I’ve been using an ONN LED TV for a few years now and I’ve never had any issues with it until a few days back.

I wanted to check the weather and traffic report before I headed out that day, but when I turned my TV on, I could only hear sound.

I tried turning it off and back on again, but I still couldn’t see any picture.

Since I was getting late for work, I decided to get back to it once I got back home.

I did a bit of research at work and after going through a ton of videos and forums, I got back home and tried to figure out what was wrong with my TV.

For me and many users, it seemed the issue was that the backlight on the TV wasn’t working.

If your ONN TV’s screen is black, it might be an issue with the backlighting. You can check this by holding a torch or your phone’s flashlight up to the display and if you see images on your display, it means your backlight isn’t working.

Checking and Replacing The Backlight on Your ONN TV

In most cases, if your TV’s screen is black but you can hear audio, it means your TV’s backlight isn’t working.

While I don’t recommend replacing the backlight yourself, unless you have experience in doing so, you can check if the issue is with the backlight or something else.

All you need is a phone or a torch.

Shine the torch or phone’s flash at the display and when you’re up close, you should be able to see images albeit extremely dim.

This happens because the backlight is responsible for shining light through the color panel on your TV, and if the backlight doesn’t work, images on the display won’t be visible to you unless up close.

If you don’t see anything up close even with the flash on, then there might be something wrong with the T-Con board, which is even worse.

In both cases, fixing it can be extremely tricky, so I’d recommend getting in touch with the Walmart you purchased it from to set up a repair or replacement.

If you purchased it online, you can visit Walmart’s Online Help section and login with your credentials to initiate a repair.

Check Your TV’s Power Supply

If your TV is relatively new, chances are it might not be an issue with the backlight or T-Con board, but with your power supply.

If you live in an area that experiences power fluctuations, then that might be the cause of your problem.

Low voltage means your TV doesn’t have enough power to turn on, and if it’s too high, most devices nowadays have breakers to prevent them from powering on and shorting out.

You can alleviate this issue by purchasing a Step UP/Step DOWN voltage stabilizer.

These stabilizers can regulate and increase or decrease the voltage output to devices based on the needs of the device.

This means you’ll be able to use your TV without having to worry about voltage fluctuations affecting your TV experience.

Check Your Input/Output Cables

Another leading cause for TV displays showing a black screen is that the input/output cables such as HDMI cables might be damaged.

You can look for visual signs such as tears along the length of the cable, or checking the cONNector pins for damage. But if the damage is internal, you can’t tell unless you have specialized equipment.

An easy way to check is to try another HDMI cable and see if that works.

If changing the cables didn’t work, check the HDMI ports on your TV to make sure they haven’t been damaged.

However, on the off chance that one of your HDMI ports is damaged, you can always purchase a HDMI splitter and get multiple inputs through your second HDMI port.

Factory Reset Your TV

There are instances where your TV might not be working properly because of software issues of corrupted data.

And since your TV’s display isn’t working, you’ll need to reset your ONN TV manually.

You can do this by pressing and holding down the reset button on the cONNector panel of your TV for 20 seconds or until your TV reboots.

It will reset itself to factory default and prompt you to go through the setup process for your TV.

Keeping it ONN

While a blank screen on your TV can be an inconvenience, there are some things you can do to prevent it from happening.

One of the easiest ways to prevent backlight damage is to keep your TV clean. Dust and dirt are the main cause for TV backlights shorting out.

You can also improve longevity of your HDMI cables by using good quality ones like the Anker Ultra High Speed HDMI cable.

Additionally, if you have an accident protection plan for your TV, you can get it repaired at a considerably low price even if it’s outside the manufacturer’s warranty window.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How can I reset my ONN TV? 

To reset your ONN TV, press and hold the reset button from the side bottom of your TV for 20 seconds. 

Why won’t my ONN TV turn on, but the red light is on?

Check to see if your remote is working properly. You can also try to power cycle the TV by disconnecting it from power and holding down the power button on your TV for a few seconds to drain the capacitors. Now plug it back in and it should work fine.