Sony Bravia TV Black Screen? (Don’t Panic—Fix It!)
Just when you are about to relax after a long day, the Sony Bravia TV black screen could ruin your evening and prevent you from enjoying your deserved entertainment.
Here at ZontSound, we understand the frustration you are going through, so we have designed this 5-minute guide!
We’ll walk you through everything that causes black screens, guide you through the correct way to resolve the problem, and teach you how to avoid it in the future.
Let’s get started…
How to Fix the Sony Bravia TV Black Screen In Easy Steps?
Note: Have you checked if pressing the Power button on the remote or TV does something?
1. Reset the Power Supply of the TV
A black screen on your Sony Bravia TV could often be caused by a temporary power supply issue, which prevents the backlight from receiving sufficient power.
The first step is to reset the power supply of the TV, which can address non-lasting functionality issues, such as a backlight malfunction or LCD panel issues.
To reset the power, simply unplug the Sony Bravia TV power cable for ~60 seconds, and in the meantime, for bent connectors, corrosion, ripped cable, or generally, potential equipment wear.
If everything looks appropriate, then the fault could be related to the input source…
2. Change the Bravia TV Input Source
In a variety of cases, the black screen is caused by an empty or faulty input source.
The input source can be changed both through the remote control and the built-in panel button on the TV.
Note: If the Sony source menu appears, try switching to an alternative input that has a plugged-in device to test if the black screen is still there.
3. Increase the TV Brightness Setting
Note: Skip this step if your screen is completely black, and you can’t navigate the TV menus!
If the display of your Sony Bravia appears to be dim, but not entirely black, perhaps you have accidentally lowered the Brightness setting.
If so, based on the TV model, you can access the settings using the flashlight method and gradually increase the display brightness.
There are 4 steps to maximally increasing the brightness of your Sony Bravia!
Step #1 – Adjust the Brightness via Action Menu
Press the ACTION MENU button on your remote control. Select [Picture adjustments] from the menu and then [Advanced settings].
Locate the [Brightness] or [Contrast] option and increase the value to maximum, for testing purposes.
Step #2 – Use Quick Settings for Brightness
Alternatively, press the Quick Settings button on the remote.
Select the Brightness from the menu and adjust the slider to increase the brightness to the maximum value, and check if there are changes in the backlight illumination.
Step #3 – Disable Power Saving Mode
If the screen remains dim, head to the ACTION MENU, select [Eco] settings, and find [Power saving].
Set [Power saving] to Off to maximize screen brightness.
Step #4 – Turn Off Auto Adjust (2024 Models)
For 2024 Sony Bravia models, if brightness adjustments are unresponsive, go to Picture & Sound in the menu, select [Ambient Optimisation Pro], and turn off Auto Adjust with your phone’s flashlight.
4. Disconnect ALL External Devices
If the Sony Bravia TV turns on but the screen is black, it means that the standby indicator also lights up.
If that’s the case, then it is safe to assume that the issue is not with your power supply or the internal components of the TV, which makes troubleshooting a little easier.
In such cases, the black screen could be caused by a malfunctioning third-party device, and to test, you must unplug ALL your external cables from your TV and leave only the power adapter.
Disconnect the following cable types from your Sony TV:
Note: Do not reconnect any of the external devices before identifying the cause of the black screen.
5. Test the TV In an Alternative Outlet
Since it is still unclear whether the problem is power-related or not, we recommend changing the power source of the TV by connecting it to an alternative outlet.
Our advice is to use an outlet in a different room to determine if the power is related to the breaker or the power line.
Once you have connected the TV, attempt to turn on the device using the remote Power button and the built-in panel Power button.
Quick Tip: We recommend relocating your TV to a different room so you can test with an outlet that is connected to a different fuse on your circuit breaker.
6. Test the Sony Bravia TV Backlight
If your Sony Bravia TV screen is black, but the power LED is illuminated, the fault can be related to a backlight failure of the display panel.
This problem often arises due to faulty LED strips or the power circuit underdelivering power to the components.
Luckily, you can effortlessly identify issues with the backlight of your TV by using the flashlight of your smartphone!
Step #1: How to Do the “Flashlight” Test:
Unplug the Sony Bravia TV for ~10–15 seconds and place it in a dark room.
Shine a flashlight at an angle, about ~1–2 inches from the screen, and check if anything is visible on the display.
If you see silhouettes on the display, then the backlight has encountered an issue and can no longer illuminate the LED strips properly.
If that’s the case, you must get in touch with Sony customer support.
Step #2: How to Inspect the TV Backlight:
Power off the TV and remove the back panel by loosening the panel screws.
Once you have accessed the hardware, check the LED strips behind your LCD or regular TV display panel.
If anything is damaged, get in touch with Sony support instead of doing the repairs yourself.
⚠️Warning: Keep in mind that disassembling the TV voids the active warranty of your Sony product.
7. Reset the Sony Bravia TV Software
If you are wondering how to reset a Sony Bravia TV black screen, there is a quick and easy way to do it that involves using the built-in “Power” button of the TV.
So, for the factory reset to be successful, the Sony Bravia TV must be connected and receiving power during the entire reset procedure.
Hence, in case of power issues, this may not work out.
Here are simple instructions to factory reset the Sony Bravia TV:
- Unplug the TV power cable from the wall outlet.
- Locate the Power button on the Sony TV panel.
- Then, press and hold the Power button securely.
- While holding it, reconnect the TV’s power cable.
- Now, hold the Power button for 10 more seconds.
- After the TV LED illuminates, release the button.
- Wait until your Sony Bravia TV reboots 2 times.
Now, verify the power cord is securely connected and try switching inputs by pressing the Input button on the TV panel 2–3 times, then press OK on the remote to select an active input.
If the Sony TV fails to turn on after the reset, try pressing the “Power” button once for a quick startup.
8. Check for an Issue with the LCD Panel
Perhaps, if the Sony Bravia TV black screen issue persists, then there is probably a fault with the LCD panel and the seal with the backlight.
For physical inspection of the display, you can follow the instructions in solution #5 and check if the display is properly sealed to the TV.
Alternatively, try to recall an event that could have been lethal to the TV display, such as a physical impact, liquid spillage, or any recent electrical surge.
If your Sony Bravia TV warranty is over and you’ve got the technical skill to check what’s going on inside the TV hardware, give it a go.
Best of luck!
Note: If you can’t identify the issue on your own, contact the Sony customer support and learn more about the condition of your TV.
Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.
