How to Use Netflix's 'Secret' Video Test Patterns to Improve Your 4K TV's Picture

How to Use Netflix's 'Secret' Video Test Patterns to Improve Your 4K TV's Picture

Do you want to make sure you're getting the best possible picture quality on your 4K TV while streaming Netflix? Look no further! In this guide, we will show you how to access and use Netflix's 'secret' video test patterns to calibrate your TV's picture settings for optimal performance. So grab your remote and let's get started!

Why Calibrate Your TV?

Before we dive into the steps, let's talk about why calibrating your TV is important. When you buy a new 4K TV, it comes with default settings that may not provide the best picture quality. By calibrating your TV, you can ensure that the brightness, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness are set correctly, allowing you to enjoy the true potential of your TV's capabilities.

Without proper calibration, you may experience issues such as crushed blacks, washed-out colors, or oversharpening, which can negatively impact your viewing experience. Luckily, Netflix provides video test patterns that can help you make these adjustments without the need for expensive equipment or test discs.

Accessing Netflix's Video Test Patterns

Netflix's video test patterns used to be easily accessible by searching for "Test Patterns" in the main menu. However, they have since been hidden from the search engine. But don't worry, we'll show you how to find them:

1. Sign into Netflix on your computer and enter the following URL in your web browser: https://www.netflix.com/title/80018499


2. Add the "Multipurpose Chart 1920 x 1080: 60fps" test pattern to your Netflix library by clicking on the "Add To My List" button.


3. Open the Netflix app on your TV.


4. Select the "Multipurpose Chart 1920 x 1080: 60fps" test pattern in the "My List" section.

Adjusting Brightness

Now that you have the test pattern on your screen, let's start with adjusting the brightness:

1. Locate the PLUGE patch in the multipurpose chart. It is the black box at the left edge of the screen in the top row.


2. Adjust your TV's brightness control setting in steps until there is clear definition between the dark gray, lighter gray, and black boxes in the PLUGE patch. You want it to look like the image on the left in the example above.

If your TV's brightness is set too low, the dark gray and black boxes will merge into an indistinguishable black mass. If the brightness is set too high, there will be poor contrast between the dark gray and lighter gray boxes.

Adjusting Contrast

Next, let's move on to adjusting the contrast:

1. Locate the contrast patch in the multipurpose chart. It is the white box at the right edge of the screen in the top row.


2. Adjust your TV's contrast control in steps until there is clear definition between the light gray, darker gray, and white boxes in the contrast patch.

If your TV's contrast is set too high, the light gray and white boxes will merge into an indistinguishable white mass. If the contrast is set too low, there will be poor definition between the lighter gray and white boxes.

Adjusting Color Saturation

Now let's focus on adjusting the color saturation:

1. Locate the red, green, and blue color patches on the right side of the screen in the multipurpose chart.


2. Adjust your TV's color control in steps until there is clear definition between the darker center and brighter surrounding squares in the color patches.

If your TV's color level is set too high, the darker center and brighter surrounding squares in the patch will blend into an indistinguishable whole.

Adjusting Sharpness

Lastly, let's make adjustments to the sharpness:

1. Locate the numbers in the resolution bars that extend horizontally across the full test pattern.


2. Adjust your TV's sharpness or detail control until the numbers in the resolution bars look solid and clear with no white "ringing" artifacts surrounding them.

If your TV's sharpness control is set too high, white lines will surround the numbers. This is essentially video noise that doesn't add any detail to your TV's picture and should be removed.

Final Thoughts

Calibrating your TV's picture settings using Netflix's video test patterns is a simple and effective way to ensure you're getting the best possible picture quality. While the adjustments we covered in this guide are basic, they can greatly improve your viewing experience on a 4K TV.

However, if you want to dive deeper into TV setup and evaluate more parameters such as color temperature and color space, we recommend using a Blu-ray disc like the "Spears & Munsil Ultra HD HDR Benchmark". This disc goes beyond the basics and provides HDR demonstration material to check your TV's HDR tone mapping performance.

Remember, a properly calibrated TV will provide you with the true cinematic experience that filmmakers intended. So take a few minutes to adjust your TV's picture settings using Netflix's video test patterns, sit back, and enjoy your favorite shows and movies in stunning 4K quality!