TV Screen Blue Patches (Why And How to Fix)

As a frustrated TV owner, I recently experienced an issue with my TV screen displaying blue patches. After some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved the issue, as well as other solutions I discovered. In this blog post, I’ll be explaining why TV screens develop blue patches and how to fix them.

Blue patches can appear on your TV screen as result from several issues, namely dying LEDs, software issues, failure of the TV’s backlight, failure of the LED phosphorous coat or even fallen reflectors. In some cases, depending on the cause, the problem can be fixed.

Click on this link for specific instructions if you own a Samsung TV.

Cause of Blue Patches	Fix
Dying/Aging LEDs	Unfortunately, this issue is mainly caused by cost-cutting by manufacturers, and there is no easy fix for this problem.
Software Issues (Voice Command)	Press the voice command button to see if the blue patch disappears. If it doesn’t, try resetting the TV’s software.
Backlight Failures	Take the TV to a registered technician to have the backlights replaced.
Fallen Reflectors	If you are comfortable doing so, carefully open the TV casing and reattach the fallen reflectors using glue. It is recommended to consult a professional for this repair.
Soft Reset	Turn off the TV and unplug it from the wall outlet. Wait 60 seconds, then plug it back in and turn the TV on again.
Hard Reset	Perform a hard reset by resetting the TV to its factory defaults. Most TV models have specific instructions, so refer to your TV’s manual or consult the manufacturer’s support website. If you have a Samsung TV, follow the specific instructions provided in the linked blog post.

Table of Contents

TV Screen Blue Patches (Why And How To Fix)

There are several reasons that your TV might develop blue or purple patches. This can be quite unsettling, especially if the TV is only a few years old and costs you a small fortune to purchase. Rest assured, you are not alone.

In recent years, many TV owners, particularly those who purchased Samsung televisions, have complained of blue or purple patches appearing on their screens for no apparent reason. The story with the blue patches is almost always the same; the TV has not been damaged, moved, or otherwise abused – only viewed.

Despite taking care of their TVs, owners have found these annoying patches of discoloration that seem to grow larger and multiply of their own accord without any explanation as to the cause.

Several articles have been published about the issue, and manufacturers have seemingly taken no interest in attempting to help solve the problem.

After investigation, blue patches in different manifestations can be attributed to several causes.

As a result, the degree to which the problem can be fixed and how it will be fixed depends upon the individual TV set.

Some of the causes of blue/purple patches on a TV screen include:

Dead LEDs
Software issues causing the voice command light to remain in place

Backlight failures
Failure of the phosphorous coating on the LEDs
Fallen reflectors

Some of these problems can be fixed with a small amount of effort. Some can be fixed yourself, while others require the input of a specialist.

You mustn’t attempt any repairs on your own that require the help of a professional, as this can cause further damage to the TV and yourself.

Dying/Aging LEDs

One of the causes of blue or purple patches on a TV is the death or aging of some of the LEDs.

While LEDs were initially thought to last far longer than the 80 000 hours for which the old CCFL tubes were known, the hypothesis was proven wrong. LEDs were unable to outlast their predecessors by a tenth.

As an LED ages, it can start to turn blue. This will cause the blue/purple patches you see on your TV screen today.

The reason for this is the actual LED color. Most LEDs used for backlighting TVs are originally blue by nature. A yellow phosphor is added to blue LEDs to make them appear white.

Once the TV has been running for a while – at substantial heat – the LEDs may start to malfunction in various ways.

Some of them may short, while others may open up. Others may experience their yellow phosphor coating burning off, returning the LED to its original bluish hue.

The LEDs in question will all “turn blue” at different rates, so this will show up as an uneven discoloration on your TV screen – the unsightly blotches that brought you here.

It would seem that this phenomenon directly results from cost-cutting by TV manufacturers.

The LEDs in TVs are dying due to being overdriven. To cut costs, TV manufacturers use too few LEDs of insufficient wattage. Those used for the TV are then forced to work too hard.

The only fix for this issue would be for manufacturers to use a higher number of LEDs while running them at a far lower current to achieve the same brightness level.

Unfortunately, this would cost more, so manufacturers tend to skimp on the number of LEDs to cut manufacturing costs.

Voice Command

Some customers have complained of a blue patch at the bottom of the TV screen.

If this is a bright blue, glowing section, it could simply result from the voice command visual becoming “frozen” in place. This is, thankfully, a software issue.

To fix this problem, simply press the voice command button, and the blue patch should disappear. You may need to reset the TV’s software if this fix doesn’t work.

Backlight Failures

The dreaded blue or purple patches can appear with contemporary LCD televisions due to backlight failures.

These TVs consist of multiple panels that backlight different parts of the screen. If one of these panels fails, the TV will have a dark patch.

However, the light will still leak into it from the other panels. As a result, the white parts of this darker patch will start to look slightly purple or blue.

To fix this issue with your TV’s backlights, you will need to take your TV to a registered technician to have the backlights replaced.

Fallen Reflectors

In some cases, the reflectors within the TV may shift from their original location and fall off inside the TV’s casing. This may occur due to poor quality or bumps when the TV is moved regularly.

While it is best to consult a professional, you might be able to fix this problem yourself. This will involve unscrewing the LCD TV’s casing to reattach the fallen reflectors into their original position using glue.

Firstly, turn off the TV and ensure it is completely unplugged from its power supply. Next, remove the screws holding the back panel in place. Carefully pull the metal tabs out, disconnect the speakers, and remove the speakers from the TV.

Next, you must lift the metal plate while disconnecting the circuit board. When this is complete, lift the tabs on the plastic frame and find the fallen reflectors.

Once you have located all the fallen reflectors, add some glue to a Q-tip and apply some glue to the area from which the reflector has come. Put the reflector back in place and hold it until it is secure.

Take care to reassemble the television correctly, and your blue patch problem should be a thing of the past.

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 you can find a link to the specific instructions in the blog post.

If your TV is still not working, try taking a look at the comments. I will also update the blog post, linked in the description, with any new fixes that appear.

Conclusion

There are various reasons why your TV screen could start showing blue or purple patches. The degree to which these patches of discoloration affect your viewing experience will vary from person to person and television to television.

While the problem is fixable in some cases, there are many cases where the only solution is purchasing a new television.