Faint Vertical Bands on Your LCD TV?

Mon Jul 2, 2007 8:23AM EDT

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Reader fro writes: I just bought a new 32" Sharp Aquos HDTV. I have noticed a one inch wide white vertical line that runs from top to bottom on the right side of the TV. Does anyone might know what this is? Sharp wanted to send a technician to my house to check it out but I don't have to time right now. This is a brand new tv. It shouldn't be acting up already. What is this?

This is a problem that's far too common among flat-panel and projection LCD TV's—including my own—and it's generally known as "vertical banding." According to the editors at ProjectorCentral.com, these faint vertical bars (often most apparent when the screen is totally dark or displaying a solid background, like the sky) are defects that occur during the manufacturing process, and while the worst offenders are typically screened out, many more make it to store shelves.

If you haven't noticed them on your LCD TV yet, I suggest you don't look too hard—once you find them, they're hard to ignore. (In my case, the bands are so faint that I've learned to live with them.) But if you've pinpointed the banding and it's driving you nuts, call the manufacturer and demand a replacement; in most cases, they'll capitulate and send you a new set, although you'll probably have to go to the trouble of packing and shipping back your defective TV (make sure the manufacturer covers your shipping costs).

Related:
LCD vertical banding [ProjectorCentral.com]

Comments on Faint Vertical Bands on Your LCD TV?

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  • 1 Posted by jlg371 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yes I have a good Idea of what you are experiencing. If your New HDTV is connected to cable ...Well then your pretty much never going to get a great picture unless the area you are living in is being maintained at the very optimum levels for your area by the cable company which almost never happens. The vertical bands you are experiencing comes into play under these circumstances. First . If your home is grounded at the power meter "outside your home" your home is grounded properly and will not cause this problem, however, if your home has the power meter and the cable house box , also outside your home, located in another area outside your home, chances are that there would have been a ground rod driven at the cable house box to ground your cable. Unfortunatly for you, power follows the path of least resistance and if the cable house box ground offers the best ground potential, guess what ..your cable lines and everything connected to it just became the best ground for the electricity in your home " NOT GOOD". Thus causing "out of phase" or "dirty electricity" to cause the distortion on your screen. The second cause.... Out of phase electricity in your home. Yes there is a common cause of out of phase electricty and if you find the source you've done well. This only works properly if your cable is grounded properly to your power meter outside the home. Third cause .... The cable tap inside the little green box by the road where your line comes to your home may not be grounded properly. This is usually the cause of the rainbow lines that roll up a screen , you know the red yellow and green sometimes blue lines that are faint and seem to roll up the screen. Yep thats what causes them. If the tap is not grounded at the ped "the little green box by the road" then it will cause that. Finally ..... Backfeed of electricity from a source that may be connected to your tv" dvd player,vcr,or home entertainment systems like surround sound stuff. Soulutions, First try disconnecting everything from your tv and connecting the cable line from the wall straight to your rf input...the one that a wire screws on to. and see if your analog channels are clear and if you get the same effect. If not then it will definatly be in your home wiring or a grounding issue in your home or at the tap by the road hope this helps

  • 2 Posted by ajitmichael on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I too have a problem of Vertical Green line running across the screen from top to bottom at the right hand side of the TV. It is brand new SONY 32" LCD TV. Just two weeks old. Replacement of panel is the only option or is there any alternate methods ?

  • 3 Posted by rickcain4150 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    You need to adjust your horizontal position/size screen settings, if the line disappears you are okay. if it stays there you may have a defective screen.

  • 4 Posted by essexbadgirl on Thu May 14, 2009 7:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just bought a brand new lcd tv and has only a faint picture. I somehow manage to see enough to tune the tv in, but after tuning it is still the same. I can just see enough to adjust brightness and backlight, but to no affect. I turned the tv off for awhile, and when I turned it on, a picture appears for a brief 1 second, then it goes on to a faint picture again. I tried to adjust various things on the menu, but to no avail. Anyone have any ideas?

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