Low quality cable image on new 4k tv

[Foleyc12]

Hey all! I live in a dorm on campus and recently bought the TCL 55US5800 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV. When using cable channels I only get 480 while watching TV shows. I know I can't get 4k but is there anyway to increase the quality of the image and make the image fit the screen? Thanks!

 

[americanaudiophile]

If your dorm cable goes directly to the TV and is only SD then you can't increase the quality of the picture. If you have a cable box and it's connected with HDMI check the menus to adjust the video resolution and aspect ratio.
The options menu on your TV has a picture size menu but it either cuts off some of the top and bottom of the picture or stretches it to fit.
Cheaper TVs save money by using low quality up conversion. That makes SD look bad and even adds artifacts to 1080p sources.