TV Red Screen (Causes and Fixes)

Having a TV with a red screen can be incredibly frustrating! I know, because I recently had this issue, and spent hours trying to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it. After doing some research, I found that there are several potential causes and fixes for this issue. In this blog post, I’m going to share what I discovered, as well as some tips and tricks for troubleshooting a TV with a red screen. Hopefully, this post will help other people who have encountered the same problem.

Incorrect cable connection is the most common cause of a red TV screen. When a cable is incorrectly plugged into an input, your TV may be unable to establish some connections. As a result, screen discoloration occurs, which in your case is red. Glitches and RGB settings that are set to red are two other causes of a red TV screen.

Common Cause	How to Fix
Cables Aren’t Connected Properly	1. Unplug cables connected to the TV and input device 2. Check connector pins for any bends or cracks 3. Plug cables back into the input device and TV ports
Tampered Picture Settings	1. Reset picture settings to default in TV settings 2. Manually adjust picture settings as needed
Temporary Glitches	Perform a power cycle by unplugging the TV for 30 seconds and holding the physical power button for 5 seconds (if available), then replug and turn the TV on
Faulty LVDS Cable	Seek professional help for repair or replacement, especially if the TV is under warranty
Soft Reset	Turn off the TV, unplug it from the wall outlet, wait 60 seconds, then plug it back in and turn the TV on
Hard Reset	Reset the TV to its factory defaults using the manufacturer’s instructions

4 Common Causes of TV Red Screen and How to Fix Them

Here are four common reasons why your TV screen is red, and how to fix each one.

1. Cables Aren’t Connected Properly

If you take a look at the back of your TV, you’ll see three cables connected: one yellow, one red, and one white.

The red and white cables are responsible for the audio. The yellow cable, on the other hand, is responsible for the video. Other cables, such as HDMI and AV, are also in charge of video transmission.

All of these cables have connector pins that transfer signals from the input device to the TV.

When these connector pins aren’t properly connected, the video on your TV may experience a variety of problems, including a red screen.

That’s why the first thing that you should do when your TV displays a red screen is to check all of the connections.

1. Unplug the cables connected to the TV
2. Unplug the cables connected to the input device
3. Check connector pins for any bends or cracks
4. If all’s well, plug the cables into the input device
5. Plug the cables into the TV ports

Once you’re done, turn on the TV and set the TV input source to the input device. On the remote control, press SOURCE/INPUT and choose the type of connection compatible with your device.

2. Tampered Picture Settings

TVs have picture settings that allow you to change the color and hue/tint of the screen, as well as other visual settings.

If someone accidentally increases the saturation of the color red, your TV screen may turn red.

Some smart TVs may even have AIs that adjust the color of your screen for a better viewing experience. As a result, this feature modifies your TV’s RGB settings without your knowledge.

In this case, you can check your TV’s settings to see if the RGB settings are the source of the red screen. If the red screen goes away, it means that something in the picture settings was changed.

To calibrate RGB settings, you have two options: reset settings or adjust manually.

If you didn’t set any custom settings before, you should reset the picture settings:

1. Go to settings on your TV
2. Choose “Picture” or “Display”
3. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the picture settings menu
4. Select “Reset Picture Settings”

These steps may differ depending on your TV model, but the result will be the same: all picture settings will be reset to default.

To manually adjust picture settings, go through each option and either increase or decrease the threshold to your liking.

3. Temporary Glitches

If your TV suffers from any glitches, it can malfunction and output incorrect display colors. So, your red TV screen may be caused by a glitch.

Luckily, most TV glitches can be easily resolved by a power cycle.

To power cycle your TV, you should:

1. Turn on your TV, making sure that it’s playing any content
2. Unplug the TV from the power socket for at least 30 seconds
3. Press and hold the physical power button for five seconds if your TV has one
4. Replug your TV and turn it on to see if the red screen is gone

In many cases, this simple reset can fix any issues with your TV.

4. Faulty LVDS Cable

An LVDS cable connects the TV’s mainboard to the control board, which ensures that the TV is working properly.

If the LVDS cable inside your TV comes loose, the TV may start to malfunction and display different colors. A faulty LVDS can also become so hot that it starts bleeding red through dark colors on your screen.

In this case, if you try to fix the TV yourself, it may result in additional issues. Numerous online tutorials can show you how to repair an LVDS cable. However, it’s best to have a professional inspect your television.

What’s more, if your TV is under warranty, attempting to repair it yourself may void the warranty.

Try a soft reset

A soft reset, is where you turn off the TV and unplug it from the wall outlet. You then usually have to wait for 60 seconds then you can put the plug back in and turn the TV on again. Performing a soft reset clears a device’s internal memory of running programs, which often clears up any technical glitches.

Try a hard reset

A hard reset involves completely resetting the TV to its factory defaults. Most TV models have specific instructions. However, if you have a Samsung TV here are the steps to follow:

To perform a factory reset:

1. Head to Settings > General.
2. Select Reset.
3. Enter your PIN > then select Reset.

Note: If you didn’t change your PIN initially the code is 0000

Conclusion

It’s natural to panic if your TV screen suddenly turns red. You’ll be relieved to know, however, that a quick power cycle or a picture settings reset can resolve this issue.

We recommend reading through our article to gain a better understanding of what causes a TV red screen and the various solutions available.

Read more: Are Oled TVs or monitors good for gaming?