Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7 included some incredibly dark scenes that have caused complaints among viewers, so it is important to know how to adjust the TV settings for optimal viewing. Perhaps surprisingly, it is not as simple as just turning the brightness up. House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7 takes place entirely at Driftmark, an island that is home to House Velaryon, for the funeral of Laena Velaryon. The high-tension episode has numerous scenes taking place in the night, as multiple characters sneak away from the castle. This explains the gloomy lighting for much of the runtime.
House of the Dragon season 1 has been focusing on Princess Rhaenyra and the struggles that come with being named heir to the Iron Throne. Rhaenyra Targaryen is named heir by King Viserys I Targaryen after her mother and newborn brother both tragically pass away shortly after the baby is born. However, Rhaenyra's legitimacy as heir is quietly questioned by many, particularly because Queen Alicent Hightower believes her son Aegon Targaryen is the rightful heir to the throne. This is the cause of the central conflict in the show, including episode 7.
How To Adjust Your TV Settings For House Of The Dragon's Dark Scenes
To better view the dark scenes of House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7, it is necessary to have the TV on the proper settings. Here are the key settings to change on the TV before watching the House of the Dragon episode [via YouTube], particularly for one scene involving Aemond Targaryen and the dragon Vhagar:
- Turn off Motion Smoothing – this is a setting that almost all TVs will have on as the default but should be turned off on every TV immediately.
- Check to see if the TV has a "Movie Mode" or "Cinema Mode" and if it does, turn that setting on. That mode will automatically adjust many of these settings for a better viewing experience.
- Keep the brightness level somewhere in the middle but turn the contrast up. Many viewers will see a dark scene and get the urge to turn the brightness all the way up, but it will not help. Instead, turning the contrast up will draw more visible differences between the lighter and darker colors in the scene.
- If the TV has a color temperature setting, it is likely set to Cool, but should be set to Warm.
- Turn off the automatic light sensor or "Power Saving Mode" – having either of these on will cause the TV to automatically dim the entire TV screen.
Why Is House Of The Dragon Season 1, Episode 7 So Dark?
The vast majority of the night scenes in House of the Dragon episode 7, particularly scenes with Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, were filmed in broad daylight and changed to look as if it was the middle of the night in post-production. As such, viewers are not actually having an issue with the lighting, but rather an issue with color-grading. The daytime filming had plenty of light, but the way the colors were changed to depict the nighttime look is what is giving viewers a hard time in watching the scenes.
House of the Dragon season 1, episode 7 does have scenes that have been hard to see, but the right TV settings can provide a much clearer and easier viewing experience. These optimal viewing settings will not just improve the viewing of dark scenes but can provide a better overall experience for watching shows and movies. All show watchers should make these setting changes before watching the episode, or at least before House of the Dragon episode 7's shocking Laenor Velaryon ending.
New episodes on House of the Dragon release Sundays on HBO & HBO Max.
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