A black screen on your LG TV seems like a nightmare.
But honestly…
It’s happened to me on several occasions.
And guess what.
I was able to save my LG TV.
After so many experiences, I’ve come up with 13 fixes.
So, don’t worry.
I’ll thoroughly guide you through you each fix.
Read on to discover:
- One fix that might surprise you and actually works.
- 15 proven fixes to solve your LG TV’s black screen issue.
- How to diagnose your LG TV (and whether it’s due to faulty hardware).
- And so much more…
Why is my LG TV screen black?
Your LG TV screen’s black because of a power supply issue. In other cases, it can be a streaming device connection problem. However, an outdated software, overheating, or incorrect picture settings are likely causes. And lastly, a damaged main control, LED, or video board may be the main culprit.
LG TV black screen: 13 ways to fix it
#1: Check your power outlet
When your LG TV screen turns black, the most likely cause is a power supply issue.
In other words, you shouldn’t overlook other factors related to your outlet’s wiring.
For instance, storm surges or power outages can damage any plugged-in device.
In effect, it leads to issues like overheating or burnt wires.
So, what next?
Plug your LG TV into another power source.
Do you see a black screen?
If not, it means one of your outlet’s wires needs repairing.
Contact an electrician for this.
However, if your TV screen’s still black, then it could be a source issue.
What does that mean?
Let’s find out in the next section.
Read also: LG TV Not Turning On: 9 Ways To Fix It
#2: Test different LG TV sources
Put it this way.
You have a cable box hooked to your TV and the right TV source should be “AV.”
But instead, your TV’s set to HDMI.
And if that’s what’s happening, you get…
A black screen.
Fortunately, switching between different TV sources is easy.
Here’s how it’s done:
- On your LG remote, press the Input button.
Note: It’s the icon with a cable/cord pointing right.
- A drop-down menu appears.
- Select the right TV source.
- If the right input should be HDMI, select that option from the menu.
For streaming devices, there should be an available option for that too.
Say you have a Fire TV stick plugged into your TV’s port.
In the TV sources menu, you should see “Firestick” as an option.
Can’t find your input button?
If you’re using LG’s magic TV remote, it should be located between the “Netflix” and “Amazon” buttons.
For those with the LG universal/default remote control, the input button’s at the top-right corner.
#3: Inspect your cables
One of the biggest reasons why your LG TV screen’s black?
A faulty cable.
Due to the damage, your video quality and resolution are affected.
Now, if you have several cables hooked to your TV…
How do you know which one’s causing the issue?
Simple. Here’s what you should do:
- Unplug all your cables.
- Plug each cable to its respective port one at a time.
- Diagnose which cable’s causing the issue.
If you find it’s your HDMI cable that’s causing the problem, buy a new one.
In some cases, it might be your AV cable or your coax cable that’s faulty.
Either way, be sure to change these ASAP to solve the problem for good.
#4: Reset your TV
Software glitch?
That’s what could be happening to your device.
And because of that, your TV’s unable to process any channels or videos.
Ultimately, you get a blank or black screen.
But here’s the good news.
If it’s a TV glitch or malfunction, all it takes is a simple reset.
Here’s how to do it:
- Unplug the cable of your TV.
- Wait for 5 minutes.
- Plug your TV’s cable back into the power outlet.
Although this simple fix solves most problems, it’s not perfect.
Meaning, there may be other underlying problems we have yet to troubleshoot.
So, if this fix didn’t solve your issue, let’s…
Check out: (11 Fixes) LG TV Keeps Turning Off
#5: Test your TV in your friend’s house
Let’s say your friend has his own satellite box along with several streaming devices.
Now, this might seem like a farfetched solution…
But let me explain how this can help.
If you test your friend’s external devices on your TV and they all work, then…
You can safely conclude that one of your streaming devices could be the problem.
And I don’t mean your HDMI or coax cables.
Think about your antenna, for instance.
Even if it’s not faulty, your antenna’s signal might be the culprit.
Meaning, your LG TV isn’t receiving enough signal to display any video on your screen.
If you have an antenna amplifier installed at home, then it might be the power adapter that’s damaged.
What this amplifier does is boost your antenna’s signal for better TV reception.
You might also like: Do Router Antennas Make a Difference? The Surprising Truth
Aside from that, maybe your Roku Streaming Stick needs to be replaced.
Or, it could be your cable/satellite box that’s faulty.
Working with a friend can help you diagnose your problem a lot faster than doing it on your own.
In addition, if it’s a simple TV setting that’s causing a black screen, then…
Your friend could show you the proper settings to use too, right?
#6: Diagnose your TV’s system
Now, you might be wondering…
“What’s the point of diagnosing your TV’s system?”
Put simply, it should tell us whether your TV has:
- System issues.
- A hardware problem.
If it’s a system issue, it might be a picture mode setting that’s causing the problem.
Other times, your LG TV’s running on outdated software.
However, if it’s a hardware problem, you need to contact a professional to inspect your TV.
That’s because you need technical experience to perform the inspection safely and properly.
So, how do you diagnose your TV?
With your TV turned on…
- Instead of using your remote, press any key on your TV.
- For example, try the “Menu” or Volume Up & Down (+ and -) buttons.
- Do you see a display on your screen?
If not, it means your LG TV has a hardware problem.
However, if you see your screen display your TV’s menu and volume control, proceed to…
#7: Update your LG TV’s software
An outdated TV software can cause all sorts of problems, like:
- Your TV slowing down.
- Frequent app glitches and malfunctions.
- Some functions and features don’t work as smoothly.
Overall, delaying your TV’s software update can lead to issues similar to your black screen.
But luckily, all you need to do is update your LG TV software:
- Press the settings function (gear icon) on your remote.
- Choose “All Settings.”
Note: This is the 3-dot icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Select “General.”
- Press the right arrow button to access your “General” settings menu.
- Scroll down and tap “About This TV.”
- Select “Check For Updates.”
- Confirm the update installation.
- Wait for your LG TV to finish updating.
- Check if your screen displays a black screen.
Similar read: How Often Do Smart TVs Update Their Software? 5 Examples
#8: Change your picture settings
Sounds too simple?
Well, listen to this.
About a month ago, I ran into the same issue as you.
So, I unplugged my LG TV. Then turned it back on.
After that, I tried different picture mode settings to see if it may have been a system issue.
And it worked.
All I did was change my picture settings from Vivid mode to Standard mode.
Why?
Because Vivid mode boosts your TV’s brightness, contrast, and sharpness.
That may not seem related to the issue, but it actually is.
As you’ll find out in the later sections…
Your LG TV might have a black screen due to damaged LED light components.
What do these lights do exactly?
Basically, they provide backlight to your TV.
If one fails, it can lead to a black screen.
However…
When the brightness or backlight is set to its maximum level, the LED lights can overheat and well…
Put simply, shut down.
So, it’s understandable how switching from Vivid to Standard mode solved my issue.
Here’s how to do it:
- Tap the settings button on your remote.
- Select “All Settings” (3-dot icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu.)
- Tap “Picture.”
- Press the right arrow button on your remote to access your “Picture” settings.
- Select “Picture Mode Settings.”
- Tap “Picture Mode.”
- Try switching to other picture modes.
For newer LG TV models (2020 to 2021), accessing your Picture settings is different.
Here’s a video that shows how it’s done:
While you’re at it, I suggest adjusting your backlight levels too:
- Tap the Settings button (gear icon) on your remote.
- From the drop-down menu, press “All Settings.”
- In the “Picture” menu, select “Picture Mode Settings.”
- Under “Customize,” you should see the “Backlight” option.
- If it’s set to 100, adjust the setting.
- Don’t leave your backlight levels set too high.
#9: Inspect your LG TV’s back panel
Another way of saying this?
Your TV needs to cool down.
If you touch your LG TV’s back panel and it’s hotter than normal, unplug it.
Why?
Because heat damages any electronic device, whether it’s your TV, phone, laptop, etc.
So if your TV’s running 24/7 without any rest, it can easily overheat and produce a black screen.
Or, if you have a heat source placed near your TV or sunlight directly hits it, well…
It’ll inevitably overheat at some point.
So, what do you do?
The best solution’s to let your TV cool down.
For this to work, unplug your TV and let it cool down for 3 to 4 hours.
#10: Turn off your Energy Saver & Auto Power Off modes
Put simply, these two modes can do the following:
Auto Power Off means your TV shuts down after a certain time when no user activity’s detected.
As a result, it ends up appearing as a black screen.
As for Energy-Saving mode, let’s just say…
Your TV’s using less power to operate.
And that just might be the problem here.
With less power, your TV can’t perform at its optimal level.
In effect, you might get a black screen or no sound all of a sudden.
Other times, your video resolution’s affected due to the lack of power.
To solve your issue, it’s best to turn both these features off.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon) on your remote.
- A drop-down menu should appear on your screen.
- Scroll down and choose “All Settings.”
- In the “Settings” menu, select “Picture.”
- Tap “Energy Saving” (located above “Picture Wizard III”).
- Turn it off.
- Go back to your Settings menu.
- Select “General.”
- Tap “Timers.”
- Select “Auto Power Off” and set it to off.
If you’re using an LG 2021 TV…
Accessing both Energy Saving and Auto Power Off is on a different menu:
- Tap the settings button on your remote again.
- Select “All Settings.”
- Tap “Support.”
- Choose “Energy Saving.”
- Disable Auto Power Off and Energy Saving features.
#11: Disable the sleep timer function
Your LG TV’s sleep timer function works the same way as Auto Power Off.
However…
Think of it as an alarm except instead of waking your TV up, it puts it to sleep.
By default, your sleep timer might be set to 4 hours and on some, 8 hours.
In effect, your TV ends up sleeping after the set time.
Fortunately, turning it off is simple and easy to do:
- Hit the Settings button (gear icon on your remote).
- Tap “All Settings.”
- In the drop-down menu, choose “General.”
- Select “Timers.”
- Tap “Sleep Timer.”
- Set it to “Off.”
#12: Try another external device in the same TV port
Worst-case scenario, your media player, cable/satellite box, or streaming device is broken.
However, this issue’s more common with USBs.
For example, when plugging a USB into the TV port…
The screen turns black because the video format’s incompatible
Technically, the video format still plays the file but your TV doesn’t support it.
As a result, your screen’s black but you can still hear sound coming out of it.
In this scenario, it’s due to an incompatible media/video file.
The quickest fix for this is to try another media file and see if your TV displays a black screen.
If your screen’s still black, then your external device is the problem.
Sad to say, your best solution is to replace the external device.
But don’t worry. There’s one more fix we can do.
#13: Do a factory reset
Put it this way.
A factory reset erases most of the data on your TV and returns it to its default settings.
However, that’s not its only purpose.
It also removes bugs or glitches in your system.
And in addition, if an app’s corrupted, a factory reset clears this issue.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Press the Settings button (gear icon located on your remote).
- Tap “All Settings.”
- Select “General” (located above “Network”).
- Scroll down and tap “Reset to Initial Settings.”
- Press “OK” on your remote.
- Confirm the reset and tap “OK” on your TV screen.
You might also be interested in: (7 Fixes) LG TV Screen Flickering
#BONUS: Use a flashlight to check for images in your LG TV
This is one trick to help you identify whether your TV has a…
- Backlight failure.
- Damaged video board.
- Main control board problem.
Here’s how it works:
- Grab a flashlight.
- Stand a few inches away from your TV.
- Flash it onto your TV’s screen.
- Do you see any moving images?
Then, here’s how to diagnose the situation:
- If you see moving images, your TV backlight’s damaged and has failed.
- If you don’t see any image at all, your TV’s main control or video board has a problem.
That said, you’ll need to call a technician for this.
Or, you can also contact LG customer support to schedule a repair or TV inspection.
If the technician discovers it’s a main control board problem, it’s better to buy a new TV.
However, if your backlight or video board’s the issue, you can have it replaced.