So you’re looking for TVs that have filmmaker mode. It’s often hard to find a list of TVs with filmmaker mode because other features are more heavily marketed.
Filmmaker mode allows you to watch movies the way the director designed them to be watched, without any unnecessary post-processing and motion effects. I went ahead and compiled a list of TVs with filmmaker mode for you below.
Watching movies on these TVs with filmmaker mode enabled will provide the most immersive experience. Most TVs manufactured in the last few years have some version of filmmaker mode, but you need to manually configure it.
If you feel like your movies have a strange soap opera effect, or the frame rate is not quite right, enabling filmmaker mode will fix that.
TVs of LG TVs with Filmmaker Mode
Nanocell
- LG NanoCell 99 Series 2021 8K
- LG NanoCell 90 Series 2021 4K
- LG NanoCell 85 Series 2021 4K
- LG NanoCell 80 Series 2021 4K
- LG NanoCell 75 Series 2021 4K
- LG QNED MiniLED 90 Series 4K
- LG QNED MiniLED 99 Series 2021 8K
Almost all of LG’s NanoCell TVs have filmmaker mode in the scene selection options.
OLED
- LG A1 4K
- LG G1 4K
- LG B1 4K
- LG C1 4K
- LG SIGNATURE OLED R Rollable 4K
UHD 4K TVs
- LG UHD 70 Series
- LG UHD 75 Series
- LG UHD 76 Series
- LG UHD 80 Series
- LG UHD 87 Series
- LG UHD 65 Series
Samsung TVs with Filmmaker Mode
QLED
- Samsung QN90A NEO QLED
- Samsung QN85A NEO QLED
- Samsung QN80A NEO QLED
- Samsung Q80A NEO QLED
- Samsung Q70A NEO QLED
- Samsung Q60A NEO QLED
- Samsung The Frame
Crystal 4K UHD
- Samsung AU8000 Crystal UHD
- Samsung TU7000 Crystal UHD
- Samsung TU9010 Crystal UHD
Vizio TVs with Filmmaker Mode
- Vizio M-Series
- Vizio V-series
Panasonic TVs with Filmmaker Mode
OLED
- Panasonic JZ2000B
- Panasonic JZ1500B
- Panasonic JZ1000B
- Panasonic JZ980B
How to Enable Filmmaker Mode
The exact steps to enable filmmaker mode on your TV will vary depending on the brand and operating system. For most TVs, filmmaker mode is located in Picture Settings, under Picture Mode. It could also be located under Expert settings in the Picture Settings tab.
Note: Certain TVs also called it “Film Mode” instead of “Filmmaker” but it’s the same thing.
- Press the settings button on your remote
- Navigate to picture settings
- Select picture mode
- Choose filmmaker mode
Note: Certain TVs also called it “Film Mode” instead of “Filmmaker” but it’s the same thing.
The latest LG TVs will automatically switch to filmmaker mode when using certain apps. For example, Prime Video will now automatically enable filmmaker mode as soon as the app is opened. You can always disable it from inside Prime Video media settings.
For other apps like Netflix, you might want to manually enable filmmaker mode, especially if you’re watching a cinematic movie.
Filmmaker Mode Too Dark
A common complaint about watching movies with filmmaker mode is it’s too dark. If filmmaker mode is too dark, you can manually increase the backlight brightness in the picture settings. In most cases, the low lighting is done on purpose because most films are meant to be watched in dark cinemas.
TV Does Not Have Filmmaker Mode
If your TV does not have filmmaker mode, you can manually disable the post-processing and motion effects to achieve a similar result.
Here are some picture settings to consider disabling:
- Decrease Picture Sharpness or disable it
- Disable Noise Reduction
- Disable Motion Smoothing (unless watching sports)
Motion smoothing tends to create that soap opera effect that is terrible for movies. It makes everything look cheap and like it was filmed on a hand-held camera.
Another tip would be to have your TV’s colour settings professionally calibrated. A professional will come to your home and use special colour detection tools to manually adjust your TV’s settings to the most accurate. It involves a fee, but you only have to do it once, and you can enjoy accurate colours for as long as you use that TV.
The Bottom Line
To summarize, if you want to get the best movie-watching experience from your TV, I highly recommend buying a TV that has filmmaker mode and enabling it for all of your media. It might take some time to get used to but it will be a life-changer, and you won’t have to deal with that annoying soap opera effect.
