Buying a television is a high-involvement buy, not just because you’re spending a lot of money on it, but also because you’ll be watching it for at least a couple of hours every day. However, televisions are incredibly delicate, and even if it does not appear so, your television might develop a variety of issues over time. Some things you can try to fix yourself, but others require professional help. Here’s a rundown of some of the most common TV problems and what you can do about them.
The TV will not turn on, but the power indicator will blink
An issue with the electrical connection has been detected by the self-diagnostic system. Your TV will almost certainly need to be serviced, but there is one repair you can try to see if the issue is simply a temporary power connection issue. Remove the power cord from the unit and wait a minute or two before reconnecting it. If it’s only a power transmission issue, this should solve it, but if your TV still won’t turn on, you’ll need to call a professional.
The television has sound but no picture
There is most likely an issue with the back-lighting system if the TV has normal sound but a black screen with no picture at all. There’s nothing you can do about it except contacting a repair service. If the LCD panel needs to be replaced, the repair expenses could be rather significant. Turn off the lights and shine a flashlight at different angles on the screen as another option. If you can see some images, the problem is with the backlight, which may be rectified by an authorized serviceman who will replace the TV backlight inverter board or the broken capacitor on it.
The screen has a number of vertical lines running across it
If you see several lines running from top to bottom on your screen, it means your LCD panel is failing and has to be replaced right away. Although this is a non-repairable issue, replacing the LCD screen can be pricey.
Spider lines extending forth from a single point
When you turn on the TV, many lines emanate from a single spot on the screen and appear to spread. This indicates that someone or something has smashed the inside glass of the television. This is also a no-fix issue that necessitates the replacement of the LCD screen.
There is an image on the television, but there is no sound
There could be a number of causes for the lack of sound while you can clearly see the image. Check to verify whether the TV is on the mute or low sound before concluding it’s a broken speaker. If that’s fine, look behind you to see if there are any headphones. If you have a receiver or surround sound system connected to your TV, make sure it is turned on because if it isn’t, your TV will be silent. Examine all cables to ensure that they are properly attached. Examine other channels to discover if they, too, are devoid of sound. If there is still no sound, your TV is likely to have a circuit board or speaker malfunction, and it will need to be evaluated by a qualified service technician.
The television flickers and then abruptly switches off
When you turn it on, it restores the picture for a short time. This is common with LED televisions. Your television appears to be in good working order until one day the picture flickers and the television shuts down. When you switch it back on, the picture returns to normal, but only for a short while before it happens again. This occurs because the main processor board uses the control line to tell the LED backlights to switch off. You might attempt the repair at home by shorting two pins with a jumper wire, but this is best handled by a professional. It’s possible that you’ll need a new LED strip or CPU board, both of which will be expensive.
The image is unusually lengthy or squished
This is an issue with the TV’s aspect ratio, which can be resolved by going to the settings and returning the aspect ratio to the original. You can do this yourself by consulting the TV handbook or seeking assistance online.
Strange outlines surround objects and people
This is most likely happening because your TV’s sharpness is set too high, in which case you may repair it yourself by going to Menu and lowering the sharpness. Another reason this could happen is if your TV employs edge-enhancement processing, which is completely unneeded in high-definition televisions. If this is the case, a serviceman may be required to resolve the issue using the TV’s service menu.
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The bottom half of the screen is grayed out
Check the input devices first if half of the screen is grayed out. Check whether the problem persists by turning off the TV and disconnecting any media devices connected to it. Whether this doesn’t work, see if adjusting the picture settings (if the parameters can be read) can help. If all else fails, attempt a system reset. Many TV makers have their own techniques for doing so; on Samsung, for example, you can do it from “Support,” “Self-diagnosis,” and “Reset.” If nothing else works, the T-con is most likely broken, soldered incorrectly, or one of the connections within your television is damaged. In this instance, you will require professional assistance.
The television flashes like a strobe light
Check all of the input devices connected to the TV if the picture is flickering like a strobe light. Check the power supply if they don’t appear to be the issue. Flickering and flashing might occur as a result of surges. To cycle power, turn off the TV, unplug the cable, then press and hold the power button for 15 seconds. Before turning it on again, wait a minute or two. If these methods don’t fix the flickering, there could be a problem with the bulb, backlight, or LED inside the television. A flicker is the first indicator that light is likely to perish. This will be a costly repair that should be handled by an expert.
The remote control is malfunctioning
The most common cause of a malfunctioning remote is depleted batteries. It should suffice to just replace them with new ones. If not, you’ll probably need to get a new remote, which isn’t too expensive.
Conclusion
The more advanced a television becomes, the more delicate it becomes, and problems can vary from minor color and brightness difficulties to massive capacitor blowouts. The majority of frequent TV issues can be resolved by accessing the settings menu or turning the TV off and on. If it appears to be a problem that can be resolved by adjusting the settings on the TV’s menu, try it; but, if it appears to be a hardware issue, we highly advise against attempting repairs at home.
If you’ve had any other problems with your TV, please share them in the comments, along with whether it was a simple fix that you could do yourself or if you needed to call a serviceman and have parts replaced. See more at our Occupychristmas website!
