how to clean vizio lcd screen free sample

When it comes to cleaning, flat-screen TVs and LCD screens require special care and a gentle touch. With the wrong technique, you can easily scratch the screen or damage the surface"s antiglare coating. Even rubbing too hard can cause pixels (the tiny dots that compose images on computer monitors and TV screens) to burn out and stop working permanently. Most household cleaning products are too harsh to use on electronic devices with LCD or OLED screens, so choose your TV cleaning strategy carefully. These tips on how to clean a TV screen will help protect your device while ridding it of dust, smudges, fingerprints, and streaks.

To avoid damage to your TV while cleaning, only use gentle products. Never wipe the screen with paper towels, abrasive sponges, or coarsely woven rags, which can cause scratches. Instead, use high-quality, finely woven microfiber cloths to clean TV screens, recommends cleaning expert Leslie Reichert.

You should also avoid cleaning products that contain alcohol or ammonia. These types of cleaners can remove antiglare coatings and cause images to become cloudy or distorted. A simple swipe with a microfiber cloth ($9 for 5, Amazon) is typically all that"s needed to remove dust and other debris from the screen"s surface. When more than a light dusting is required, however, use the guidelines below for the best way to clean a TV.

Practice preventative measures so you won"t have to clean TV screens often. Keep food, drinks, and kids away from TV and computer screens to eradicate risks of messy splatters and fingerprint smudges. During your weekly house cleaning, lightly dust the screens with a microfiber cloth to prevent dust buildup.

VIZIO recommends that you use any Electronic Cleaner meant for LCD screens. Please ensure that you are following the manufacturers instructions when using any LCD screen cleaning solution.

This is the ultimate guide to properly cleaning your flat-screen television without scratching it or causing any potential damage. Included in this guide will be the best cleaning techniques, as well as the ideal products to accomplish a brand-new appearance on your TV. This guide is full of must-have knowledge for absolutely anyone who wants their television to remain in pristine condition. As a bonus, this guide will also provide you with a detailed explanation and instructions on how to clean your TV remote control.

Nowadays, most televisions are manufactured with a soft plastic screen. As a result of this, TV screens are delicate and can be easilydamagedif cleaned with an improper solution or technique. Accidentally using the incorrect product on your television could result in permanent damage, such as fogging, discoloring, or scratching.

When cleaning a television screen, two different techniques work extremely well. The first technique focuses on spraying down a microfiber cloth and wiping the Televisions screen. Alternatively, you may spray a minimal amount of non-ammonia based cleaner onto the TVs screen and gently wipe it away. These two techniques are proven safe and will not result in any permanent damage to your TV’s screen, as long as you follow the necessary detailed instructions when performing the cleaning.

Certain products and items you never want to use on the screen of your TV since they will cause permanent damage. When gearing up to perform a television cleaning, you will want to avoid using regular tap water, wood-based wipes, isopropyl alcohol solution containing more than 50% alcohol, regular Windex, or any cleaners that are ammonia-based.

Many products that are not made specifically for cleaning electronics will harm your television. If regular tap water is used on the television screen, a visible residue will appear after the water has dried. Instead of utilizing tap water, you may choose to use distilled water combined with a microfiber cloth. The combination of distilled water with the microfiber cloth will cause any dust on the screen’s surface to cling to the damp cloth. Distilled water will also ensure that the anti-reflective coating on your TV’s screen does not become worn-out.

Though Windex is a common go-to product for cleaning many devices and appliances, using it on a television screen can cause permanent damage. The reason behind this is because Windex is an ammonia-based cleaner. Ammonia-based cleaners may cause a chemical reaction between the ammonia-based cleaner and the coating on the Televisions screen or cause clouding.

It is essential to avoid the use of any wood-based cleaning wipes on a TV screen. Wood-based cleaning wipes include paper towels, Kleenex tissues, along with any similar products. If wood-based wipes are used on the TV’s screen, there is a strong possibility that you would be left with a multitude of visible, permanent scratches on the screen. The reason why the scratching often occurs is how rough the fibers of these products are combined with how soft the screen on the TV is.

You have a few technique options to choose from when preparing to clean a TV screen. A 50% isopropyl alcohol-based spray, also known as a lens cleaner, is a simple option that many lean towards. When using an isopropyl alcohol spray, you will want to pay close attention to the level of alcohol in the spray and be sure to avoid any alcohol-based sprays that contain more than 50% alcohol, as this will over-dry the television screen.

When choosing to utilize the lens cleaner technique, you will also want to use a clean, soft microfiber cloth that does not shed any fibers. If the microfiber cloth does shed fibers, you will find that sometimes after you’ve already cleaned the TV, you have to clean it again. This is due to the small static electricity charge produced when wiping the TV’s screen, which will attract the fibers of a microfiber cloth.

Optionally, specific products are intended for use on electronics that are extremely gentle as they do not contain ammonia or alcohol. Windex makes a special electronics cleaner that works phenomenally and is highly recommended. Additionally, the product “Screen Mom” is specially formulated for televisions and is also a fantastic product.

If the television is not dirty but has acquired a collection of dust particles on the surface, compressed air may be the best option for this job. Using compressed air will inevitably eliminate the worry of causing potential damage to the screen since there is no possible way to damage the television with air. Compressed air is an easy, inexpensive, and fast way to clear any dust from the television, leaving the TV appearing brand-new.

The first option entails simply spraying the microfiber cloth down with the cleaning solution and using that to wipe the television screen. If this is the method that is chosen, you will want to be cautious of the amount of solution used. Ideally, the cloth should only be slightly damp after you’ve sprayed it down.

Accidentally applying too much solution onto the microfiber cloth and using the excessively wet cloth on the TV screen may result in permanent damage. When too much cleaning solution is applied to the TV screen, the cleaner tends to run down the screen into the bezel and any other nearby electronics.

Alternatively, you may mist the TVs screen directly with a small amount of the cleaning solution that you’ve chosen. Immediately after misting the screen, you will want to gently wipe away the mist with a microfiber cloth. If this is the option that you would like to utilize, be sure to be extremely careful to not spray too much cleaner onto the television – as this may drip onto the bezel along with any other nearby electronics very rapidly, resulting in permanent damage.

IMPORTANT: When wiping a television screen with any wipe, be sure to be gentle, and refrain from applying any excessive pressure. Applying too much pressure on the screen will result in distorted pixels.

Where can you purchase inexpensive microfiber wipes and ammonia-free cleaners? Both microfiber wipes and ammonia-free cleaners are commonly found at your local big-box stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, and the Dollar Tree.

Microfiber cloths are commonly located in the automotive aisle of any big box store, and the lens cleaner can often be found bundled in kits for eyeglasses. Alternatively, Amazon possesses an extensive assortment of microfiber wipes and appropriate cleaning solutions that can be shipped directly to your door.

This is because the TV remote is one of the most overlooked household objects when cleaning a home. TV remotes are commonly touched multiple times a day by nearly every person in a household. However, no one ever thinks to clean it. The rubber buttons trap and preserve all sorts of dirt, skin flakes, and hair.

When performing a deep clean on your TV remote, all you need when performing a deep clean is rubbing alcohol, also known as isopropyl alcohol, which comes in a solution or a spray cleaner. Typically, you’ll find this at your local grocery, pharmacy, or hardware store as a 50% water and 50% isopropyl alcohol mixture. Combine this with a clean toothbrush, q-tips, and a microfiber cloth.

Next, use the isopropyl alcohol mixture and spray the microfiber cloth down, but you’re going to want to be sure to not overspray, leaving the cloth dripping wet, as that may cause damage to your remote.

You’re going to begin by taking the batteries out of your remote, so your TV doesn’t blow up while you touch all the buttons. Once your batteries are out, take a clean toothbrush, a motorized toothbrush preferably, and start brushing out the debris from between the buttons on your remote, starting at the top of your remote and making your way to the bottom.

If there are any tighter crevices that the cloth couldn’t get to, use a q-tip sprayed with the isopropyl alcohol-water mixture and deep clean between the buttons. Once finished, put the batteries back inside of the TV remote. You can rest easy knowing that the dirtiest part of your home is now the cleanest.

The television screen is what everyone sees first, but don’t forget these other key areas, not to mention the area around your unit. “It can also help to clean the furniture and carpets around the TV to prevent dust and hair from getting into it,” says Williams.

The remote control is handled regularly. This is the one time when harsh chemicals can be used sparingly. Follow the manufacturer owner’s manual instructions first, but if sanitizing is needed, use a cleaner that’s at least 70 percent alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations. (Basic drugstore isopropyl alcohol works well for this.)

Start the remote control cleaning by removing the batteries. As with the TV screen recommendations, you’ll want to avoid spraying directly onto the surface, as this could cause the device to malfunction. Dampen a clean microfiber cloth and rub gently on the top and the underside of the remote control. For hard-to-reach gunk that’s jammed between the buttons, try a cotton swab dipped in a small amount of the cleaning solution. Make sure to let it dry thoroughly before replacing the batteries and using it again.

When figuring out how to clean a TV screen, selecting the safest cleaning solution is key, but it’s also important to know what cleaning products to avoid. Keep in mind that not only should you skip cleaning with certain products, you should also avoid spraying them in close proximity to the TV.

Both Panasonic and Samsung both have lengthy “avoid” lists that include harsh chemicals such as wax, cleaning fluid, acetone, benzene, alcohol, thinner, mosquito repellent and insect spray (really!), lubricant, solvent and undiluted mild dish soap. These can, as Williams says, “cause clouding and can wear away your TV’s anti-glare coating.”

In terms of what to use, Samsung recommends “monitor cleaner only” (also called TV screen cleaner). Panasonic suggests “one part mild liquid dish soap diluted by 100 times the amount of water.” To make this cleaning solution, add a scant teaspoon of liquid dish soap to two cups of water, stirring well to dissolve.

Williams likes TV cleaning kits for their ease of use. “A TV kit will be your safest option for cleaning a TV,” he says. “These kits will come with everything you need to get your TV looking new, like screen-cleaning solvent and a fast-drying microfiber cloth.” You can find TV cleaning kits and cleaning products designed for flat-screen TVs at electronics stores or on Amazon.

Some people swear that only distilled water is useful as cleaning spray for their delicate electronics. Although Williams does not necessarily recommend using distilled water, if you know for a fact you have hard water in your area, you may want to try the distilled water route and see if you notice a difference. Hard water, which has high levels of calcium and magnesium, may leave a film or residue when it’s used for cleaning. Before you spray water to clean TV screens, try experimenting with tap water on a less-important screen, like an old cell phone, to assess the results.

If you can picture the hulking tube TVs (also known as CRTVs) of yore, you may also remember how delightfully easy they were to clean—a few spritzes of window cleaner and some wipes with paper towels and you were good to go—no special microfiber cloth required. But modern TVs with fancier technologies like LCD, OLED, and plasma call for gentler techniques. “Avoid using chemicals like alcohol, ammonia or acetones when cleaning your TV. These cleaners were safe to use for previous generations of TVs with glass panels, but as the hardware changes with time, the cleaning methods do too,” says Williams. Since some multi-purpose and glass cleaners are made with ammonia, skip the Windex.

Modern TVs are often smart TVs but the cleaning tips are the same as the ones for LCD, OLED and plasma TVs. The microfiber cloth is your TV screen’s best friend. “The majority of TVs you purchase today will be smart TVs, and the cleaning process is the same as TVs without smart capabilities,” Williams says.

An LCD TV screen is an expensive piece of equipment that requires special care. To maintain performance and high picture quality, the unit should be cleaned regularly. How to clean a Vizio TV screen and avoid damaging the electronics is described below in our article.

The home environment is not ideal for the operation of technology of all kinds. Dust, particles of dead skin, and hair are inevitably in the air. The contaminants will rise and settle on the unit and cause dark spots on the LCD screen.

Proper care is the key to the long service life of your equipment. The more complex the device, the more delicate it needs to be. To avoid damaging the LCD screen, do not perform the following cleaning procedures. Here is how long do vizio tvs last.

Users consider this choice logical, as cleaners do not have abrasive components and are designed for smooth surfaces. But all household chemicals designed to clean mirrors and glass surfaces contain one of the aggressive components:

Before proceeding to clean the screen or body, the flat screen televisions must be disconnected from the power supply (remove the plug from the socket). This operation is necessary for two reasons:

Safety requirements oblige you to unplug electrical appliances during any manipulation with them. This will prevent any possibility of electric shock:

the TV screen matrix in contact with liquid cleaners when switched on can be damaged by the electromagnetic waves generated. The image quality will be severely impaired.

Direct sprayingof liquid cleaners on the TV screen is inadmissible. This also applies to plain water. This method of exposure will inevitably leave stains and streaks on the surface of the matrix, from the substances contained in water. In addition, with abundant or purposeful (from a close held sprayer) humidification, the liquid penetrates into the matrix and spoils its structure.

Any products that contain abrasives or come inpowder form are not suitable for use on LCD screens. They scratch the delicate surface, and traces of such damage will be extremely difficult to remove.

TV set and other equipment with LCD display should not only be wiped down when in working condition, but also turned on before it is completely dry. Fast switching on contributes to the formation of streaks and affects the performance of the matrix.

Choose specialized products designed for the care of liquid crystal screens. Their release form can be any: active foam, spray or gel texture. Such household chemicals contain safe active ingredients and additional antistatic additives;

Do not apply liquid or gel products directly to the screen. Such exposure will result in iridescent streaks and blurred images. Such products shall be applied to a clean lint-free cloth or microfiber and only the screen shall be treated in this manner;

Acetone and white spirit are aggressive chemicals that damage the screen. Even a small concentration of these substances is enough for a brief exposure and the protective coating of the matrix will be irreversibly damaged. Not only these liquids in their pure form, but also acetone-containing products are prohibited.

The action of ammonia or ammonia alcohol is similar to acetone. This highly reactive substance has a detrimental effect on the matrix, leaving behind iridescent streaks. It will be impossible to get rid of them later.

This substance is strictly prohibited for use in households, appliances are no exception. Ethyl chloride has a toxic odor, aggressive effects, and a high fire hazard.

Gasoline and solvents based on it leave indelible iridescent stainson the LCD panel. This ban applies to the pure product as well as to its diluted form.

Any means with abrasive particles or rough materialsleave scratches on the delicate surface of the screen. As a result, watching TV is marred by a distorted picture.

On the surface of the TV screen is an anti-reflective layer that does not tolerate harsh chemicals. Under the influence of pure alcohol or products with this component in a high concentration, the protective layer is completely or partially dissolved.

Soda copes well with grease stains and fingerprints, but it is not allowed for liquid crystal screens. The fine grains of soda do not fully dissolve in water, scratching and damaging the surface. For the same reason it is not allowed to use washing powder or household chemicalsin a similar form of release.

The two main criteria in choosing a material for cleaning LCD screens are softness and lint-free. These criteria are met by cloths made of natural cotton, microfiber, fleece or lint-free flannel.

Wet wipes for LCD TV screensare an ideal way to wipe away stubborn dirt quickly. They can be used to wipe dust off the screen and give a small anti-static effect to the surface.

In order to avoid streaking it is recommended to start cleaning the TV screen with the cloth not immediately after taking it out of the package, but after waiting20-30 seconds.

This cloth can be a soft cotton, fleece,flannel or eyeglass lens cleaning material. Most fabrics can be purchased off the shelf in craft stores and cut into pieces of the right size by yourself.

Microfiber has the unique ability to remove fingerprints or light grease dirt without the use of additional chemicals. Microfiber cloth is also an easy way to remove dried-on water droplets and dust. Like other cloths, microfiber cloth can be used dry or together with a cleaning agent.

Specialized products for LCD panels are at the top of the list for effectiveness and safety. They not only gently remove most household dirt, but also leave a prolonged antistatic effect. The form of release of such preparations can be varied: foam, spray, gel.

Gel products are used undiluted and only when applied on a cloth. It is allowed to apply gel directly on the surface of the TV screen. Most often, the gel does not require rinsing with water, but detailed instructions are always indicated on the package.

Cleaner in the form of foam is used to remove grease stains and other difficult dirt. The manufacturer specifies the application method on the package: directly on the monitor or on a rag.

Spray from a canister can be applied both to the screen and to the rag. The manufacturer always indicates the exact recommendations for use on the package. The use of an aerosol is appropriate for cleaning a TV with a large diagonal. When applying the cleaner, do not place the sprayer closer than 10-15 cmto the LCD panel because of the risk of damaging it.

Even a microfiber will not penetrate into hard-to-reach places to remove dirt from them. We recommend using cotton swabsfor this purpose. The soft base will not damage the surface and will effectively clean it. To enhance the effect, the cotton swab can be moistened with any suitable cleaning agent.

If there are other contaminants on the surface of the LCD panel, in addition to dust, you should use a soapy solution to remove them. This will require:

Toilet or baby soap (without cream additives) grate on a fine grater and dissolve in warm water. For 1 liter of liquid you will need ¼ of a bar. Laundry soap is not suitable for cleaning electronics, as it contains a large amount of alkali.

Soak a soft, lint-free cloth in the soap solution and squeeze it well. It is important to make sure there are no undissolved soap particles on the cloth.

Wipe the TV screen in a circular motion without applying force or excessive friction. If you have jewelry on your hands, remove it or wear gloves to prevent accidental scratching.

Wipe the TV screen dry. Squeeze for 20-30 minutes to evaporate liquid from hard-to-reach places, and only then turn on the TV. Do not use a heating device, such as a hair dryer, to dry it.

Mix equal proportions of isopropyl alcohol and clean, cold water in a container. Do not violate this proportion and do not increase the concentration of alcohol, it will destroy the protective layer of the screen. If you do not have a measuring cup, it is better to make a less concentrated solution “by eye”.

Their cleaning is carried out with a microfiber or lint-free cloth, dry or with LED screen cleaner applied to them. It is important that the product does not contain alcohol-containing components.

It is strictly forbidden to apply any cleaners directly to the surface of such panels. This will inevitably lead to the formation of stains and turbidity. All compositions are applied to the cloth, which then wiped the screen. The joints and hard-to-reach elements are cleaned with a cotton swab.

These screens are painless to clean with a soapy solution and a lint-free cloth. For difficult dirt we recommend using a microfiber cloth. Handprints can be easily removed from the plasma with an eyeglass care cloth.

The most delicate and difficult to care for types of screens. They have a soft and thin matrix, which is easy to damage. For cleaning,only a dry soft cloth is used, without the use of any agents. Unplugging the TV before cleaning is a must. It is important to remove all rings and bracelets from your hands, exclude contact of the LCD panel with water or chemicals with active volatile vapors (gasoline, acetone).

To ensure that dust and other dirt accumulates on the TV screen less often and that cleaning is less frequent, the following recommendations should be followed:

Place the device out of reach of children’s hands. It is young viewers who tend to poke the screen with their fingers (sometimes stained with paint or candy);

Regularly disinfect the house and prevent the appearance of insects. Flies or gnats from houseplants can leave hard-to-remove black spots on the screen;

Avoid doing damage to your flat screen TV by following some simple steps using simple products. In this video, how to clean a TV screen the right way.

You can use a microfiber cloth or a soft, clean cotton cloth. Gently wipe the screen in a circular motion to get rid of dust. This is usually enough to remove all dirt from the screen.

To wet clean your Vizio TV device, you will need a microfiber cloth. It is best to get different wipes for wet cleaning and wiping dry. Use clean tap water or a special screen cleaner. Wring out the cloth well and spray the cleaner only in the necessary moderate amount.

You can use electronics wipes to remove grease or other difficult contaminants from the housing. They are impregnated with a safe solution that does not leave streaks and does not damage the plastic. Most often, the use of these wipes for screens is not allowed.

The Hisense U8H matches the excellent brightness and color performance of much pricier LCD TVs, and its Google TV smart platform is a welcome addition. But it’s available in only three screen sizes.

The Hisense U8H is the best LCD/LED TV for most people because it delivers the performance of a much pricier TV yet starts at under $1,000, for the smallest (55-inch) screen size. This TV utilizes quantum dots, a full-array backlight with mini-LEDs, and a 120 Hz refresh rate to deliver a great-looking 4K HDR image. It’s compatible with every major HDR format. And it’s equipped with two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs to support 4K 120 Hz gaming from the newest Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Add in the intuitive, fully featured Google TV smart-TV platform, and the U8H’s price-to-performance ratio is of inarguable value.

Chief among the U8H’s many strengths is its impressive peak brightness. When sending it HDR test patterns, I measured an average brightness of 1,500 nits, with peaks just north of 1,800 nits (a measurement of luminance; see TV features, defined for more info). To put that into perspective, consider that the 65-inch version of our budget 4K TV pick (the TCL 5-Series) typically costs around half as much as the 65-inch U8H but achieves only around 30% to 40% of its brightness. On the other side of the coin, the 65-inch version of our upgrade pick (the Samsung QN90B) costs almost twice as much as the 65-inch U8H, but it achieves only nominally higher brightness. Adequate light output creates convincing highlights and image contrast and (when necessary) combats ambient light from lamps or windows. It is a necessity for any TV worth buying—especially if you hope to watch HDR movies or play HDR games—and the U8H simply outpaces most TVs in its price range (and some in the next price bracket up, too).

Key to this functionality is the U8H’s employment of mini-LED backlighting with local dimming, which allows this TV to produce very bright light while still maintaining satisfyingly deep black levels that are typically free of blooming (or light bleed that’s visible around bright objects against a dark backdrop). This not only ensures impressive image contrast, it also makes the U8H a viable choice for most rooms, whether they’re brighter than average or dimmed down like a movie theater.

That’s not to say the U8H has pixel-precise light control—it’s not an OLED TV, after all—but it does a terrific job most of the time. In fact, in our tests, the U8H bested last year’s upgrade pick, the Samsung QN90A, in certain scenarios: The intro to Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix features the filmmaker against a pitch-black backdrop. Though last year’s QN90A failed to maintain perfect control over dimming elements during this scene (the black backdrop brightened distractingly once a sufficient amount of brighter content appeared on screen), the U8H did not. (For the record, the newer QN90B also passed this test.) The U8H’s mini-LEDs also help the screen look uniformly bright: Although the U8H is still not as good as an OLED TV in this respect, it shows very little indication of being a backlight-driven display, even during tricky scenes with large swaths of dim lighting.

The U8H’s brightness, black-level integrity, and local-dimming abilities make this an excellent TV for watching HDR content. The U8H is capable of playing HDR content in all of the major formats (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG), but when it comes to impressive HDR, what’s under the hood is much more important than format compatibility. The most crucial thing for good HDR is high brightness and deep color saturation, and the U8H’s quantum dots achieve the latter. It’s not as simple as just having quantum dots, however: While many TVs (even the budget options) have quantum dots nowadays, what is often not taken into account is that brightness directly affects color saturation. For example, both the 2022 TCL 6-Series and the Hisense U8H are equipped with quantum dots, mini-LED backlights, and local dimming. But because the U8H is notably brighter than the 6-Series, it also achieves a higher total color volume. During our color-volume testing, the U8H exhibited color ranges at more than 100% of the DCI-P3 color space (the range of color needed to properly display HDR content), and it is capable of roughly 10% more total color volume compared with the 6-Series.

What does this mean in real-world terms? It means that the Hisense U8H truly excels as a modern 4K HDR TV, whether you’re watching the latest episode of Rings of Power or playing Overwatch 2. While watching HDR content side by side on the U8H and on our upgrade pick, the Samsung QN90B, I was truly surprised by how similar they looked at times, given that our upgrade pick is much more expensive. That said, though the U8H achieves impressive results where light output and color volume are concerned, it also exhibited some occasional video processing and upscaling issues (see Flaws but not dealbreakers), which videophiles and AV enthusiasts may take umbrage with. But in general, the picture quality punches well above its weight, metaphorically speaking.

And thanks to Hisense’s inclusion of Filmmaker Mode, it’s easy to rein in the U8H’s brightness abilities for a more-subdued and filmic experience in a darker room. Our measurements revealed that this mode has a very accurate white balance, mostly accurate colors (green is a bit oversaturated, but not egregiously so), and a perfect “dark room” gamma (which controls how quickly the video signal transitions from dark to light). Additionally, the TV’s 120 Hz refresh rate means it can play Blu-ray discs at 24 fps without the judder that’s usually present on TVs with 60 Hz refresh rates.

The TV’s higher refresh rate also reduces motion blur in faster-moving sports and allows for smoother, more stable motion in games. Two of the four HDMI inputs support 4K gaming at 120 Hz. The U8H measured low input lag while playing in 4K resolution, and Hisense’s helpful GameZone setting in the picture menu allowed me to confirm the presence of 120 Hz playback and variable refresh rate during games.

The onboard Google TV smart platform is another feather in this TV’s cap. As usual, however, it will be much more satisfying to use if you have a Google account and already take advantage of Google’s connected services, like Photos. The experience of navigating the TV’s smart features—scanning QR codes to sign into apps, using the onscreen keyboard, and browsing your Google Photos to set a photo as a screensaver—was very satisfying in terms of responsiveness and speed. Powering on the TV and booting into an app took just seconds. The included Bluetooth remote is also equipped with a handy “Hey Google” button, allowing you to pull up Google’s assistant and use voice commands to search for content or set a reminder. If you have multiple users with their own Google accounts, you can designate separate profiles (attached to a Gmail account) so that each user can customize the experience to their liking, as well as access their own Google Drive or Photos. While some reviewers have reported instances of momentary freezing while using the U8H’s platform, I didn’t personally experience any instances of slowdown that were egregiously worse than with any other smart-TV platform.

In terms of design, the Hisense U8H is not as svelte as our upgrade pick, but it’s plenty sturdy and doesn’t look or feel cheap. Two narrow, metal feet jut out from beneath the panel and steadily hold the TV. They can be attached in two separate spots, either closer in toward the middle of the panel or out toward the edges, to account for different-size TV stands. The feet are also equipped with cable organization clasps—a nice touch for keeping your TV stand free of cable clutter. Though the TV is primarily plastic, its bezels are lined with metal strips, providing a bit more durability in the long run. I moved it around my home, and it was no worse for wear, but we’ll know more after doing some long-term testing.

The Hisense U8H has some difficulties with banding, or areas of uneven gradation, where transitions that should appear smooth instead look like “bands” of color (sometimes also called posterization). Like many current 4K HDR TVs, the U8H uses an 8-bit panel rather than a 10-bit panel, which affects the color decoding and color presentation process. This is usually relevant only with HDR video and games. When playing games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, I saw a few instances where the content wasn’t rendered correctly and displayed ugly splotches of color on the screen. However, this almost always occurred during static screens (such as a pause menu or loading screen); I rarely spotted it during actual gameplay. Hisense has stated that it would address the problem in a future firmware update, but at the time of writing it was still present. This is a flaw that may give dedicated gamers pause, but we don’t consider it to be a dealbreaker for most people.

I also saw occasional instances of banding with TV shows and movies, though they were few and far between. The U8H isn’t the best at upscaling sub-4K content, so videos with a 1080p or lower resolution looked a little soft. You can get better overall video processing and upscaling by springing for our upgrade pick (this is one reason it’s more expensive, after all).

Although the UH8 TV has four HDMI inputs, only two of them are fully HDMI 2.1–compatible. And one of those is designated as the eARC input (intended as an audio connection for a soundbar or AV receiver connection). So if you’re pairing an external audio system with the U8H, you may have only one input remaining that can support HDMI 2.1 features like 4K 120 Hz playback, variable refresh rate, and auto game mode; this could be a dealbreaker if you own more than one current-gen gaming console. If you’re in that boat, you may want to splash out some extra dough for our upgrade pick. Additionally, folks using pre-HDMI source devices—like the five-cable composite connector with green, red, blue, and red/white audio inputs—should be aware that this TV requires an adapter to allow those devices to connect, and an adapter is not included in the box.

Finally, like most TVs that use vertical alignment (VA) LCD panels, the U8H has a limited horizontal viewing angle, which may be a bit annoying if you’re hoping to entertain a large crowd. Our upgrade pick uses a special wide-angle technology to address this.

If you’re watching in a darker room and want the most accurate picture you can get—preserving the director’s intent—select the U8H’s Filmmaker Mode as your picture mode. In a brighter room, we recommend the Theater Day picture mode. In either case, you should go into the backlight settings, disable the automatic light sensor, and set the backlight to your personal preference. This is true whether you’re watching SDR or HDR content.

For gaming, use the game picture mode (the TV should switch into this mode automatically when paired with the newer game consoles), and then go into the Gaming submenu to make sure the right settings (VRR) are enabled. We recommend leaving the HDMI setting in “auto,” unless you notice that your game console is incorrectly identified.

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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?

In some cases, you can minimize the image burn effect. In others, you can remove the image burn completely, so long as it hasn"t been burning too long.

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.

Plasma displays use plasma, a gaseous substance containing free-flowing ions. When the plasma is not in use, the particles in the plasma are uncharged and display nothing. With the introduction of an electric current, the ions become charged and begin colliding, releasing photons of light.

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.

My personal rule of thumb is to turn off the display if I plan on being away for more than 15 minutes. That way, it is difficult to get caught out, plus you save yourself money on electricity costs and monitor or TV wear and tear.

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.

You can find the free version of the Deluxe app online, but it is limited to 20 minutes running at a time. Furthermore, we"re not going to link out to the versions you can find online as we cannot verify the security of these installations. If you do use the Deluxe version, you do so at your own risk.

Another option is to set a completely white desktop background and leaving to run for a few hours. The solid color might reset the image burn. A solid color background is more likely to help with image persistence than image burn, but it is still worth trying.

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.

Turn the TV off and let it cool down for a few minutes before unplugging it. To clean the frame and screen, gently wipe it with a microfiber cleaning cloth. Make sure to wipe the TV frame and screen as gently as possible. TV screens are fragile and can be damaged when pressed too hard.

“Your best bet is to use a soft, anti-static microfiber cloth—the kind used to clean eyeglasses and camera lenses—and wipe in a circular motion,” says John Walsh, who cleans more than 250 TVs a year in his role as a CR photographer.

Quick Answer, No. Don"t do this. Using a baby wipe on an LED TV screen will leave a residue on the screen. This not only looks rubbish but could potentially damage the screen.

If streaks or stains remain, wet a microfiber cloth with distilled water and wring the cloth until it"s almost dry. With very little pressure, wipe the cloth across the screen in broad motions, working from the top of the screen to the bottom.

Ammonia and alcohol can ruin the protective layer of your TV screen and leave you out of warranty - which could leave you out of pocket if things go wrong in the future. Always use natural agents like distilled water, essential oils or white vinegar for a streak-free finish.

Important: Never use any type of window cleaner, soap, scouring powder, wax, or any cleanser with solvents such as alcohol, benzene, ammonia, or acetone. Never use abrasive pads or paper towels. If you do, you can scratch the screen or strip the anti-glare coating off the screen and cause permanent damage.

If your screen still looks dingy, make a 1:1 solution with water and white vinegar. In a spray bottle, mix equal parts distilled water and white vinegar. Spray the mixture onto a microfiber cloth, then gently wipe it along your TV screen. White vinegar is a natural cleaning solution that"s effective but gentle.

Make your cleaning solution: Mix a solution of half white vinegar, half distilled water. This cleaning solution is effective yet gentle. Using distilled water prevents hard water residue from making your screen look dirty.

The “gently” part is especially important—if you scrub too hard, you could cause the liquid crystals inside your flat screen TV to misalign or burn out. Whatever you do, don"t use paper towels. They can scratch your screen and leave behind residue.

Avoid using paper towels, toilet paper or something like your shirt to wipe the screen, as these may scratch or damage the screen. Do not use products that contain ammonia, ethyl alcohol, acetone or ethyl chloride.

Wipe down the screen and case well with a Clorox wipe or a slightly damp microfiber cloth with water. Dry it off with a polish cloth and your screen will look just like the day you bought it!

However, you should never spray it directly onto the screen. Spray the cleaning solution onto a dry, lint-free cloth, then gently wipe the screen with it. You could also use screen cleaning wipes. Never use traditional cleaning products to remove dirt from your TV screen.

Nationally, the average price range for TV repair is $60-$90. LCD TV repairs are one of the most common TV repair requests. A liquid crystal display (LCD) TV uses the same technology as your smartphone and most computer screens. Images are created on an LCD screen by electric currents that pass or block light through liquid crystals that are encased between two polarized, glass-like sheets. LCD TVs can be very thin and are relatively affordable, making them one of the most prevalent types of TV on the market. If you have a broken LCD TV, it can probably be repaired. Common problems that can be repaired include a blank screen, sound issues, power problems and digital connection problems. Here is one example of LCD TV repair cost:

Yes, you can usually fix a flat screen TV. Whether you have a plasma, LED, OLED, HDR, HD or even LCD, TV repair pros can repair your TV. Flat screen TVs are expensive, and when they stop working it can make your heart stop. But TV repair technicians have advanced along with TV technology and are equipped with the proper tools and training for major and minor repairs. If your flat screen is too massive to transport, most repair companies have pickup and drop-off service. For the most common problems, TV repair pricing might range between $175 and $200 on average. Here are examples of the most common problems:

If your TV isn’t working, don’t despair. TV repair professionals can handle almost any situation, no matter how new or outdated your TV’s technology. The national average TV repair cost is $50-$90, although prices can be higher based on the type of TV and the work required. Because most TVs today are much too large to transport in an ordinary car, many companies provide transportation services for an added fee. Here are some examples of average TV repair costs for specific problems and TV models:

The LCD was intermittently powering up and powering off. Replacing the main circuit board solved the problem.How do you fix a TV with no picture but has sound?

You can troubleshoot your TV by double-checking the cable connections and devices that are connected to your TV. If you can’t find anything wrong, you may need to contact a technician to fix your TV.What do you do when your TV turns on, but the screen is black?

If your screen is displaying bars, lines, dead pixels and other abnormalities, your flat-screen TV might be going bad. It might also be dying if it won’t turn on, the sound quality is bad or the screen keeps flickering or fading.Is it better to repair a TV or buy a new one?

The answer to this question ultimately comes down to the cost of both options. If it’s more affordable to repair your TV instead of buying a new one, consider hiring a professional to fix it. But if your TV keeps giving you issues or it’s outdated, you may want to upgrade your TV instead.

You may be able to remove scratches from your flat-screen TV by using an LCD scratch repair kit. If that doesn’t work, consider hiring a technician to fix it or buy a new TV.

Dirty Screen Effect is a term and acronym often tossed around by TV reviewers and A/V forum enthusiasts as if everyone knows what it is. And, yet, very few folks have ever heard of it before. You may have seen it, though. In fact, if you’ve recently purchased a TV and it doesn’t look quite right, your TV might be suffering from Dirty Screen Effect, more commonly referred to as DSE.

In some ways, Dirty Screen Effect is an appropriate term — and it’s one of those things you just can’t unsee. But it doesn’t exactly look the way it sounds like it should look.

In this quick guide we’ll cover what Dirty Screen Effect looks like, what’s happening on a technical level, and what, if anything, you can do to get rid of it. We’ll also touch on the notion of the so-called “panel lottery” and how that plays into how clean — or dirty — your new TV screen might look.

Dirty Screen Effect (DSE) is a term that’s used to describe an LCD panel that has inconsistent luminance performance across its surface area. It can appear as random splotches, uniform lines, wide bars, and, in some cases, vignetting (a slight darkening toward the corners). DSE once plagued plasma TV panels as well. But since those are no longer in production, we’ll keep this explainer focused on LCD-based TVs.

As a reminder, any TV that uses an LED backlight also uses an LCD panel, so TVs marketed as LED, QLED, and mini-LED are all susceptible. Due to what causes DSE on a technical level, some may argue it can only apply to LCD-based TVs. However, similar effects can be seen in OLED-based displays — thus the term is often applied — so we’ll include those types of TVs as well, but address them separately.

While DSE can be seen in any number of scenarios, you are most likely to see it when there are big swatches of the same color on the screen. Take an ice hockey game, for example. Some areas of the ice will appear to be dingier or darker than other areas of the ice. You might also see DSE more easily when watching golf; when there are vast sections of grass on the screen, some parts of the grass may appear to be darker or more muted in color than other parts.

The trick with DSE is that the issue is fixed to the screen, so as the picture moves, you’ll notice that any part of the picture moving through these “dirty” areas gets a little dimmer. Hence, it seems as if the screen is dirty.

There are a number of factors stemming from the manufacturing of an LCD panel that can cause Dirty Screen Effect, from variance in backlight distribution to variance in TFT switching for sub-pixels, to variance in conductivity and/or capacitance of transparent electrodes. That’s super-nerdy, though, and the actual cause is less important than the common theme here: inconsistency.

In panel manufacturing, there are numerous variables that can be introduced that would cause an LCD panel to have groups of pixels that shine less bright than others. This variance is, unfortunately, part of the tech that makes our TVs. And the manner in which different manufacturers handle that variance is also … you guessed it: Varied.

Dirty Screen Effect also can be caused by damage to the panel in shipping or mishandling of the TV during the setup or installation process. Generally speaking, it’s recommended one avoids “pinching” or otherwise exerting pressure on the front of the TV screen.

This is a difficult question to answer because I do not have data that supports objective analysis on the prevalence of DSE in newly manufactured televisions. However, I can offer some anecdotal perspective based on my experience as a TV reviewer and the feedback I get from readers and viewers, as well as reports I see in A/V forums.

From what I’ve seen, DSE — ranging from insignificant to severe — seems fairly common among newly manufactured LCD-based televisions, due primarily to the nature of LCD panel manufacturing. Very broadly, the less expensive a TV is, the more likely it is to exhibit some level of DSE. More expensive TVs are not immune to the issue, but some manufacturers have tighter quality assurance tolerances for their high-end products so — again, very broadly speaking — DSE tends to be less prevalent among those models.

DSE as a symptom of age is virtually impossible to track, however — again, anecdotally — I have witnessed DSE creep into a TV’s display panel slowly over time and worsen with age. I’ve seen it happen in TVs I own, TVs friends and family have owned, and TVs installed in commercial environments such as hotels and bars.

First, a warning: Once you see DSE on your TV, it’s tough to “un-see.” So, if you are happy with your TV’s performance and wish to stay that way, then you may wish to subscribe to the “ignorance is bliss” theory and forego the following tests.

If, however, you suspect that your new TV may have levels of DSE that you deem to be unacceptable, you can use this YouTube video (also posted at the top of this article) to look for signs of DSE. In our video, we not only provide testing slides that help to expose DSE, but guide you on how to spot it.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to eliminate DSE. Some websites suggest loosening the screws on the back of a TV to lessen the strain on the panel. We do not recommend this tactic as it could stand to void an active warranty. Also, it’s not very likely to work.

Really, the best way to get rid of DSE on a newly purchased TV is to catch it early and return or exchange the TV within the typical 30-day customer satisfaction period. It is rare for a manufacturer’s warranty to cover a repair or replacement when the complaint is over a flaw that the said manufacturer has already deemed to be within an acceptable margin of error.

Most TVs offer a “game mode” which, due to its tendency to brighten everything on-screen, can help to obscure DSE. But this is really just a Band-Aid measure. The DSE is still there, but it may be less obvious. Another somewhat helpful tip to reduce the appearance of DSE in LCD panels is to view the TV from as direct an angle as possible. As you move off-axis (view a TV from an angle) DSE tends to become more obvious.

The so-called “panel lottery” refers to the game TV buyers unwittingly play when purchasing a TV. Sometimes you “win the panel lottery,” which is a way of saying that the TV you got was in especially pristine shape and shows no signs of DSE. It’s also a term used to easily express that there’s such a variance in panel quality that it’s virtually impossible you’ll win a perfect panel. In other words, it’s all up to chance.

Usually the LED power feeds connector is marked with +LED and -LED on the board near the connector where the leads connect to. Also depending on how many strips or what configuration they"re connected in there may be two or more sets (+ve and -ve) of LED power feed leads. So you will have to disconnect the cable plug from the board and connect the tester to each set in turn, i.e. +LED1 and -LED1, +LED2 and -LED 2 etc. Red is +ve and black is -ve on the tester

The backlight tester doesn"t use the power from the TV (you have to plug it in to an outlet) and it supplies the necessary power to turn on the LEDs in a strip

If the screen still has a blueish tinge you know it"s the LEDs as the TV is not powered on and the LED"s aren"t connected to the board. You"re testing them in isolation

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Considering its price, the M3D650SV is a decent deal. VIZIO"s 3D technology, as well as their smart platform, are both less rewarding than the parallel features found on Panasonic"s VT50, but its core performance--color, contrast, as well as audio--are very good.

Regarding the design, the M3D650SV is an ordinary 65-inch television, by contemporary standards. It"s got a big, rectangular display panel and an unremarkable, average bezel. While it"s on the thin side compared to VIZIO"s E-Series, it wouldn"t be considered thin within the LCD market. Its back is a dark, brushed metal that is pliable and feels a little flismy. The whole thing sits atop a large, oval-shaped stand that is black and heavy, enough to keep the 65-inch panel aloft.

The ports and port placement are standard. Perhaps the only interesting aspect of the M3D650SV is its Jag Wheel, a silver, quarter-sized wheel on the lower half of its right side that replaces the usual buttons for power, menu, input, etc.

The "Jag Wheel" (see photo) has replaced standard on-set controls for the VIZIO M-Series. It serves to replace almost all of the usual on-set controls. Pressing the wheel will turn the TV on. Spinning it will raise and lower volume, respectively. Pressing the wheel while the TV is already powered on will bring up a quick menu, allowing you to use the wheel and adjust volume, channel, and input source by clicking and spinning as need dictates. If you hold the Jag Wheel for three seconds, the TV will power off.

From one side, VIZIO"s infrared remote looks like any other: navigational buttons, volume and channel controls, a number pad, and three buttons dedicated to the TV"s top apps: Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and VUDU. It"s a slightly larger version of the little remote that comes packaged with VIZIO"s E-Series.

On the flip side, however, is a small keypad, a set of navigational buttons, and colored A, B, X, and Y buttons meant for quickly navigating VIZIO"s wireless apps. This isn"t the first time VIZIO"s made use of this 2-sided qwerty remote. The keypad side of the remote is meant to be held horizontally (as opposed to the vertical inclination of a standard infrared remote). It sends a signal to the TV via a small area just to the left of center on the front of the keypad, which is occasi