If your TV looks too blue, it’s probably a common problem with the picture quality that you can quickly solve. While you’ll mostly notice this issue when viewing white images, it can also skew other colors, casting a bluish tint across everything you watch. So, what causes the blue screen on your TV, and how do you fix it?
The blue screen occurs due to a faulty backlight, bad cable connections, or picture settings. Check that cables from the video source are connected properly, and if you can, try adjusting picture settings. If you can’t get past the blue screen at all after power cycling, contact the manufacturer.
Fixing the blue screen on your TV shouldn’t be too tough, regardless of whether it’s an older model with an LCD screen or a newer one boasting the latest LED display technology. Let’s get started and explore everything in detail.
What Does It Mean When the TV Screen Goes Blue?
Your TV may display an overly blue appearance if there’s a problem with the video input. It can also occur when you’ve made errors while adjusting the image quality. Here’s an overview of the most common reasons your TV screen might appear especially blue:
- Incorrect settings applied to an external device
- A faulty backlight system on an LCD TV that uses an LED backlight. The backlight system is just the thing that shines a light on the screen from behind using light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
- Damaged cables; loose or improper connections
Most TVs these days have a wide range of picture and display adjustments that you can tweak here and there to change how the image looks. While most of these adjustments are used to boost the image resolution and overall picture quality, getting things wrong will lead to some crazy results, including the odd blue appearance.
As it turns out, the blue tint doesn’t always mean there’s a problem you should look into. Some TVs just have this slight blue tint when operating normally.
How Do You Fix the Blue Screen on Your TV?
You’ve probably tried turning your TV off and back on again, but nothing changes. If that’s the case, here are seven quick and simple solutions that might do the trick:
1. Adjust the Display Preset Modes
Press the Menu button on your remote to highlight a list of settings on the TV. Navigate to the section labeled ‘Picture Mode,’ ‘Display Mode,’ or simply ‘Mode.’
This section has preset modes with labels like ‘Bright’ or ‘Cinematic.’ Switch through these modes and see if the image quality is adjusted accordingly.
2. Set the TV Color Temperature to Warm
Press the Menu button on the TV’s remote and go to the section labeled ‘Color Temperature.’ It usually lists presets like ‘Warm’ and ‘Cool.’ Adjust the temperature setting to ‘Warm’ and see if the color changes from blue.
Some TV’s also list the color temperature in degrees Kelvin, like 5700K, 6000K, 6500K, etc. Adjust the color temperature setting to a value below 5000K.
3. Adjust the Color Temperature on the Video Source
You can also adjust the color temperature setting on the device sending video to your TV if that’s the setup you’re working with. The steps will be a bit different depending on the device, but you’ll likely find picture, video, or image settings that directly impact the image quality.
Check your device’s user manual if you’re not sure how to go about it.
4. Secure HDMI Cables Properly
Ensure the video source connected to your TV is on and that the cables are secured properly. This especially goes for the HDMI cables, which should fit snugly in their ports.
Cables can be easily jostled and loosened by a kid, pet, or someone else if they’re not careful. If you’re using a receiver such as a Denon AVR (on Amazon), make sure the HDMI ARC cable only goes into the corresponding HDMI ARC port on both your TV and receiver.
5. Interchange the HDMI Ports Accordingly
If you’ve only connected one device to your TV, such as a cable or satellite receiver, try interchanging the HDMI ports. In case you’ve connected to a different HDMI port but the screen still shows blue, reset the TV and video source by briefly unplugging them. Also, take out the HDMI cables and replug everything after 1 minute.
6. Replace Faulty Cables
Check the HDMI cable connecting the external device to your TV. If you notice any signs of damage like cuts, tears, knots, and exposed wiring, replace the cable with a high-quality option like this GE HDMI Cable (on Amazon). You should also replace the cable if you notice any signs of damage at the connector heads.
7. Disconnect Signal Sources That Cause Interference
Press the Input, TV, or Video button on your remote to see if there’s another source sending signals to your TV. This could be a game console, Blu-ray player, AVR, etc.
If your antenna is connected to HDMI 1 and it shows a blue screen with the “No Signal” message, hit the Input button on your remote until it goes to another HDMI port where another device is connected. You might have to unplug the extra source causing the interference.
How Do You Fix the Blue Screen on an LED TV?
Your LED TV will look blue if it has an inherent blue tint or if the LED backlight is faulty. The picture quality can revert to normal if you change the color temperature to the warmest setting. But if the LED backlight is permanently damaged, you should have it replaced by a qualified technician.
Most flat-panel TVs use something called a liquid crystal display (LCD), which is illuminated by an LED backlight. The backlight is typically slim, bright, and efficient. Still, LED lighting has a cool color temperature that casts a slight blue tint.
You can fix the blue tint problem by adjusting your TV’s cool temperature setting to the warmest value. You may not eliminate the blue tint altogether, but you can at least reduce it significantly.
If the blue tint is more pronounced, the backlight system is likely spoiled. The blue tint, therefore, bleeds into all colors on the display, becoming visible even in dark gray and black portions of an image.
Unfortunately, a defective backlight causes the blue tint irrespective of the color temperature setting you’ve selected. The only way to solve the problem is by taking your TV for repair. A qualified technician in your local repair shop will get rid of the faulty backlight and install a new one.
If you have a warranty, you can also contact your TV’s manufacturer to see if you qualify for a warranty repair.
Should I Worry About a Blue Screen With an OLED TV?
You probably won’t run into blue screen issues with an OLED TV. While the names look similar, the technology used in OLED displays is fundamentally different from what you’d find in an average LED TV.
For this reason, the blue tint problems that can occur due to a faulty backlight system in an LED TV aren’t present in OLED TVs.
That said, OLEDs aren’t completely immune from this problem.
A defective OLED panel can cause a remarkable, permanent blue tint. However, you’ll quickly notice the defect the moment you unbox the TV.