How to Fix TCL Roku TV Color Issues? (Best Ways)

ByFinn Wheatley
tcl roku tv color issues

If you’re facing TCL Roku TV color issues, this guide will walk you through the entire solution!

We’ll explore all color settings on TCL Roku TV, how they affect the picture, and what would be the best configuration to avoid an unnatural color.

So, without hesitation continue reading…

How to Fix TCL Roku TV Color Issues – In 6 Easy Steps?

Before you start: Have you tried power cycling the TCL Roku TV via unplugging?

1. Change Roku Picture Mode

change roku picture mode

If you’re facing color issues with the TCL Roku TV or the picture seems weird, the first option to check is the Picture Mode.

The TCL Roku TVs come with a few picture modes, which are presets of settings, generally affecting not only the color but many other aspects of the picture.

  • To access the picture modes, press the Star (*) button from the remote and head to Picture Settings → Picture Mode.

Then, switch the picture mode as per your preference:

1.1 Auto

The Auto picture mode will automatically adjust the picture of the TCL Roku TV, based on the content you’re viewing. This preset is recommended for general viewing of any media type.

1.2 Standard

The Standard picture mode is a balance of colors, brightness, and saturation, which ensures that the picture is not too bright, nor too dull.

This is another great choice for general viewing.

1.3 Low Power

The Low Power picture mode reduces the brightness and dims the colors to preserve voltage consumption.

This picture mode can make the colors seem off, hence it is not recommended.

1.4 Vivid

vivid settings

The Vivid picture mode will enhance the color, brightness, and saturation making your picture as rich as possible.

It’s best to use this picture mode in a bright room for eye-catching viewing.

1.5 Movie

The Movie picture mode’s primary target is to provide a natural look for your movies, the way the creators intended it.

You may notice warmer colors, a soft picture, and a natural movie look.

1.6 Sport

The Sport picture mode is a preset of settings optimized for a fast-phased picture.

It also aligns with the action movies and delivers a high refresh rate and optimized motion for action viewing.

Quick Tip: We recommend setting the picture mode to “Auto” and checking for color problems!

2. Manually Customize Picture

manually customize picture

If you’ve tried multiple picture modes, but the TCL Roku TV color problems are still there, the next step is to try and manually optimize the picture.

TCL Roku TVs provide you with access to all settings that the picture mode is using, hence you can tweak and adjust them individually.

  • To reach the manual picture customization, press the Star (*) button and go to Picture Settings → Customize Picture.

We’ll list only the picture settings that have the highest impact on color:

2.1 Contrast 

The Contrast controls the difference between the brightest and the darkest areas of the picture and can significantly impact the colors.

If too high, the image will look over-saturated, while too low can make the colors look washed out. 

The best setting for the contrast is somewhere in the upper range, so test different contrasts!

2.2 Sharpness

sharpness

The Sharpness affects all the edges in the picture. While this setting does not affect the colors directly, too high sharpness can cause a messy look.

In contrast, if the sharpness is too low, the picture might appear jittery.

So, we recommend adjusting this setting in the range of 70% to 80% and checking the picture.

2.3 Color 

The Color setting is as self-explanatory as it can be. This option controls the color saturation and can greatly affect how the colors look.

  • Too high color setting can cause colors to appear unnatural, while too low makes colors look dimmed/dull.

The best setting for the color would be somewhere in the middle at about 50% up to 60%.

2.4 Tint

The Tint setting balances the difference between the green and the red tones in the image. So, it can greatly impact the colors.

  • Too high on the red will make the image warm and unnatural, while too high on the green will make the colors look cool.

The best tint setting in all cases would be neutral (0), which is the perfect balance in the middle.

If those settings can’t fix the color issues, you need to reach into Roku’s expert settings…

3. Set Up Roku Expert Settings

set up roku expert settings

Now that you have manually adjusted the picture settings, it’s necessary to also reach out and check on the expert settings.

Some of them can affect the Roku TV picture colors tremendously.

Color Temperature

The most important setting is the Color Temperature, affecting how warm (yellowish) the colors will appear.

We recommend experimenting with this setting to see if you can fix the color issue.

Gamma Correction

The Gamma Correction engages the mid-level brightness, which can also affect the colors in an impactful way.

The best setting for natural colors is from 2.0 to 2.2 for a gamma correction.

Color Space

The Color Space is another very important setting that allows you to manually control the range of colors that the TCL Roku TV will use.

You can choose from “Auto”, “Native” and “RGB”, so we recommend switching it to “Auto” if not already.

If the TCL Roku TV still has picture issues, continue reading…

4. Stop High-Dynamic Range

stop high-dynamic range

The HDR (High Dynamic Range), directly affects the picture quality by expanding the color space on content that supports the enhancement.

Well, in some cases you might not approve the change from the HDR, so we recommend disabling it and checking the color problems.

To disable the HDR on TCL Roku TV, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Home button 5 times.
  2. Then, press Rewind one time.
  3. Next, press Down one time.
  4. Press Fast-Forward one time.
  5. Press Down one time again.
  6. Press Rewind one time again.

Finally, when the prompt appears, select “Change HDR” mode and choose “Disable HDR”. If this doesn’t help either, continue reading…

5. Reset Your Picture Settings

If you have manually adjusted all picture settings and expert settings, but the colors are still not looking good, you can reset all picture settings to default.

You might have missed a certain setting that affects the color of the TCL Roku TV in a negative way, hence resetting may help.

reset your picture settings

Here’s how to reset the picture settings on the TCL Roku TV:

  1. Start playing content and press the (*) Star button.
  2. Head to “Picture Settings” → “Customize Picture.”
  3. Choose “Reset Settings” and confirm via “Reset.”

If the television colors are now looking better, then definitely some of the settings we’ve gone through were causing the issue.

If not, then probably you’re facing a software-level fault.

6. Factory Reset TCL Roku TV

Now that you have tried tweaking almost all picture settings but the TCL Roku TV color issues are still there, it’s time to perform a system reset.

This method will reinstall the operating system of the TCL Roku TV and correct any software-level problems that might be affecting your colors.

Warning: The system reset will delete ALL settings and configurations on the TCL Roku TV.

factory reset tcl roku tv

Here’s how to system reset TCL Roku TV in easy steps:

  1. Head to the home screen and enter the Settings.
  2. Go to “System” → “Advanced System Settings.”
  3. Choose“Factory Reset” and confirm the process.

That’s it. The TCL Roku TV will now start resetting, which takes 2–3 minutes on average.

You will see the Roku logo when the reset is over. So, go ahead and check if the colors are now ok.

Note: If the issue continues, try to play different content from different channels/apps to check!