TV screen flickering: how to find the cause

If your TV screen flickers, press Home or Menu on the remote and watch the TV's own menu. If the menu looks steady while the show behind it flickers, the TV is probably fine. The problem is a setting, the cable, or the device you're watching.

If the menu flickers too, the fault is more likely inside the TV. Many flickers turn out to be a setting that changes the brightness on its own, and those take a couple of minutes to turn off.

Whatever you find, don't open the TV, and check when you bought it. A flicker that turns out to be a hardware fault may still be covered by the store's return window or the warranty.

Does the TV's own menu flicker too?

The TV draws its menu and settings itself, without any outside device. That makes it a useful test. LG's support guide says that if the on-screen menu also flickers, you should contact LG, and Samsung says that flicker in its built-in Picture Test means the TV needs service.

Run your TV's built-in picture test

Some TVs can show a test picture on their own. On Samsung TVs, go to All Settings, Support, Device Care, Self Diagnosis, Picture Test (older models skip Device Care). On LG TVs from 2021 on, go to All Settings, Support, Screen Self-Diagnosis; LG lists the older paths. If the test picture flickers, the TV needs service. If it looks steady, keep going with the settings and signal checks below.

Turn off the settings that make a TV flicker

Several picture features change brightness on purpose. When they react to the room or the scene, the picture can look like it's flickering even though nothing is broken.

Auto-brightness and energy saving

Energy-saving modes and light sensors dim and brighten the screen as the room or picture changes. Samsung's own test is a good one: turn these features off, and if the flicker stays, brightness wasn't the cause. Samsung's picture guide covers Eco Solution, Ambient Light Detection and Power Saving Mode.

Motion settings

Motion smoothing and backlight strobing features can also cause flicker. Roku's guide says to turn LED Motion Clarity off if you see flickering, and to avoid high Action Smoothing settings. Sony's help guide suggests turning Motionflow and CineMotion off.

Brightness that pumps in dark scenes

Many LED TVs dim parts of the backlight in dark scenes, and OLED TVs limit brightness on bright full-screen images. Both can make the picture seem to breathe as scenes change. That's normal behavior. You can usually turn local dimming down or off, but the brightness limiter on OLED TVs can't be switched off from the normal menus.

TV flickers on one input or app: fix the signal

When only one device or app flickers, work through the chain between that device and the TV:

• Unplug the HDMI cable at both ends, plug it back in firmly, then try a different HDMI port.
• On Samsung TVs, run the HDMI cable test in Self Diagnosis. Samsung notes it's designed for cables shorter than about 2 meters.
• For 4K at 120Hz from a PS5, Xbox or PC, use a cable with the Ultra High Speed HDMI certification label.
• Power a streaming stick from its wall adapter rather than the TV's USB port, as TCL suggests.
• If the device goes through an AV receiver or soundbar, connect it straight to the TV to see whether the flicker stops.
• If only one app flickers, update it, or delete and reinstall it.
• If you watch antenna channels, check the signal strength in the TV's channel settings. A weak signal can make the picture break up.

A black flash when a show starts

Some TVs and streaming players switch the screen's refresh rate to match each video, and the switch can show as a brief black flash. Roku explains that turning off Auto-adjust display refresh rate stops it, at the cost of slightly less smooth motion in some videos.

TV flickers only while gaming

If the flicker shows up only in games, especially in dark scenes, it's probably VRR flicker. Variable refresh rate (VRR) keeps the screen in step with the game's frame rate, but many OLED and some LED screens shift slightly in brightness as the frame rate changes. TFTCentral explains that it's most visible in dark scenes and when the frame rate swings, and RTINGS measured it on OLED and VA gaming monitors.

It's a known trait of these screens, not a sign the TV is failing. Sony's help guide says the same about its own TVs. Turning VRR off stops it, and capping the game's frame rate reduces it. Keep Game Mode on, because turning it off adds input lag and doesn't fix VRR flicker.

On a PS5, Sony's guide puts VRR under Settings, Screen and Video, Video Output, and suggests lowering Video Transfer Rate if the screen flickers. On an Xbox, look for the variable refresh rate option under TV & display options. On the TV, VRR is usually in the game or HDMI settings.

Flicker you only notice at low brightness or on camera

Many LED TVs dim the backlight by switching it on and off very quickly. Most people never notice, but some do, especially at low brightness. RTINGS measures it in its TV reviews, and on some models raising the backlight reduces it. RTINGS' test page explains how to read the results.

A phone video can also show flicker or rolling bands that you can't see in person, because the camera captures the screen at a different rate. That kind of flicker on video alone doesn't mean anything is wrong.

TV flickering steps by brand

Vizio

Vizio doesn't publish a flicker guide, but its manual warns that Clear Action can cause visible flicker for some viewers, so turn that off first. Then turn off Auto Brightness Control if your model has it, and turn down local dimming, which Vizio calls Mini-LED Zone Control, Active LED Zones or Backlight Control depending on the model. For games, VRR is under Picture, Gaming Mode. Reset Picture Mode restores the picture settings. If the menu flickers on every input, contact Vizio support.

Samsung

Run the Picture Test first. Then turn off Eco Solution features and run the HDMI cable test. Samsung's guide also suggests unplugging other devices on the same circuit, since a power problem can cause flicker. If the Picture Test flickers, or the flicker continues after all of these, request service.

TCL

On TCL Google TV models, turn off Adaptive Brightness under Picture, Eye Health Protection. On TCL Fire TV models, TCL's guide suggests a different port, unplugging both devices for 60 seconds, and setting the source to 1080p to see whether 4K is the problem. TCL also says a 2025 Fire TV flicker problem during streaming was fixed by a software update, so install the latest update. TCL Roku TVs follow the Roku steps.

Roku TV

Turn off LED Motion Clarity and lower Action Smoothing in the Expert picture settings. If shows start with a black flash, turn off Auto-adjust display refresh rate. Roku sends hardware problems to the TV's maker, such as TCL or Hisense.

LG

Press a volume or settings button and watch the menu. LG's flicker guide says to contact LG if the menu flickers too. If it doesn't, check the cables and the antenna signal strength. To turn off Energy Saving Step, LG's guide lists the path for each model year.

Sony

Sony's help guide suggests checking the antenna cable first, then turning Motionflow and CineMotion off in the advanced picture settings.

Hisense and Fire TV models

Reset the picture settings for the mode you use, update the TV's software, and unplug the TV for a minute. If the menu flickers on every input, contact the maker.

When TV flickering means a hardware fault

A setting or cable explains most flicker. These signs point to a fault inside the TV instead:

• The menu or built-in picture test flickers on every input.
• The flicker continues with the TV plugged straight into a wall outlet, without a power strip.
• It gets worse over time, or the screen flickers and then goes black. That often points to the backlight or power supply; see our guide to a TV screen that's black.
• The standby light keeps blinking after you unplug the TV. Samsung says that's a sign to request service.

Mistakes that can make TV flickering worse

• Don't open the TV to reseat ribbon cables or boards. iFixit warns that the power supply board has a high-voltage side, and damage you cause usually isn't covered by the warranty.
• Don't factory reset first. It erases your apps and logins and rarely fixes a cable or hardware problem. Try it only after the settings and signal checks.
• Don't rely on blink-code charts from blogs. Manufacturers don't publish what each number of blinks means, so give the count to support instead.
• Don't buy an expensive cable unless you need 4K at 120Hz. A certified cable matters; the price doesn't.

Is a flickering TV worth fixing?

If the flicker is a hardware fault and the TV is new, a return is usually faster than a repair. Costco takes TVs back within 90 days, Amazon within 30 days for most items, and Best Buy extends holiday purchases made October 30 to December 31, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Most TVs also carry a one-year warranty, and Costco extends it to up to 2 years.

Using an independent repair shop doesn't by itself void your warranty under federal law. For typical repair costs and when replacing makes more sense, see the warranty section of our black screen guide.

What to record before you contact support

• A short video of the flicker at normal speed, with the TV's menu open if it flickers too.
• When it happens: one input or app, games only, dark scenes, or after the TV has been on for a while.
• The result of the built-in picture test, if your TV has one.
• The settings you've already turned off and the cables or ports you've tried.
• The model number and serial number, from the sticker on the back of the TV.