We have a family tradition of going on vacation around Christmas.
This year, we went for a week-long road trip in our neighboring state.
The spirits were high when we returned, and everyone was in a great mood to start the new year.
Unfortunately, an issue crept up on the first evening itself.
When I turned on my Samsung TV to catch up on the latest news, the screen started flickering continuously.
The sound was perfectly fine, as I could hear the news, but the video kept flickering on and off.
I checked the cables for a loose connection and even restarted the TV without success.
Clueless, I did a quick Google search, and after scrolling through several help guides, I finally found an effective solution.
Here’s how I got back crisp picture quality on my Samsung TV:
If your Samsung TV is flickering, unplug it from the power socket, press the Power button for 60 seconds, plug it back in, and switch it on.
Power Cycle Your Samsung TV
Power cycling means performing a soft reset of your Samsung TV.
It is the easiest way to remove any glitches from the TV.
To reset your Samsung TV:
- Unplug the Samsung TV from the power socket.
- Press and hold the Power button on the TV for 60 seconds.
- Plug the TV back in and Turn it on.
Power cycling your Samsung TV will remove any bugs without affecting your settings.
This will also force the TV to drain any residual power and reset to a working state.
This method is known to fix a myriad of problems on a Samsung TV, including the infamous Black screen of death.
If flickering does not stop on your Samsung TV after a reset, you need to dive deep into your TV’s settings.
Tweak Your Samsung TV’s Eco Settings
All Samsung TV models since 2013 are equipped with an ‘Eco Sensor’ which controls different smart features.
When turned on, the Eco solutions of your Samsung TV automatically control the screen brightness and display light intensity.
They help prevent overheating of your Samsung TV and reduce power consumption.
The main Eco solutions in a Samsung TV are:
Eco Solution | What it controls |
Ambient Light Detection | Screen brightness |
Energy Saving Mode | Screen brightness |
Minimum Screen Backlight | Intensity of the backlight display panel |
A fault in the Eco Sensor results in these smart solutions misbehaving, which can lead to flickering on your Samsung TV.
To stop the flickering on Samsung TV, you need to turn off the Eco solutions.
Disable Ambient Light Detection
The ambient light detection feature adjusts the screen brightness depending on the light available in the room.
To turn off ambient light detection on your Samsung TV:
- Press Home on your TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Scroll to General.
- Select Eco Solution.
- Click on Ambient Light Detection. In models older than 2016, it will be titled Eco Sensor.
- Turn it off and Restart your TV.
Turning off ambient light detection will stop the flickering of your Samsung TV caused due to constantly changing light conditions.
Disable Energy Saving Mode
If your Samsung TV is flickering even after disabling ambient light detection, you will need to turn off the energy-saving mode.
The ‘Energy saving’ mode in a Samsung TV automatically adjusts the TV’s brightness to reduce energy consumption.
- Press Home on your Samsung TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Scroll to General.
- Select Eco Solution.
- Click on Energy Saving Mode. In some models, it will be mentioned as Power Saving Mode.
- Turn it off and Restart your TV.
Change Minimum Screen Backlight
When the ambient light detection and energy-saving mode are on, the backlight of your Samsung TV adjusts automatically as per the light available in the room.
Once you turn off the ambient light detection, you will need to adjust the minimum backlight to stop flickering on your Samsung TV.
To change the minimum screen backlight on Samsung TV:
- Press Home on the TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Scroll to General.
- Select Eco Solution.
- Click on Minimum backlight and Adjust the scale till the flickering stops.
If the flickering still does not stop, it might be an issue with your current broadcasting service.
Troubleshoot Problems With Broadcast Signals on Your Samsung TV
Your Samsung TV can flicker if it receives a weak broadcast signal.
The first thing to do in this case is to check the antenna and signal connection.
If you use a cable TV, disconnect the antenna line and check for any faults in the wire.
If the wire is not damaged, reconnect it. This should stop the flickering on your Samsung TV.
For a digital TV, you need to check the digital signal strength:
- Press Home on your Samsung TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Scroll to Support.
- Click on Device Care.
- Select Self Diagnosis.
- Choose Signal Information.
- Check if the antenna signal is greater than 4 and the SNR signal is more than 20.
If the antenna signal or SNR signal is less than their preferred values, your signal is weak.
In such cases, you need to contact your cable broadcasting company to solve the issue.
Diagnose HDMI Connection Problems on Your Samsung TV
If you use a set-top box connected via an HDMI cable, it might be a fault in the HDMI connection that causes flickering on your Samsung TV.
To solve this, remove the HDMI cable and check for any external cuts or damages.
If the cable is in good condition, reconnect it to check if the flickering stops.
If the flickering continues, check the HDMI connection strength in Samsung TV settings.
- Press Home on your TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Scroll to Support.
- Click on Device Care.
- Select Self Diagnosis.
- Choose HDMI Troubleshooting.
If it displays any error messages, there is a fault in the HDMI connection. Your best option here is to replace the HDMI cable.
Update Samsung TV’s Operating System
If your Samsung TV is still flickering, it might be because of an out-of-date operating system.
In this case, you need to update your Samsung OS.
- Press Home on your Samsung TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Scroll to Support.
- Select Software Update.
- Click on Update Now.
The update will start to download, and your Samsung TV will restart after the update is installed.
Once your Samsung TV turns on, check if the flickering has stopped.
If not, you will need a hard factory reset to remove the bugs and glitches causing your TV to flicker.
Updating your Samsung TV’s operating system also works wonders if your TV keeps losing internet connection.
Factory Reset Your Samsung TV
A factory reset will remove all installed apps from your TV and also delete any custom preferences you set.
So, perform a factory reset only after you have tried the other troubleshooting tips detailed above.
To factory reset your Samsung TV:
- Press Home on your TV remote.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Click on Reset.
- Enter your security PIN. If you have never set a security PIN, the default PIN will be ‘0000’.
- After confirming, your Samsung TV will reset to its factory version.
Once your TV turns on, you will need to go through the set-up and activation process.
In case the flickering does not stop even after a factory reset, the problem might be with your Samsung TV’s hardware.
Your best option then is to contact Samsung Support and get your TV checked.
Enjoy Your Favorite Content With a Crisp Picture Quality
I’ve owned a Samsung TV for over five years now, and this was the first time I faced the screen flickering issue.
Fortunately, I was able to resolve the problem within a few minutes after a soft reset of my TV.
If your Samsung TV has Eco settings turned on, disabling them also helps stop the screen flickering issue.
Checking your TV’s cables and making sure its software is up to date have also been known to remove several performance-hindering bugs and resume normal display.
If none of these solutions stop the flickering, you should get your TV checked for hardware problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Samsung TV flickering on one side?
Many users have reported full or partial flickering issues with their Samsung TVs.
It is usually because of an unsupported app, faulty display, or damaged hardware.
Is screen flickering harmful?
Yes, too much exposure to a flickering screen can result in headaches, eye soreness, and blurred vision.
What are the signs of a damaged TV screen?
If you encounter random black spots, distorted colors, lines, or fuzzy and faded images on your TV screen, it is a sign that you need to repair the TV screen.