If you’ve ever experienced a yellow, green, or red tint on your television, you’re not alone. I recently encountered this issue myself, and after lots of research and trial and error, I was able to resolve the problem. That’s why I wanted to write this blog post – to share my experience and the solutions I came across. In this post, I will walk you through why there can be a yellow/green/red tint on your TV, the different causes, and the steps you can take to try and fix the issue.
| Issue | Possible Causes | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow, Green, or Red Tint on TV | 1. Picture settings (preset modes, tint/hue, color tone/temperature, general color settings) | Adjust screen color, picture mode, or reset to default settings |
| 2. LCD backlight | Replace or repair the backlight | |
| 3. Cable connection problems (damaged, loose, or dusty cables/ports) | Disconnect and reconnect cables, clean dust, or replace cables | |
| 4. Hardware issues (cable or ribbon disconnections in TV panel boards) | Call a technician for repair or replacement | |
| Perform a soft reset (unplug TV, wait 60 seconds, plug back in, and turn on) | ||
| Perform a hard reset (follow TV-specific instructions to reset to factory defaults, e.g., Samsung TVs) |
Table of Contents
Picture Settings
TVs come with default picture settings so you can select the most accurate screen quality.
In most TV brands, the picture modes include the following preset:
- Standard
- Cinema
- Vivid or Dynamic
- Sports
Each preset has its determined brightness, saturation, and contrast. You can trace the dominant red tint to one of the picture modes.
The Cinema preset, which is the most accurate picture quality, usually projects a warmer or reddish hue over the screen. The red tint is more noticeable in on-screen skin colors or white objects.
Color Adjustment
Aside from the picture mode presets, TVs also provide a color adjustment menu. You can manually adjust the colors in three ways:
- Tint or Hue
- Color Tone or Temperature
- General Color settings
Tint or Hue
The Tint or Hue setting controls how red and green appear on the TV screen.
Adjusting it towards the red spectrum emphasizes the reds of the image. In the same way, green tints show more when you adjust the settings toward the green range.
This adjustment can also cause a color imbalance. As the red becomes prominent, the greens in the picture change into a warmer hue.
On the opposite end, setting it towards the green spectrum will affect the hue of the reds.
Color Tone or Temperature
The Color Tone or Temperature changes how cool or warm you prefer for the overall screen color.
The warm range gives the pictures a more natural red, yellow, and orange tint. In contrast, the cool side has a bluer hue.
Color Settings
The Color setting controls the whole saturation level of the TV screen. If you adjust it to a higher level, the screen colors will have a more vivid tone.
In other words, this setting can also affect the image’s level of reds, greens, and yellows.
3. LCD Backlight
If you see yellow patches on the screen, the LCD backlight could be the issue.
The backlight is responsible for lighting up the TV images. If one of the backlights loses its brightness, the whites may dim into a yellow tint.
4. Cable Connection Problems
You probably own a cable box, DVD player, or an antenna to connect to your TV. No matter the device, these cables transmit signals to display the image colors from their external source.
Damaged Cable Connection
When there’s damage inside the cable wiring, it will negatively affect the signals of color on the screen. Even a single severed wire can ruin the entire picture quality on TV.
You can also damage cables by stretching them out beyond their length.
Loose Cable Connection
Loose cable connections will weaken the accurate color signals that the cable sends.
Check if your lines are secure in their connection ports.
Dusty Cable or Ports
If there’s dust in the cable connector or port, it’ll also interfere with the color accuracy that the TV displays. Make sure to clean all the dust from your TV, including all connector ports.
5. Hardware Issues
If the above issues don’t apply to why your TV has these tints, then faulty TV hardware is the suspect.
There could be cable or ribbon disconnections inside the TV panel boards that cause image discoloration or distortion.
How to Resolve the Yellow/Green/Red Tint on TV
Before calling a technician to fix your television, there are some ways you can resolve it yourself.
Adjust Screen Color and Picture Mode
A red or green tint can be fixable if it’s only due to tweaking around the picture mode and color presets. A TV menu has a selection where you can restore the TV color back to its default setting.
You can also manually adjust the screen color and temperature. With your remote and the TV menu on display, slide the color bars back to their original state.
Disconnecting and Reconnecting Cables
With your TV off, disconnect your loose cord for a minute. If there’s any dust inside, take time to clean that first.
Then, reconnect the cable to the port and tighten it securely.
Replace Cable Connections
If disconnecting and reconnecting cables don’t remove these colored tints on your TV, see if your current cords might need replacement.
Either try a spare one you have or purchase a new one. It’s still cheaper than a technician fee.
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:
- Head to Settings > General.
- Select Reset.
- Enter your PIN > then select Reset.
Note: If you didn’t change your PIN initially the code is 0000
When to Call the Technician
If your hardware is the problem, you should call a technician to fix your TV. Although this solution can be expensive, it’s better than repurchasing a new TV.
Prepare your TV model or serial number before calling your technician so they know which parts need fixing or replacement.
Takeaway
So, why is there a yellow, green, and red tint on TV? The screen’s color temperature and picture mode change how you see the TV’s colors.
Moreover, the cable connection to your external video devices can be loose or dusty. This can likely impede the color signals your cable sends to your TV.
Lastly, hardware issues, like damages to the TV panel boards, can affect the picture quality of your TV.
Read more: What size TV can fit in a car?
