Vizio offers some of the best TVs in the market for the price. But imagine setting up a Vizio TV or using it for a while and then witnessing horizontal lines across the screen. This can spoil the experience of owning a TV entirely, as you cannot watch anything on it until this is resolved. If you are lucky, you can easily take care of it, and it is not a severe hardware failure. At the same time, a hardware defect would mean a replacement part is inevitable.
How to Fix Horizontal Lines on Vizio TV Screen?
If you are one of these Vizio TV users witnessing horizontal lines across the screen, this article will help you. Here, we have listed all the solutions you can try from your end to resolve this problem. Undoubtedly one of the solutions mentioned below should help you if it is not a hardware defect. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.
Power Cycle the TV:
You must first try this with the Vizio TV horizontal line on the screen issue. Power cycling your TV would mean you would have to unplug the TV from the power source entirely and remove the cable from all the sockets. Then wait a few minutes and then put it all back together again. Now try using the TV again. If you still see horizontal lines on the screen, move on to the next solution.
Switch or Reset Picture Mode:
Vizio TVs have several picture modes: Standard Mode, Calibrated Mode, Calibrated Dark Mode, Vivid Mode, Game Mode, and Computer Mode.
Each mode has its settings for color temperature, backlight, sharpness, gamma, and more. If the horizontal lines appear for a particular picture mode, you should switch to the other modes and check whether that solves your problem. To switch to another picture mode, follow these steps:
- Press the menu button on your remote.
- Go to Picture.
- Select Picture Mode.
- Try all the different picture modes and check whether the horizontal lines disappear.
You should try resetting the picture mode settings to factory defaults if it does not disappear. For that, press the menu button and go to the picture. Then go to More and select Reset Picture Mode by pressing the OK button. You will see a pop-up for confirmation. Confirm your action by selecting Reset here.
If all this does not solve the horizontal screen issue, try the next solution.
Check the HDMI Connection:
HDMI connections are the ones that deliver the picture and audio from an output device onto your TV. If there is anything wrong with the HDMI connection, you won’t be able to capture clear pictures on your TV screen. So to fix any HDMI-related issue, you can reconnect the cable, change the cable, or change the port itself.
To reconnect the cable, remove it from the back of the TV and your output device, then connect it again.
It would be best to try putting the cable into the other HDMI ports available on both devices in case of any issue with a particular port.
If this does not work, try using another HDMI cable that works well and check whether that solves your problem.
If none helps with your horizontal lines issue, move on to the next solution.
Reset TV Settings:
There is a slight possibility that a software inconsistency or particular setting on your TV is causing the horizontal lines to show up on your screen. So you should try resetting the settings on your TV and check whether that solves your problem.
To reset your TV settings, follow the steps mentioned below.
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Go to Admin & Privacy.
- Select the Reset TV to factory Settings or Clear Memory option.
- You will see a pop-up for confirmation. Confirm your action by selecting Reset here.
You can do this without the remote if you don’t have the remote. Press and hold the Volume Down and the input/source buttons simultaneously, and wait until you see a factory reset prompt on your TV screen. Confirm the action by pressing and holding the input button for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, you will see a message on your screen that the memory has been cleared.
Now check whether the horizontal lines issue is resolved or not. If you still see the lines, move on to the next solution.
Inspect the Gate Driver Contact points:
Gate drivers are located on the edge of the TV panel, and sometimes these units come loose. A thin black horizontal line appears on your screen if these are loose or disconnected. A loose gate driver can be easily fixed by pressing the edges of the TV firmly. You can even try removing the back panel on the TV and pressing on the edges around the panel.
If this does not do anything to the horizontal lines, move on to the next solution.
Remove the Back Panel and Re-Seat the T-Con Cable:
Timing control or T-con cable is a small PCB board that converts electrical signals into pictures onto your TV’s panel. This board is often the cause behind horizontal lines on a TV screen as the ribbon connectors connecting the PCB board and the panel sometimes come loose.
So you need to firmly press on the ribbon cable around the T-con board and check whether that resolves your problem. The problem with this process is that the T-con board is on the rear end of the TV panel. So to fix this, you will have to open up the TV.
- Unplug the TV from the power source completely.
- Remove the screws on the back panel from the TV’s body.
- You will see different boards here. The T-con board can be identified as the board that connects to the TV’s panel via ribbons.
- Use compressed air to clean the T-con board and ribbon cable well.
- Push the locking board to remove the T-con board ribbon cables.
- Clean the connector points for the cable and the board using some isopropyl alcohol.
- Put the cable back into place firmly.
- Reassemble the TV back to its original state again.
- Turn it on and check whether the horizontal lines are gone or not.
If the lines are still there, move on to the next solution.
Contact Vizio TV Support:
If none of the solutions mentioned above worked for you, you should contact the customer support of Vizio TV. If there is anything they can help out with via Email or call, they will try to do so. If that does not work, you must ship the TV to the repair center for inspection, or you can take it to your nearest service center to have it looked at. If your device is new and under warranty, the issue should be fixed without worries.
You might need a replacement on the panel, T-com board, or motherboard in case this is a hardware fault. Again, if your device is under warranty, you should not worry. This will be fixed for free. But if it is not under warranty, you must pay some money for the replacement part. You can purchase the replacement part independently and try fixing it at home. But we suggest you let Vizio’s service center do it for you.
So this is how you can fix horizontal lines on the Vizio TV screen. If you have any questions or queries about this article, comment below, and we will reply. Also, check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.