Samsung Smart TV auto-brightness

[squirk]

We just checked into our Copper Creek cabin, and it’s awesome. However, the large Samsung SmartTV in the living room appears to have an auto-brightness feature that will dim the screen in low-light conditions.

I find it to be too dim (I know, first-world problems), but it appears that the ability to tweak the TV settings (i.e., turn off auto-brightness) has been blocked, as every time I press “Menu” or “Tools” on the remote, a little box stating “Not Available” appears on the screen. There are no buttons around the bezel of the TV to access menu options, either.

I imagine these TVs aren’t unique to Copper Creek cabins. Anyone else ever found the auto brightness setting to be too dim? If so, did you find a way to turn it off?

Please and thank you!

 

[Richard M Nixon]

Find the light sensor (probably on the front) and cover it up with something.

 

[squirk]

Find the light sensor (probably on the front) and cover it up with something.

Won’t covering the light sensor make it think the room is darker, and it’ll thus keep the brightness low?

 

[HairyChest]

I went through the same thing. way too dark. Either call the front desk and tell them its too dark or lookup "Samsung tv service menu" on google for a guide on accessing the hotel lock settings.

 

[dansdad]

Won’t covering the light sensor make it think the room is darker, and it’ll thus keep the brightness low?

Yes.

 

[tseitel]

We have a Samsung at home with the same feature and also found it way too dark. We were able to turn it off via the settings menu, so I’m not really sure how they can block this. You would think if there was some sort of parental control feature activated to prevent people from messing with the tv, that a enter code screen would appear.
I second using google to see how to deactivate it.

 

[squirk]

We have a Samsung at home with the same feature and also found it way too dark. We were able to turn it off via the settings menu, so I’m not really sure how they can block this. You would think if there was some sort of parental control feature activated to prevent people from messing with the tv, that a enter code screen would appear.
I second using google to see how to deactivate it.

TV’s in hotels often have a “hospitality” mode to prevent guests from messing with the settings and forcing housekeeping to have to reset the settings for the next guest. They don’t want to make it easy for a guest to do exactly what I would like to do.

 

[beccasmom]

If you can access the Settings feature, choose Picture and then Expert Settings for brightness level. Our Samsung is fairly new and these are the settings we’ve used.

 

[LYSE]

Give this a try:

On the remote press: 'Mute, 1, 1, 9, Enter' (This will open the Hotel Options Menu)

 

[AngelsAmongUs]

Disney is now using universal remotes that can be easily disinfected between guest; they're Brightstar BR100b* remotes. They said they didn't have any of the original Samsung remotes.

I couldn't find any way to get to the menu to adjust brightness using the new remote. The remote doesn't have a settings button, an info button or a menu button -- there's a SetUp button but it only connects/disconnects the remote to the TV -- it didn't access any menus at all. (The only menu I could access was by using the physical toggle button on the bottom/back/right of the TV; the menu that pops up when using the toggle is for changing input.)

I thought I'd see if anyone had any experience resolving the brightness (or dimness, actually) with the new remotes before I ask a CM.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Shine a little flashlight on the sensor to make it think the room is very bright?

 

[AngelsAmongUs]

Shine a little flashlight on the sensor to make it think the room is very bright?

I'm trying this tonight, thanks! The CM thought it was a remote issue, but the replacement remote was exactly the same one.....

EDIT: In case anyone else has this question later on, one of the hotel maintenance people had to go find a real Samsung remote to turn off the EcoSensor. He said this question comes up pretty frequently.

 

[seashoreCM]

Why auto brightness?

Experts of long ago have said that watching TV in a dark room increases eye strain. This is because of the difference between the TV screen (without auto brightness back then) and the rest of the room.

But they did not tell you about reducing the overall screen brightness ( manually, using the contrast control on old TVs) to reduce eye strain. For purists (videophiles) there are TV calibration procedures, which require as a starting point setting the room lighting level to what it would be during typical TV watching.

A properly calibrated TV picture will look bland compared to what most of us are used to. If your are doing other things like knitting or writing/typing a letter or (in the next room) cooking while watching you will be more likely to miss action on the screen compared with having the screen brightness turned up all the way.