Fixing Cloudy Dark Spots On Any LCD TV Screen: 6 Steps

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Have you got cloudy, dark spots on your LCD TV? Then you’ll find 6 ways to lift the smog around your screen in this article!

Here are some ways to remove cloudy dark spots from an LCD screen

  1. Clean the screen
  2. Adjust the backlight settings
  3. Turn the light sensor setting on
  4. Change the power saving setting to low or high
  5. Loosen the screws on the back of the TV
  6. Support the back of the TV

You don’t have to let pesky, cloudy, dark spots turn into the stars of each one of your TV shows. Coming up are more details on how you can remove the spots for good.

The 6 Ways to Remove Cloudy Dark Spots From Your LCD TV

They say that every cloud has a silver lining. But nothing good could come from the clouding and dark spots on your LCD TV screen. Coming up, you’ll see 6 tricks that will help you fix yours and get back to HD viewing.

#1 Clean the Screen

Cleaning tv with a microfiber cloth
Start by cleaning your TV screen with a microfiber cloth

Removing the cloudy dark spots on your TV doesn’t have to be complicated. This is especially true if the spots have been caused by the following

  • A build-up of dust
  • Foreign matter stuck to the TV screen

In this case, cleaning the screen will restore it to its original condition. This will allow you to watch TV without any display issues.

Here’s how you can clean your TV screen without scratching it

  1. Turn the TV off and unplug it.
  2. Use a screen-safe microfiber cloth to wipe over the screen. Wipe from the top of the screen to the bottom. Never apply pressure to the TV screen, just a light wipe.
  3. For hard to remove smears, wipe in circular motions – but avoid using any cleaning solutions or applying pressure.

Fancy watching a how-to video? Then here’s a quick TV screen cleaning tutorial that will help you with your LCD.

What if you have tried cleaning your TV screen, but can still see the cloudy dark spots? Then make sure you take a look at the other tricks in this article that will help you.

#2 Try Some Quickfire Fixes

As with any electronic system, TV’s can end up acting funny over time. Often a few simple tricks can fix a lot of these issues.

Follow these quick steps, and hopefully one will remove the cloudy spots:

  1. Restart the TV. Turn it off using the remote, then unplug it. Wait 2 minutes and turn it back on again.
  2. Change the channel. Check to see if your usual viewing platform has the issue – change and watch something else.
  3. Change the input. Swap the source over to a completely different input – like a DVD player or internal app.
  4. Check the cables. Turn off the power, then unplug and replug all the cables firmly into the TV.

No luck? Okay, no problem. That was worth a shot – so let’s keep going.

#3 Adjust the Backlight Settings

The backlight on your LCD TV is set to make your screen as bright as possible. This usually works well in most TV viewing environments. But this could make TV viewing uncomfortable in the following situations

  • You are watching TV in a dark room
  • You are looking at the screen without a video input source
  • The TV screen is blank and you are in a poorly lit room

Any of these situations could make the brightness of your TV seem uneven. This is often because the contrast between your environment and screen is too great. This may reveal screen clouding. So what can you do if your TV’s backlight settings are stopping you from enjoying HD entertainment?

These are the steps you need to adjust your TV’s backlight

  1. Press the “Menu” button on your TV
  2. Navigate to your picture settings
  3. Reduce the backlight setting in small increments. Do so until the screen clouding disappears or fades significantly.
  4. Test the screen when watching your normal programming. If it seems uncomfortably dark, turn the brightness up slightly.
Menu button on tv remote
Press “Menu” on your remote control then navigate to the picture settings

#4 Turn the Light Sensor Setting On

Does your TV display seem unnecessarily bright when you are watching TV at night? Then this could be the main reason why you are seeing cloudy dark spots on your screen.

But what can fix the problem? The light sensor in your TV turns your TV’s brightness up and down according to the amount of light in the room. If it is dark in the room, the brightness should automatically reduce itself. If it is light in the room, the brightness should increase. This setting is supposed to give you that awesome cinematic experience no matter the time of the day.

If your TV’s automatic light sensor settings are off, you will need to turn them on. This could help you solve your cloudy screen issue.

Here is a way for you to fix the problem with your TV’s light sensor

  1. Press the “Menu” button on your TV remote
  2. Navigate to your picture settings or setup menu
  3. Click on your “Light Sensor” setting
  4. If the setting is off, turn it on
  5. Test the screen while watching TV with the lights on and the lights off. The clouding should disappear. If your TV’s brightness doesn’t seem to change when the lighting changes, there may be a problem with your sensor.
Watching tv in the dark
The sensor should reduce your screen’s brightness in the dark

#5 Change the Power-Saving Setting to Low or High

Adjusting your power-saving settings will also help with cloudy spots on your TV. Power-saving mode helps to save energy by reducing the brightness of your TV screen.

If your screen is showing cloudy spots, it might be helpful to turn the power-saving mode on. This may be extremely helpful when you are watching TV in a dark room. (Not to mention the fact that it will also help cut down the cost of your electric bill).

This is what you can do to change your power-saving settings

  1. Press the “Menu” button on your TV remote
  2. Navigate to your setup menu
  3. Select power-saving mode. Change the mode from “Low” to “High” or “High” to “Low”. This should balance out the screen.
  4. Test the screen while you are watching TV. The clouding should have disappeared.

#6 Support the Back of the TV

The last thing to do is to make sure that your TV is well supported. The clouding issue could increase if your LCD TV moves around a lot or is transported often. You should set your TV somewhere it will not be moved about.

You can stabilize your TV in the following ways. If you have small children at home, try combining these methods.

  • Tightening the screws on the base of your TV
  • Placing your TV on top of a TV cabinet or stand
  • Using a wall bracket to keep your TV in place
TV wall support
Keep your TV in place using a wall bracket

#7 Try A Full Software Reset

Factory resetting your TV could help it to remove whatever is causing the issue. This could have been any of the following:

  • Leftover data from uninstalled apps
  • Bugs from crashed applications
  • Problems with memory

You should bear in mind that a factory reset will wipe any data off of your TV. So, before you perform a factory reset, save some of the data from your Google apps. You can do this by syncing them to your Google account. This is a last resort!

Once you’ve got all your important information saved, you’ll be ready to perform the factory reset. Here’s how you can do it.

  1. Press “Home” on your remote control
  2. Navigate to “Settings”
  3. Select “Device Preferences” or “Storage and Reset”. (Options will vary depending on your TV.)
  4. Select “Factory Reset”.
  5. Your TV will then ask you if you would like to proceed with the factory reset. Press “OK” to continue.
  6. Once the reset is complete, try to power on the TV. If it continues to restart loop, try the other fixes in this article.

Conclusion

Are cloudy, dark spots getting in the way of your LCD TV screen? Then I am sure this article has shown you a few tricks you can use to clear it. These could save you money on a call-out charge or even a new TV!

Has this article helped you? Then why not check out some of our other articles and free guides? You could even sign up to our email list.

Have a great day!

-Craig

Hi there! I’m Craig, and I’m the founder of Appliance Analysts. When it comes to appliances and anything electrical, I’ve always loved opening things up, figuring out how they work, and fixing them. This website is where I share free advice from myself and our experts to help our readers solve their appliance/HVAC problems and save money. Read more