You sure it’s not crickets at the back of your TV?
Jokes aside, this isn’t the end.
Because I have several trump cards worth trying.
Those are some fixes for this that may seem like magic…
But it doesn’t involve pulling a rabbit out of your TV’s screen.
Honestly, they’re just unbelievably simple.
Read on to discover:
- 7 quick fixes to stop your TCL TV screen from flickering.
- How to troubleshoot your TV for hardware problems or issues.
- 1 fix to solve your TCL TV flickering problem if your remote stops working.
- And so much more…
Why is my TCL TV screen flickering?
Your TCL TV screen is flickering because it’s stuck in standby mode. Another common cause is a faulty power cable. Damaged HDMI cables may also be an issue. Other times, the problem is your TV’s picture settings or a software glitch. Finally, your TCL TV screen flickers due to a damaged backlight.
TCL TV screen flickering: 7 fixes
#1: Restart your TV
When your TCL TV screen flickers, the most common cause is it’s stuck in standby mode.
The best way to fix this issue?
By doing a simple restart.
Apart from that, restarting your TV’s meant to solve the following problems:
- Cool down your TV system in case of overheating.
- Clear temporary settings on your TV that might’ve caused a glitch.
Overall, a simple restart might look like it’s not fixing your issue on the outside.
However, restarting your TV stabilizes its condition.
And that also includes preventing any persistent error or bug in the system.
So, here’s what you wanna do:
- Turn off your TCL TV.
- Unplug it from your power outlet.
- Wait for 10 minutes so it can cool down.
- Plug your TCL TV back into its power source.
Now, if your electrical outlet’s the one at fault, try this:
- Plug your TV into another power outlet.
- If you’re using a surge protector, unplug it as well.
- Turn on your TV and see if your screen still flickers.
#2: Change your TCL TV’s picture settings
Put it this way.
If your brightness or backlight’s set too high, you might get a flickering display on your TV.
In some cases, it could be due to your Picture mode setting, like “LED Motion Clarity.”
If this is turned off, your screen becomes brighter and, in some cases, blurry.
Whereas turning it on stabilizes the scattering of LED light on your TCL screen.
As a result, your screen looks crisper and cleaner.
Now, here’s the problem.
When the resolution and picture settings of your TV aren’t set properly, you end up with…
- Display issues.
- Video resolution problems.
- The screen becomes too bright and starts to flicker.
As you’ll find out in the later sections, this flickering might also be due to a faulty backlight.
But before diving into hardware issues, let’s try and adjust your TCL TV’s picture settings first:
- On your home screen, launch any streaming app.
Note: This can be YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, etc…
- On the streaming app, play any video.
- Press the star button (* icon) on your remote.
- Adjust your picture settings.
- Try setting your brightness to a lower level.
- Tap on “Advanced picture settings.”
- Test various picture settings and see if it solves your issue.
You might also like: Hisense Vs TCL: 5 Key Differences
#3: Turn off “Standby LED” mode
It surprises me how a simple device feature or setting can cause apocalyptic issues.
Another way of saying this?
You’re dealing with a software glitch or bug caused by that 1 setting.
And in your case, the “Standby LED” mode happens to be a software bug that could create a flickering issue.
Normally, this feature should be harmless.
Because it’s simply a light that appears while your TV’s off to indicate it’s in standby mode.
Then again, there are a few things worth noting.
For one, if your TV was in standby mode during a power outage, this can lead to software issues.
And second, leaving your TV on standby places its components at a greater risk.
Specifically, the hardware wears down a lot faster.
Not to mention, this doesn’t give ample time for your TV to rest and cool down.
When it comes to heat and any electronic device, the consequences are… apocalyptic.
So, the best thing you can do from here is to turn off your TCL TV’s “Standby LED” mode:
- On your TCL TV home screen, tap on “Settings.”
- Scroll down and click on “System.”
- Select “Power.”
- Tap on “Standby LED” and turn it off.
#4: Check your power & external device cables
After trying all 3 fixes above, it’s time to move on.
And what I mean by that is…
- If the fixes above didn’t work, it’s not a software issue.
- Your TCL TV screen’s flickering due to a hardware problem.
Now, don’t panic.
Hardware problems don’t automatically mean you need to buy a new TV component.
It could be that your cable’s the underlying cause for your TCL TV’s flickering.
For example.
During an outage, your TV might experience a power supply issue.
And as a result, your screen ends up flickering due to your electrical outlet’s wiring.
Other times, the source of your problem lies with your external device’s cable.
What I’m referring to here are streaming devices like:
How do I know which cable’s faulty?
First, unplug all the cables attached to your TV.
Then, plug 1 cable at a time into your TV’s respective port.
From here, you should be able to detect which one’s faulty.
How so?
Because the moment you plug a faulty cable into your TV’s port, your screen flickers.
And when that happens, the best solution’s to buy a new HDMI or coaxial cable.
#5: Press the reset button at the back of your TCL TV
Say that apart from your screen flickering, your TCL remote also stops working.
So you might be wondering…
“How can I reset my TV if I can’t even shut it off with a remote?”
Don’t worry.
There’s another way to reset your TCL TV without using the remote.
On your TV’s back panel, there should be a small reset button there.
To make it easier for you to find, look for your HDMI and USB ports.
The reset button should be in the same spot.
But before you can even proceed with this fix, you’ll need either of the following:
From here, follow these steps:
- Insert your toothpick or paper clip into your TV’s “reset” hole.
- Keep pressing it for about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Wait for your TCL TV to turn blank and then let go.
- Your TV should restart from here.
#6: Factory reset your TCL TV
When your TCL TV screen flickering issue refuses to budge, here’s what you can do:
Factory reset your TCL TV.
What you’re essentially doing here is deleting all your TCL TV data.
That also means you’ll have to set up your TV again as if you just bought it.
Now, as heartbreaking as this might sound, there’s a good reason why it’s needed.
First, a factory reset doesn’t only wipe your TV’s data.
It also removes any corrupted bug or glitch that’s causing your system to malfunction.
In addition, it can solve stubborn issues like your TCL not turning on or when there’s no sound.
Ultimately, a factory reset is mostly a last resort fix when everything goes south.
To do it, head to your TCL TV’s home screen, and then…
- Tap on ”Settings.”
- Scroll down and hit “System.”
- Click on “Advanced system settings.”
- Select “Factory reset.”
- Choose “Factory reset everything.”
- Alternatively, you can choose “Reset TV audio/picture settings.”
- This will clear any issues related to your TV’s picture or sound settings.
If you’re using a TCL Android TV, check out this video on how to do a factory reset:
#7: Replace your backlight
In spite of all your hard work, your screen wants to play hard-to-get.
From this point on, the major cause of your TCL TV flickering is damaged hardware.
Specifically, your backlight strips.
But what are these components for, anyway?
In the simplest sense, these strips provide LED backlight to your TV.
Now, here’s the biggest problem:
If the backlight strips were poorly manufactured, they could easily fall off.
And guess what causes them to detach from your TV screen?
Yup – it’s the heat.
Sadly, backlight strips are typically glued to your screen.
Not to mention, it’s 1 component that’s highly vulnerable to heat damage.
From here, you have 2 options:
- Contact TCL through their support page.
- Call their phone support number: 1-877-300-8837.
After a proper diagnosis of your TV, you might have to replace your backlight strips.
However, in some cases, there may be other damaged hardware components.
And if the overall cost turns out to be too expensive, you should consider replacing your TV.