New Delhi, Dec. 24 -- Sit with a new TV for a few days and a strange thing happens. At first, everything feels sharp and vibrant. Then the cracks start to show. Faces look a little too smooth. Dark scenes feel flat. Fast motion seems oddly dramatic, like the screen is trying too hard to impress. That's usually the moment people start questioning the panel. Was this the right model? Did I pick the wrong brand? Should I have gone bigger, newer, more expensive? What rarely comes up is the idea that the TV is doing exactly what it was told to do. Just not for your living room.

Most televisions are tuned for showrooms. Bright spaces. Overhead lighting. Rows of screens competing for attention. To stand out there, manufacturers push brightness,...