Seeing a Red Line on Your LCD TV? Here’s 4 Ways to Fix It

Is a pesky red line on your LCD TV screen disrupting your favorite movies and shows? Then take a look at 4 ways you can make it disappear in this article!

Here are 5 ways to fix your LCD TV if you see a red line on it

1. Try changing the channel
2. Replace the HDMI cable
3. Reset the TV
4. Get a technician to repair the PDP

Unfortunately, lines on a TV (be they red, green, white, or blue) are a common problem. They are typically caused by a bad circuit board or LVDS cable. Unfortunately, they often aren’t fixable when caused by these issues.

However, there’s a good chance it’s not terminal. In this article we’ll walk you through a few different methods you can try to fix the issue.

Note – this article is specifically about LCD TV’s, not OLED or Plasma screens. The latter two can suffer from burn-in, which could be a cause for them but not for traditional LCD screens.

With that said, let’s tackle a few ways to get rid of that red line!

Getting Rid of a TV Red Line

It doesn’t matter that the red line on your TV screen is not taking up much space. It still seems to be the only thing you can see. In fact, you’ve been watching it get in the way of your favorite series for 15 minutes now. And is it just me or is it…moving? Oh, no wait. You’ve just been staring at it for so long it’s making you cross-eyed!

Having a red line on your TV screen is nothing but irritating. So, let’s jump right into what you can do to eliminate the frustration for good. Coming up are 5 fixes for a line across an LCD screen. Take a look!

#1 Try Changing the Channel

A red line on your TV screen could indicate that there is a problem with the broadcast signal source, rather than with the TV itself. If this is the case, you will need to contact your service provider. You can rest assured that your TV is not at fault. (Now that’s a relief!)

The best way to do this is to switch to a totally different input. For example, changing from the cable box to streaming through internal smart apps.

Here’s a few steps from Austin, our TV Expert:

1. Change the channel.
   •  Red line goes away? It’s the channel.
   •  Persists? Next step.
2. Change to a different source
   •  Red line goes away? Issue is either with the source device or HDMI cable.
   • Persists? Next step.
3. If using a smart TV, switch to an app using the original TV remote, not an external device (i.e. roku, fireTV, AppleTV, etc.).
   •  Red line goes away? It may be the mainboard on the TV. Try changing the HDMI cables, and remove any “middle-man” devices such as AV receivers or sound bars.
   •  Persists? Either the panel or the T-Con board, both are usually sold as the panel itself.
4.  If you change the cables and remove “middle-man” devices and it is still there, contact a technician. Mainboards are costly, but panels are often more than a new comparable TV.
5. Some manufacturers have built in panel tests, such as LG, Samsung, and Sony.

#2 Replace the HDMI Cable

Your television may also display a red line due to a connection issue. This issue could be between your TV and other devices that you have connected to it. These could include any of the following.

• DVD player
• BluRay player
• Xbox
• AppleTV
• Playstation

Is your TV connected to any of the above devices or a different device via a HDMI cable? Then take a look at the upcoming steps that could help you remove the red line on the screen.

1. Disconnect the HDMI cable then insert it again. Ensure that both ends of the cable are securely in their sockets.
2. Check the TV screen. If the line still appears, move on to step 3.
3. Disconnect the HDMI cable
4. Replace the HDMI cable with a new one
5. Reconnect the HDMI cable
6. Check the TV screen. If the red line still appears, move on to the other fixes in this article.

#4 Reset the TV

Another way to fix the red line across your television screen is to reset the TV. Rebooting the TV should force the monitor to go back to its original settings thus removing the red line.

Here’s how you can reset yours.

1. Press the “Menu” button
2. Select “Settings”
3. In the settings tab, look for the “Reset” option. This could also appear as “Factory Settings”
4. Follow the instructions on the TV screen to reset it
5. Check the TV display. If the red line still appears, move on to the other fixes in this article.

What can you do if you cannot find the reset option on your TV? Not to worry, there is another way you can go about rebooting it without going through the TV’s menu.

Here’s what you can do.

1. Turn off the TV using the remote control
2. Unplug the TV from the mains. Keep it unplugged for 2 minutes.
3. Plug the TV back in at the mains
4. Turn the TV on using the remote control
5. Check the screen. If the red line still appears, move on to the other fixes in this article.

#5 Get a Technician to Repair the Screen

If you have tried the other fixes in this article and have not had any success, you may have a hardware issue. Your LCD display panel may be faulty. If your screen is faulty, it may make images appear incorrectly. They could display in any of the following ways.

• Blurry images or picture
• Discolored images or picture
• Misshapen images or picture
• Horizontal or vertical lines on the screen
• Dots over the screen

When your display panel starts to play up, there’s not much you can do about it without taking the TV apart and repairing it. Perhaps you’re up for the challenge! But unfortunately, taking the back off of your TV could invalidate your warranty.

If your panel is in need of repair you should do one of the following

• Call your TV manufacturer
• Take the TV to a professional repair shop

Removing Red Lines From Specific Brand TVs

Fixes for Samsung TV Screens

Samsung has a handy feature that will help you remove red lines from your TV screen. This is by performing a Picture Test.

The Picture Test should detect any red lines or faults with your TV display. You should then be able to isolate and eliminate them.

If you have gone through the fixes in this article and had no success, you should perform a Picture Test. Here’s what you should do.

1. Press the “Home” button
2. Select “Settings”
3. Select “Support”
4. Next, choose “Self Diagnosis” or “Device Care” (this option will vary depending on your TV model)
5. Select “Picture Test”. Once selected, a window will pop up asking you to confirm the test. Press “OK” to advance.
6. Let the Picture Test run. It should detect and eliminate any red lines. If it doesn’t, call a technician for further help.

Fixes For LG TV Screens

LG TVs have a feature that will help you detect and remove red lines from your TV display. Have you already rebooted your TV, checked your HDMI cable and devices, and changed the channel? Then try performing an LG Picture Test to see if you can solve the problem.

Here’s how you can perform an LG Picture Test.

1. Press “Settings”
2. Choose “Picture”
3. Then choose “Picture Test”. If lines appear during the picture test, you will need to call a technician to have your TV repaired.

Fixes for Vizio TV Screens

Are you having problems with horizontal or vertical lines on your Vizio TV screen? Here’s a fix you can perform to get rid of them.

1. Press “Menu” on your Vizio remote.
2. Choose “Picture”
3. Select “Picture Mode”. Scroll between the picture modes to see if the line on the screen disappears. If it doesn’t, you may have to call a technician. 

Conclusion

A red line on your LCD TV screen is pesky, annoying, and impossible to ignore! But I’m sure the 5 fixes in this article have helped you on the road to remedying the problem.

If this article has helped you, then make sure you check out some of our other articles and free guides. You could even sign up to our email list!

Have a great day!

-Craig