11 Ways To Fix Horizontal Lines On Toshiba TV Screen (2023)

My nieces like Looney Tunes.

They’re particularly fond of the Road Runner…

And the lines that he leaves when he runs from Wile E. Coyote.

Only, this time…

The line remained, even after the show.

While the Road Runner’s quicker than me…

He’s not as quick as these tips are at solving your Toshiba screen problems.

Keep reading to discover:

9 thorough ways to get rid of the horizontal lines on your Toshiba.
What’s burn-in, and an in-depth guide to removing ghost lines from it.
Which parts of your TV can produce lines on your screen when they’re broken.
3 quick methods to fix a loose HDMI connection that’s causing the lines on your TV.
And so much more…

What causes horizontal lines on a Toshiba TV screen?

There are horizontal lines on your Toshiba TV because of interference and burn-in. Loose HDMI connections and ribbon cables are also known to cause this issue. If not those, then the culprit must be dead backlights or T-Con.

11 ways to fix horizontal lines on Toshiba TV screen

#1: Power cycle your Toshiba

Unusual as it may seem…

Have you tried restarting your Toshiba yet?

I know. You probably have.

Or, at least, turned it off for a while, hoping that the pesky horizontal line is gone…

But it wasn’t.

Let me tell you…

You’re on the right path. You’re just probably not doing it right.

Instead of a regular restart, you have to power cycle your Toshiba.

“How’s that different?”

Restarting means turning your TV off and on…

A power cycle means doing this:

Turn your TV off.
Unplug your TV for 30 seconds.
Plug it back in.
Turn on your TV.

This method gets rid of all the charges on your TV.

Meaning that your TV will be completely turned off…

Thus, resetting all of the stuck processes and glitches when you open it again.

#2: Hit your TV

Speaking of unusual…

It’s a little weird at first glance, but try to hit the back of your TV.

Not too hard, but not too gentle either.

For what reason?

Sometimes, you have a horizontal line on your screen because of dust.

Dust particles tend to accumulate at charged objects.

And you know what’s a charged object in your home?

Your Toshiba TV.

So tapping your TV can dislodge the dust on your Toshiba.

#3: Check for interference

Do you know that other objects can affect your screen?

It could be in the form of:

Flickering.
Black screen.
Discoloration.

And, of course, lines on your screen.

This phenomenon is called Radio Frequency (RF) Interference.

How does this work?

You see, RF produces radiation in small amounts. Nothing that could harm us…

But enough to damage your TV.

The thing is:

Most modern smart TVs are shielded from this radiation.

However, Toshiba is a budget brand.

Meaning that they cut corners so they could sell their TVs cheaper.

That’s why most Toshiba TVs are prone to RF interference.

So, what should you do?

Look for the following items near your TV:

Radio.
LED lights.
Microwave.
Electric drills.
Sewing machines.
Doorbell transformers.
Wiring and cables inside the walls.

And remove what you can.

#4: Factory reset your Toshiba TV

Now, let’s talk about software solutions.

After all…

There could be a setting on your TV that’s suddenly causing the horizontal line.

If that’s the case, what should you do?

Factory reset your TV.

This type of reset gets rid of:

All settings and preferences.
Downloaded shows and apps.
Common errors and glitches in its system.

It’s like a worst-case scenario fix for every software issue.

Here’s how you can reset your TV:

With a remote

Press the Home button on your remote.
Go to the Settings menu.
Head to Device & Software.
Select Reset to Factory Defaults.

Without a remote

Unplug your Toshiba TV.
Find the physical buttons on your TV.
Press the Power button and don’t let go.
Plug the TV back in.
Let go of the Power button once the Toshiba logo appears.
Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset by tapping the Power button twice.
Long-press the Power button to confirm.
Restart your Toshiba.

You may also be interested in: 5 Steps To Reset A Toshiba TV In Seconds

#5: Burn-in

My dad likes to watch CNN until he falls asleep.

That means around 4 to 5 hours every night.

Imagine my surprise…

When I see a faint image of Anderson Cooper on my screen the next day.

Creepy, but not unusual.

In fact, it’s a pretty common issue with LCD and plasma TVs.

These images are called burn-in. Others also call it ghosting.

What is it?

It’s when a screen retains an image after watching it for a long time.

To tackle this problem, we need to address 3 things:

Identification.
Solution.
And prevention.

Don’t fret. I’ll walk you through each of those.

Identification

First, you need to ensure that the line on your screen is because of burn-in, not anything else.

How?

For that, we’ll need to borrow something from Samsung:

Their burn-in checker video.

Simply play this on full-screen…

And check if the line’s still on your TV.

Are there any? If so, we’ve successfully identified your problem.

You can now proceed to…

Solution

So, the line on your screen is because of burn-in. What should you do?

The first thing you should try is to let your Toshiba rest…

But, this is important:

Don’t unplug the cable. Why?

Because modern TVs often refresh their pixels while it’s asleep. But it can’t do that when there’s no charge powering it.

Simply turn off your TV for at least an hour.

And, if that didn’t work…

You can also try playing a static video for a couple of minutes.

The constant back-and-forth of black and white pixels can clear ghost images.

Prevention

Once you got rid of the ghosting…

Ensure that it doesn’t come back again.

How, you ask?

Don’t play games for hours.
Don’t watch anything in a 21:9 format.
Don’t watch shows or movies with a still image.

#6: Fix your HDMI connection

Do you only have the horizontal line on a different source?

Perhaps if you’re gaming. Or maybe when you’re using a streaming device.

If so, your problem is most likely related to the HDMI connection.

In this case, how can you fix it?

You have 3 options:

Clean your HDMI port

Here’s a fact:

Your HDMI port is dirty.

There’s no shame in it.

But you do have to clean it regularly. Why?

As I said, dust tends to stick to electronics.

And a couple of dust bunnies are all it takes to cause a glitch on your HDMI connection.

So, to clean your port, you must:

Put 1 drop of pure isopropyl alcohol inside the port.
Wrap a microfiber cloth around a thin object.
Use that to get rid of dust and gunk inside of the port.
Let it dry.
Repeat until it’s spotless.
Straighten any bent pins using a tweezer.

Replace HDMI cable

Now, if HDMI port isn’t the problem…

It must be the cable.

The easy answer for this problem?

Buy a replacement cable for your TV.

Hold on. Don’t go running to the hardware store just yet.

You must also consider the type of cable you’re buying.

And for that, you can use this guide:

Category 1 (Standard): 720p to 1080p, 60 Hz.
Category 2 (High Speed): 1080p (60 Hz) to 4K (30 Hz).
Category 2 (4K): 4K, 60 Hz.
Category 3 (8K): 4K (120 Hz) to 8K (60 Hz).

Splice HDMI cable

“But, Peter, I can’t afford to buy a new cable.”

Like my father always said:

“There’s a more frugal solution for everything.”

For this, you can splice your old cable instead of buying a new one.

What’s splicing?

It means cutting out the damaged section of your cable. Then, connecting the separated parts.

Now, simply follow these instructions to splice your HDMI cable:

Locate the exposed part of the cable and measure 1-inch from both sides.
Cut the cable into 2.
Unsheath the cable using the measurements from step #1.
Repeat steps #1 to #3 for the smaller wires inside.
Partner the wires and put a heat shrink tubing over them. (You can also use electrical tape.)
Bind the tubing using a heat gun. (Or a matchstick.)
Repeat for the main cable.

#7: Reattach the ribbon cables

Do you have a toolkit in your home?

Good.

Because you have all you need to fix the hardware of your TV.

Don’t worry…

We’ll do this in order so that you wouldn’t need to open the back of your TV multiple times.

And the first thing on our “could-be-breaking-your-TV-screen” list?

The ribbon cables.

These are the ones responsible for connecting each part of your TV.

And, guess what?

They’re prone to get loose.

When that happens, here’s what you need to do:

Unscrew the back of your TV.
Loosen the bind using a prying tool.
Lift the cover off.
Detach all ribbon cables.
Lightly blow on them to remove any dirt and gunk.
Reattach them all.

Note: Broken cables? No problem. You can always buy replacement ribbons on Amazon.

Now, check if the line is gone?

If not, why don’t you try this one…

#8: Replace your T-Con board

While the back of your TV is open…

Why not replace the T-Con board as well?

After all, the T-Con board controls the video on your screen.

So, if there’s a horizontal line across your TV…

Broken T-Con is a likely culprit.

Got it? Now, look at the cover of your TV.

There should be a sticker saying which Toshiba model your TV is.

Once you have that, go to Amazon and look for a replacement T-Con compatible with your TV.

And then:

Loosen the screws of the old T-Con.
Untab the board.
Remove the old T-Con.
Place the new T-Con where the old one was.
Screw it to secure its place.

Again, check the screen of your TV.

If the line is still there, there’s 1 thing left to try.

#9: Replace the backlight panel

What does the line on your screen look like?

Is it white? Like a line of light shining through your screen?

In that case, the problem is your backlight panel.

Think of it as rows of small flashlights illuminating your TV.

First, get a replacement backlight compatible with your Toshiba.

Got one? Perfect.

Now, with the back of your TV still open, all you need to do is:

Detach all the ribbon cables for now.
Turn your TV so that you’re facing the screen.
Remove the bezels.
Lift the screen off using suction cups.
Put aside the white sheets.
Untab the old backlights and remove them from the cable.
Place the new ones.
Put tape over the replacement to secure its place.

And then put everything back together.

Want a video to go along with the written instructions?

I got you. You can watch this:

#10: Look for screen damage

Run your fingers through the screen.

Are there any bumps? At all?

If so, you have physical damage to your screen.

Unfortunately, screens can’t be fixed.

But, luckily, they can be replaced.

Not by you, though.

It’s better to give your local technician a call for an expert opinion.

Not to mention that they’re also better suited to find replacements for a TV screen.

#11: Contact Toshiba for support

Tried everything and still ended up with that annoying line?

I get it. It’d piss me off too.

Fortunately, you can call Toshiba for a personalized consultation.