary. You’ll likely need to navigate the settings on your remote control slightly differently than a “German” person would in your country.
Make sure the aspect ratio is set to “Just Scan” (pixel-for-pixel). Often, the TV is set to “16:9,” which slightly zooms the image (overscan) and causes blurriness. With “Just Scan,” you’ll see the full HD signal without any loss of quality.
Note: Since every panel varies slightly due to aging, these are general guidelines. If the picture appears too dark after a day or evening, first increase the backlight, not the brightness, as the latter will otherwise ruin the black level.
Works great for me. Cheers.