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TV picture problems
By the Repair.com team
Let's fix this!
TV picture problems arising just when you are engrossed in your favorite show is beyond cruel. Scan this chart to see whether you are minutes away from a restored picture or if you will need to enlist the help of a professional.
Note: If you have a Samsung TV, start by running the built-in self-diagnosis:
- Turn on the TV and use the remote control to access the menu.
- Scroll down to the support option and press the ENTER button.
- Choose Self-Diagnosis and press ENTER again.
- Select Picture Test and follow the on-screen instructions.
Tip: Before you start, try disconnecting and reconnecting the TV. Next, try resetting the cable box. Disconnect and reconnect the AC cord and then wait until the cable box reboots. These simple maneuvers fix picture problems more often than you would think!
Note: If there is a specific error message on your screen that you cannot decode, write it down and call your cable company. Relay the exact error message to the technician. Cable company error messages can be a great way to begin a proper diagnosis.
|
Problems |
Possible causes |
What to do |
|---|---|---|
Interior or exterior cracks on the TV screen |
Direct, physical damage to the LCD, LED or plasma TV screen from:
Note: The inky black drips around an LCD or LED crack is leaking liquid crystal. Evidence of moisture around a plasma screen crack indicates a gas leak. Use a tissue or microfiber cloth to test for moisture. |
Cracked screens (internal or external) cannot be repaired. Find out more about dealing with your broken TV screen. Did you know? There are TV retailers who will buy your broken, brand name TV! |
Poor image quality |
|
Tighten all the connections. If this doesn’t solve the problem, you may have to clean the TV’s interior or replace the HDMI cable. Find out more about poor TV picture quality. |
TV turns off |
|
Check the power plug to make sure that it is still sitting fully in the outlet. If your power connection is snug, see TV turns off for more solutions. |
Picture flickers or cuts in and out |
|
Take a look at the connections for your set-top box and your TV. Make sure that everything is tight. If that does not solve the problem, see TV flickering for more solutions. |
TV screen is black and doesn’t power on |
|
After you've ruled out a power outage, make sure the TV plug is pushed firmly into the outlet. If the connected wall switch is off, flip it to the ON position.
|
TV on (power light may be flashing) but no picture, and screen shows black, blue or entirely snowy |
|
Make sure that you are all caught up on your cable or satellite TV bills as a first step. You may also want to try checking other channels to see if the issue is only with that particular TV station or if all stations are affected. For additional help getting the picture back on your TV, see our troubleshooting guide. |
Colored splotches or dots on TV screen |
|
If your picture is slightly off center, you may see imperfections along the edges. Use your remote control to center the TV picture on the screen. Find more suggestions for removing the colored dots from your TV. |
White pixels appearing across the screen of Digital Light Processing (DLP) TV |
DMD (digital micromirror device) mirrors are “stuck” |
You will need to replace the entire optical engine board. This is a job for a TV repair professional. Note: The DMD is a chip on the engine board, and it cannot be replaced. |
Black pixels on TV screen |
Transistor is malfunctioning, creating "dead" pixels |
If no such return policy exists, schedule TV repair service. You will likely need to replace the transistor. |
Snowy or grainy picture |
|
Check each cable or satellite TV connection as a first step. Many times, a loose connection is to blame. If you still experience TV snow, see our tips for removing a grainy picture on TV. |
Wavy lines or stripes across the TV screen |
|
Check all connection points to make sure all cables are connected tightly. If you are using component cables, sometimes making the permanent switch to an HDMI cable solves the problem. Find more help for stripes or wavy lines on your TV. |
TV picture rolls vertically |
Cable TV connections are loose |
Check that each connection is pushed in entirely, and tighten the connections with your fingers:
|
Purple or green horizontal bars rolling across the screen and a buzzing sound |
Cable (set-top) box is poorly grounded |
Ground loops typically form from incorrect home entertainment system setups, and these are the reason for the rolling “hum bars” that you see. Read more about TV buzzing and rolling horizontal bars. |
Frozen, delayed or tiled images |
|
Tighten any loose connections to your set-top box. Try resetting your cable box as a next step. Find more information on how to correct a TV that freezes, pixelates or tiles. |
Picture color is wrong |
|
Make sure that all connections match and are tight. Sometimes the strange colors appear due to mismatched or loose video cables. See more explanations and solutions for TV color problems. |
White outlines and ghosting around images |
Sharpness is set too high |
Go to the TV picture menu and adjust the level of sharpness downward until the white outline disappears. |
Dark shadows on screen |
Backlight lamp is about to fail |
Schedule TV repair service to replace the backlight if you see a reddish hue at the bottom of the screen. Replacing the backlight usually takes only 30 minutes. |
Black bars around the edges of the displayed images |
Aspect ratio issue |
To have the image stretch to fill the screen:
Note: HD channels sometimes broadcast programs in a standard definition aspect ratio of 4:3. Standard definition images on a 16:9 widescreen TV will appear with black bars. |
Picture looks stretched horizontally |
Aspect ratio issue |
Toggle through the options found within TV format settings to find 4:3. Note: Programs broadcast in 4:3 appear stretched when adjusted to widescreen. |
Picture looks zoomed in |
Format issue |
Find the format button on your remote. Toggle through the different format settings until you get back to NORMAL. |
TV image isn’t centered on the screen |
Horizontal or vertical position needs adjusting |
Use the remote control to find and adjust the horizontal and vertical position of the image until it is centered. |
TV picture is too dim |
|
Note: Replacing the backlight usually takes only 30 minutes. |
Ghostly images appear over your TV programs |
|
Not to worry, this apparent burn-in is not permanent in LCD or LED TVs. The same is not true for all plasma TV models, however. Depending on whether a plasma TV is a recent or older model, burn-in may or may not be temporary. See more details on TV burn-in and image retention. |
TV picture curves and resembles a bowtie |
Convergence malfunction |
You may need to have a new convergence board installed by a TV repair specialist. |
Clouds of dark pixels appear around fast-moving objects |
Digital signal compression poor |
This picture distortion may occur as a side effect of digital signal compression. This problem lies with your cable/satellite provider or broadcaster. You can wait for compression technology to improve or you can purchase an outboard digital noise processor instead. |
Black box appears in the middle of the screen |
Closed captioning is set to Text mode |
Turn off closed captioning. Most remote controls have a button with CC on it. If you do not see this button, access the TV menu and change the closed captioning settings under Settings or Audio. |
Still seeking a solution? Schedule TV repair service with a qualified professional.
Did you know? There is such a thing as a sun outage! Around the spring and fall equinox, you may experience a snowy or blurry picture while watching cable on your TV. During these times, the sun’s strong radiation swamps satellite signals, destroying it. Specific locations are only affected for under 12 minutes a day for a few days.
Service pro's plea: If in doubt, stay out. Don't risk causing more damage to your product (or yourself!) by attempting to fix it on your own. It's also easier and quicker for a service technician to diagnose and fix a problem when the product is assembled. In the end, you'll save time and money.
✓ Reviewed and approved by Repair.com expert Jason Schatten, Electronic Laboratory.
The Repair.com team
The Repair.com team is made up of experienced writers, editors and repair experts dedicated to providing you with the most reliable and comprehensive information about keeping your home running right.