Sony is home to some of the most memorable movie franchises.
James Bond, Jumanji, Ghostbusters…
I love them all! Great movies.
Too bad you wouldn’t be able to enjoy them with a flickering Sony TV screen.
Fortunately, I found several fixes.
And I’m excited to share them all with you.
Continue reading to find out:
- 3 of the most common causes of a flickering screen.
- 11 quick ways you can fix your Sony TV’s flickering screen issue right now.
- Several advanced settings that may cause a flickering screen (and how to turn them off).
- And this is just the beginning…
Why is my Sony TV screen flickering?
Your Sony TV screen is flickering because of a backlight problem. In some cases, it may also be due to loose or faulty cable connections. You may try to adjust your TV’s advanced picture settings to fix its backlight. Also, see to it that all external device cables are secure and working properly.
Sony TV screen flickering: 11 fixes
#1: Restart your Sony TV
Like any other electronic device, Sony TVs may occasionally experience malfunctions.
So, before we dive into more advanced fixes…
It’s always a good practice to perform a power cycle first.
All you have to do is restart your Sony TV.
And you know what?
For many that are experiencing a flickering screen…
That was enough to fix the issue.
Now there are multiple ways to power cycle your Sony TV:
- Via Quick Settings.
- Unplugging from the power source.
- Through the remote’s power button.
All of them are quick and easy. So simply take your pick.
Restart via Quick Settings
- Press the Quick Settings button on your remote. The one with the gear icon.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down to System and select it.
- Click Restart.
- Click Restart again to confirm.
Restart via the power source
- Unplug your Sony TV from its power source.
- Press the TV’s power button for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Connect the TV back into the outlet.
- Press the power button again to switch it back on.
Restart via the remote
- Press and hold your Sony remote’s Power button for 5 seconds.
- When you see a Restart option, select it.
And once your TV powers back on, check if it’s still flickering.
If the issue’s still there, don’t worry. There are plenty of other fixes ahead.
#2: Use the Self Diagnostics feature
Many factors could cause your Sony TV to flicker.
3 of the most common causes include:
- Defective backlight.
- Faulty power source.
- Loose cable connection.
The good thing is you can find fixes for all of those in this guide.
However, it’d also help if you could pinpoint the actual cause before trying out all the fixes.
And your Sony TV has an excellent feature that can help you with that.
It’s called Self Diagnostics.
This helps you determine and resolve whichever reason pops up. It even contains basic instructions when it comes to configuration and setup.
So, here are the steps to use this feature:
- Press your Sony remote’s Home button.
- Select the Help icon. It’s the one with the question mark.
- Look for Status & Diagnostics and select it.
- Click the Self Diagnostics option.
- Click Start.
If it’s some settings issue, your Sony TV’s OS should automatically fix it.
Otherwise, it’ll tell you what’s wrong. And you may then look for a corresponding fix from this list.
#3: Check for any issues with the power source
A fluctuating power can cause your TV to blink or flicker.
So the power source is one of the areas you should check.
For starters, Sony TVs have a detachable power cord. So try to unplug it from both the TV and the outlet. And then reconnect it. Ensuring that you attach it firmly and securely.
Also, check if the power source is working properly.
Devices like power strips can also malfunction at times. So if you’ve plugged your Sony TV into one, connect it to a wall outlet instead.
#4: Ensure that all cable connections are secure
Are you using any of these external devices with your Sony TV?
If so, ensure that connections are secure.
Consoles and streaming devices typically use HDMI cables.
And those types of cables aren’t exactly the most durable.
So if you’re using one, try to look for any damage or defect. And plug it into another port on your Sony TV.
Moreover, if you have a set-top box, check the coaxial cable. Make sure to screw it tightly.
These cables are responsible for transmitting images to your Sony TV.
That’s why fixing these connections can also be key in resolving your screen issue.
#5: Adjust your Sony TV’s brightness settings
A faulty backlight is another culprit in a flickering Sony TV.
As with modern smart TVs, Sony has backlight strips inside their TVs. With each strip containing several LED lights.
Eventually, some of those LED lights will break due to wear and tear. Causing issues such as a flickering screen.
Now you don’t need to replace them right away. Sometimes, an adjustment in the brightness setting is enough to get your TV to work properly.
There are 2 particular brightness features that you need to turn off:
- Black adjust.
- Advanced contrast enhancer.
“Why exactly do I need to switch them off?”
Because both features use your TV’s backlight extensively.
How to adjust the brightness settings
- Click the Quick Start button on your remote.
- Navigate to Picture settings and click it.
- Select Brightness.
- Click the Black adjust option and toggle it off.
- Click Advanced contrast enhancer and switch it off.
You might also like: 11 Ways To Fix Your TV Brightness Problem
#6: Turn off your Sony TV’s Motionflow feature
Motionflow is an advanced picture setting on your Sony TV.
It’s essentially an effect that enhances picture quality.
But it’s another picture setting that can cause problems with the backlight.
So for a flickering screen, you may also try to switch this off.
Just follow the steps below:
- Press the Quick Settings button on your remote.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down and select Display & Sounds.
- Select Picture.
- Select Advanced settings.
- Navigate to Motion and click it.
- Select Motionflow and toggle it off.
Prefer a visual guide? Then this video below is for you:
#7: Change your Sony TV’s Clarity settings
Similar to Motionflow, Clarity is yet another picture-enhancing feature on your Sony TV.
But in some cases, it may also cause a flashing or blinking screen. Especially when watching a video with a particularly dark scene.
That’s why you’ll need to change some settings under Clarity. These 4 in particular:
- Sharpness.
- Reality Creation.
- Digital noise reduction.
- Random noise reduction.
Changing those is easy:
- Click your remote’s Quick Settings button.
- Select Settings.
- Navigate to Display & Sound and click it.
- Select Picture.
- Look for Clarity and then select it.
- Highlight Digital noise reduction and select High.
- Click Random noise reduction and change it to High.
- Lower the Sharpness level to 50.
- Select Reality Creation and toggle to Manual.
#8: Disable all settings under Eco
Sony TVs have multiple settings under their Eco feature.
These include:
- Power saving.
- Idle TV Standby.
- Intelligent Presence Sensor.
These are all great features that can help you conserve energy.
Yet there’ve also been reports that they can cause issues. Especially since these features involve trying to control your TV’s backlights.
And when glitching, Eco mode features can cause your Sony TV not just to flicker. Sometimes they may also cause the TV to turn on by itself.
So you’re better off disabling them instead. Here are the steps:
- Press your remote control’s Home button.
- Select Settings.
- Select Power.
- Select Eco.
- Click Power Saving and toggle it off.
- Click Idle TV Standby and turn it off.
- Select Intelligent Presence Sensor and click Off.
#9: Adjust the TV location’s lighting
Your Sony TV may be in your living room or bedroom right now.
Some even place a TV in their kitchen.
Regardless of where it is, the area’s lighting can also factor in its screen issues.
If the room’s too dark or too bright, you may start perceiving some flashing or blinking on the screen. Even though the screen actually has no issue.
So try to adjust your room’s lights. And if it still looks like your TV’s flickering…
#10: Ensure that your Sony TV has the latest firmware
Most Sony TVs nowadays use the Android operating system.
And you know it’s excellent because it’s a Google product.
But it can also have glitches. Or even bugs. So see to it that you always update your Sony TV.
Before looking for updates, ensure that you connect your Sony TV to WiFi. And make sure the internet’s stable. So that you can download updates without interruptions.
You can manually check for updates through the following:
- Press your remote’s Home button.
- Navigate to Help and select it.
- Click Status & Diagnostics.
- Click System software update.
- Click the Check for a system software update option.
If your Sony TV finds available updates, it’ll begin downloading and installing them.
#11: Do a Factory Data Reset
If none of the other fixes resolve your flickering screen…
You may consider doing a complete factory data reset.
Do note that a factory reset will erase the following:
- WiFi settings.
- Account settings.
- Downloaded apps and channels.
And that’s why this is always one of my last troubleshooting recommendations.
To factory reset:
- Press the Quick Settings button on your remote.
- Select System.
- Select About.
- Select Reset.
- Click the Factory data reset option.
- Click Erase everything.
- Select Yes to confirm.
Note: You may find the factory reset option under Device preferences in some Sony TVs. In others, it’s in Storage & reset.
#Bonus: Contact Sony’s customer support team
So you’ve tried out all the fixes. But your screen’s still flickering like a strobe light.
It can be frustrating. And I totally feel you.
But there’s likely an internal hardware problem with your Sony TV.
It can be a loose ribbon cable. Major damage to the backlight strips. Or some other main board issue.
So I’d highly suggest that you contact an expert to look into it.
You may call Sony’s support team at 1-239-245-6354.
They’re available from 9 am to 9 pm ET on weekdays. And 10 am to 8 pm ET during weekends.
You may also chat with their agent through their official website.