Are you ready to throw your smart TV that produces only sound but no pictures out the window? Before you regret that decision, know there are quick solutions you can do to remedy the situation right now.
In general, TVs with a sound but no picture can be fixed by performing a soft reset, a software update, and a factory reset. Inspect the TV’s power cable, main board, power supply board, T-con board, and LCD panels to check for damages.
In this post, we’ve compiled not just one no-picture-on-TV easy fix but 12! More importantly, we’re giving you all the details you need on each quick fix so you can DIY this issue like a savvy technician within 10 minutes.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Duration | 10 minutes and 30 seconds |
| Number of Fixes | 12 |
| Things You Need | TVScrewdriverMultimeterAerosol SprayA working internet connection |
1. Perform a soft reset on your TV.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Duration | 50 seconds |
Most often than not, this method usually is forgotten as people tend to consider it elementary. Contrary to this belief, a soft reset to your TV should always be the first step to perform when facing technical problems like this.
A soft reset simply means turning off your TV, then turning it on again without losing any stored data. Below are the steps to perform a soft reset on your TV.
Follow these steps to do a soft reset on your TV:
Step 1: Unplug your TV from the wall, ensuring that the TV isn’t connected to a surge protector, which is famous for causing power issues. |
Step 2: Find the power button on your TV. After which, press and hold it in for approximately 15 seconds. Note: You need to ensure that you are not using the power button on the remote but the button on the TV itself instead. This is because the TV has capacitors that store excess power, even when the unit is unplugged. Pressing and holding the TV’s power button will drain those capacitors of their residual electrical charges, which allows the device to reset fully. |
| Step 3: Release the power button after 15 seconds and wait for an additional 30 seconds before you plug your TV again into the wall.  |
That should be a breeze. If your TV still malfunctions, the following solution should get you going.
2. Check for any loose and damaged cables.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Duration | 1 Minute |
If you’ve already performed a soft reset on your TV and still encountered the same issue, the cables could be the culprit of the issue. In this case, you should try this next no picture on TV easy fix we’ve prepared for you.
These days, people usually have at least 2-3 external sources connected to the TV. Loose connections and cable damage from external devices such as a game console may cause display issues.
Below are some TV connections where you can perform some assessments:
| Step 1: Disconnect all connections from your TV, then wait for 30 seconds before you reconnect everything.  Note: This is an opportunity to ensure all connections are snug and secure! |
Step 2: Connect an external device to another HDMI port in your TV. Note: It may not be that common, but it is still highly possible that HDMI can fail over time. For instance, if you are using a cable box that is connected to “HDMI 1,” you may connect it to “HDMI 2” to see if you’re still encountering a display issue. |
Step 3: Check each cable and cord to ascertain if they’re damaged or not. Note: If you suspect a damaged, faulty cord, try replacing it with a new cord of the same type. For instance, if you are using an HDMI cord for your cable box, try using another HDMI cord and see if this solves the issue. |
| Step 4: Make sure that your TV is connected to the appropriate input or source channel, especially when using an external device.  |
It’s common for external devices to connect to your TV via an HDMI. Each HDMI port located on the back portion of your TV also has a corresponding number.
This implies that if your cable box is connected via the “HDMI 1” port, but then your TV is currently on the “HDMI 2” channel, there wouldn’t be any images presented on the screen.
To resolve this, simply go to the input/source button found on your remote and toggle each channel until you will find the right option.
3. Try resetting all connected sources.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Duration | 40 Seconds |
One way to cure the no-picture problem is to reset all connected sources in your TV like a FireStick, and cable boxes, among others. This solution doesn’t only pose a chance of solving your issue but is also simple to do.
Below are the steps to reset all connected sources:
Step 1: Make sure that your TV is unplugged from the electrical source. |
| Step 2: Unplug and reconnect every HDMI cable on your TV on both ends: the TV end and the end of the connected device.  |
| Step 3: Make sure you’re not repeating Step 2 on the same cables. Put a mark on the cables you’ve previously disconnected and reconnected.  |
Step 4: Plug the TV and turn it on to see if you’ve gotten the image back. |
4. Perform TV software updates.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Duration | 30 Seconds |
It is important to set your TV to automatically update its software, otherwise, this may lead to an erratic operation. If that is not possible, you may do a manual update to eliminate the probable cause of this technical issue.
When you keep your TV’s software updated, this means you will get up-to-date features from the device’s manufacturers thereby fixing any bugs your device may have. Simply put, an updated software means better functionality.
The steps below show how to perform a software update on Android TV:
Step 1: Open the Settings option in your TV located in the upper-right corner. |
Step 2: Proceed to the Device Preferences option. |
Step 3: Click the About section. |
| Step 4: Select/click the System Update option to choose it. After doing this, your TV will start looking for an available software update.  Note: After clicking the System Update, your TV will show if your system is up-to-date or not. If not, you can see a download button which you need to click for the download process to start. |
Take note that the steps mentioned above are generic and usually apply to a smart TV no matter the brand.
5. Do a factory reset.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Duration | 2 Minutes |
After performing a software update, it is expected that the encountered technical problem will be solved if it is software related. If this is done and the same issue persists, a factory reset is needed.
Keep in mind that performing a factory reset erases everything. With that, you need to record all the important configurations you have done on your TV as this process turns the device into its state when it leaves its manufacturer.
| WARNING: Before doing a factory reset, backup your settings and any personal data you may have saved on the smart TV. That way, you don’t lose them in the process. |
Usually, there is a reset instruction that comes with your TV. It is important to perform the reset steps according to the instruction manual provided upon your TV purchase.
The steps below will show you how to perform a factory reset using your TV’s power button.
Use the steps below to perform a software update using the power button:
Step 1: Turn your TV off by unplugging it from the electrical source. |
Step 2: Press and hold the power button of your TV for 30 seconds. |
| Step 3: Wait for 1 whole minute then plug your TV again into the wall socket then turn it on.  Pro Tip: Another way to factory reset is by using a pin to press and hold inside the pinhole at the back panel of the TV, located just above the HDMI port. Pressing and holding for 30-60 seconds will reset and restart your TV. |
6. Configure TV settings.
Your TV also has a wide array of settings and options that you can configure. Modifications in your device’s settings will affect its overall function, such as its sound and picture quality.
If someone has changed the TV settings, you can undo those, especially focusing on brightness and picture. You simply need to check whether the device’s brightness and picture settings are properly set.
Otherwise, you need to make necessary adjustments and carefully check if your TV already displays pictures. For TVs with an option to reset the picture settings, you can go ahead and perform that action.
7. Inspect your TV’s components for any hardware issues.
If you’ve already performed an assessment on your TV’s software aspect and yet still encountered the same problem, it’s time to focus on the hardware problems. While hardware issues at times seem hard to fix, included in this article are ways that can help you handle them yourself.
This no picture on TV easy fix includes inspecting hardware and components such as the power supply and backlights, main board, t-con board, and LCD panel. Problems on those parts often lead to TV issues like having sound but no picture.
8. Your TV may have a bad backlight.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 2 |
| Duration | 30 Seconds |
An LED backlight will fail when the LEDs have already damaged the TV’s screen pixels. The affected LEDs will be able to conduct electricity; however, they can no longer produce light, therefore, resulting in dark spots on the screen.
In some situations, the backlight issue may be caused by a power supply that failed, a driver circuit problem, or problems in the LED itself.
A backlight issue is indeed a common TV problem. Below are steps to determine if your TV’s backlights have failed:
Here two quick steps to check for backlight issues:
Step 1: Turn your TV on. Note: Make sure that you’re connected to an input source that has both video and audio outputs. |
| Step 2: Shine a bright flashlight on your TV screen. Hold the flashlight at different angles until you’re certain an image is in the display.  Note: While focusing on the area lit by your flashlight, assess if you can see any image. If you happen to see an image, this implies that your backlight has failed. If you’re unable to see any image, this means that you need to verify if it’s the power supply that’s bad. This part will be discussed in the following section. |
9. Check the power supply and backlights.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Duration | 1 Minute |
Before you proceed to this step, you need to make sure that you’ve already performed the previous solution. If the outcome is that you haven’t seen any image, then this is the next step to perform.
You need not worry about checking for the power supply and backlight as this can be done even in one swipe. And yes, no meter is needed!
Quick steps to check for backlight issues:
Step 1: Unplug your TV’s power cable from the electrical outlet. |
Step 2: Open the back portion of your TV. Note: You need to remove the base so you can have access to the screws holding the back on. |
| Step 3: Disconnect the black cable connecting the main board and the power supply board as well.  |
Step 4: Plug the TV back in tightly. |
If you have noticed that no backlights come on, this implies that you need to replace the TV’s power supply board or maybe the backlights.
If ever the backlight comes on, then they’re good. This also means that the power supply is good.
10. Check the TV’s mainboard.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Duration | 2 Minutes |
The main function of a mainboard is to capture both the analog signals and video, then convert them to digital signals to be transmitted to the T-con board that is projected on the screen. Problems in the main board surely affect your TV’s presentation.
Carefully assess if the picture problem can only be seen on half or a portion of the screen as this implies a problem in the main board. Otherwise, this is a concern to be resolved in the next section.
Follow the steps to check main board issues:
Step 1: Ascertain that the TV is already unplugged. |
| Step 2: Reconnect the cable connecting the main board and power supply board, that you’ve disconnected previously.  |
Step 3: Plug the TV back into the electrical source. |
| Step 4: Measure the BL_On terminal at the cable that goes to the power supply board originating from the main board using a multimeter.  Note: The multimeter must show zero or low readings. Remember the previous procedure about backlight assessment. If the backlight came on, then this step is just to double-check. If the multimeter does not show zero or low register, and it is otherwise very high, it is safe to conclude that the culprit of this issue is the main board. |
Step 5: Freeze-spray the boards using an aerosol spray. Note: Use the spray to cool down the integrated circuit on the defective board while at the same time observing if the TV screen shows a change. If not, that board needs to be replaced. |
11. Check for the T-con board.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Duration | 2 Minutes |
The T-con board’s job is to generate both the horizontal and vertical timing panel signals, including enabling signals and providing panel bias. Simply put, it plays a crucial role in the control and correction of your TV’s brightness, touch, color, etc.
If the mainboard accounts for problems showing on half or a portion of the screen, the T-con board problem shows up on your TV’s whole screen. For instance, bars showing on the whole screen may indicate T-con board issues.
Steps to check main board issues:
Step 1: Unplug the TV. |
Step 2: Disconnect your TV’s T-con board from the main board. Note: You need to be careful when disconnecting the connectors for the ribbon cables on your device’s T-con board. Avoid pulling on ribbon cables to prevent damage and lift them out instead. |
Step 3: Plug the TV into the electrical source. Note: See if ever the backlights come on. If the backlight can be seen, then it is likely that the T-con board is the problem, hence must be replaced. Otherwise, the main board is the issue and should be replaced instead. |
| Step 4: Flick the ribbon cable from the main board that’s found in the connectors on the T-con board.  Note: If doing this elicits a response on the TV screen, then the T-con board is most likely the problem. |
12. Check for the LCD panel.
A TV’s LCD panel is designed to project information from a microcomputer to a large screen. If this fails, single horizontal or even vertical lines can be seen on your screen.
If the backlight test performed showed no image, this gives you a clue that your TV’s LCD panel also has failed. This causes distorted images which can be seen on one side of the screen only.
Can you recall a time when the TV’s hit accidentally by an object? That could be a culprit of an LCD panel malfunction as physical abuse causes such failure.
If you suspect your TV’s LCD to have sustained any form of damage, we recommend contacting your vendor’s customer support. They should be able to give you the proper assistance and book you an appointment to get a service repair.
FAQs about TVs and TV Screens
What are some differences between an LCD TV and an LED TV?
LED TV uses a light-emitting diode for backlighting, while LCD TV uses fluorescent lights. LEDs possess a slimmer body than an LCD TV, and also give clearer and better quality pictures.
There’s less power usage in an LED TV and lesser heat dissipation. While both have different names, LED TV is just a type of LCD TV.
How long is the average lifespan of a TV?
TV’s average lifespan is 4-10 years, that’s about 40,000 to 1,000,000 hours of uptime. A TV’s lifespan might also depend on its usage and the quality of maintenance it’s getting.
The general rule is that a TV that’s kept in a good condition will have a longer lifespan, and anything opposite to that will decrease it instead.
What is the best angle to watch TV?
Directly facing the TV at 15 degrees upward or downward, or around 40 degrees from left to right is the best viewing angle. This angle enhances image clarity and importantly reduces the possibility of straining your eyes.
What is the advantage of curved and OLED TVs?
Better contrast quality and better pictures are some of the advantages of having curved and OLED TVs. Curved TVs don’t have color distortion and subtle images and therefore offer a brighter picture.
OLED TVs add white light to their display that creates even more colors, creating more varied, richer, and truer-to-life pictures.
