tcl lcd screen replacement free sample

TCT Mobile (US) Inc. offers a 1 year limited warranty on selected TCL devices that are found to be defective in materials or workmanship upon submission of the following items:

Abuse or misuses, including but not solely limited to the failure to use this product for its normal purposes or in accordance with TCL’s instructions on usage and maintenance

TCL will not be responsible for any repairs caused by third party component parts, or service that is found to be the cause for the defect or damage of the product.

TCL will not be responsible for failure to use the battery in accordance with the specific instructions of core outlined in the product user manual. For example, do not attempt to open sealed devices, such as batteries. Opening of sealed devices may result in bodily injury and/or property damage.

Accidents, Acts of God, lightning, water, fire, public disturbances, improper ventilation, voltage fluctuations or any cause beyond the control of TCL

Replace the TCL product with the same model (or with a product that has similar functionality) formed from new and/or previously used parts that are equivalent to new in performance and reliability, also;

a. When a TCL product or part is replaced or provided, any replacement item becomes the customer’s property and the replaced or refunded item becomes TCL’s property

b. TCL will not provide any data transfer service. This is the customer’s responsibility. TCL shall not be liable for the loss of any saved/stored data in products that are either repaired or replaced. Customer should maintain a separate backup copy of the contents of the device’s data.

Warranty repairs are available free of charge at TCL authorized repair centers for products that comply with the General Terms and Conditions of this warranty. Shipping cost of the defective product(s) to TCL authorized repair center is to be paid by the customer. The customer is responsible for any damage to the defective product during shipment to the authorized repair center.

This warranty is not transferrable. This warranty will be the purchasers’ sole and exclusive remedy and neither TCL nor its service centers shall be liable for any incidental or consequential damages or breach of any express or implied warranty of this product.

The term ‘flat screen’ applies to a wide range of TV types, from LCDs to the latest 4K and Smart models. A flat screen means the TV’s screen surface is flat rather than convex like older models. There can be several different types of flat-screen TVs, from older LCD to the newest Smart and 4K TVs. The type impacts the repair costs because more advanced and expensive TVs have more costly components to replace or fix. In addition, some TV repairs may not always be possible on that type. For example, it is not possible to replace the screen on a plasma TV if it cracks and begins to leak. The table below shows common television types and average repair costs for each:

Repairs for LCD TVs cost between $60 and $400. LCD televisions are one of the most popular options on the market, available in a wide range of sizes and styles. They use an LCD (liquid crystal display) with backlights to produce images. The backlights, screen, and other components may get damaged over time and need repairing.

LED TV repairs range from $60 to $400, depending on the scale of the problem. LED televisions are a specific type of LCD TV that use LED backlights to illuminate the liquid crystal display. These TVs usually produce more colorful and vibrant images and are more energy-efficient, but the LED backlights may need to be repaired or replaced over time.

4K TV repairs range from $100 to $275. A 4K television provides some of the clearest and most detailed images because of the very high resolution of its screen, providing more engaging viewing experiences. There are different types of 4K TVs, including some that use LED and others that use OLED. Basically, a television is considered 4K if it has ultra high definition. These models can be expensive to purchase and repair, but in many cases, repairs may not be possible on these units. So, their overall repair costs may be lower simply because some repairs may not be offered.

OLED TV repairs cost between $100 and $400 on average. They are the next step up from a standard LED TV, with OLED standing for organic light-emitting diodes. OLED televisions can achieve deeper blacks and higher contrast compared to standard LED screens. However, they can be very expensive to purchase and repair.

Plasma TV repairs average $100 to $400. These televisions are made up of pixels filled with gas that light up when an electrical current is applied. They are less popular today, and most companies have stopped making them. But they can still be found in many homes and are subject to problems like screen burn and distorted colors. While some repairs on these TVs are possible, many issues cannot be repaired due to their design.

TV screen repairs cost between $200 and $400, but in many cases, repairing the screen is not possible. Since the screen is usually the most expensive part of the television and one of the most sensitive to impacts and other damage, an expert may advise you to simply buy a new television instead of having it repaired. It is worth getting a diagnosis if the screen issue is not too severe because issues like flashing pixels or distorted colors may be fixable.

In some cases, your TV components may not be able to be repaired, or it might be more cost-effective to replace them with new ones. The repair price includes the cost of new parts, plus the labor required to fit them into place and remove the broken components. While some components can be replaced, they may be extremely expensive or cost-prohibitive to do so. This is mainly in the case of panels and screens because they often contain too many parts to replace on their own. The table below shows average costs for a variety of common replacements:

Fuse replacement in a TV costs between $60 and $150 and is one of the easier replacement jobs for a repairman. Glass and ceramic fuses on your TV’s power supply board may blow in certain situations and need replacing. To replace a fuse, the repairman opens the TV to access the power panel and swaps out the fuse.

Replacing a TV capacitor is inexpensive, starting at $60 up to $200. If more than one capacitor needs replacing, it is usually less expensive to replace the entire board. Capacitors cannot be repaired, so replacement is the only option.

TV bulb replacement costs average $75 to $200. Bulbs are usually found only in older models of LCD TVs or projection TVs. They are used to illuminate the display so that the picture can be seen. Bulbs are relatively easy to replace, but the material costs are a little higher with bulbs when compared to other components, leading to varied replacement prices from model to model.

TV backlight replacements cost between $100 and $200 on average, depending on the television size and scale and the type and number of lights required. If you have LED lights, parts may be more expensive, leading to higher total costs. Usually when backlight problems occur, the bulbs or diodes are dead and need to be replaced.

Picture tube replacements range from $200 to $300 on average. Picture tubes, also known as cathode ray tubes or CRTs, are only used in older TVs. So, this is not a replacement job you need to worry about with an LED or LCD TV.

HDMI port replacement on a TV costs between $200 and $300. Damaged or broken ports may simply stop working or be incompatible with certain HDMI cables. In this case, a new port must be fitted and connected to the circuit board, requiring a couple of hours of labor.

TV motherboard replacements average $200 to $400. Often when a problem occurs with a motherboard, it needs to be completely replaced rather than repaired. The motherboard controls the TV’s functions and features, and a broken motherboard makes your television completely unusable.

TV screen replacement costs at least $400 to $1,000 and often much more. The screen is the most expensive part of a TV. So usually, the cost of replacing it is higher than just buying a new unit. In some cases, this is because the screen cannot be replaced without also replacing most of the other components, particularly for TVs like LED, LCD, or plasma. Most professional repair companies do not offer screen or panel replacement as a service.

TV panel replacement costs a minimum of $400 to $5,000 and often a lot more on some of the high-end 4K and Smart screen displays. Because the cost of a replacement panel is so high, it is usually more cost-effective to simply purchase a new television. Like the screen, this is due to the number of components involved. Therefore, most repair places will not offer panel replacement as a service.

You might not know exactly which part of your TV is broken or damaged at first. The symptoms of a broken television vary from vertical colored lines across the screen to audio issues, power problems, and even situations where the television starts normally but then turns itself off. For this reason, most repairs start with a diagnostic so that the problem can be found and a plan made for repair. For some repairs to be made, the part will need to be replaced, while in other cases, repair or replacement of that part may not be possible. The table below shows common problems and average repair costs for each.

Repairing vertical lines on the screen averages $150 to $400. This is usually an issue associated with your TV’s control board or motherboard, which may be damaged and need to be either repaired or replaced. It could also be caused by a loose cable, but it will need to be opened up to diagnose the issue and repair it.

Repairing a cracked TV screen costs from $400 to $1,000 or even more. Cracked screens cannot be repaired, they can only be replaced, and they are very expensive, sometimes exceeding the cost of a new TV. For this reason, if you have a cracked screen, it will probably have to be replaced entirely.

To fix your TCL TV blank screen, you should expect to pay about $60 to $400. One characteristic repair of the TCL brand is a black screen with no picture. This can be a fuse that has blown, or it may require a major change, such as a new main board.

Damaged cables can cause a TV to flicker or grow dim. Repair prices for damaged cables are $75 to $200. Samsung TV owners cite this flickering or dimming of the screen as a common issue with this brand. Sometimes the settings for the eco sensor1 or the energy-saving feature create this problem. Turning either of those off may fix the issue.

The Vizio TV is known for its screen of death (a blank or black screen) and usually costs about $200 to $400. The problem is most often a blown motherboard, and replacement is the only option. A factory reset may be a solution. If that doesn"t work, the motherboard is the best possible answer.

Often, you must decide whether it is worth repairing your TV because in many situations, the cost of repairs is higher than the price of a new TV. For example, when screens are cracked or damaged, the cost of replacing a panel is usually much higher than simply buying a new TV.

Consumer Reports recommends replacing electronics whenever the cost of repairs equals or exceeds half the cost of a new purchase. It is also recommended that you replace your television if the new version is less than $200, or if your screen is smaller than 32”. For example, it costs around $150 for a new motherboard in an LG Model 24LF452B 24” TV, which takes around one hour to repair. As a result, you would pay between $190 and $210 to repair your old set, while it is possible to purchase a new one for less.

Keep your TV clean. Over time, dust, pet hair, and bits of dirt can build up on the screen and get inside the television via vents and ports. This dust accumulation can affect a TV’s operation and make it more likely to break down.

Television repair costs vary widely, but the average consumer pays between $100 and $300. Prices depend on the make, model, and size of your set, as well as the availability of parts. It is generally more expensive to repair an older model than it would be to replace it. New televisions are becoming more affordable every year, but the price of parts remains steady or even increases as older parts become rarer.Can a flat-screen TV be fixed?

Yes, flat-screen TVs can frequently be fixed, including issues with the screen, sound, lighting, cables, and interior components. However, there are some situations where flat-screen TVs cannot be fixed, such as when the screen is severely cracked.How do you fix a broken TV screen?

Not all TV screens can be fixed or replaced. Certain types have components behind the screen that can be damaged by its removal. However, if you choose to proceed, remove all external cables, unplug your set, and lay it face down on a flat, soft surface. Remove any screws holding the frame in place and then gently remove the frame and set it aside. Put your new screen in place and reconnect the internal cables in the same manner you disconnected them. It is usually best to get a professional to handle TV repairs, and the cost of replacement screens is often very high. So, it may be more cost-effective to get a new TV.How many years will a flat-screen TV last?

This is not recommended. If you leave a TV on for too long, it may overheat, which could damage interior components like the motherboard. It may also do damage to the screen and risk ‘burning’ an image into the display, as well as damaging the backlights.Do Smart TVs use more electricity?

TV repair costs between $60 and $350 with most spending $207 on average for LCD, LED, plasma, and 4K TVs; costs are higher if repairing older DLP, projection, and HD TVs. TV problems like display issues, powering-on problems, or sound issues can be fixed. Pickup and delivery fees may apply.

The cost to repair a TV screen can be significantly more than the cost of purchasing a new TV. For this reason, replacing or repairing a broken TV screen is not considered feasible.

For example, the price of a new Samsung 40-inch LED TV is about $400, yet the cost of a replacement display panel for this model is about $380. This price is only for the replacement part and does not cover diagnostic costs, labor costs, or travel or shipping fees.

Broken TV screen repair is not a service offered by most TV or electronics repair companies. For example, BestBuy"s 90-day warranty, does not list broken TV screen repair as one of the problems they service.

Unless you are trying to fix a TV from the ’80s or earlier, cracked TV screen repair is not feasible; the entire display panel must be replaced instead. The cost of a replacement TV display panel is more than the cost of buying a new TV, and that’s before labor and other service costs.

The cost of TV screen replacement is generally the same as or more than the cost of buying a new TV. Therefore, replacing a broken or malfunctioning TV screen is not considered a viable option. If the TV is under the manufacturer’s warranty, the manufacturer may replace the entire unit.

TV manufacturers do keep replacement TV screen panels on hand to support products under warranty in case the screen malfunctions, due to manufacturer defect.

If you still want to replace a damaged or malfunctioning TV screen, your best option is to find a used replacement panel or a broken TV of the same model on which the screen is still functional. You might find one on eBay, and you can hire a technician to change out the panel.

The cost of a used replacement TV panel ranges from $50 to $350 or more, excluding shipping, depending on the brand and size. Note that the chances of finding exactly the part you need in excellent condition are slim, and the cost excludes the cost of installation by a repair shop.

Whether your TV is LCD, LED, plasma screen, or 4K (Ultra HD), the cost to fix common problems ranges from $60 to $350, depending on the repair type and the brand of TV being repaired.

TV motherboard replacement costs between $200 and $350, including parts and labor, or about $275 on average. Motherboard replacement parts range from $35 to $199and labor costs from $60 to $125.

The function of an inverter board in a TV is to power the backlight of the screen. The inverter board requires a few hundred volts of power. If the inverter board goes bad, this would cause the TV to power on and have sound but no picture.

When an inverter component goes bad, it is usually replaced rather than repaired. In some cases, the capacitors on a converter board fail, and a technician can fix it by replacing the capacitors rather than replacing the entire inverter component. However, if an entire inverter board replacement is not available for the model of TV being repaired, replacing the capacitors may be the only option for TV inverter repair.

A flat-screen TV bulb replacement costs between $60 to $115, with most homeowners spending $84 for parts and labor. The price for replacement bulbs ranges from $18.50 to $80.

If an older model LCD TV or projection TV powers on and has sound but no picture, this may be due to lamp burnout, which is both common and expected. In this case, replacing the bulb will fix the problem. An experienced technician should be able to replace the bulb quickly and easily.

TV backlight repair costs $100 to $122, including replacement parts and labor, at a repair shop. In-house repair costs are more due to trip fees. The price of backlight replacement parts averages around $2.50for each LED and between $20 and $25 for each CCFL strip.

Repairing a TV power supply board costs $23 to $234 for parts alone. Completely replacing the power supply board costs $250 for parts and labor. If one capacitor has failed, the cost for replacement capacitors is low. However, it’s more cost-effective for the technician to replace the entire board rather than spend time trying to diagnose and replace faulty capacitors one by one.

TV capacitor repair costs $60 to $129, including parts and labor. The cost for the replacement part ranges from $0.06 to $14, with the labor portion ranging from $60 to $125 per hour. TV capacitors protect the circuit from getting too much power, filter signals, and facilitate changing channels.

Flat screen replacement glass is not available. The only option for flat-screen TV glass repair is to try optical glass glue, which costs $1.70 for a 5-ml. tube. This may be an option for TV glass repair if the crack is only a few inches or less. TV panels are built as one unit at the factory, with the glass adhered to the display panel.

A TV fuse repair costs between $61 and $136, with most spending $99 on average. The cost of the replacement fuse itself is $1.50 to $11, while labor ranges from $60 to $125 per hour. Additional fees may apply.

LCD flat-panel repair is not considered cost-effective. If the glass is cracked or the display is physically damaged, it is cheaper to replace the entire TV than to repair or replace the display panel.

Estimating TV repairs costs by brand is not something TV repair shops offer, however, there are general prices by type. When looking for specific repair costs for your TV, you’ll find them in the common repairs price list above. Pricing applies to brands such as Samsung, LG, Sanyo, TCL, Insignia, HiSense, Sony, Toshiba, Pioneer, and Vizio.

More popular TVs are usually less expensive to repair because repair shops order replacement parts for them in bulk, which allows them to buy those parts at a lower cost.

The cost of flat-screen TV repair ranges from $42 to $359. You cannot fix a broken screen, but the price of a new flat-panel TV starts from around $249 for a 1080-mp (non-4K) LED TV from LG to as much as $14,999 for an 85-inch 8K LED TV from Samsung. A TV referred to as a “flat TV” or “flat-screen” TV might be any of the following:

LCD TV repair typically costs $60 to $85 for diagnostics testing, and $200 to $300 to perform repairs. LCD TVs use backlighting, which may fail. Newer LCD TVs use LED strips for backlighting. Older ones might use CCFL. If CCFL backlighting fails, a technician can replace it with LED backlighting.

An LED TV is just an LCD TV that uses LED backlighting, which all newer models do (older models use CCFL backlighting). The cost to replace one LED backlighting strip ranges from $100 to $122, including parts and labor.

The cost to replace the motherboard, inverter, or LED"s in a 4K TV ranges from $100 to $275 or more depending on the brand and model. The cost for screen repair for a 4K TV is irrelevant because it cannot be fixed or replaced at a cost that is lower than the cost of a new 4K TV.

Digital light processing (DLP) TVs are also known as projection TVs. DLP big screens have not been made since 2012, and DLP TV repair is usually not worth the cost except for a lamp burnout, in which the bulb can be replaced. The cost to replace bulbs ranges from $60 to $115.

With modern TVs, repair entails component replacement or replacement of capacitors, for which high levels of certification are not necessary. Generally, TV repair shops will let you know if their employees have certification.

First, check that the connecting cable is securely in the socket on both ends. If that doesn’t work, try substituting another data cable if you have one, or test it with a replacement cable.

Power cable - Check the power cable. If it is a removable cable, you can test it by substituting a power cable from another piece of equipment in your home, or you can buy a replacement cable for this test. The cost for a replacement TV power cable ranges from $2.50 to $10.

Lamp burnout -In a projection TV or older LCD TV, no picture may be caused by lamp burnout. In this case, a technician can replace the bulb quickly and easily.

The right parts - It can be complicated to determine which component of a TV is failing and causing the TV not to work correctly. If you buy a replacement part and perform the repair yourself, the TV may still not work, either because you replaced the wrong part, the part was old and not working properly to begin with, or you did not perform the work correctly. Buying multiple replacement parts can become costly.

Not included in these prices from Best Buy are 1080P screens, which range from $249 to $279 for 43-inch TVs from brands like Samsung, Sony, and LG. On the upper end, Sony and Samsung both have 95-inch 8K LED TVs for $69,999.

In most cases, a flat-screen TV can be fixed. The exception is a physically damaged display panel or screen. Most other issues including failing speakers, backlights, or power supply. Burned out fuses and damaged input ports can also be repaired.

If the screen is not physically damaged but is not showing a picture or is displaying “snow’” or vertical or horizontal lines, a technician can repair the TV by replacing failed components. If the screen is physically damaged, it cannot be repaired.

You cannot replace a broken flat-screen display. New TVs costs anywhere from $249 for a 1080P (non 4K) LED TV from LG to as much as $14,999 for an 85” 8K LED TV from Samsung.

The Hisense U7G offers great image quality, superb gaming features, and the Android TV interface, but it has a narrower viewing angle and comes in fewer screen sizes than some other TVs.

The Hisense U7G is a great-looking 4K TV with all the technologies and features that any LCD/LED TV should have today, including a full-array local-dimming backlight for superb black levels and image contrast as well as a 120 Hz refresh rate that delivers better motion quality than you’ll find on many competitors. It does a nice job showing high dynamic range video, thanks to its high brightness and rich color, and it supports the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR standard (which can offer improvements in image quality over the standard HDR10 format). For serious gamers, Hisense has also added all the HDMI 2.1 features necessary to take full advantage of the newest gaming consoles. (Check out TV features, defined for more explanation of the technical terms we’re using here.) The U7G features the Android TV streaming platform, which offers a wide variety of streaming services and a continually improving user interface. But the TV comes only in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch screen sizes.

The Samsung QN90A offers better contrast ratios, brighter HDR highlights, and a wider viewing angle than our top pick—in a larger selection of screen sizes.

If you’re willing to pay a higher price to get one of the best LCD performers we’ve tested, the Samsung QN90A is our recommendation. Moving beyond the standard LED backlight in the Hisense U7G, this TV has a mini-LED backlighting system—which offers more local-dimming zones for even better contrast ratios and brighter HDR highlights than on the Hisense—and it produces vibrant colors. It also has a wider viewing angle than our top pick, so everyone can enjoy a good-looking image no matter where they sit in the room, and it comes in more screen sizes, from 43 to 98 inches. The QN90A supports all the latest HDMI 2.1 features, which gamers will appreciate, and it uses Samsung’s proprietary Tizen streaming platform, which supports most of the popular streaming services. We like that it features a center stand so it will fit on virtually any TV furniture, and it sits high enough on the stand that you can place a soundbar in front of it without blocking the screen. The drawbacks are that the QN90A does not support the more advanced Dolby Vision high dynamic range format (but it does support the similarly advanced HDR10+ format), and it’s significantly more expensive than the Hisense U7G.

If you have a wider seating area, or if you regularly watch your TV from side angles, the Sony X950H uses an LCD panel specifically designed to produce a better-looking image at wider viewing angles than many 4K LCD TVs offer. (Our upgrade pick, the Samsung QN90A, employs a similarly effective wide-angle-viewing technology but costs more.) This TV also has Sony’s superb color accuracy and video-processing capability, so it’s better than the competition at removing banding artifacts. However, that wider viewing angle comes at the expense of the TV’s black level, which isn’t as dark as that of Hisense’s U7G or Samsung’s QN90A. Also, you don’t get the full complement of HDMI 2.1 features to improve the gaming experience. The Sony X950H is available in a variety of screen sizes, from 49 to 85 inches.

The Hisense U7G offers great image quality, superb gaming features, and the Android TV interface, but it has a narrower viewing angle and comes in fewer screen sizes than some other TVs.

The Hisense U7G is a great-looking 4K TV with all the technologies and features that any LCD/LED TV should have today, including a full-array local-dimming backlight for superb black levels and image contrast as well as a 120 Hz refresh rate that delivers better motion quality than you’ll find on many competitors. It does a nice job showing high dynamic range video, thanks to its high brightness and rich color, and it supports the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR standard (which can offer improvements in image quality over the standard HDR10 format). For serious gamers, Hisense has also added all the HDMI 2.1 features necessary to take full advantage of the newest gaming consoles. (Check out TV features, defined for more explanation of the technical terms we’re using here.) The U7G features the Android TV streaming platform, which offers a wide variety of streaming services and a continually improving user interface. But the TV comes only in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch screen sizes.

The Samsung QN90A offers better contrast ratios, brighter HDR highlights, and a wider viewing angle than our top pick—in a larger selection of screen sizes.

If you’re willing to pay a higher price to get one of the best LCD performers we’ve tested, the Samsung QN90A is our recommendation. Moving beyond the standard LED backlight in the Hisense U7G, this TV has a mini-LED backlighting system—which offers more local-dimming zones for even better contrast ratios and brighter HDR highlights than on the Hisense—and it produces vibrant colors. It also has a wider viewing angle than our top pick, so everyone can enjoy a good-looking image no matter where they sit in the room, and it comes in more screen sizes, from 43 to 98 inches. The QN90A supports all the latest HDMI 2.1 features, which gamers will appreciate, and it uses Samsung’s proprietary Tizen streaming platform, which supports most of the popular streaming services. We like that it features a center stand so it will fit on virtually any TV furniture, and it sits high enough on the stand that you can place a soundbar in front of it without blocking the screen. The drawbacks are that the QN90A does not support the more advanced Dolby Vision high dynamic range format (but it does support the similarly advanced HDR10+ format), and it’s significantly more expensive than the Hisense U7G.

If you have a wider seating area, or if you regularly watch your TV from side angles, the Sony X950H uses an LCD panel specifically designed to produce a better-looking image at wider viewing angles than many 4K LCD TVs offer. (Our upgrade pick, the Samsung QN90A, employs a similarly effective wide-angle-viewing technology but costs more.) This TV also has Sony’s superb color accuracy and video-processing capability, so it’s better than the competition at removing banding artifacts. However, that wider viewing angle comes at the expense of the TV’s black level, which isn’t as dark as that of Hisense’s U7G or Samsung’s QN90A. Also, you don’t get the full complement of HDMI 2.1 features to improve the gaming experience. The Sony X950H is available in a variety of screen sizes, from 49 to 85 inches.

Let"s start with what makes mini-LED special. By using more, smaller LEDs to illuminate the screen, a TV can have finer control over its highlights and shadows, for potentially better contrast and image quality especially with OLED, the best TV tech on the market, is that it can be more affordable, particularly in larger screen sizes. Mini-LED is an evolutionary technology, not a revolutionary one, and draws on existing LCD TV technology. In the mini-LED TVs we"ve tested so far, including the TCL 6-Series and Samsung QN90A, the picture quality improvements are the real deal, although not quite good enough to beat OLED.

Mini-LEDs are found inside normal-size TVs but the LEDs themselves are much larger than MicroLEDs. Just like the standard LEDs found in current TVs, they"re used to power the backlight of the television. A liquid crystal layer, the LCD itself, modulates that light to create the image. MicroLED isn"t LCD at all, it"s a whole new TV technology that also happens to use LEDs.

To understand mini-LED, you need to understand standard LED, at least as far as your TV is concerned. Inside all modern LCD TVs (i.e. every TV that"s not an OLED), there"s anywhere between a few, to a few hundred light emitting diodes. These tiny devices emit light when you give them electricity and are being used everywhere in the modern world, from the flashlight on your phone to the taillights on your car. They range in size -- commonly they"re around 1 millimeter, but can be smaller than 0.2 millimeter. In your TV these LEDs are collectively referred to as the "backlight."

In some TVs the LEDs are on the edges, pointing inward. On others, the LEDs are behind the screen, pointing toward you. For improved image quality, particularly to appreciate contrast ratio between the bright parts of the image and the dark. For more on this, check out

Ideally, you"d be able to dim each pixel enough to create a visually impressive contrast ratio. This is, for example, how OLED and MicroLED work. With LCD, though, it"s much harder to do. The liquid crystal panel that creates the image only blocks the light created by the backlight. Not all the light can be blocked, so the image is grayer and has less "punch" than with OLED.

One of the first mini-LED TVs available was TCL"s 8-Series. It had over 25,000 mini-LEDs arrayed across the back of the TV. These were grouped into around 1,000 zones. Both of these numbers are significantly higher than what you"d find in a traditional LED TV. The 65-inch Hisense U8G, for example, has 485 local dimming zones while the

Don"t expect every mini-LED TV to have that many LEDs, of course. Lower-end models will have far fewer, but likely still more than regular LED TVs. For instance TCL"s 65-inch 6-Series has 1,000 mini-LEDs and 240 zones -- more than many models at its price but clearly not at the same level as the 8-Series.

If you were to take the LCD layer of the TV off, the mini-LEDs would create an image that would look like a low-resolution black-and-white internet video version of the show you were watching (see the pairs of image comparisons above). By being able to dim parts of the screen far more precisely, the overall apparent contrast ratio goes up. It"s still not quite as good as being able to dim each pixel individually (like OLED and MicroLED), but it"s far closer to that ideal than even the most elaborate full-array LED LCDs now.

Having more zones is a big factor here, as it means improving two other aspects of the image. The most obvious is reducing the "blooming" typical of many local-dimming LCDs. Blooming is created because the local-dimming backlight is too coarse, creating light behind a part of the image that should be dark.

Imagine a streetlight on an otherwise dark road. A local-dimming TV doesn"t have the resolution in its backlight to only light up the pixels creating the street light, so it has to light up some of the surrounding night as well. Many LCDs TVs have gotten pretty good at this, but not as good as something that can dim each pixel like OLED. With mini-LED, you might not be able to light up individual stars in a night scene, but the moon probably won"t have a halo.

Because there"s less of a chance of blooming, the LEDs can be driven harder without fear of artifacts. So there can be a greater on-screen contrast ratio in a wider variety of scenes. The bright parts of the image can be truly bright, the dark parts of the image can be at or near totally dark.

The overall name for the technology is mini-LED. That"s what TCL, Sony and Hisense call it while LG and Samsung, true to form, prefer to use their own names.

Meanwhile TCL introduced its third-gen mini-LED televisions this year as well, called OD Zero. TCL says OD Zero TVs will be much thinner, just 10mm in the first example, thanks to a reduction in the distance between the backlight layer and the LCD display layer. That TV also happens to be an

Just days into the new year, we already have a good idea of what TV shoppers can expect in 2022, starting with more 8K sets, more LCD sets that use Mini LEDs in backlights, plus some interesting developments in OLED TVs, which traditionally have topped our TV ratings.

Shoppers can also expect to see more jumbo-sized TVs—many with screens that measure 85 inches or more—at more affordable prices. A few TV brands have announced TVs with screen sizes of almost 100 inches.

In general, though, we expect to hear more this year about advanced processors and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve overall picture and sound quality in 4K sets. In 8K TVs, the need to upscale lower-resolution HD and 4K content to these new high-res screens requires extra computing horsepower.

You’ll also see more OLED sets alongside the LCD televisions that dominate the market. The number of brands already offering these types of TVs includes LG, Skyworth, Sony, and Vizio. The good news is that shoppers are likely to see even lower prices on entry-level 4K OLED sets this year.

The big news for LCD/LED TVs is the use of Mini LEDs in backlights by several brands. By shrinking the size of the LEDs, companies can cram thousands of them into the backlight behind the LCD panel, then divide them into zones that can be dimmed or illuminated, just like conventional LEDs. But because they’re so small, they can be controlled more precisely to help improve brightness, contrast, and black levels, and help reduce the halos you often see on LCD TVs when a bright image appears against a dark background.

This can help the best LCD TVs perform closer to OLED TVs, which don’t require a backlight. Instead, every individual pixel gives off its own light and can be turned on and off individually, so if part of a picture is supposed be completely black, it can be.

Hisense, which like TCL has emerged as a fast-growing alternative to the major brands, will split its focus in 2022 between conventional TVs and its emerging short-throw laser projector business. We think more consumers will be interested in Hisense’s TV plans.

Unlike most companies, Hisense announced prices and availability for its 2022 sets this week. The 75-inch U9H set will be available in late summer for $3,200, while the UH8 sets will arrive in midsummer in 55-, 65-, and 75- screen sizes. Prices start at $1,099.

The U7H Series sets—which arrive in midsummer in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes, with prices starting at $800—target gamers with many of the same features, but at a lower price. They lack the Mini LED backlights and higher brightness found on models in the two top series, but do come with the Next-Gen TV tuner. The U6H-Series sets, with prices starting at $580, extend the ULED TV platform to a wider group of consumers looking for 50- to 75-inch TVs.

This year, LG will again manage a familiar balancing act, touting improved performance in its LCD lineup while continuing to promote its OLED TVs as the pinnacle of TV performance.

As in the past, the most advanced OLED tech will go into the company’s interior design-focused Gallery, or G series, sets. However, improvements are also being made to LG’s C2 series lineup, which has typically offered the best bang for the buck of any LG OLED TVs. This year you’ll see OLED TVs in both bigger (a 97-inch behemoth) and smaller (42-inch) screen sizes.

While the smallest OLED TV last year was a 48-inch model, this year the C2 series will include a 42-inch option. (There will also be 48-, 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch C2 screen sizes.) The G2 series will get the monster 97-inch set, along with 83-, 77-, 65-, and 55-inch models.

For its LCD-based lineup, LG will be continuing its QNED TVs—like we needed another acronym—that use Mini LEDs in the backlight. Though last year all QNED sets—which combine LG’s own NanoCell color technology with quantum dots—used Mini LED backlights, this year it’s missing from the entry-level QNED80 sets, which have more conventional full-array LED backlights with local dimming.

Once again LG’s top TVs get a new, more powerful processor and AI, with features such as the ability to detect faces and objects on the screen, then analyze the info on a scene-by-scene basis to make image and sound adjustments. The processor is also used to upgrade lower-resolution content to the set’s higher 4K or 8K display.

We’ll talk more in more detail about QD OLED technology in another article, but the main difference is that like quantum-dot LCD TVs, it uses a blue light source combined with quantum dots to produce rich, natural-looking colors. While reports of Samsung working on this new TV tech have circulated for several months, the company didn’t have anything to say about it beyond accepting an CES Innovations award for the development. Samsung tells us it will have more information about these new sets soon.

Samsung also noted that it will have a MicroLED TV—basically the LED equivalent of an OLED TV, where every pixel generates its own light, with no need for a separate backlight—in a new, smaller 89-inch screen size this year, joining the 101- and 110-inch models already available. No prices were given, but last year’s model were prohibitively expensive for most consumers. The 110-inch model, for example, cost about $150,000 when it shipped last spring.

The sets have two additional improvements. One, called Shape Adaptive Light Control, tries to analyze onscreen objects and light them more accurately. The other uses AI to analyze scenes to do a better job separating foreground subjects from the background, enabling the TV to create a greater sense of depth and realism.

Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform is getting a new home screen, which aggregates and organizes streaming content. It also has an Ambient mode for viewing art, photos, and even NFTs on the display.

And, yes, Samsung is diving into the world of NFT (nonfungible token), or digital art works that get traded like cryptocurrency. The company says it’s launching "the world’s first TV screen-based NFT explorer and marketplace aggregator," so you can browse, shop for, and display NFT art right from the TV.

After a few years’ absence—and a bit of drama—Sharp is returning to the U.S. TV market this year with a line of Roku TVs. Sharp hasn’t released any specifics beyond saying that its lineup will include both HD and 4K models, in 50- to 75-inch screen sizes.

As you’d expect, the A95K has all of Sony’s bells and whistles, including its Cognitive Processor, which attempts to determine how humans perceive images, then adjust the picture to make it look more natural and realistic. It does this by dividing the screen into numerous zones, then enhancing the specific areas where it believes a typical viewer would be focusing their attention, such as faces. The processing also matches audio to what’s on the screen and upconverts it to 3D surround sound.

As for Sony’s LCD TV Lineup, the big news is that the two top series—the Z9K and X95K—get Mini LED backlights. Sony claims its Backlight Master Drive technology will offer more control over the Mini LEDs than conventional methods.

Starting last year with its XL Collection, TCL has been focused on big TVs, 80 inches and larger. In 2022 the company’s lineup will be topped by a 98-inch QLED-set that just started selling for almost $8,000.

TCL offered the first Mini LED TV we ever tested three years ago, and last year expanded the technology into its popular 6-series 4K lineup. This year the company is building Mini LEDs into the new flagship TV in its XL Collection. The set is an 85-inch 8K QLED X9 model that uses a new OD Zero Mini LED backlight technology. That technology enables the company to build a set with an ultrathin profile under 10 millimeters (or about 0.4 inches) deep.

This year, TCL will have more Mini LED TVs, along with higher-performance gaming features. TCL says that while its sets already feature Auto Game mode and variable refresh rate, and support 4K HDR gaming in 120Hz, this year’s models will step up to a 144Hz refresh rate that can take advantage of gaming computers’ higher-end graphics cards.

TCL also said that it will offer sets that support several smart TV platforms, including Google TV and Roku TV, in 2022. We’ll have more to say about new TCL TVs as they’re announced and we’re able to bring them into our labs for testing.

Have you ever left your TV or monitor on for days, stuck on the same image? You return to your screen, only to find an image burned into the display. No matter what you do, it won"t go away. It is a permanent image burn.

Why do monitors and TVs get image burn? Why can"t manufacturers prevent LCDs and plasma screens from a burnt image imprint? Moreover, what can you do to fix an image burn?

Before flat-screens and crystal displays, most TVs and monitors featured CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) technology. In CRTs, individual pixels comprise a red, blue, and green phosphor component. Depending on the intensity of each phosphor component, the pixel appears to the human eye as a unique color.

When a particular still image remains for too long, the intensity of each phosphor component diminishes at an uneven rate. The result is a ghost image on the screen, which is known as image burning.

This is a very simplified version of how a plasma screen works. However, the main thing to understand is that plasma screens use phosphor material (like CRTs) to turn those photons into images.

LCD and LED do not work in the same way as CRTs, either. LCD and LED screens use backlit liquid crystals to display colors. Although manufacturers market screens using LED and LCD, an LED screen is still a type of LCD. The white backlight filters through the liquid crystals, which extract particular colors per pixel.

LCD and LED displays don"t suffer from the same type of image burn as CRTs and plasma screens. They"re not completely clear, though. LCD and LED screens suffer from image persistence. Read on to find out more about image persistence.

Before you can fix screen burn-in, take a second to understand why these images burn in the first place. LCDs and LEDs don"t suffer from burn-in as seriously as plasma screens. But static images can leave an imprint on both display types if left alone for too long. So, why does image burn happen?

First, let"s tackle plasma screen burn-in. Remember why CRTs experience image burn? When a still image remains on the screen for too long, the phosphor components in each pixel wear out at different rates. The uneven burn rates leave behind a ghost image, forever etched into the screen.

Plasma screens also suffer from phosphor deterioration. Plasma burning occurs when pixels on the screen are damaged through long exposure. The phosphor loses its intensity and only shows the light it was fed repeatedly. In this case, the still image, which causes the burn.

LCD and LED screens can also experience image burn, though the image burn process can take longer to develop into a permanent issue. In addition, LCD and LED screens suffer from another issue, known as image retention (also known as image persistence or an LCD shadow).

Image retention is a temporary issue that you are more likely to notice before it becomes a permanent issue. However, proper image burn can still affect LCD, LED, and OLED screens.

Image retention is a different issue from image burn (although it is a precursor to image burn). For example, you"re using an image of a steam train as a reference point for a drawing. You have the steam train image on your screen for a few hours before you decide to play a video game instead.

When you load up the video game on the screen, you can still see the faint outline of the steam train on the screen. The steam train image will remain for a short while, but the movement and color changes of the video game (or film, TV show, or other media type) should erase the retained image.

The other thing to consider is that LED and OLED image burn-in, when it happens, is irreversible. That"s because of how LED and OLED screens work. Individual pixels within an LED display decay when they emit light.

Under normal use, an LED, OLED, or QLED screen won"t suffer image burn. However, if you leave your screen on a single channel for hours every day, then burn-in can become an issue, as it would with almost any screen.

Issues arise when a screen shows a single news channel 24 hours a day, every day, causing channel logos to burn-in, along with the outline of the scrolling news ticker and so on. News channels are a well-known source of television burn-in, no matter the screen type.

Image burn-in fixes exist for LCD and plasma screens. How effective an image burn-in fix is depends on the screen damage. Depending on the length and severity of the image burn, some displays may have permanent damage.

The best fix for screen burn is to prevent it in the first place. Okay, that isn"t super useful if your screen is already experiencing image burn. However, you should always try not to leave your screen on a still image for too long. The time it takes for an image to burn-in varies from screen to screen, between manufacturers, sizes, and panel type.

Another prevention method is to reduce screen contrast as much as you can. Unfortunately, most screens aren"t calibrated correctly, often pushing the contrast and brightness settings too high.

Lower contrast means the lighting across your screen is more even. This means less strain on specific areas of the screen, which helps protect against image burning.

If your plasma or LCD screen already has image burn-in, you can try turning on white static for 12 to 24 hours. The constant moving of white-and-black across your screen in random patterns can help remove the ghost image from your screen.

Unfortunately, this won"t work for extreme cases. Some TVs will have a built-in pattern swiping option that basically accomplishes the same thing (filling your screen with random patterns).

Pixel-shift constantly slightly adjusts the image on your screen, which varies the pixel usage to counteract image burn. You might have to enable a pixel or screen shift option in your screen settings. Pixel-shift is a handy feature for LED and OLED screens that cannot recover from image burn and should help counteract an LCD shadow.

Other modern screens feature built-in screen refresh functions that the manufacturer will advise using to remove image retention and image burn issues.

The best tool for fixing ghost images is JScreenFix. The original program helps fix monitors with dead pixels, but the same company also released an "advanced" version of the tool, known as JScreenFix Deluxe.

While the Deluxe version uses advanced algorithms to repair burned screens and prolong plasma and LCD longevity, the official site is no longer up and running, and there is no way to download the full version officially.

If you have television burn-in, you can attach a laptop to your TV using an HDMI cable, extend your desktop to the television, and share the white screensaver. Hopefully, that will shift your television burn-in.

The team over at ScreenBurnFixer offers a few different ways you can attempt to fix screen burn on your TV or monitor. As with any other screen burn-in fixes, their chance of working depends on the scale of the issue.

You can head to the ScreenBurnFixer Video page and find a video that matches your screen type, then let the video play for as long as possible (we"re talking multiple hours, not a quick half an hour blast). Alternatively, head to the Chart page and find your device or a device that matches your specifications.

There are several ways you can attempt to fix screen burn-in. The results will vary between the screen type and the level of burn-in. A screen with extensive image burn may not clear entirely, although you might see an improvement.

Some screen degradation over time is understandable. However, if you follow the steps in this guide, you"ll protect your screen from image burn before it becomes a permanent issue.

LCD panels are backlit by LED lights, so they rely on a backlight behind the panel to make the picture visible, and the LCD layer can"t prevent all light from escaping out of the screen. This means that even in a black scene, the backlight is still on, and some light escapes, causing blacks to appear gray.

In an attempt to mask this shortcoming, some LED TVs employ local dimming to target dark portions of the screen and dim the backlight in those areas. The intended result is that dark portions become darker, but everything else is left as bright as it should be, increasing the contrast between dark and light objects.

Local dimming features on LED TVs are a way to improve the contrast ratio. Since these TVs consist of LED backlights behind an LCD panel, local dimming aims to turn off, or dim, certain zones of the LED backlight, making blacks look darker and highlights brighter. However, there may be some issues with local dimming on some TVs as it could cause blooming around bright objects or for entire zones to light up when there"s a small object. Overall, most local dimming features on modern TV do an effective job at improving the picture quality in dark scenes, and only some lower-end models will have glaring problems.

If the TCL 20S and 20SE phones were on The Price Is Right, you would probably guess much higher prices than their retail ones. With the 20S retailing for $250 and the 20SE going for $190, these sub-$300 4G phones are the real deal. They check all the boxes for what you’d want in a smartphone: they have big and bright screens, large 5,000mAh batteries, 128GB of internal storage, and “good enough” cameras. You even get a free clear silicone case inside each box.

TCL certainly knows a thing or two about manufacturing budget 4K Smart TVs, affordable soundbars, and many other gadgets. Heck, it was already quietly producing phones for the likes of BlackBerry, Alcatel, and Palm before starting its own eponymous line in 2020. Now it’s taking those skills building other accessibly priced gadgets to its phone line.

Unlike the fancier TCL 20 Pro 5G, neither the 20S nor the 20SE has the latest and greatest processor, nor do they support 5G networking — those aren’t unsurprising omissions at these price points. But given TCL’s history, it’s no wonder the real stars of the TCL 20S and 20SE are their brilliant displays — though they each use different panels. Both phones look and feel more luxurious than they are because of their solid build quality, as well as attention to the details users really actually care about: long-lasting battery life, strong performance, ample storage, as well as ingenious design. Who says good things can’t come in budget-friendly packages?

The $190 20SE has a 6.82-inch display, which, at 720 pixels wide, is too low-resolution for a screen this large (720 x 1640 pixels; aspect ratio 20.5:9). I tried watching the 4K Dune trailer on YouTube, and it looked too dim and fuzzy at 720p for me to enjoy the video. Nevertheless, this display offers vibrant colors even at 50 percent brightness, whether or not you turn on the NXTVISION display optimization software (I did not see much difference either way).

The higher-priced 20S has a brighter yet slightly smaller 6.67-inch screen, with a higher-resolution FHD+ LCD display than the 20SE (1080 x 2400 pixels with 20:9 aspect ratio). When I watched the same Dune trailer at 1080p on the 20S, I could actually see sharper lines and more details this time around. Both displays look bright enough outdoors that I can read text if I boost the screen to 100 percent brightness. I also appreciate how unobtrusive the pinhole front camera is on the 20S compared to the 20SE’s tear-drop design, the latter of which actually cuts into the top of the display.

Of the two models, the 20S is slightly more manageable to use. But it’s still a big enough phone that I need two hands to use it safely. It can be a bit of a reach for my fingers to navigate different parts of the screen and hold it in the same hand, so I need my other hand to balance the device. At 0.23 inches (5.84mm) taller and 0.25oz (7.1g) heavier, the 20SE is physically bigger than the 20S, but its technical components are not in the same weight class.

With a price that is $60 less than the 20S, TCL had to find savings in the $190 20SE anywhere it could. For one thing, the 20SE uses the lower-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 chipset, whose slower processing speed can’t make up ground with 4GB of RAM. The 20S, on the other hand, is powered by the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor and is also supported by 4GB of RAM. The difference between the two isn’t very noticeable in basic texting and social media doomscrolling, but I would occasionally have to open an app or webpage twice on the 20SE because it wouldn’t load the first time around.

To see what these devices are capable of, I played a couple rounds of Pokemon Unite to see how they’d fare. Both TCL phones took about as long to load the game, whereas the OnePlus 9 Pro (with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip) loaded the same round in about half the time. Since the 20SE has a lesser quality display and processor, I was not surprised that my Pikachu moved with a bit of lag. It was only slightly more responsive on the 20S, however. The 20SE’s dual speakers are also louder and buzzier than the 20S speakers, which sounded quieter but produced a more nuanced sound.

Despite their differences, both devices offer plenty of internal storage at 128GB and give you the option to expand that storage via microSD. The 20S’ microSD slot accepts up to a 1TB card, while the 20SE only supports up to a 256GB card. Both phones run Android 11 out of the box, with a TCL skin called TCL UI. Since the 20S will get one major OS update (TCL won’t commit to the same for the 20SE) and both phones will get two years of security updates, you’ll have ample room to install these upgrades and stash your content for the next few years.

Facial recognition on the 20SE can be rather useless. It either doesn’t recognize my face or asks me to touch an icon on the lock screen so that I can unlock the phone with my face, which entirely defeats the purpose of using a hands-free method to unlock. (Thankfully, you can disable this “feature.”) Facial recognition simply worked more consistently on the 20S than on the 20SE.

I actually got results that are close to TCL’s claims. I used the 20S for about 31 hours on one charge (TCL suggested 36 hours on 3G/4G) and took around 2.5 hours to fully charge the device, which is hardly a “fast charge” as claimed by TCL’s product sheet. Similarly, the 20SE lasted around 32 hours on one charge, compared to TCL’s estimate of 31 hours of use on 4G.

I can’t really think of a higher quality budget phone in the $250 range that can beat the TCL 20S. It’s got all the hallmarks of a more expensive device but with a more affordable price tag. Its vibrant 6.67-inch 1080p display doesn’t look out of place next to other flagship phones, and it feels luxurious with that fingerprint-proofed layer of “micron-sized prismatic crystals’’ on its back cover.

Sure, the $250 Moto G Power (2021) has an equally large battery and a slightly newer processor. In exchange, you get a meager 64GB of internal storage, which is a far cry from the 128GB plus microSD card slot that is offered by the 20S. The $269 OnePlus Nord 10 (global GSM unlocked version) is also an option. It uses a newer Snapdragon chip that is 5G-compatible but still runs Android 10 when Android 12 is ready to drop. If you don’t care about having a 5G-ready phone right now, then the TCL 20S makes more sense.

If you’re looking for an unlocked phone that is compatible with Verizon and most 4G GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, I don’t think you can go wrong with this unlocked TCL 20S.

If your budget is strictly sub-$200 and won’t be using Verizon as your carrier, then TCL 20SE is a smart choice. While the $180 OnePlus Nord N100 might save you $10, you’ll lose half the amount of internal storage for minimal savings (from 128GB on the TCL 20SE to 64GB on the N100) — that’s a terrible trade-off. You’ll be happier with a big bright screen, ample storage and battery life, as well as the ability to choose any GSM network (including AT&T and T-Mobile). If you don’t mind spending an extra $60, though, the 20S is worth the upgrade — your future self will thank you.

Correction, October 14th, 2021 at 1:05pm ET: An earlier version of this review incorrectly referred to the TCL 20 Pro 5G as TCL 20S Pro. We regret the error.