A dark mood, a dark soul, or a dark cloud…
Things I try to avoid.
But sometimes, the darkness will catch you off guard.
For example, take my LG TV screen.
The other day it became darker than normal.
Luckily I found some easy fixes.
Let me share them with you.
Keep reading to find out:
- 12 easy ways to fix your LG tv screen.
- How to check the TV’s hardware for errors
- Why your LG TV can be darker than normal by default.
- Which Picture Mode ensures the purest colors and a bright TV screen.
- And that’s only the beginning….
Why is my LG TV screen darker than normal?
Your LG TV screen looks darker than normal because of a loose ribbon cable or a damaged T-con board. Another reason could be the wrong brightness or backlight settings. Or it could be the wrong picture mode is activated and needs to be changed manually.
LG TV screen is darker than normal: 12 steps to fix it
#1: Power cycle your TV
If you haven’t tried it yet, just restart your LG TV.
Simply press the power button from your remote control for about 10 seconds.
Did it work?
If not, we must step it up by performing a power cycle on your TV.
See, your TV builds up electrical residue over time and can get low on memory.
As a result, it can take ages for your TV to turn on.
Then it’s best to do a power cycle.
Plus, by doing it, you also reset the main board of the TV.
This is the part inside the TV that’s responsible for all the processes.
If the main board gets damaged or buggy, it can result in issues like:
- A dark TV screen.
- Colors look off.
- TV not turning on at all.
With that, here’s how to perform a power cycle in 3 easy steps:
- Unplug the power from your LG TV.
- Wait for 30 seconds.
- Plug the power back and turn the LG TV on.
Most of the time, this should do the trick.
If not…
#2: Deactivate Energy Saving Mode
If the previous fix didn’t fix it, it’s time to check the software settings.
For example, Energy Saving Mode.
If activated, it will reduce settings like brightness to save power.
As a result, your screen appears darker.
So, let’s turn it off by taking these 4 simple steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Navigate to Energy Saving and toggle it off.
Then see if you notice a difference.
You might also want to know: 3 Ways To Get Rid Of White Dots On Samsung TV
#3: Deactivate Local Dimming
Another setting on an LG TV that affects your TV screen is Local Dimming.
This is a way for TVs to dim the backlight during dark scenes.
The goal is to improve the overall picture quality, but…
If it gets too dark or keeps changing during the movie…
This can strain your eyes and make the picture look strange at times.
Fun fact: Local Dimming might be activated by default if your LG TV is new.
That said, simply deactivate it and see if it gets better.
Here’s how to deactivate Local Dimming on your LG TV in 7 simple steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Navigate to Picture Mode Settings.
- Go to Picture Options.
- Select LED Local Dimming
- Choose Off.
Try it out, but if your LG TV is still darker than normal…
#4: Turn up the backlight or brightness
Backlight
The backlight is a strip of lights behind your TV screen.
It’s responsible for brightening or dimming your entire TV display.
If your screen looks too dark, this setting is too low.
Luckily LG makes you decide how high you want to place it.
So, turn up the backlight by taking these 5 simple steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Choose Picture Mode Settings.
- Go to Backlight and turn it op.
Note: The higher the backlight level, the brighter your TV screen. In other words, the closer to 100, the brighter.
Brightness
The brightness controls the black levels on your TV screen.
If it’s set too low, it will make the black levels look very dark.
As a result, your TV screen also looks darker than normal.
So, turn up the brightness by taking these 5 steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Choose Picture Mode Settings.
- Go to Brightness and turn it on.
#5: Select a different Picture Mode
LG has preprogrammed Picture Modes that you can select based on your preference.
You can choose between the following:
- Vivid.
- Standard.
- ECO.
- Cinema.
- Sports.
- FILMMAKER MODE.
- Expert 1 (Bright space daytime).
- Expert 2. (Dark space, night).
So, if your screen is too dark at the moment…
Then my recommendation for the best Picture Mode is Vivid.
With this setting, the colors will look the most natural.
And your screen will look brighter and lighted.
Here’s how to change the Picture Mode to Vivid on your LG TV:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Choose Picture Mode Settings.
- Select Picture Mode.
- A drop-down list will appear. Then choose Vivid.
Note: Every Picture Mode can have a separate different Local Dimming setting. Then you’ll need to adjust this manually by repeating the steps at #3 Deactivate Local Dimming.
Done!
#6: Reset Picture Mode to default
It’s all fun and game with those different picture settings, but it can also get confusing.
If you feel there are too many changes, and your screen still looks too dark…
Then you can simply reset Picture Mode to default.
After that, you can start fresh and adjust the picture settings to your preference.
Here’s how to reset the Picture Mode settings to default:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Choose Picture Mode Settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom and select Reset.
Then you can start fresh again.
Note: After the picture reset, you may need to manually adjust settings such as:
- Backlight.
- Brightness.
- Local Dimming.
#7: Do a Picture Test
A Picture Test is a helpful test to diagnose your LG display.
The goal is to see if the darker screen is caused by the TV itself or something else.
During the test, the LG TV will show you pictures and ask if you see them clearly.
So, here’s how to do a picture test on your LG TV in 5 simple steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Select Picture.
- Scroll down to Picture Test.
- Follow the given steps.
When you’re done, and the screen is still dark…
#8: Check for updates
LG releases from time to time very helpful updates.
If your LG TV is outdated and you notice bugs or glitches, it’s time to check for updates.
Plus, they get feedback rapport from customers. For example, a darkened TV screen.
Based from these, LG tries to fix it by releasing helpful updates.
But you need to know how to do that from time to time, and here’s how:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Choose General.
- Go to Support.
- Select Check for Updates.
Note: Your LG TV needs to be connected to the internet when looking for updates.
If there’s an update available, make sure to install it.
Then restart your LG TV and see if your screen is back to normal.
If not, read on to the next fix.
#9: Perform a factory reset
A factory reset is more powerful than a simple restart.
It reverts all options to their default mode, like fresh out of the factory.
Moreover, without a dark screen.
So, this could be the correct fix.
But before you perform a factory reset, a gentle…
Warning: A factory reset erases all your customized settings, account information, and application data. Make sure to write down your login details. After the factory reset, you may need them to log in.
That said, here’s how to factory reset your LG TV in 5 steps:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your LG remote.
- Go to All Settings (icon with the 3 dots).
- Choose General.
- Go down and select Reset to initial settings.
- Select Ok to confirm.
Then restart the TV and see if the screen is back to normal.
You might also be interested in: Where Are LG TVs Made? 9 Things You Need To Know
#10: Check the ribbon cables
Inside your TV, the hardware is connected via ribbon cables, and they look wide and flat.
If they get loose, broken, or damaged, it can result in one-half of your screen getting dark.
Since they’re inside the TV, it needs to be opened.
Warning: if you’re not tech-savvy, then skip this step and let your LG TV get checked by a professional. Continue reading to fix #12: Contact LG support.
If you feel confident enough to open your LG, you can follow this in-depth guide.
My first tip?
Put safety gloves on.
My second tip?
Make sure to take pictures and label every part of the TV you take out. This way, you keep track when assembling it back together.
That said…
You can take these steps to open your TV:
- Unplug the power from your TV.
- Choose a surface with soft material (a blanket or towels) to put the TV on.
- Place the screen side very gently on the soft material. The back side should face you.
- Unscrew the backside.
- Carefully remove the covers from the backside.
Note: If you encounter bezels that hold the frame or the cover, gently push them aside using a putty knife.
Then look for the T-con board. This is the part that’s responsible for your TV’s display.
And it’s connected via ribbon cables.
Warning: Use your hands only when touching the ribbon cables. The pins are extremely sensitive and easily broken.
Next, see if any of the ribbon cables are loose or damaged.
If they’re loose, gently reconnect them.
But if they’re broken, they need to be replaced. Then make sure you find the correct ribbon cable that matches your TV.
When you’re done, assemble the TV back together and try it out.
If you need visual guidance, here’s a very handy video about it:
#11: Replace the T-con board
As said, the T-con board on your TV is responsible for your TV’s display.
If this is broken, it should be replaced.
Warning: if you’re not tech-savvy, then skip this step and let your LG TV get checked by a professional. Continue reading to fix #12: Contact LG support.
To start, find the replacement T-con board that matches your LG TV.
Then you’ll need to open the back of your TV as explained in step #10: Check the ribbon cables.
And you can take these steps to replace the T-con board:
- Unscrew the cover from the T-con board.
- Unplug the ribbon cables.
- Remove the T-con board.
- Place the new T-con board.
Then assemble the TV back together, and see if it solves the issue.
#12: Contact LG support.
If all the previous steps were unsuccessful, it’s time to reach out to LG.
They’re helpful and super friendly.
Tip: Take photos of your TV screen to show the issue. They may ask for this.
You can reach them via this link.