Something that has always bothered me about most smart TVs is their home screens.
On all the LG and Samsung smart TVs I’ve owned, the first thing they do by default when you power them on is take you straight to the home screen. Personally, I find this incredibly annoying because after a long day, the last thing I want to see when I turn on my TV is a bunch of ads and recommendations I’m not interested in, especially when 99.99 percent of the time, all I want to do is switch to the HDMI input I’m using.
The situation isn’t much different with other smart TV brands either, whether it’s a Fire TV, Roku TV, or a Hisense, TCL, or Sony TV running Google TV.
However, there is a way to fix this.
If you don’t rely on your TV’s built-in streaming apps and you’re tired of seeing its home screen, especially when it feels more like an ad billboard than something useful, you don’t have to see it every time you turn on your TV. Best of all, it only requires changing one setting. Once you do, you can jump straight into gaming or streaming without dealing with the home screen first.
How to stop seeing your TV’s home screen
All you need to do is change your TV’s Power On screen
While you can’t get rid of your TV’s home screen altogether, you can easily avoid seeing it ever again by setting your TV to power on to your most recent HDMI input instead of the home screen.
In other words, if you use a device like an Apple TV, Roku, Fire Stick, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, Blu-ray player, or PC with your TV, you can set it so that your TV immediately displays that device’s content when you power it on, rather than the home screen. I did this on my TV, which I use with my PC a lot, and now whenever I power it on, it displays my PC’s desktop immediately, rather than showing me my TV’s home screen and making me manually switch the input to my PC.
On my LG TV, I fixed this by changing an option called Power On Screen in the settings menu to Recent Input instead of Home, which I found under General > System > Additional Settings > Home Settings > Power On Screen.
But don’t worry, on other smart TVs, the process is very similar, and the setting is easy to find.
On Samsung TVs, go to Settings > All Settings > General & Privacy > Start Screen Options, then toggle off Start with Smart Hub Home.
On Roku TVs, go to Settings > System > Power, then change Power On from the home screen to either your Last used TV input or any device connected to your TV.
On Fire TVs, navigate to Settings > Display & Sound > Power Controls > Power On, and change it to Last Input.
On any TVs running Google TV (such as those from Hisense, Sony, and TCL), go to Settings > System > Power & Energy > Power on behavior, then set it to Last used input.
QuizTV settings and formats
Trivia challenge
From Filmmaker mode to HDMI specs — how well do you really know your TV’s settings?
Filmmaker ModeHDMIColor DepthEthernetDisplay Settings
What is the primary purpose of Filmmaker mode on modern TVs?
Correct! Filmmaker mode disables motion interpolation (the so-called ‘soap opera effect’) and turns off other processing enhancements so content looks exactly as the director intended. It was introduced as an industry-wide standard backed by major filmmakers and the UHD Alliance.
Not quite. Filmmaker mode is all about disabling post-processing features like motion smoothing, sharpening, and noise reduction. The goal is to preserve the director’s original creative vision rather than enhance the picture with the TV’s own algorithms.
Which organisation was primarily responsible for developing and promoting the Filmmaker mode standard?
Correct! The UHD Alliance, the same body behind the Premium 4K UHD and Dolby Vision certification programs, spearheaded Filmmaker mode. It was announced in 2019 with backing from directors like Christopher Nolan and Patty Jenkins.
Not quite. The UHD Alliance developed Filmmaker mode, announcing it in 2019 with support from prominent Hollywood directors. The feature began appearing on TVs from brands like LG, Samsung, and Vizio from 2020 onwards.
What maximum bandwidth does the HDMI 2.1 specification support?
Correct! HDMI 2.1 supports up to 48 Gbps of bandwidth, a massive leap from the 18 Gbps ceiling of HDMI 2.0. This extra headroom enables features like 4K at 120Hz, 8K at 60Hz, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).
Not quite. HDMI 2.1 supports 48 Gbps, which is more than double the 18 Gbps offered by HDMI 2.0. This increase in bandwidth is what makes features like 4K/120Hz gaming and 8K/60Hz video possible over a single cable.
Which HDMI feature allows a TV to send audio back to a soundbar or AV receiver through the same HDMI cable used for video?
Correct! eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) is an HDMI 2.1 feature that allows high-quality audio, including lossless formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS:X, to travel from the TV back to a connected audio device over the same HDMI cable. It supersedes the older ARC standard.
Not quite. The answer is eARC — Enhanced Audio Return Channel. Unlike standard ARC, eARC supports lossless and object-based audio formats like Dolby Atmos via TrueHD, making it essential for high-end home theatre setups. HDMI CEC, by contrast, handles device control commands.
How many possible colour values per channel does 10-bit colour depth provide?
Correct! 10-bit colour depth provides 2^10 = 1,024 possible values per colour channel (red, green, and blue). Compared to 8-bit’s 256 values per channel, this results in over a billion possible colours versus 16.7 million, dramatically reducing banding in gradients.
Not quite. 10-bit colour means each colour channel can represent 2^10 values, which equals 1,024 steps. This is crucial for HDR content, as it allows much smoother gradients and a wider range of brightness levels compared to standard 8-bit displays.
What is the term for the visual artefact caused by insufficient colour depth, where smooth gradients appear as visible stepped bands of colour?
Correct! Colour banding occurs when a display lacks sufficient bit depth to render subtle tonal transitions smoothly, causing gradients like a blue sky to show distinct stripes instead of a smooth fade. It is one of the main reasons 10-bit and 12-bit panels are preferred for HDR content.
Not quite. The artefact is called banding. It appears as visible stripes in what should be smooth colour or brightness gradients, and is a direct result of too few available colour steps. Posterisation is a related but slightly different effect often associated with heavy image compression.
Which HDMI specification first introduced the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC), allowing devices to share an internet connection over an HDMI cable?
Correct! HDMI 1.4, released in 2009, introduced the HDMI Ethernet Channel, which allows compatible devices to share a 100 Mbps network connection through a single HDMI cable. While clever in theory, adoption has been limited and most users still connect devices to their network separately.
Not quite. HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) was introduced with HDMI 1.4 back in 2009. It provides up to 100 Mbps of bidirectional network connectivity between connected devices, though it has never become widely used in practice compared to dedicated Ethernet or Wi-Fi connections.
Why do many home theatre enthusiasts recommend using a wired Ethernet connection rather than Wi-Fi for a smart TV when streaming 4K HDR content?
Correct! A wired Ethernet connection offers more stable and consistent throughput than Wi-Fi, which can be affected by interference, distance from the router, and network congestion. For 4K HDR streams that can demand 25 Mbps or more, a reliable connection helps prevent buffering and quality drops.
Not quite. The key advantage of Ethernet over Wi-Fi for streaming is reliability and consistency. Wi-Fi signals can fluctuate due to interference from other devices, walls, or distance from the router. For high-bitrate 4K HDR content, a stable wired connection helps ensure smooth, uninterrupted playback.
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If you use multiple devices with your TV, you will have to switch inputs from time to time since it goes to your last input, but at least you won’t have to look at your TV’s home screen while doing it. Roku TVs have the best way to do this of all smart TVs, since you can not only set your TV to power on to the last input, but also set it to any HDMI input you want.
All in all, if you’re tired of seeing your TV’s home screen, changing your TV’s power-on screen is an easy way to avoid it altogether. Plus, it makes it much quicker to jump straight into using your favorite device on your TV. That’s the best of both worlds.
