LG TVs come with a feature called auto-dimming, which adjusts the screen brightness based on the ambient light conditions in the room. This helps save energy and prevent screen burn-in. However, some users find this feature annoying, especially when watching dark scenes, as it keeps lowering the brightness. If you want to disable auto-dimming on your LG TV, you can try a few methods.
What is Auto Dimming?
Auto-dimming, also called ALS (Auto Lighting Sensor), is designed to adjust the brightness and contrast of the TV screen automatically based on the amount of ambient light in the room. It uses the light sensor on the TV to detect the light levels and dims the screen when the room is dark to avoid excessively bright images straining your eyes.
When auto-dimming is enabled, you may notice the following:
- Screen brightness reduces automatically when the room gets dark
- Brightness ramps up when the room gets brighter
- Reduced contrast and richer blacks in dark viewing environments
The extent of dimming depends on the ‘Energy Saving’ setting configured on the TV. TVs with higher energy saving levels will dim much more than those with lower energy saving.
Why Would You Want to Disable It?
While auto-dimming can help save energy and improve dark scene viewing, there are some downsides to it:
- The constant fluctuation of brightness can be distracting
- Lower brightness in dark scenes reduces picture quality
- Dimming is too aggressive on some TV models
- You may want consistent brightness for an immersive viewing experience
That’s why some users prefer disabling this feature, especially movie buffs and gaming enthusiasts. When disabled, you get better picture quality and a more consistent viewing experience.
Why Auto Dimming Is Included as a Feature
There are two main reasons why LG and other TV manufacturers include an auto-dimming feature:
1. Conserve Energy
TV screens require a lot of energy to display a bright, vibrant picture. Auto-dimming can reduce a TV’s energy use by quite a bit during inactive viewing periods. This saves electricity costs and is more environmentally friendly.
2. Prevent Screen Burn-In
Displaying static images at high brightness levels can lead to screen burn-in on some display technologies like OLED. Reducing brightness automatically can help minimize this risk.
Of course, while auto-dimming has some benefits, it’s not ideal for every viewer. Next, I’ll explain the quickest methods for disabling this feature on LG TVs.
Stop Auto Dimming on LG TV
Method 1: Energy Saving Mode
The options to disable auto dimming or energy saving mode will be located in your TV settings menu. Here are the step-by-step instructions for popular LG TV models:
On an LG OLED CX or C1
- Select Settings from the LG home menu or main menu
- Choose the ‘General’ or ‘All Settings’ option
- Select Eco Mode and disable the Energy Saving setting
- Back out to the home screen and picture mode settings
- Set Energy Saving to Off
On an LG NanoCell or UHD TV
- Open Settings menu
- Navigate to Picture > Additional Settings
- Set Energy Saving to Off
- Back out and set Auto Power Save Mode to Off
On an LG LED or LCD Smart TV
- Access the main Settings menu
- Go to Picture > Energy Saving
- Turn Energy Saving setting Off
- Return to Settings main page
- Choose Timers > Auto Off (Standby)
- Set Auto Power Off to Off
Once you have turned off the auto dimming-related options as described above, your LG TV picture will stay bright indefinitely or until you manually change it.
Method 2: Picture Setting
The easiest way to disable auto-dimming is directly through the Picture settings menu of your LG TV.
Follow these steps:
1. Press the Settings button on your LG remote.
2. Go to the Picture menu.
3. Look for the ‘Energy Saving’ setting and set it to ‘Off.’ This completely disables auto dimming.
4. You will also find the ‘Eye Comfort Mode’ setting. Turn this off as well.
5. Under Picture Options, set ‘Auto Brightness Control’ to off.
6. Auto dimming should now be completely disabled on your LG TV.
Keep in mind that these setting names may vary across LG TV models. But the process remains largely the same.
Method 3: Disable Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL)
Recently, higher-end LG TVs have a feature called ABL or Automatic Brightness Limiter. As the name suggests, this feature limits peak brightness levels to prevent image retention. But it works in conjunction with auto-dimming to modulate brightness dynamically.
You can follow these steps on compatible LG TVs to disable ABL:
- Press the Settings button on the remote and go to the Picture menu.
- Select ‘OLED Panel Settings’.
- Look for the option ‘ABL’ and turn it Off.
- Return to the main Picture menu and disable Energy Saving and Eye Comfort Mode, as explained before.
- This will completely remove all brightness restrictions imposed by ABL and auto-dimming.
Do note that disabling ABL may increase the risk of permanent burn-in on the TV screen. So, only disable it if you really want peak brightness at all times.
Method 4: Change Picture Mode to Vivid or ISF Expert
The extent of auto-dimming also depends on which Picture Mode is currently active on the TV. Modes like Standard, Eco, and Cinema aggressively dim the screen.
However, selecting Vivid or ISF Expert modes minimizes the dimming effect. Here is how you can change the Picture Mode:
- Press the Settings button and enter Picture settings.
- Scroll down to ‘Picture Mode’ and select Vivid. This is the brightest mode with almost no dimming.
- Alternatively, you can select ISF Expert mode. This enables auto-dimming but to a lesser degree than other picture modes.
- Tweak other settings like Contrast, Brightness, and Sharpness as per your preference.
While this method does not completely disable auto-dimming, it does minimize the extent of dimming you experience. Vivid mode gives you the brightest viewing experience.
Method 5: Disable Auto Dimming through the Service Menu
Your LG TV has several hidden service menus that are not directly accessible to users. One of these menus contains a direct toggle to enable/disable the ALS feature. Here are the steps to access this setting:
- Press the Settings button on the remote with the TV switched off.
- Press and hold the ‘?123’ button on the remote when the LG logo appears.
- This will bring up the service menu with various sensor readings and configuration options related to the TV.
- Navigate to ‘ALS’ and set the value next to it to Off to disable auto-dimming. The change takes effect immediately.
- Now exit the service menu – your TV will restart with the setting applied.
This method completely turns off ALS or auto-dimming at the firmware level to prevent brightness adjustments when watching the TV. However, exercise caution when modifying service menu values on the TV.
Some Extra Tips to Stop Auto Dimming
Here are some additional tips when it comes to disabling LG TV auto-dimming and calibrating screen brightness:
- Turn off ‘Energy Saving’ completely for peak brightness at all times
- Set OLED Light and Contrast settings to higher values for a brighter picture
- Enable HDR Brightness boost if watching HDR content
- Avoid using Cinema, Eco, and other dim picture modes
- ISF Dark Room mode minimizes auto-dimming for dark viewing
- Update TV firmware as newer updates improve brightness handling
- Experiment between Vivid, Standard, and ISF Expert modes for the right balance
I hope these methods help you successfully turn off and adjust auto-dimming on your LG TV to get the perfect viewing experience for your home environment and preferences. Feel free to tweak the different picture settings to find your ideal brightness, contrast, and dimming levels.
