Half of your Samsung TV screen is dark, and now you’re frustrated…
“How do I fix this on my own?”
Don’t worry, you’re not on your own. I experienced the same thing.
So fret not, and let me share my solutions with you.
Keep reading to find out:
- How to replace a T-con board.
- An in-depth guide on carefully opening up your TV.
- 5 easy steps to fix a half-darkened Samsung TV screen.
- And that’s only the beginning…
Why is half of my Samsung TV screen dark?
Half of your Samsung TV screen is black because of a damaged LED backlight. It could also be due to a loose ribbon cable that controls one side of your TV screen. Another reason could be a damaged T-con board since it’s responsible for the image on your screen.
Samsung TV half screen darker: 5 steps to fix it
Step #1: Power cycle your Samsung TV
The first easy thing to do is to perform a power cycle on your TV.
See, your Samsung TV can eventually build up electrical residue and have low memory.
As a result, your TV can take a long time to turn on.
Or you may begin to notice glitches appearing on the screen.
But by doing a power cycle, you reset the TV’s main board.
This one is pretty important since the main board is in charge of all the processes inside your TV.
If this gets buggy, it can cause problems like:
- Discoloration.
- A dark screen.
- Not turning on at all.
That said, here’s how to do a power cycle in 5 easy steps:
- Turn the TV on.
- While the TV is turned on, unplug it from the power.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Plug the power back into the TV.
- Turn the TV back on.
If you still see a half-darkened screen, read on to the next fix.
You might also like: 3 Ways To Get Rid Of White Dots On Samsung TV
Step #2: Open the back of your TV
It’s time to cautiously open the back of your Samsung TV and look for damaged hardware or loose cables.
Warning: If you’re not familiar with technology, it’s better to let this be done by a professional. But if you’re confident enough, then read on.
I will give you in-depth guidance on how to do everything and make the ride as smooth as possible.
First tip?
Make sure you take pictures or label the different parts to avoid confusion when reassembling the TV.
And my second tip?
Put safety gloves on.
With that…
Here’s how to open the back of your TV in 8 easy steps:
- Unplug the TV.
- Look for a solid surface to put the TV on, for example, a table.
- Lay a blanket or thick towels on the table.
- Place the screen side gently on the blanket (the back side should face you).
- Unscrew the backside.
- Gently use a putty knife and insert it in the middle part of the bezels.
- Carefully open up the back cover along the frame.
- Slowly and easily remove the back cover.
After checking the visible hardware parts, you should…
Step #3: Look for disconnected ribbon cables
When the back cover is removed, you’ll see the hardware parts.
And they are connected by ribbon cables.
These are responsible for the communication between the hardware parts.
If one of the ribbon cables gets disconnected or loosened, it can result in:
- Discoloration.
- White TV screen.
- Lines on your display.
- Half of the TV screen is darker.
Reconnect or replace the ribbon cable
So, start looking for disconnected or loose ribbon cables.
Especially focus on the ribbon cables that goes into the T-con board.
See, the T-con board is connected by 2 ribbon cables.
One is responsible for the left side of your display, and one is for the right.
If one ribbon cable is disconnected, half of your screen won’t have an image and gets dark.
How to fix it?
Carefully reconnect or replace the ribbon cables.
Warning: Do it very gently, and only use your hands. Because the pins of the ribbon cables are extremely sensitive and easily damaged.
So, see if one is disconnected or loose, and gently reconnect it.
But if you find one that is broken, then simply replace it.
Note: Make sure you find the correct ribbon cable that matches your Samsung TV.
See if it worked
While the back of the TV is still open, turn it on.
But be careful because you might get grounded.
Did it resolve the issue?
If not, read on to the next step.
Step #4: Replace the T-con board
I talked about the T-con board in the previous section.
So, if this is broken due to aging or overheating, it can mess up your display.
Then it’s time to renew it.
Here’s how in 4 steps:
- Take out the screws connected to the T-con board.
- Unplug the ribbon cables.
- Gently pull out the old T-con board.
- Place the new one.
Then try it out and see if it fixed the issue.
You might also like: 7 Common Toshiba TV Problems And Solutions
Step #5: Replace the LED backlight
If the previous fixes didn’t solve it, it’s time to inspect the LED backlight and replace it.
This is the strip of lights behind your screen.
They are responsible for the brightness and lightning on the screen.
If they’re broken, your screen gets dark simply because the LED backlight doesn’t produce the necessary light.
But before we replace the LED backlight, you’ll first need to open up your TV.
Warning: If you’re not familiar with technology, it’s better to let this be done by a professional. But if you’re confident enough, then read on.
You can open the back side of your Samsung TV by referring to Step #2’s instructions.
After that, you should also…
Open the front side of your Samsung TV
When you’re done with the back side of the TV, you’ll need to open the front side.
Therefore, flip the TV gently, so the screen is facing up.
Then take these steps to open the front side of the TV:
- Remove the bezel from the TV carefully.
- Unplug scan drive boards and tape them on the panel to prevent damage.
- Remove the panel gently using suction cups.
- Then you’ll see white sheets. Tape them together and remove them.
Renew the LED backlight
At this point, you should see the LED backlight strips.
Note: If you see a reflector sheet covering the LEDs, remove that as well.
Then look for the broken LED backlight strip and take these 3 steps:
- Unplug the broken LED backlight from the power cable and remove it.
- Place the new LED backlight strip and align them on the chassis.
- Plug the power cables on the LED backlight.
Tip: If you see fallen LED diodes, just glue them back to your LED strip.
If you need some visual guidance about this whole process, you can check out this video: