Finals season is fast approaching, which means Australian sports fans are preparing for the usual collection of September traditions: close games, questionable umpiring decisions and trying to see what’s happening on the TV through a wall of afternoon sunlight.

TCL has a surprisingly simple suggestion for the last one – turn up the brightness.

It sounds obvious once you think about it, but anyone with a television sitting opposite a window will know the problem. Daytime games can turn a perfectly good TV into an expensive mirror, particularly when sunlight hits the screen at just the wrong angle.

And nobody wants to be the person getting up to close the blinds in the middle of a crucial passage of play.

Patrick Chen, Product Training Specialist at TCL Electronics Australia, says increasing screen brightness can help the picture compete with ambient light and make daytime sport considerably easier to watch.

“It might seem odd, but upping the screen’s brightness can really give sports fans a clearer and more vibrant picture,” Chen said. “It cuts through the glare of the Aussie daytime sun, ensuring a sharp image while delivering a vivid display with deep, bold colours across the spectrum.”

Brightness can only do so much

Cranking up the brightness isn’t a magic fix, however.

Reflections are still reflections, and TCL acknowledges that glare can only be mitigated rather than completely eliminated.

That means the physical characteristics of the television still matter, particularly if you’re shopping for a new set destined for a bright living room.

Chen recommends looking for TVs with low-reflective films or panels designed to reduce glare without sacrificing too much colour, contrast or brightness.

Peak brightness is another specification worth paying attention to. A television capable of producing a substantially brighter image has a better chance of remaining visible when competing against sunlight flooding into the room.

“You shouldn’t have to compromise on colour, contrast or brightness, whatever the viewing conditions,” Chen said.

“But glare can only be mitigated, not eliminated entirely – there’s always a trade-off. Beating the sunshine shouldn’t come at the cost of a washed-out picture and your team running out in beige or faded team colours.”

The not-so-subtle TCL bit

Naturally, TCL isn’t offering this advice purely as a community service.

The company points towards its SQD Mini-LED range as an option for bright-room viewing, combining high peak brightness with the contrast advantages of Mini-LED backlighting.

And there is some logic behind the broader advice regardless of which logo is sitting underneath your screen.

Before rearranging the living room, installing blackout curtains or making Uncle Barry stand beside the window holding a sheet of cardboard, try increasing your TV’s brightness or switching to a brighter picture mode.

Just remember to turn it back down once the sun disappears.

Your retinas will thank you.