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Samsung TV Purple Screen (Causes and How to Fix)

As an owner of a Samsung TV, I know the frustration of dealing with a purple screen. Recently, this happened to my own TV and I was determined to find a solution. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share with you how I solved the issue and other potential solutions I discovered. In this blog post, I will discuss the causes of the Samsung TV purple screen and how to fix it.

Getting a purple or pink screen on your Samsung TV is usually due to a loose HDMI connection. A dirty or faulty HDMI cable can also cause this, as well as a cable that’s not fastened well enough. Sometimes, all you need to do to fix it is to reset the connection and reboot the devices.

Tips
A purple or pink screen on your Samsung TV may be caused by a loose HDMI connection, a dirty or faulty HDMI cable, or a cable that’s not fastened properly.
Check if the color temperature setting is set to warm or cool, as this can cause a slight purple tint.
Ensure that the RGB color settings are correct to avoid a purple tint.
Interference with the signal due to a nearby device can also cause a purple screen.
Troubleshoot the possible reasons one by one by inspecting all cables, rebooting the input device and TV, removing interference sources, and trying a software update if necessary.
Try a soft or hard reset to restore the TV’s settings.

Causes of a Samsung TV Purple Screen

A purple or pink screen usually shows up due to a lack of signal to the TV’s input. This can be due to a hardware fault or interception of the signal. So let’s break down the causes:

A Dirty or Broken HDMI Cable

HDMI cables are the standard connection between cable or satellite boxes and the TV. If the HDMI cable is dirty, eroded, or loosely connected, the TV’s signal from the cable/SAT box won’t be strong enough.

This seems to be a recurring problem in areas where the ambient humidity is high since the moisture in the air damages the exposed cables.

The Color Temperature Is Set to Warm Or Cool

This is the simplest reason why your Samsung TV has a purple tint. Someone might have messed with the picture controls, setting the color temperature to warm or cool.

However, this change is only very slight and doesn’t look like a strong purple.

Color Tone is a setting you can change to have the display be neutral, cool, or a varying degree of warm. While Neutral offers pure white images, Cool normally adds a bluish tint, and Warm 1 or 2 adds an increasing amount of pinkish hue. You can adjust it by following these steps:

  • Press the Settings button on the remote
  • Select Picture
  • Select Expert Settings
  • Scroll down to Color Tone
  • Choose Neutral

The RGB Color Settings Are Incorrect

RGB is another problem with the settings, but this one gives a stronger purple tint to the screen. The RGB controls were used to calibrate the color balance of the TV. 

You can also adjust the color tint by playing with the RGB settings on your TV, if that’s what skews the display towards purple, you can try to adjust it to have a more neutral color. Here’s how you can do that on modern Samsung TV:

  •  Press the Settings button on the remote
  • Select Picture
  • Select Expert Settings
  • Scroll down to Color Tint (G/R)
  • Use the right and left arrow buttons to adjust the color tint till it reaches the correct value

An Error in the TV’s Input

Sometimes, there could be a “hiccup” in the signal packets provided through the coax, HDMI, or A/V ports for no apparent reason. If the TV and the input device have been working for a long time with no rest, it could cause multiple errors, including the purple or pink screen.

This problem seems odd, but the fix for it is usually simple, as we’ll discuss below.

Interference with the Signal

This issue can present itself in many forms when the TV is faulty or damaged. From vertical and horizontal flickering lines to different colored screens and no image, electromagnetic interference can cut off the signal to the TV altogether.

This is usually due to the presence of a nearby cell phone, set of speakers, a wireless router, or a radio. When the TV has an internal fault that makes it prone to this interference, the screen goes purple.

How to Fix a Samsung TV Purple Screen

Depending on the issue you’re facing, getting rid of a purple screen on your Samsung TV can be pretty simple. However, it’s important to troubleshoot the possible reasons one by one so you’d know why it happened and take care of the cause.

Disconnect, Inspect, and Reconnect All Cables

This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but sometimes all you need to do is to disconnect the cables and check if one of them is faulty or dirty. Cables with damaged pins or corrosion can cause an interrupted signal, leading to a purple screen.

Once you’ve disconnected and checked the cables one at a time, replace any damaged cables if found. Connect each one and check the TV for a restored connection. Make sure you’re matching the input cable with the right source channel on the TV when you’re looking for a signal.

Reboot the Input Device and the TV

If the cables are all in good condition, it’s advised to power-cycle your TV and any cable/SAT box connected to it. Just unplug the TV and cable/SAT box, wait for about 60 seconds, then plug them back in.

This resets all the connections within the TV and the input source, so if there’s a problem with the signal, it’s usually resolved. 

Power cycling, or rebooting, causes your device to reinitialize the configuration parameters that it originally comes with. 

It’s the same concept as a maze. You may get stuck in the maze while in the middle of it. But if someone takes you to the starting point or a familiar place, you’ll be able to trace your steps. Rebooting TVs works the same way.

Remove All Possible Interference Sources

Electromagnetic interference from electronic devices can sometimes cause a loss of signal. To avoid that, remove any device that can intercept the signal on your TV, like cell phones, routers, speakers, or even radios.

If this fixes the purple screen problem, you should know that it indicates the presence of a faulty connection inside your TV because normal TVs shouldn’t do that. So, if your device is still within the warranty period, you should probably call Samsung support to get a technician to take a look at it. 

Try a software update

There is a possibility that there is a software bug causing the issue. You can turn on automatic software updates by going ”settings” then ”support” then “software update” and ensure ”Auto Update” is turned on. Alternatively, you can manually update over the internet by clicking ”Update now”.

Try doing a soft reset

Often, a soft reset is all that is needed to solve issues on a Samsung TV. A soft reset does not erase any data. To soft reset a Samsung TV, you simply need to turn the TV off, then remove the plug from the wall outlet and wait for 60 seconds, then put the plug back in and turn the TV on again.

Try a hard reset

A hard reset involves completely reseting the TV to its factory defaults and your data will be erased.

To do this, do the following:

  1. Turn on the TV and press the “Home” button on the remote
  2. Go to “settings”
  3. Then click “general”
  4. Then click “reset”
  5. You must then enter a 4 digit pin number which is 0 0 0 0 by default
  6. Then click ”Yes” to reset the TV
  7. The TV will then turn off once it has finished resetting
  8. You can now turn the TV back on and set it up again

Do a Picture Test

A picture test is a self-diagnostic process that allows the TV to identify the problem and find a suitable solution. 

To do this, do the following:

  1. Press the “settings button”
  2. Go to “Support”
  3. Go to “Device Care”
  4. Go to “Self diagnosis”
  5. Then click “Picture Test”

Conclusion

A Samsung TV purple screen is a minor yet perplexing problem to have. However, it’s commonly due to an unstable connection through coax, HDMI, or A/V cables and is usually fixed by plugging them out and then back in.

If you try this, make sure you reboot your input devices as well as your TV. It can fix any internal error that can render your device unresponsive and cause signal loss.

Read more: Samsung TV beeping