Half days at school or work are fun.
Half-caff coffee tastes good. In my opinion, anyway.
But a half-dark Samsung TV screen?
Annoying.
And we can all agree.
It’s impossible to enjoy watching anything with a screen like that.
But to make you feel better…
There are easy fixes available.
Continue reading to find out:
- 9 effective fixes if half of your Samsung TV’s screen is darker.
- What actually causes half of a Samsung TV screen to turn dark.
- Specific Picture Settings that you can adjust to fix your TV’s dark screen issue.
- And a lot more…
Why is half of my Samsung TV screen dark?
Half of your Samsung TV screen is dark due to faulty backlights. Your TV has strips of LED lights behind the screen. And due to wear and tear, some of those may stop working. Resulting in parts of the screen being darker. Aside from that, incorrect picture settings can also cause the issue.
Samsung TV half screen darker: 9 fixes
#1: Verify if the problem’s happening on every channel
Defective backlights are usually the cause if half of your Samsung TV’s screen is dark. And in many cases, it requires replacing them to resolve the issue.
However, before deciding to change these lights…
It’s best to exhaust all other fixes first. Because it’s also possible that your TV is simply glitching.
Or, there’s actually no problem with it.
But it’s the channel or streaming service that you’re watching that has issues.
So the very first thing to do if half of your screen is black…
Check if the problem’s happening on every channel or service.
So try to switch to another channel. Or if you’re streaming from an app like Netflix, close it. And launch another streaming service. See if the problem persists.
And if it’s only happening on one channel or app…
Then at least you can confirm that your Samsung TV’s fine.
If it’s a channel issue, you’ll just have to wait until the broadcaster fixes it.
And if it’s an issue with a streaming service…
You may try to delete the app. And then re-install it.
#2: Check your external device’s connections
Do you happen to be watching from a streaming device like Roku or Fire Stick?
If so, check the cable connections.
Streaming devices usually connect to Samsung TVs via an HDMI cable. It’s this cable that’s responsible for audio or video quality.
And if you didn’t plug it in securely, you’ll have picture and sound issues.
So you have to ensure that the HDMI cable is firmly attached. Both to the back of your TV and the external device.
You may even try to reseat it. That’s unplugging it, then plugging it back in. And do it while your TV’s on.
That way, you’ll be able to see the picture changes in real-time.
And it’ll help you determine if this is what’s causing half of your screen to be dark.
You might also like: Samsung TV Not Recognizing HDMI Input: 11 Fixes
#3: Disconnect any external devices
In connection with the previous fix…
If adjusting the HDMI cables didn’t resolve the dark screen issue…
You may instead try to remove all external devices.
Because it’s also likely that one of them’s glitching. Thereby affecting the TV’s display.
Once you’ve removed all external devices…
Try to pull up the on-screen display (OSD). This is your TV’s menu settings.
You may do it by pressing the Home button on your remote.
Now, is half of your TV screen still dark, even on the menu pages?
If so, then at this point, you can safely say that it’s an issue within the TV itself.
But don’t worry. There are several fixes ahead.
#4: Power cycle your Samsung TV
Now that you know that it’s your TV that has problems…
You may proceed with performing the most basic troubleshooting step. Which is to power cycle or restart your Samsung TV.
Here’s the correct way to power cycle or soft reset a Samsung TV:
Step #1: Unplug your TV from the outlet.
Step #2: Look for your TV’s built-in power button. And press and hold it for 15 seconds. The purpose of doing this is to drain any residual power from the TV completely.
Step #3: Wait for 1 to 2 minutes.
Step #4: Reconnect the TV back to its power source.
After your Samsung TV powers back on, check if half of the screen is still dark.
And if it still is, then calibrating the picture settings is the next logical step.
#5: Manually adjust your TV’s backlight level
Modern Samsung TVs have many picture settings. That it can be overwhelming to know which ones to adjust to try and fix your TV’s dark screen problem.
But since the half-screen-darker issue is most likely due to failing backlights…
You need to adjust your TV’s backlight level first. Before trying to tweak any other picture settings.
And to be more specific, you should try to turn down your TV’s backlight level. Because by lowering it, you’re putting less strain on the LED backlight strips.
And in some cases, this is enough to revive certain backlights that are about to fail.
Here are the steps to adjust your Samsung TV’s backlight level:
- Press your Samsung remote’s Home button.
- Select Settings.
- Select Picture.
- Scroll down to Expert Settings and click it.
- Highlight Backlight and then lower the level.
Now, if you’re wondering how low the backlight level should be…
There’s no specific mark that you have to hit. Since the possible extent of backlight failure differs per TV.
But at least try to bring the level down to 20. Or even lower.
Curious to see what actually happens when you lower your Samsung TV’s backlight level?
If so, then watch this video below:
#6: Adjust your Samsung TV’s brightness-related picture settings
In addition to adjusting the backlight level…
There are certain picture settings that you can tweak as well. Doing this reduces the strain on your Samsung TV’s backlights.
One is by disabling HDR.
So what exactly is it?
HDR means High Dynamic Range. And it’s a feature that enhances image qualities. Basically, with HDR, dark scenes become even darker. And bright scenes are even brighter.
But while an amazing feature. It also extensively uses your TV’s LED backlight to achieve a vivid image.
So it’s best to turn it off when some of your TV’s backlights are failing.
How to disable HDR on a Samsung TV
- Click the Home button on your remote.
- Scroll to the left and click Settings.
- Select General.
- Select External Device Manager.
- Select HDMI UHD Color.
- Toggle it off.
So you just disabled HDR. But one feature that you should enable is the Eco Mode or Energy Saving Mode.
This feature automatically adjusts the brightness of your Samsung TV. Depending on the TV’s location. And it can help prolong the lifespan of your TV’s backlights.
How to enable Eco Mode on a Samsung TV
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Click Settings.
- Scroll down and select General.
- Look for Eco Solution and click it.
- Highlight Energy Saving Mode and toggle it on.
And finally, you should select a Picture Mode that’s not too bright.
Certain modes like Dynamic require heavy usage of backlights. So don’t select this if your backlight’s problematic.
Instead, go for either Natural or Movie. These modes are darker and don’t require too much backlight usage.
How to select a Picture Mode on a Samsung TV
- Click Home on your TV remote.
- Select Settings.
- Click Picture.
- Highlight Picture Mode.
- Change it to either Natural or Movie.
Note: If any of those picture settings are grayed out, it’s because you have a running app. So ensure that you close everything. And then go back and try to change those settings.
You might also want to know: Best Picture Settings For Samsung 4K TV In 13 Steps
#7: Reset your Samsung TV’s picture settings
If tweaking the various picture settings didn’t fix your TV’s screen problems…
Then at this point, I’d advise you to reset them to factory default. Here’s how:
- Press your Samsung TV remote’s Home button.
- Navigate to Settings and select it.
- Select Picture.
- Scroll down and select Expert Settings.
- Select Reset Picture.
- Click Yes to confirm.
#8: Perform a complete factory reset of your Samsung TV
Is half of your Samsung TV screen still dark after resetting the picture settings?
If so, then as a last resort, you should also consider performing a total factory reset.
So what happens when you do it?
Well, your downloaded 3rd party apps will be deleted. All of your other personalized settings will also revert to factory default.
Moreover, you’ll be logged out of your Samsung account.
But don’t worry. Factory resetting won’t delete your account. You’ll just have to sign back in.
That said, just follow these steps to factory reset your Samsung TV:
- Go to your TV’s main screen by clicking Home on your remote.
- Click the gear icon to launch Settings.
- Select General.
- Select Reset.
- Enter your 4-digit PIN or 0000 if none.
- Select Reset again and click OK to confirm.
#9: Get in touch with Samsung for repair options
So I did mention that the darker half screen is likely due to faulty backlights.
Now if you’re tech-savvy enough, you may attempt to replace them.
You’ll just need to buy LED strips.
And to be honest, you might have a hard time finding original Samsung-made ones.
But other brands should work with your Samsung TV as well. An example is this LED strip by Hetingprotool. You can buy it for only $27.
As for how to install it…
You’ll have to remove the back panel of your Samsung TV.
And then you’ll have to take out the following parts before you can get to the backlight. Those are:
- Speakers.
- Side bezels.
- Circuit boards.
- Ribbon cables.
Once you’ve removed all of those…
You should be able to replace the backlight LED strips.
Now, I know the whole process seems daunting. And that’s because it is.
That’s why instead of doing it yourself…
I’d rather advise you to call an expert instead.
With that, you may try to get in touch with a Samsung Pro Care representative.
That way you can ask them about your TV warranty. As well as discuss the options that you have for repairing the TV.
They’ll also be able to direct you to your nearest authorized technician to fix your TV.
Here’s Samsung’s hotline number: 1-800-SAMSUNG (726-7864). You may call any time from 8 AM to 12 AM EST. They’re open daily.
In addition, you may also visit Samsung’s service request page to schedule a repair directly.