Why TV Screen Goes Black But Sound Still Works?

When the TV screen goes black but sound still works it immediately suggests that the TV is working.

This is good when you think about it because most possibilities are automatically excluded. However, there are still several reasons for your TV to go black, and here we will get to the bottom of it.

Your TV screen might be going black because of an interruption in your cables, source, or power. Moreover, you might be using a really outdated OS as well as a faulty input. The last possibility would be a glitch in the software or worse, a hardware problem.

Regardless of your occasion, reading this post will help you resolve and if not identify an exact cause making your TV screen go black. Let’s get started!

Why TV Screen Goes Black But Sound Still Works?

Considering that the sound is there, the circle of possibilities could be tightened down to your TV screen, software or input.

It is worthy to mention that if there is a fault with the display itself, there is nothing more you can do about it than deliver the TV for an overall repair.

Anything from a power surge to water or physical damage could have impacted your TV screen.

Let’s stop guessing and take a look at the most commonly reported causes from users having the same issue as you:

Insufficient power

It is possible that currently there is a power malfunction with your TV.

Enabled sleep settings

An enabled power saver or sleep setting will make the display of your TV go off after a while of inactivity (this possibility is valid when you’re using another device to deliver video to your TV).

Faulty wiring

Faulty cable connections might make the screen of your TV occasionally go black.

Outdated/corrupted TV firmware

Black screen issues can occur if your TV is outdated or corrupted.

Problem with source

If the channel or source you’re currently watching has black screens, you will view it on your TV too.

These are the oversimplified reasons and there is a lot more behind them than we’ve described. Next, we’ll dive into each of them and address it accordingly.

How Do I Fix My TV When The Screen Goes Black But Sound Still Works?

Now that you’ve learned what might have gone wrong with your TV, try performing a casual restart using the remote.

This is well-known to be of support whenever the issue is related to a black screen, so make sure to do it before proceeding any further.

When ready to restart your TV and the issue is still there, you can proceed with our methods below:

Method #1 Check Current Source

It is possible that the source or channel you are currently viewing is having interruptions, causing your TV to broadcast black screen.

This might deceive you into thinking that there is something wrong on your end, while the broadcast is constantly going through black screens.

Regardless if you’re using a PC, gaming console, or another device to provide TV with video, go ahead and change the sources.

The most reliable way to test is by heading to Watch TV, or on older TV models it’s called TV Channels.

If the black screen issue appears on different channels and sources, then there is something wrong and we’re about to find out what.

Method #2 Turn Off Sleep Mode

First of all, you should know that the different TV models have this feature labeled in a different way. It could be Sleep Mode, Power Saving Mode, Power Preservation/Consumption, and more.

This TV feature is usually located in the General TV Settings.

If you have enabled this feature of your TV device, after just a few minutes of inactivity your TV will instantly turn off. If that happens there will be no video and no sound.

The ONLY occasion that this feature will cause the screen to go black, but audio will be there is whenever you’re using a source device.

For example, if you have connected a PC, gaming console, or another device, (and using your TV simply as a monitor) because of the Sleep Mode the TV will go black but the sound from your source will still be there.

That can happen especially if the source device has its way of outputting audio. 

Method #3 Inspect Cable Connections

If the TV screen goes black but sound still works perhaps something might have gone wrong with your cable connections.

HDMI cables are more widely known to be giving black screen errors, so make sure to carry out an inspection.

For instance, if you’re using an HDMI cable to connect a source device to your TV, and the cable is faulty, you could experience an interruption in the video.

Simply turn the HDMI cable around and reverse its slots. If you can test it on another device to ensure its functionality would be great.

Whenever you find out if there is something wrong with the cable or not, you can proceed accordingly.

Method #4 Update Your TV

The next thing you can try is updating your TV. Since the new firmware update available for your TV may contain crucial data for your TV to operatenormally.

If you haven’t applied it earlier, it is possible that you will experience constant black screens.

Note: Some older TV models have to be updated manually as they are out of support. In that regard, we’ve included a manual guide as well.

How Do I Update My TV Automatically?

It depends on the type of your TV. On the regular ones, this is usually executed from the options by pressing check for updates and waiting for the automatic installation.

If in your case you’re unable to do that, there is another way.

How Do I Update My TV Manually?

You must check online for the newest version of your TV and grab a flash driver.

The flash drive is recommended to contain at least 8GB of storage, since the upcoming update may be larger than you may think.

Enter your manufacturer’s site and seek out the download page. Download and install the update for your TV on the flash drive and wait for it to finish.

Once it is done, unplug the flash drive from your computer and connect it into one of the USB slots in your TV.

Your TV should automatically detect the flash drive and initiate the built-in script of the file you’ve placed in the flash driver!

Method #5 Factory Reset

If nothing so far has managed to prevent your TV screen from occasionally going black, it’s time to wipe clean its software clean.

The only thing that you should be aware of is that ALL settings, WiFi passwords, and configurations will be permanently lost after the reset.

Note: Older TV models simply require holding their hardware power button for about a minute or until they turn off. This will initiate a factory reset.

With that in mind, here is how to factory reset ANY model TV:

1. Go to the TV’s settings.
2. Locate the General Settings.
3. Find where the Reset tab is located.
4. Select Factory Reset and insert PIN if required (most TV’s default PIN is “0000”).
5. Wait for the TV to restart.

Once ready, you might have to carry out the initial setup of your TV and when completed you can test if the black screen issue is still there.

The fix for TVs that occasionally go black includes a power cycle, disabling the sleep mode, inspecting the cables, and removing the source. If nothing works you can update your TV and eventually reset it to factory default settings.

Read Next: Why Does Alexa Only Play Samples?

Bottom Line

Now that you know why your TV screen goes black but sound still works, you shouldn’t have any trouble fixing it yourself.

If you’re still stuck with the blackouts, there is a good chance that your TV’s customer support will be able to help so don’t hesitate to reach out.