sony bravia lcd screen problems brands
The black screen of death (BSOD) is a relatively common issue with flat screen TVs with LCD panel screens. In a lot of cases, they are easily diagnosed and fixed quite affordably. Replacement parts are usually easily sourced unless there is suddenly an unusually high demand for them, in which case prices may increase.
Unfortunately, even the higher end spectrum of the TV brands like Sony get struck down by this annoying electronic malady. And many owners, at some point, do find themselves standing in front of a Sony TV screen that has suddenly gone dark/black, with no more pictures/images appearing.
If your Sony flat screen TV stops producing images on the screen and goes black, first step is to determine if it also stopped producing sounds. You can do this by shuffling to input channels which you are certain should produce sound (i.e., streaming a video content, or running a DVD player, etc.).
If the LED backlights are working, you there is likelihood that you have a T-Con board issue on your hands. Replacing the T-Con board, a relatively inexpensive replacement, will usually fix this problem if the unit is producing sound. If the unit is not producing sound through the speakers AND pictures on the screen, there could be a problem with the T-Con board and/or the main board.
If the LED backlights are not working, or if you are unable to confirm if they are working, the next step is to do the flashlight test on the screen. By turning on the TV and shining a flashlight on the screen, you can check if the LCD panel is creating images or not. If the LCD panel is producing images but the LED backlights are not working, you should be able to make out images on the LCD panel when you shine a flashlight beam on the screen. An LCD/LED TV requires an LCD panel to produce the images and suitable (LED) backlighting to work as intended.
For more information on the actual work needed to repair the black screen of death on a Sony TV, please do watch the video by the Fix Netflix Youtube channel which was one of my main resource for this post..Video credit: Fix Netflix
Ours is a Sony Bravia that is now over 10 years old. Several months ago we started noticing lines, especially on the left (our left) side of the screen. They’d go away after the tv warmed up. Then we started noticing it was darker on that side of the screen, but again, after the tv warmed up the screen would be normal. Then about two months ago it started getting worse and didn’t ever get completely better, even after the tv warmed up. So I watched some youtube videos that all talked about the ribbon cables becoming loose over time and to apply pressure along the top and see if that made it better, and if so, it was a loose cable and if you put electrical tape or something that would help keep the pressure, it would fix the problem. Hubby pressed along the top and sure enough, when he pressed in one spot on the left side suddenly the picture cleared up. Stayed good for about a week, then problems again, pressed again, fixed again. A week or so later, same problem, but this time when he pressed on it nothing got better.
So I decided to take the cover off and look at it better. As I was pressing on the tops of the ribbon cables that run down from the top of the frame, for a minute it got better but then suddenly there was a wide white vertical line, with a thin green one down the center of it, running down the front of the screen, and it was perfectly aligned with one of the cables. So now I still have the dark side of the screen, and some ghosting, and some lines, but now this bright white streak/line right down the front. Another weird thing is that if the whole screen is bright (like watching a show set in a snowy place) then the darkness even on the left side is basically gone, but if the scene is dark at all, that side is almost black. I don’t know if it means that particular ribbon cable is bad, or if something is loose, if things need to be replaced or what. It’s very frustrating as it’s been a great tv. Hubby wants to just buy a new one, but even if he does I would still like to try and figure out this one as it could then go in another room.
Bravia (stylized as BRAVIA) is a brand of Sony Visual Products Inc.,Sony Group Corporation, and used for its television products. Its backronym is "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture". All Sony high-definition flat-panel LCD televisions in North America have carried the logo for BRAVIA since 2005. BRAVIA replaces the "LCD WEGA" which Sony used for their LCD TVs until Summer 2005Kasuo Hirai"s plans to turn Sony around, BRAVIA was made into an subsidiary rather than just a brand of products.
BRAVIA televisions and their components are manufactured in Sony"s plants in Mexico, Japan, and Slovakia for their respective regions and are also assembled from imported parts in Brazil, Spain, China, Malaysia and Ecuador. Principal design work for BRAVIA products is performed at Sony"s research facilities in Japan, at research and development department at the Sony de Mexico facility in Baja California, Mexico and at the Sony Europe facility in Nitra, Slovakia.
In May 2013 Sony introduced their first 4K BRAVIA TV models smaller then X900 from late 2012 .In May 2015, Sony launched their first lineup of Android television Bravia models, which allows users to easily access content from services like YouTube, Netflix and Hulu as well as install apps and games from the Google Play Store. Noteworthy for being the first Android TV available,home automation and voice commands.
Sony introduced their first 4K Ultra HD OLED Android TV under the BRAVIA brand, named as the A1E in January 2017A8F was the next OLED TV introduced by Sony at CES 2018.IFA 2018, the A9F with an X1 Ultimate processor was unveiled.A8G and the Master Series A9G, followed by the A8H in 2020. For 2021 Sony offered the world"s first cognitive intelligence TVs with its latest XR A.I. Cognitive Processor in the new A80J and Master Series A90J.
Sony Bravia Internet Video first became available in late 2009 on Internet enabled Bravia TV"s, later becoming available on Sony Blu-ray and home theatre systems. The original Bravia Internet Video was built around Sony"s XMB interface and had several streaming media partners including: Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Yahoo!, Netflix and Sony Video (Qriocity).
The 46- and 55-inch models of the XBR8 series features an RGB LED backlight system which Sony calls Triluminos. The new backlight system is claimed to provide a truer and higher color spectrum and allows this series of televisions to rival plasma displays in terms of dark blacks. This model also marked the debut of Sony"s new video processor, the BRAVIA Engine 2 Pro. The display panel uses ten-bit processing and offers the 120 Hz MotionFlow technology.
In the United Kingdom, recent Bravia Televisions also include YouView built in, which gives users access to an interactive EPG in addition to on-demand services from the BBC and ITV incorporated into a single search menu.
For sale in Japan on July 30, 2008, Sony"s green product, a new flat-panel 32-inch TV for ¥150,000 (US$1,400; €900) BRAVIA KDL-32JE1 offers ecological consumers the advantage of 70% less energy consumption than regular models with same image quality. For consumers who rely on electricity generated from carbon dioxide emitting sources, it reduces carbon dioxide emissions totaling 79 kilograms (174 pounds) a year.
Sony uses a BRAVIA image processing engine in high-end mobile devices produced by its Sony Mobile Communications, starting with the Xperia arc model in 2011. Subsequent flagship models of Sony"s smartphone range such as the Xperia S, and Xperia Z use enhanced versions of the BRAVIA engine.
The LCD panels within BRAVIA TVs are manufactured by Sony Corporation with a special architecture. Since 2010, the high end Bravia LX, HX and selected NX series use a 10th gen Sony Bravia ASV panel.
Sony TVs sold in 2019 and earlier are region locked, which limited apps and media to be playable only in the same region that the TV was purchased from. However, as of 2020, with the release of the H series BRAVIA TVs, this is no longer the case, and any language can now be selected.
Ours is a Sony Bravia that is now over 10 years old. Several months ago we started noticing lines, especially on the left (our left) side of the screen. They’d go away after the tv warmed up. Then we started noticing it was darker on that side of the screen, but again, after the tv warmed up the screen would be normal. Then about two months ago it started getting worse and didn’t ever get completely better, even after the tv warmed up. So I watched some youtube videos that all talked about the ribbon cables becoming loose over time and to apply pressure along the top and see if that made it better, and if so, it was a loose cable and if you put electrical tape or something that would help keep the pressure, it would fix the problem. Hubby pressed along the top and sure enough, when he pressed in one spot on the left side suddenly the picture cleared up. Stayed good for about a week, then problems again, pressed again, fixed again. A week or so later, same problem, but this time when he pressed on it nothing got better.
So I decided to take the cover off and look at it better. As I was pressing on the tops of the ribbon cables that run down from the top of the frame, for a minute it got better but then suddenly there was a wide white vertical line, with a thin green one down the center of it, running down the front of the screen, and it was perfectly aligned with one of the cables. So now I still have the dark side of the screen, and some ghosting, and some lines, but now this bright white streak/line right down the front. Another weird thing is that if the whole screen is bright (like watching a show set in a snowy place) then the darkness even on the left side is basically gone, but if the scene is dark at all, that side is almost black. I don’t know if it means that particular ribbon cable is bad, or if something is loose, if things need to be replaced or what. It’s very frustrating as it’s been a great tv. Hubby wants to just buy a new one, but even if he does I would still like to try and figure out this one as it could then go in another room.
After a long, hard day, you finally sit down to catch up on your favorite show. But when you hit the power button on your remote control, your TV screen stays black! You try pressing the remote’s power button again and again from every angle, but still, your TV has no picture. If this sounds familiar, you’ve likely fallen victim to one or more TV screen issues.
What causes a TV screen to go black? Software issues, loose connections, or backlight problems are usually behind black TV screens. Learn about each of these causes and get tips for troubleshooting them so you can get back to relaxing with your favorite TV shows, movies, and video games.
If your TV screen is black and there’s no sound, you’ll want to check for an LED light or a small indicator light that tells you the TV has power. If there is no power to the TV while it is plugged in, there may be an issue with the outlet or fuse box in your home. However, if the TV is on but the screen is black, the problem could lie with your TV’s software.
Unplug the TV from the wall, and, if possible, remove the power cord from the back of the TV to perform a soft reset. Wait 30 seconds, and plug the TV back into a working outlet to test it again. If you’re still having screen issues, you might want to bring in an expert — they’ll know how to fix your TV’s black screen.
If your TV screen goes black but the sound still works, the first thing to check is the input source to ensure it is turned on and operating correctly. This includes external devices like cable boxes, video game consoles, laptops, and streaming devices. Once you’re sure the input source is working properly and you have the right input settings, check the cable connections. In many instances where the TV screen is black but the audio works, poor cable connections could be the issue.
Whether you’re working with an HDMI cable, RCA (usually yellow, white, and red cables) set up, or another type of connection, you need to ensure the cables are seated properly and firmly into their connection ports. With a good connection, the cable shouldn’t feel loose or easily disconnect when pulled on or moved around. If all your cables have a snug fit but the problem persists, try connecting the device to another TV. If your TV screen is still blacked out, you may need new cables.
Some TV displays, such as LCD screens, use a backlight to illuminate the picture. If the backlight burns out or stops working, it will result in a blank TV screen.
To check your TV’s backlight, make sure your TV is on. Then, turn off the lights in the room and shine a flashlight on the screen. If you can see a picture with the flashlight, then your TV’s backlight is likely burnt out.
While you might be eager to learn how to fix a black-screen TV, a broken backlight does not come with an easy solution. The backlight will need to be replaced, and it’s best to get help from a professional with this task.
You’ve run all the tests, checked all the ports, and ensured your TV has power, but your TV screen is still black! There could be a more complicated (and expensive) issue, so it might be time to ditch your old TV for an upgrade.
That’s what we found in our analysis of more than three years of Consumer Reports’ TV ratings. Our crack team of statisticians looked at prices and CR’s test results from March 1, 2019, through March 1, 2022, for a number of leading TV brands sold in the U.S. The results are shown in the charts below, broken out by screen size, which is the first factor people usually consider when shopping for a television.
As you can see, TVs from LG, Samsung, and Sony earned top scores in our testing across just about every size range. And generally, sets from these companies cost more than their competitors’ TVs.
Prices and average brand scores tend to drop off in step with each other, according to our analysis. One major change this year is that some secondary brands, including Element, Philips, and Westinghouse, no longer appearin our list. Sharp is no longer in our listing; it stopped selling TVs in the U.S. for several years but began selling them again in 2022. RCA is represented in just two screen sizes, where it has the lowest Overall Score, and in one instance the lowest price by a large margin.
Although we’ve tested a few TVs from Onn, Walmart’s house brand, we didn’t test enough sets in any one screen size for it to appear. We hope to include it in next year’s evaluation.
The average price figures we show are a bit higher than the average for all big TVs on the market. That’s both because the largest sets carry a premium and because CR tends to purchase a lot of expensive, high-end sets. That allows us to test the latest features, such as Mini LED backlights in LCD/LED TVs, which can help boost contrast and reduce halos, and high dynamic range (HDR), which can produce brighter, more vibrant images.
We test these flagship models from all the brands, but with major brands there is a much greater difference in pricing between the least and most expensive sets they offer. For example, for TCL there’s a $600 difference between the cheapest ($700) and priciest ($1,300) 75-inch TVs in our current ratings. With Samsung, that difference is dramatic: $1,900. (See the best big-screen TV bargains for sets 70 inches and larger.)
You’ll see that Sony, Samsung, and LG top the list in terms of average Overall Score and average price. Given their high average scores, sets from any of these TV brands might be worth considering. Sony TVs tend to be expensive in part because the company, like LG, now offers OLED TVs, which tend to cost more, but also because it exited the budget TV market. The takeaway for shoppers is that a premium set from Sony might not be more expensive than a premium set from a competitor—the company just doesn’t compete in lower performance tiers.
TCL, Vizio, and Hisense are additional brands to consider, especially if you’re on a budget. With TCL and Hisense, higher-end sets (the 6- and 8-series TVs from TCL, and 8-series sets from Hisense) have done very well in our tests, offering a lot of bang for the buck in terms of both picture quality and high dynamic range (HDR) experience. TCL’s higher average price is due to its top-tier sets having newer technologies (Mini LED, 8K resolution), plus a push into very large screen sizes. The company also offers many low-priced sets that haven’t done as well, lowering the brand’s Overall Score. Vizio sets have done well for overall picture quality across the board, though they generally fall behind a bit when it comes to HDR.
This has become a popular screen size for people looking for a large TV. And you’ll see that LG, Samsung, and Sony top the list in average Overall Score and average price here, as well. One reason for the fine showing by both LG and Sony is they offer OLED TVs that have consistently been at the top of our ratings. Samsung’s top QLED (and Neo QLED) TVs have also done very well in our ratings, and the best of those sets now rival OLED TVs in performance. All these sets tend to be pricy.
In this size category, we again see much greater differences in pricing between the least and most expensive sets from major brands than from smaller players. For example, there’s a $600 difference between the cheapest ($400) and priciest ($1,000) 65-inch Hisense TVs in our current ratings. With Samsung and Sony, that difference is a whopping $2,400. One reason for Samsung’s large spread is the debut of itsfirst QD OLED TV ($3,000), which is now in our ratings (though it arrived too late this year for our statistical analysis). Sony TVs tend to be expensive in part because the company offers several OLED TVs, which tend to cost more, and because it stopped making lower-end LED/LCD sets. (See the best 65-inch TVs under $1,000.)
As in the 70-inch size category, Hisense, TCL, and Vizio appear to be good options for those on tighter budgets. Their better-performing sets tend to be pricier but still less expensive than comparable TVs from LG, Samsung, and Sony. Hisense has the best balance of price and performance of the group. But given the wide differences in performance and price between the best- and worst-performing models within these brands, you should look at specific models to determine the best value.
Average prices go from a low of $342 (for Toshiba, which makes Fire TV Edition sets sold at Amazon and Best Buy) to a high of $1,034 (Sony’s average). As we note above, Sony focuses on higher-priced sets, and both Sony and LG’s average prices are pulled up by their OLED sets—these TVs can look great, but they tend to cost more than all but the very best LED/LCD models.
Two years ago, Vizio began offering OLED TVs, but that hasn’t yet had a big impact on its average price, because the majority of its sales are still less expensive LED/LCD TVs.
For those shopping for a TV in this size range, CR’s analysis shows that Samsung, Sony, and LG again tend to have the highest-performing TVs—along with the most expensive ones.
There’s also a pretty big spread in both price and performance in this screen size, with prices ranging from $226 (Hisense) to more than $568 (Sony). One reason is that in this size category, you’ll find a mix of both 4K and more basic HD sets.
There aren’t a lot of surprises—Sony, Samsung, and LG offer the best performance. The least expensive of these brands is LG, but Insignia also emerges as an especially attractive option, given its average price and an Overall Score just a point away from LG’s. In Insignia’s case, the average price is actually below several brands’ that have lower Overall Scores.
As you can see in the chart, with Samsung absent, along with Sony, LG becomes the clear top brand based on performance, and its average price isn’t all that much higher than prices on other brands.
With both price and performance averages so closely packed among the brands, smart shoppers are likely to look to other criteria in our TV ratings, such as screen resolution, sound quality, or reliability, or features such as built-in access to streaming content, to help make a buying decision.
Reliability problems appear to be less of an issue, based on our surveys, because TVs are among the more reliable products Consumer Reports analyzes. But not all brands do as well as others, which is why you should check a brand’s reliability in our TV ratings.
Are you planning on buying a Sony TV? If you are but are wondering what to expect, here’s a list of some problems you might encounter when using a Sony TV.
Note: If you are using an external source, such as a streaming box or gaming console, check the connection between the source and the TV. There may be a faulty connection, which can cause signal degradation on the screen.
If the Home screen appears, you should check for any loose connections between external devices or if there is a signal interruption if watching TV channels.
But if the Home screen does not appear, there’s a good chance that the display itself has a problem and needs to be checked by an authorized technician.
If you are using headphones, some Sony TVs need to be set up to route to headphones, unlike other devices that automatically switch when something is plugged into the headphone jack.
Even before LED and OLED TVs became the thing in smart TV technology, Sony has been consistent in churning out TVs that have exceptional image quality.
So if you are considering Sony for your next TV but worry about troubleshooting, you have nothing to fear, as many of these common problems can be easily solved.
Sony plasma televisions and many other brands will sometimes have standby issues. The degree of the issue varies widely and in some cases is fixed in a few simple steps at home, while others require professional help to fix the circuitry. When a Sony plasma TV is stuck on standby, it may play video without audio, audio without video or it will simply stick with the standby light on and never turn all the way on or off.
Running a power cycle reset is the quickest and simplest method of fixing a standby issue. In most cases, cycling the power will resolve the issue and the TV will no longer be stuck in standby mode. This works for a Sony Bravia reset along with most other models that have Sony standby mode.
Performing a factory reset is another option for Sony models. You will need a connected remote control with a reset button. The upward pointing navigation arrow button is also capable of resetting on some remote controls. Press the arrow or reset button and hold it down for 30 seconds to perform a reset and remove the standby mode setting.
If the reset process fails, you will need to check for loose wires and physical components. The TV may have a hardware issue. Sony plasma TVs were not designed for in-house repairs. The best option in this case is to seek technical support directly from Sony or take the television to a tech repair specialist. Unless you are a master electrician, working on the TV in your house is not advised.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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-magnetising 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.
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.
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.
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.