Screen Quality Really Does Equal Scream Quality
October 28, 2026
Samsung teams up with psychologist Emma Kenny to share tips for getting the most out of your screen – and your scream – this Halloween
Samsung has an apology to make this Halloween.
As the Official Screen Partner of BAFTA, Samsung knows how much the viewing experience can bring a film to life. After 20 years as the Global No.1 TV brand1, Samsung has spent two decades making televisions brighter, clearer, more colourful and increasingly lifelike. Now, it may have inadvertently made horror films a little more frightening too.
As Halloween brings viewers back to scary films, spine-chilling series and horror games, Samsung has teamed up with psychologist Emma Kenny to share five simple ways to take the edge off when a film gets a little too intense.
Samsung’s latest innovation, Micro RGB, brings the brand’s widest-ever spectrum of TV colour to life using microscopic red, green and blue LEDs in a backlight precisely controlled by Micro RGB AI Engine2. From figures lurking in the shadows to strange colours that make a scene feel unsettling, the technology is designed to bring more of the filmmaker’s vision to the screen – even when viewers might prefer not to see everything.
When ‘scary good’ gets a little too scary
Anticipation, sound, colour and visual detail all help make horror so effective. But when a film feels a little too real, psychologist Emma Kenny explains why we react – and how to take the edge off.
Emma Kenny, psychologist, said: “Part of the fun of horror is allowing ourselves to feel frightened while knowing, underneath it all, that we are safe. Filmmakers deliberately use anticipation, sound, colour and small visual details to keep our brains guessing about what might happen next.
“As televisions become better at reproducing those details, there can be even more for us to notice — which is great for the film, but perhaps less good for anyone watching from behind a cushion.
“The good news is that there are some very simple things we can do when the tension starts becoming a little too convincing.”
Emma Kenny’s five tips for surviving a ‘scary good’ Halloween
1. Don’t be afraid of a little spoiler
Sometimes knowing what’s coming can make a scary film easier to enjoy.
Emma said: “If the suspense is spoiling your enjoyment, reading a short synopsis or asking a friend to warn you about a particularly frightening scene may help you feel more prepared. You are allowed to find out whether the characters make it.”
2. Turn down the terror
Sound is a big part of what makes horror frightening. If it gets too intense, lower the volume and switch on subtitles.
Emma said: “Sometimes the soundtrack is doing just as much frightening as the monster. You can still follow the story while choosing a sound level that feels comfortable. The remote has a volume button for a reason.”
Compatible Samsung sound technologies, including Q-Symphony, Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound+, can help create a more immersive audio experience with supported content and equipment.
3. Don’t be brave alone
Watching with someone else gives you someone to share the scares with – and laugh about them afterwards.
Emma said: “Having somebody beside you can be reassuring. Talking or laughing after a scare can help puncture some of the tension, so Halloween might not be the night to prove you can watch the film alone.”
With Samsung’s 2026 Micro RGB range spanning 55 to 115 inches, there is plenty of screen for everyone to keep an eye on.
4. Give your evening a gentler ending
If frightening scenes tend to stay with you, plan something more comforting after the credits roll.
Emma said: “Leave a little time between the final credits and lights-out. Have a chat, watch something familiar and funny or return to your usual evening routine. The monster has had its moment; now it’s time for something more comforting.”
Samsung’s Filmmaker Mode is designed to preserve a film’s intended presentation, while supported AI picture processing and HDR technologies can help optimise picture quality.
5. And if all else fails… turn the lights on
There is no rule saying a scary film has to be watched in complete darkness.
Emma said: “If the experience is becoming a little too intense, put a lamp on, open the curtains or save the film for daytime. Changing your surroundings is a simple reminder that you are safely at home, not in the world on screen.”
Samsung Micro RGB TVs feature Glare Free technology3, designed to help reduce distracting reflections and maintain a vivid viewing experience in brighter rooms.
If Samsung has accidentally made the monster look a little too realistic, at least horror fans can face it with the lights firmly switched on.
Five horror films to add to your Halloween watchlist
As the Official Screen Partner of BAFTA, Samsung is celebrating the films that bring powerful stories to life on screen. For horror fans, these five titles combine distinctive visual storytelling and sound design with BAFTA recognition, making them worth adding to your Halloween watchlist.
- Under the Skin (2013): BAFTA-nominated for Outstanding British Film and Original Music, Jonathan Glazer’s haunting sci-fi horror is visually distinctive and unsettling. Samsung’s Filmmaker Mode is designed to preserve a film’s intended presentation on compatible TVs.
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006): Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy won three BAFTAs, including Film Not in the English Language, and blends striking colours with extraordinary creatures and unsettling imagery. Samsung Micro RGB’s precise colour reproduction is designed to bring a wide spectrum of colour to life.
- His House (2020): This atmospheric horror film won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for writer-director Remi Weekes. Its use of shadows and carefully composed scenes builds a creeping sense of unease. Samsung’s Glare Free technology is designed to help reduce distracting reflections when watching in brighter rooms.
- A Quiet Place (2018): BAFTA-nominated for Sound, this tense thriller makes silence, subtle noises and sudden sounds central to its storytelling. Compatible Samsung sound technologies, including Q-Symphony, Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound+, can help create a more immersive audio experience with supported content and equipment.
- Saint Maud (2019): Rose Glass’s psychological horror was nominated for BAFTA’s Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Its carefully controlled visuals and moments of intense contrast build an unsettling atmosphere. Samsung’s AI picture processing and supported HDR technologies are designed to optimise picture quality across a range of viewing conditions and content.
The technology behind the scares
Behind Samsung’s Micro RGB TVs is technology designed to bring greater precision to colour, contrast and detail – helping viewers experience films as their creators intended.
Samsung’s flagship R95H uses Micro RGB technology, with individually controlled microscopic red, green and blue LEDs measuring less than 100 micrometres for precise colour and light control.
Micro RGB Precision Color 100 delivers VDE-certified 100% coverage of the BT.2020 colour area, while Samsung’s Micro RGB AI Engine Pro optimises elements including colour, contrast, depth, motion and clarity.
On supported models and content, HDR10+ helps balance bright and dark areas of the picture, while HDR10+ ADVANCED brings further picture enhancements4. Features and performance vary by model, content and equipment.
Samsung’s advice this Halloween? Choose your film. Gather your bravest friends. Keep the remote close. And if things get a little too scary… remember where the light switch is.
If Samsung Micro RGB means somebody spots what is hiding in the background before everybody else does, Samsung can only apologise.
- Omdia, February 2026. Global television market share by manufacturer, based on annual sales by volume and revenue. According to Omdia data, Samsung has been the world’s leading TV brand for 20 consecutive years. For general information only; not an endorsement, certification or recommendation by Omdia. ↩︎
- Micro RGB Precision Color 100 supports 100% BT.2020 colour coverage according to Samsung’s published UK specification. Colour performance varies with content and settings. ↩︎
- Glare Free is available on R95H. It reduces reflections; it does not eliminate every reflection under all lighting conditions. ↩︎
- AI picture features require the relevant settings to be enabled. AI picture adjustments are an alternative viewing approach to Filmmaker Mode. HDR10+ and HDR10+ ADVANCED require compatible content and equipment. HDR10+ ADVANCED availability depends on model and software version and is not supported when Filmmaker Mode is enabled. Streaming formats vary by service, subscription, device and connection. Confirm UK firmware availability and settings terminology before publication. ↩︎
