The size, sound, and overall quality of a TV are, of course, important. However, one of the most essential components of any TV is its picture. What do you do if your Sony TV picture won’t come on, is freezing, blinks, or is off-centered?
If your Sony TV picture won’t come on, freezes up, blinks, or is off-centered try performing a factory reset, check for a loose ribbon strip within the TVs hardware, adjust the picture manually, select the option for ‘Auto Display Area,’ or turn off ‘Auto Picture Mode’ among other solutions.
The picture of your Sony TV is the most essential component of its function outside of simply turning on. If the picture will not come on, continues to freeze over and over again, is blinking off and on, or is even somehow not centered on the screen, you are left with a problem that dramatically affects your viewing experience. Continue reading to get a look at all your Sony TV picture problems and find the solutions to get things back into working order.
Sony TV Have Sound But No Picture/Not Displaying Picture
The purpose behind purchasing any TV is to be able to watch, not listen, to the picture that displays on its screen. Of course, there are moments when music can be played and no visual is needed, but overall, owners expect their Sony TVs to be able to show the visual which matches the sound coming from the screen. What do you do if your Sony TV has sound, but there is no picture displayed?
If your Sony TV has sound but no picture is displaying, try the most simplistic (and many times, the most effective) solution first by unplugging your TV directly from its power source for 60 seconds before plugging it back in. If the picture is still not displaying, go to the back of your TV and make sure that your HDMI cable is securely plugged in.
If it is secure, try moving the HDMI cord to another port and see if the new port will bring the picture back up. If you are still having problems with the picture displaying, you can perform a factory reset by pressing ‘Home’ on your remote > ‘Settings’ > ‘Storage & Reset’ > ‘Factory Data Reset’ > ‘Erase Everything.’ If you notice that when a light is shined on your TV you can see the picture, it is likely that the CCFL backlight needs to be replaced.
Sony TV Picture Keeps Freezing
If you are lucky enough to have the sound and picture on your Sony TV, problems with the picture not showing are not on your radar. However, you may find that there are times when the picture on your TV freezes, and over time, this problem can become much more frequent and thus, much worse. If your Sony TV picture continues to freeze, there are a few different ways that you can get things to run a bit smoother.
If your Sony TV keeps freezing, the most effective solution is to perform a factory reset. This was previously mentioned under “Sony TV Have Sound But No Picture/Not Displaying Picture,” but briefly can be followed by pressing ‘Home’ > ‘Settings’ > ‘Storage & Reset’ > ‘Factory Data Reset’ > ‘Erase Everything.’ This should get your picture back to functioning consistently.
If the factory reset does not work or only works temporarily before your Sony TV begins freezing again, make sure that your Sony TV has all available updates installed. To check for updates press the ‘Home’ button on your remote > ‘Apps’ > ‘Help’ > ‘System Software Update’ > ‘Software Update’ and if any updates are found, you can select them and get your Sony TV updated with the latest firmware.
Sony TV Picture Keeps Jumping
When you have your Sony TV on, not only do you expect the picture to appear, but you expect it to be clear, to keep from freezing, and to also be free of any jumping. To be more descriptive, some Sony TV owners have experienced jumping with their pictures which can also be described as flickering. Essentially, when the TV is on, the image has a break in it rather than remaining consistent.
If your Sony TV picture keeps jumping, it is likely that there is a loose ribbon strip within your TV panel that is causing the problem. To fix this ribbon strip, you will need to remove the back of your Sony TV by taking out the main screws. You will remove the plastic or metal frame that encases the front of your TV and release the front of your TV by lifting up the clips on the top of your TV from the back.
You will then remove the top piece so you have access to the ribbon strips, but will turn on your TV before testing to see which ribbon strip is loose. To do this, simply push down on each ribbon strip and when pressure on one reveals a clear and still picture, you will then secure the ribbon strip with a piece of electrical tape to ensure that it is not able to loosen again after you have put your Sony TV back together.
Sony TV Picture Turns Off/Keeps Going Out
Just as infuriating as the picture on your Sony TV jumping is the problem of it turning off or going out. If you are trying to get through a binge-watching marathon of your favorite show, it can be extremely difficult to accomplish this goal if your TV continues to turn off. Even worse, when you have no control over your technology, you are left having to figure out what is causing the issues and how to solve them.
If your Sony TV Picture turns off by itself, check the timing in which this happens. If it is happening in regular intervals, it is likely a problem caused by the Idle TV Standby, On Timer, or the Sleep Timer and they should either be reset or turned off. If it is a random occurrence, be sure that your TV has been updated with the latest software (see: “Sony TV Picture Keeps Freezing”).
If neither of these is the problem, make sure that the HDMI cord is securely attached to your TV and that it is also plugged all the way into the wall. Other external devices can also cause problems with your TV. To see if other devices are the cause behind your Sony TV picture turning off or going out, unplug each device and then plug them back in one at a time to see which one causes the issue.
Sony TV Picture Not Clear/Not Sharp/Distorted
If you turn your Sony TV on and notice that the picture is not clear, is not sharp, or is distorted, there will certainly be the need for a fix as a blurred picture is almost painful to watch. This can be done by setting the Digital Noise to ‘Low’ by pressing ‘Home’ on the remote > ‘Settings’ > ‘Display & Sound/BRAVIA Settings/Display’ > ‘Picture/Picture & Display (>’Picture Adjustments’)’ > ‘Advanced Settings’ > ‘Clarity’ > set Digital Noise Reduction to ‘Low.’
If your Sony TV picture is not clear, not sharp, or is distorted, you can also try to adjust the sharpness of the picture. To do this press ‘Home’ from your TV remote and follow the exact same steps in the previous paragraph to get to the sharpness settings once you have gotten into the clarity menu. This will certainly assist in displaying a sharper image, but it can also be a quick fix for unclear or distorted pictures as well.
You can also reduce the current Gamma value on your Sony TV by 1. To do this, start by pressing ‘Home’ on your remote > ‘Settings’ > ‘Display & Sound/BRAVIA Settings/Display’ > ‘Picture/Picture & Display (>’Picture Adjustments’)’ > ‘Advanced Settings’ > ‘Brightness’ > then reduce the current Gamma value by 1.
Sony TV Picture Keeps Blinking On and Off
Previously, the issue of Sony TVs picture turning off was discussed, but what do you do if your Sony TV picture does not only turn off on its own, but blinks on and off without your control. The blinking picture on a Sony TV can be troubleshot in a few different ways, with one of the first being sure that your TV is updated to the most recent software (see: Sony TV Picture Keeps Freezing). The lack of updated software can cause major glitches in Sony TVs.
If your Sony TV picture keeps blinking on and off, navigate to settings by pressing the ‘Home’ button on your remote > ‘Settings’ > ‘Display’ > ‘Video Input Settings’ > ‘Digital Broadcast Picture Mode’ > ‘Optimize for Text and Graphics’ which can help to keep your picture from going in and out so often, giving you a black screen where there should be a picture.
If this does not solve the problem of your Sony TV blinking on and off at random intervals, reference back to the previous section titled “Sony TV Picture Turns Off/Keeps Going Out.” Within this section, you will find a variety of other solutions that may work just as well for a blinking screen as they do for a Sony TV that keeps blinking off and on.
Sony TV Picture Not Centered
When you are working on a laptop or tablet, it is appropriate that certain tabs are not centered perfectly on the screen as oftentimes, users are actively using more than one tab to complete a task. Thus, there is no need for them to be perfectly centered. However, when you are using your Sony TV, if the picture is not centered, this can cause parts of the picture to cut out which can then inhibit your viewing experience.
If your Sony TV picture is not centered, check to see if the TV has a Zoom/Wide option which will help get the proper ratio for the picture. To do this, press the ‘Screen Mode’ button on the remote and continue to press this until you are able to select the on-screen option that reads ‘Normal.’ If you do not have this button on your remote, look to see if there is a Vertical Center, Vertical Size, or V Center option in your menu.
This will allow you to move the position of the picture either up or down on the screen to help center it. To do this press the ‘Home’ button on your remote > ‘Settings’ > ‘Picture & Display’ > ‘Screen’ > ‘Vertical Size’ > adjust the picture as needed. You can also follow these steps and once you have selected ‘Screen’ > select ‘Auto Display Area’ to automatically adjust the picture to the most appropriate display area.
Sony TV Can’t Change Picture Mode/Keeps Changing Picture Mode
Being able to change the picture mode on your Sony TV can be a great way to ensure that you are getting the best picture for what you are watching. If you are watching a movie that is quite dark, being able to switch to ‘Vivid’ mode may offer you the ability to see the picture more fully or if you are watching a game, ‘Sports’ mode can be much more accommodating. What do you do then if you can’t change the picture mode or it keeps changing on its own?
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on March 25, 2021.
If your Sony TV can’t change picture modes and you find that the option has been greyed out, you need to make sure that your TV has been set to an HDMI input as this function will not work with other inputs. If you are on an HDMI input, make sure that your TV is up to date with the latest software (see: Sony TV Picture Keeps Freezing) as this can cause picture modes to become unavailable if not recently updated.
If the problem is not that your Sony TV will now allow for the picture mode to be changed, but keeps changing picture modes, make sure that the Auto Picture Mode is off. To do this, press ‘Home’ from your remote > ‘Settings’ > under the TV category select ‘Picture & Display’ > ‘Picture Adjustments’ > ‘Auto Picture Mode’ > ‘Off.’
Sony TV Picture Not Full Screen
If you are not watching a movie (and for some, even if you are) it is likely that you want to use your Sony TV with a full-screen picture. By watching your TV in full screen mode, you are able to see a larger picture that covers a bigger amount of area all around and also helps to equalize the picture as well. What exactly do you do if the picture on your Sony TV is not full screen and you would like it to be displayed as so?
If your Sony TV picture is not full screen, first check your remote to see if there is an option on it that reads either ‘Wide Mode’ or ‘Zoom.’ This will help to get your TV picture to a full-screen mode. If you do not have this button on your remote press ‘Home’ from the remote > Display & Sound/Picture & Display/Display/System Settings > ‘Screen’ > ‘Wide Mode’ > ‘Full.’
This will then put your picture into a full-screen mode. It is important to note that the manual method of selecting the full-screen option is a tad more accurate as pressing the button from your remote to get the picture into a full-screen format can take some trial and error before getting the picture just right. Either option will work, but going through the TV can potentially offer a more centered picture.
Sony TV Keeps Resetting Picture
If you are able to set your picture to different modes such as a full screen or widescreen, but once they are set find that your Sony TV resets them back to default modes, it can be a very frustrating cycle going back into your TV once again to reset the picture exactly how you prefer it to be. If you are having trouble with your Sony TV resetting the picture over and over, continue reading below to find a solution to stop this flippancy.
If your Sony TV keeps resetting the picture, you want to first make sure that the Auto Picture Mode is turned ‘Off.’ The steps to complete this can be found in the previous section “Sony TV Can’t Change Picture Mode/Keeps Changing Picture Mode.” This will keep any automatic resets in your picture from occurring and should stop the problem along with one other solution.
You also want to ensure that the Picture Reset Mode on your Sony TV is off as well. To turn the Picture Reset Mode off press ‘Home’ from your remote > ‘Settings’ > under the System Preferences category select ‘Retail Mode Settings’ > ‘Picture Reset Mode’ > ‘Off.’ This should add another level of protection for you to keep your TV from constantly resetting pictures.
How to Adjust Picture Mode on Sony TV
There are so many different picture modes that can be chosen for your Sony TV. Not only are you able to adjust the vividness of the picture, but you are able to adjust the size and even create a custom setting that can be used and shared by other inputs due to your TV having the ability to remember that specific setting. Knowing the good that can come from adjusting picture modes, how exactly do you do this on a Sony TV?
To adjust the picture mode on a Sony TV, first press the ‘Home’ button that is located on your remote > select ‘Settings’ > ‘Picture & Display’ > ‘Screen’ > and then choose from all of the different options available on your TV.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on March 25, 2021.
The various picture modes include ‘Setting Memory’ which is where you would customize your own picture settings, ‘Wide Mode,’ ‘Auto Wide,’ ‘ Default,’ ‘Auto Display Area,’ ‘Display Area,’ ‘Screen Position,’ and ‘Vertical Size.’ For settings like ‘Wide Mode,’ there are a variety of different options within it to fine-tune the picture mode that you prefer.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on March 25, 2021.
