If your TV isn’t working properly, there are still a few things to consider before you give up on it. Generally, you’ll have a few warning signs that things are not exactly right.
Of course, sometimes, the TV is beyond repair and you should replace it instead. If the screen is broken or the TV doesn’t turn on no matter what you do (or if the sound stopped working completely), it’s time to check out a new set.
But, before it comes to that, let’s talk about TLC (Television Love & Care). If you start suspecting something’s not right and begin noticing imperfections on your cheap smart TVs or cheap 4K TVs, your TV might be in need of repairs – these little defects can quickly become distracting and might even prevent you from enjoying your favorite content.
Dead Pixels
Few things are as off-putting as a dead pixel in the middle of your screen. Whether these dots are black or green, they’re incredibly inconvenient. Before jumping to the worst conclusion, however, you might want to make sure that it’s indeed a dead pixel, not a stuck one.
The difference is that stuck pixels usually happen because of a problem with a transistor; they often have different colours and are usually just simply out of place. If it is a dead pixel, then the TV should be sent for repairs, as, unfortunately, the issue is a difficult one to fix.
You may also want to check out if the problem is, indeed, with the screen. You’d be surprised at how often a small piece of dirt or dust can look like a dead pixel, so clean the screen before assuming you’re dealing with a big problem. Then use the screen to try games or connect it to your computer; if the pixel disappears on a specific media, then the issue could be the connection.
Colour Distortion
If the colours on your screen appear distorted, then your TV might be malfunctioning. Traditionally, this issue tends to occur gradually, meaning that you might not notice any difference at first. This is due to the common factor that one colour tends to weaken at a time; therefore, no obvious changes happen overnight.
Phantom colours are also a problem; if there are smears of bright colours in areas that should be completely white, you can be pretty sure that there’s a problem. Colour distortion is relatively simple to correct, so don’t despair! Contact a professional for advice.
Bars and Lines
If your screen starts to display bars and lines, this tends to indicate that there is an issue with a connector. This can occur when something magnetic has been placed near the TV and, in turn could mess with the picture quite considerably, even potentially de-magnetizing the screen. The issue can be due to cables that have become loose inside the screen as well, which is an easy fix, although it may require a professional because the TV may have to be opened.
The lines or bars typically run horizontally, so this problem might actually be easy to spot, especially if it happens suddenly.
Image Retention
This is often known as screen burn-in, although this definition is not entirely accurate. Screen burn-in is a more serious issue that involves the permanent degradation of the screen and occurs by leaving a static image on a screen for a long time.
Image retention, while frustrating, can be more easily fixed. Image retention occurs when the image sticks on the screen even when you change the channel or input different media – this tends to only appear for a few moments.
You may be able to do something about this by adjusting the levels of brightness and contrast on your TV and playing different types of content to see if the problem goes away. You can also enable your TV’s Pixel Shift feature; when this feature is turned on, images on the screen move a bit to vary the pixels used. Pixel Shift is often included in modern sets and might clean out the phantom image.
Fuzzy Screen
Another common problem is when the image displayed on the screen appears to be fuzzy or blurry. The smaller details tend to become lost and the quality of the picture displays poorly, very quickly taking your enjoyable movie experience to one of discomfort and stress.
This issue could occur if the signal received is a digitized standard (480p), as there’s a discrepancy between the resolution and the display. It’s also worth noting that the digital signal your TV receives can be affected by weather conditions as well, so the image can appear fuzzy and glitchy.
However, the good news is that, when this happens to modern televisions, there is a high chance of it being fixed, so you can still enjoy your TV for a long time.
Fading Screens
If the TV is on but the picture is faded on some areas of the screen, it’ll be difficult for you to actually enjoy the content. You may try to ignore the stain-like mark but there is no denying that this will impact your experience. Faded spots are not that rare and can be accompanied by other serious issues, like your image fading to black after you’ve turned the TV on.
Faded screens are likely due to a faulty backlight system, which means you will have to get the TV repaired or replaced. We have plenty of cheap OLED TVs and cheap 3D TVs at your disposal, so take a look at our stock to pick your brand-new set.
At times, it can be difficult to tell if your TV is malfunctioning or if the problem with the image lies within the broadcast itself.
However, there are clues that you can look out for to help diagnose your poorly TV quickly. Contact our team on +245 740 271 131 today and discuss your TV needs with us.