So your LG TV screen is black but you can still hear sound from the speakers. In most cases, the TV’s backlight is on but nothing can be seen on the screen, including logos or start-up signs.
It’s a very frustrating problem, especially when your TV is brand-new and cost a pretty penny. Is there a fix for an LG TV screen going black? Or do you need to send it in for a replacement?
Before you request a refund, there are some things that you can try to fix the TV black screen problem. I would try these fixes before attempting to get a refund or a replacement.
Why is My LG TV Screen Black?
In most cases, if your LG TV is showing a steady black screen with no flickers, the reason is because of a dead panel.
Power surges can sometimes damage the internal components of TVs which make the screen unusable. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could open the rear panel of the TV to look for any damaged hardware. However, I think that’s a task best left to professionals.
If you can hear audio, and you can see a faint glow of the backlight, chances are the panel is broken. The good news is most TV warranties will cover these kinds of issues.
But before you take it in, try some of these practical fixes:
Fixes LG TV Screen Goes Black:
1 – Power Cycle TV
An interesting fact about TVs that not many people know is when you press the power button on the remote, it doesn’t completely turn off the TV. Instead, the power button puts the TV in low-power standby mode. While standby mode is convenient, it can sometimes cause problems.
Look:
To completely turn off your TV and drain it from excess power, you will need to unplug the power cable. Unplug the power cable and hold down the power button on the TV (not on the remote) for 30 seconds. The physical power button is most likely on one of the side panels.
Reconnect the power cable and turn on the TV, it should boot from scratch, and hopefully, the black screen will be gone. In most cases, power cycling the TV will fix the issue. In some cases, it can only temporarily fix the problem.
If the problem keeps happening even after multiple power resets, it’s very likely the TV’s panel is broken and you’ll need a replacement.
Restart the TV without pulling the power plug:
Open Settings, General, User Agreements, and uncheck “Privacy Policy”. You’ll receive a warning saying the TV needs to restart. Agree, wait for the TV to restart, and then accept the privacy terms again.
It might also help to disable Quick Start+ in the Settings menu.
2 – Check and Reset Connections
A loose connection might be causing the issue. There could be dust in the HDMI connectors, blocking the pins from having stable contact. I recommend removing all HDMI from the TV and any device they’re connected to and then reconnecting them.
If possible, you could test your main HDMI cable on a separate display. The problem could also be due to a broken video output port on a device like a laptop or a console. I would test both the HDMI cable and any external devices you use with other displays.
3 – Buy a New HDMI Cable
Although rare, some HDMI cables can go bad after long term use. You could consider buying a brand new HDMI cable. A cheaper idea would be to try a different HDMI cable. Chances are it’s not the HDMI cable, but it’s an easy thing to check.
4 – Remove all External Devices
If your TV is hooked up to multiple external devices, one of them could be malfunctioning and causing the issue. I suggest removing all external devices to see if the TV’s screen comes back.
Disconnect any set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, consoles, and whatnot. Even removing USB or SD cards might do the trick. If your TVs screen works when everything is disconnected, chances are one of the external devices is the culprit.
5 – Remove Batteries from Remote, Hold Down Power Button
Another trick that could work is removing the batteries from your remote and holding down the remote’s power button for 20 seconds. This will drain any excess power from the remote. You might also want to consider changing the batteries on the remote.
The Bottom Line:
There’s nothing more annoying than buying an expensive TV only to have it malfunction. The good news is a power cycle usually fixes the LG black screen problem. If none of the fixes in this article solved your problem, the problem is usually hardware related.
I don’t recommend trying to fix TV hardware issues because you could void your warranty, it’s best to call an LG technician. Even if the panel is dead, if your TV is still under warranty, you should be able to get a free replacement.
