TCL TV Flickering (Causes and How to Fix)

As an exasperated owner of a TCL TV, I have experienced the dreaded flickering issue. It was so frustrating not being able to watch my favorite shows and movies without the annoying flickering. After some research and testing, I am here to share with you the causes and potential solutions for the TCL TV flickering issue.

In this blog post, I will be discussing the possible causes of the flickering, as well as my own experience and solutions for getting rid of the flickering. Hopefully, this post will help those of you experiencing this same issue and provide you the knowledge you need to fix it.

Tips:

Common causes of TCL TV flickering include faulty cable connections, faulty internal connections, electrical interferences, and room brightness and refresh rates.
Potential solutions to the flickering issue include power cycling, performing a factory reset, inspecting cable connections, and cleaning the TV mainboard.
If the problem persists, you may need professional help to fix the issue.

Issue / Cause	Description
1. Flickering Video Source	Flickering may be due to the video source itself.
2. Faulty Cable Connections	Faulty or loose HDMI, composite RCA, or coaxial cables can cause flickering.
3. Faulty Internal Connections	Loose-fitting ribbons or failing electrical components within the TV may cause flickering.
4. Electrical Interferences	Improperly plugged sockets can interfere with electrical transmission, causing flickering.
5. Room Brightness and Refresh Rates	The combination of room brightness and TV refresh rate settings may cause flickering.
Solutions
1. Power Cycling	Turn off the TV, unplug it, hold the power button for at least ten seconds, wait for about 15 minutes, plug it back in, and turn it on.
2. Factory Reset	Perform a factory reset on the TV by turning it off, removing all power cables, pressing and holding the power button for 15-20 seconds, pressing all remote buttons at least once, plugging the TV back in, and turning it on.
3. Inspect Cable Connections	Check and test HDMI, composite RCA, and coaxial cables for any issues. Replace any faulty cables.
4. Clean TV Mainboard	Clean the TV’s mainboard by removing the TV from its place, setting it on its display side in a safe location, cleaning the vents with a blower, waiting for the TV to cool down before reassembling, and turning it back on to check if the flickering is resolved.

Table of Contents

Common Causes of TCL TV Flickering

Let’s explore some of the common causes as to why your TCL TV is flickering. Then, we’ll cover how you can fix the flickering problem.

1. Flickering Video Source

A flickering video source is one of the common causes of flickering TV. With this, your TCL TV is simply displaying what it receives from the source.

If the problem comes directly from the source, there’s little you can do. You simply need to wait until it resolves itself.

2. Faulty Cable Connections

If you have a TCL HDTV, chances are it receives video input via HDMI cables. Nonetheless, you should check if you’re using composite RCA or coaxial cables.

These cables tend to bend or come loose over time, causing the sudden flickering of your TV. Faulty cable connections can transport video feed inconsistently. This creates the flickering effect of missed displays on your screen.

If cables aren’t the problem, you can also check your TV ports. Sometimes, they can collect dust and other tiny particles that prevent smooth video transmission.

3. Faulty Internal Connections

If external connections seem okay, there may be a problem with your TCL TV’s internal connections instead.

Internal connections can be as small as a loose-fitting ribbon or as complicated as a failing electrical component.

If your TV flickers constantly even after you’ve changed channels, you may need to check the internal connections.

4. Electrical Interferences

Another simple cause for a flickering TV is because of electrical interferences. Your TV may not be plugged in properly into the socket, which interferes with the electrical transmission.

Make sure that your electrical connections are plugged in properly before ruling this cause out.

5. Room Brightness and Refresh Rates

Sometimes, the amount of light in your room along with your TV’s refresh rates can cause flickering.

Most TVs today, including TCL TVs, have two options for refresh rates: 60 Hz and 120 Hz. Higher refresh rates are typically better for faster frames.

You can simply adjust your TV’s or your room’s brightness to fix the flickering problem.

How to Fix TCL TV Flickering

There are a few ways you can fix your TCL TV flickering without calling a technician. Let’s go over each one!

1. Power Cycling

Power cycling your TCL TV can be an easy fix for a flickering TV. This tests whether your TV’s internal components simply need restarting.

Turn your TV’s power off and unplug it.
Hold the power button for at least ten seconds.

Wait for about 15 minutes.
Plug your TV in.
Turn your TV on.

Check if there’s still flickering.

If the flickering problem persists, there are other ways to fix the problem.

2. Factory Reset

You may have to perform a factory reset after power cycling your TCL TV.

You can do this by following these steps:

Turn your TV off.
Remove all power cables.

Press and hold your TV’s power button for 15 to 20 seconds.
Press all buttons on your remote at least once.
Plug your TV back and turn it on.

You can also go to your TV settings and restore the factory defaults.

3. Inspect Cable Connections

Inspecting your cable connections such as HDMI, component, or coaxial wires may solve the flickering problem.

For HDMI cables:

Locate the HDMI cable.
Carefully remove it from the socket.
Test the HDMI cable on another device.

If it works, plug it back into your TV properly. If it doesn’t work, it may be time to buy a new one.

For composite RCA cables:

Prepare your component audio and video outputs.

Make sure your TV is turned off.
Connect the color-coded component wires into their respective slots. Make sure that your red wire goes into the red slot and so on.
Repeat step 3 in the receiver end.

Turn your TV and receiver on to test the connection.

For coaxial cables:

Make sure your TV is turned off.

Locate where your coaxial cable is distributed. If it’s already separated from the splitter, screw the cable onto a splitter. If it’s unterminated, push the cable on the adapter plug.
Screw the cable to the wall jack.
Test the front panel. A red light means your cable needs replacement, and a green light means your cable is fine. However, no light means no connection.

4. Clean TV Mainboard

Some internal problems with your TV stem from being dirty. Accumulated dust can also cause your device to overheat, causing some flickering.

To clean your TV’s mainboard, you can follow these steps:

Remove your TV from its place, and set it in a safe place on its display side.

Clean the vents with a blower.
Wait until your TV cools down before putting it back up.
Turn on the TV and check if the flickering is gone.

Conclusion

Like all modern TVs, a TCL TV flickering is a common problem most owners face. Most of the time, a good factory reset is what your TCL TV needs to sort out the problem.

Whether an external or internal issue caused the flickering problem, it’s definitely fixable with just several steps.