You asked: TV brightness fatigue, Samsung’s format choices, and the best TV for bright rooms

In today’s episode of You Asked: Can we give you a break by raising the TV’s brightness? Why is Samsung adding Nvidia G-Sync support but not Dolby Vision? And what type of TV will work best in a room with covered windows?

Can we stop pumping the TV light?

@allclear4115 asks: I’m stressed about TVs today.. Not because they’re too bright, but because they can’t be dimmed at all. Sleep in peace, dark room!

First of all, I fully understand light fatigue. Everything seems to be “X times brighter than the previous generation” or “brighter than ever!” Nits wanted, brightness rating, full box and marketing. It’s everywhere you look, and it can be overwhelming.

But I think one of the reasons we’re seeing light being pushed everywhere is that it’s one of the ways that manufacturers can show huge improvements year after year.

Take OLED TVs, for example. The giant panels we know now have been around for over a decade, but they certainly weren’t always this bright. Even four or five or six years ago, they weren’t hitting at the levels they are now. And as we’ve talked about, that overall brightness helps especially with OLED’s pure blacks and brilliantly brilliant highlights that make the viewing experience truly special.

With most Mini LED TVs, that extra brightness means being able to bypass ambient light in bright rooms and even sunlight. So light brings about a significant improvement in the quality of life.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t taken. In fact, some TVs have specific picture profiles to create a pleasant viewing experience in dark rooms. For example, Hisense has Day theater and Night theater models. You can set one to have a juicy light during the day to beat the ambient light. And at night, when you don’t want the TV to light up the whole room, you can turn it down a bit.

It’s the same story with most of the TVs we talk about on this channel. Although they are not very bright and reviewers like to talk about that, they also come with many settings that can be adjusted and tailored to what suits you best.

So again, I get where you’re coming from, and I hear a little sarcasm there too. I don’t think TVs are too bright unless you want them to be. And personally, I’d rather have a place to keep it in a bright spot than find my TV dull when the sun is out.

Why G-Sync but not Dolby Vision?

Parker Tyler asks: So they’ll pay for the G-Sync license, but not Dolby Vision?

The frustration from Samsung not supporting Dolby Vision continues, and I’m worried about it. I have seen the improvement that Dolby Vision 2 brings, but I also have a Samsung Mini LED TV at home that I watch every day without Dolby Vision and I have no complaints.

And I can imagine that many Samsung OLED owners feel the same way. Those QD-OLED panels on the higher-end models pack more of a color punch than most of the competition, and the HDR 10 and 10 Plus are nothing to scoff at.

I just think that Samsung doesn’t see Dolby Vision as enough of an “upgrade” to put it on their TVs. And they sell tons of units every year. So a good part of the market also agrees.

For gaming, on the other hand, I would think that Nvidia G-Sync offers more to that crowd than Dolby Vision does to the general audience. I also think they did some research and realize that adding that feature will sell their OLED TVs to gamers.

They’ve also doubled down with HDR 10 Plus Advanced, a new format that boasts image manipulation with advanced metadata. Sound familiar? It’s safe to say that Dolby Vision isn’t coming to Samsung anytime soon. But at least they serve the entire market with game development.

What is the brightest TV for a room with wrap-around windows?

@YeCannyDaeThat asks: I have a really bright room with windows all around. What type of TV is the most popular?

The brightest type of TV you will find widely available is the Mini LED. And in that case with windows all around, especially if there’s a window behind the TV as well, you’ll want to look at some of the lighting options available.

TCL and Hisense make some great options. Consider the TCL QM8K or the Hisense U8QG. And you can get these in some larger sizes to really help the TV stand out among the surrounding light. And since those are 2025 models, you can get them for a really good price right now.

Sony’s Bravia 9 is another great option for a bright room. It also does a great job holding its contrast at high light levels.

I’ve never seen it with my own eyes, but TCL also has a QM9K that looks insanely bright, rated to hit up to 6,500 nits with 6,000 dim spots. It’s overkill in most cases, but maybe not in yours?

I also shouldn’t discount the OLED options here, as there are a couple that I think would suit bright rooms. Samsung’s S95F and its anti-glare screen put up a good fight. LG’s G5 has also upped its game significantly compared to previous models.

You’ll have to see which one fits your budget, but like I said before, I think if you can get one of those bright TVs in a bigger size, it will really help to beat the brightness in your room.