Television Repair in Nairobi, Kenya >0704843613
By Refitec Kenya | Expert TV Repair & Electronics Services in Nairobi
Is your Sony Bravia TV screen acting up? Whether you’re dealing with a black screen, flickering, lines, or distorted colours, you’re not alone. Sony Bravia TVs are among the most popular in Kenya, and like any electronics, their displays can develop problems over time. At Refitec Kenya, we repair Sony Bravia TVs every day — and in this guide, we’ve compiled the most common display issues and how to fix them.
Quick Answers at a Glance
Before diving into detailed steps, here’s a rapid-fire summary of the most common Sony Bravia display problems and their most likely fixes:
Black screen but TV is on? — Check the backlight. The T-CON board or LED backlight strips may be faulty.
Flickering or flashing screen? — Usually caused by a loose HDMI connection, failing T-CON board, or a software glitch. Try a power reset first.
Vertical or horizontal lines on screen? — This almost always points to a damaged T-CON board or a loose ribbon cable connecting the panel.
Picture too dark or no backlight? — The LED backlight strips inside the panel are likely burnt out and need replacement.
Half the screen is dark or discoloured? — Faulty T-CON board or a disconnected flat cable on the LCD panel.
Distorted or wrong colours (pink, green, or purple tint)? — Check HDMI cables first, then suspect the main board or T-CON board.
Screen has burn-in or image retention? — Enable Pixel Shift in settings. For severe burn-in, panel replacement may be necessary.
No picture but audio works fine? — Most likely a backlight failure or a defective main board not sending video signal to the panel.
Detailed Repair Guide: Sony Bravia Display Issues
1. Black Screen (TV Powers On But No Picture)
What’s happening: Your Sony Bravia turns on — you can hear sound or see the indicator light — but the screen remains completely dark.
Why it happens: This is one of the most common Sony Bravia faults. The most frequent culprits are blown LED backlight strips, a faulty power board not supplying enough voltage to the backlight, or a failing T-CON board that isn’t generating the video signal.
How to diagnose it:
Start with the flashlight test. In a dark room, shine a torch directly onto the screen. If you can faintly see a picture, the backlights have failed but the panel and main board are fine. This confirms you need backlight strip replacement.
If no image appears even with the torch, the fault may be the T-CON board or the main board. Check whether the TV responds to remote commands (volume changes, input switching) — if it does, the main board is likely working and the display chain is the problem.
Step-by-step fix:
First, unplug the TV and wait 60 seconds — this drains residual capacitor charge and can sometimes resolve temporary firmware glitches. Plug back in and test.
If the problem persists, the repair requires opening the TV. This should be done by a trained technician. At Refitec Kenya, our engineers will safely open the set, test the power board output voltage, inspect the LED backlight strips with a dedicated LED tester, and replace any blown strips or boards.
Do not attempt to open the TV yourself unless you have electronics repair experience. Sony Bravia panels are delicate, and incorrect handling can crack the LCD.
2. Flickering or Flashing Screen
What’s happening: The screen flickers, flashes repeatedly, or blinks at random intervals — sometimes at startup, sometimes continuously.
Why it happens: Flickering is commonly caused by a loose or damaged HDMI cable, an unstable power supply to the backlight, a failing T-CON board, or a software issue in the TV’s firmware.
How to diagnose it:
Begin with the simplest checks. Swap out your HDMI or AV cable with a known good one. Test a different input source. If the flickering stops, the cable or the source device was the problem.
Next, try a factory reset. Go to Settings > Device Preferences > Reset > Factory Data Reset. Note that this will erase your settings.
If flickering occurs even on the home screen before any input is selected, the problem is internal — not the cable or source — and points to the T-CON board or power supply board.
Step-by-step fix:
For software-related flickering, update your Sony Bravia’s firmware via Settings > Device Preferences > About > System Software Update. Ensure the TV is connected to Wi-Fi first.
If firmware updates and cable swaps don’t help, the T-CON board will need to be inspected and likely replaced. At Refitec Kenya, we stock T-CON boards for a wide range of Sony Bravia models and can replace them same-day for most common sizes.
3. Vertical or Horizontal Lines on Screen
What’s happening: You can see one or more thin or thick lines running across or down the screen. They may be white, black, coloured, or a combination.
Why it happens: Lines on a Sony Bravia screen almost always indicate either a damaged T-CON board or a loose/damaged flat ribbon cable that connects the T-CON board to the LCD panel. In more severe cases, the panel itself may have a physical crack or internal fault.
How to diagnose it:
Press gently on the back of the TV near the lines. If the lines shift or temporarily disappear under light pressure, it’s almost certainly a loose ribbon cable — a relatively inexpensive fix.
If the lines are static and don’t respond to pressure, the T-CON board is the more likely suspect.
Step-by-step fix:
This repair requires accessing the back panel of the TV. A technician will remove the back cover, locate the T-CON board (usually a long board at the top centre of the panel), and reseat all ribbon cables — pressing the connectors firmly back into place.
If reseating doesn’t fix the lines, the T-CON board is replaced. At Refitec Kenya, we test before and after replacement to confirm the repair is successful before closing the set.
4. Dark Screen or Dim Backlight
What’s happening: The picture is visible but unusually dark — not a settings issue. The backlight appears weak or fading, especially on the edges or one side.
Why it happens: LED backlight strips degrade over time. In Sony Bravia TVs, individual LEDs within a strip can burn out, causing dark patches or an overall dim picture. A faulty power board may also be underdelivering voltage to the backlight circuit.
How to diagnose it:
First, rule out settings. Go to Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Brightness and Backlight. Set both to maximum. If the picture is still unusually dim, it’s a hardware fault.
Check whether the dimness is uniform or localised. Uneven dimness (dark on one side or top/bottom) points to specific LED strip failures in those zones.
Step-by-step fix:
LED backlight strip replacement is one of the most common repairs we perform at Refitec Kenya. The technician opens the TV, carefully removes the LCD panel (without bending it), pulls out the diffuser layers, and replaces the damaged LED strips with compatible replacements.
The repair typically takes two to four hours. We use quality replacement strips compatible with your specific Bravia model to ensure longevity.
5. Half Screen Dark or Split Picture
What’s happening: One half of the Sony Bravia screen — left, right, top, or bottom — is noticeably darker or discoloured compared to the other half.
Why it happens: This pattern is a strong indicator of a T-CON board fault. The T-CON board has separate signal paths for different sections of the screen, and when one side fails, only that half is affected. It can also result from a disconnected flat cable on one side of the panel.
How to diagnose it:
If the split is perfectly symmetrical (exactly left or right half), it’s almost certainly T-CON. If the boundary is irregular, it could be a panel fault or a partially disconnected ribbon cable.
Step-by-step fix:
A technician opens the TV, inspects the T-CON board for visible damage such as burnt components or swollen capacitors, and checks the ribbon cables on both sides. If the T-CON board is at fault, it is replaced with a compatible unit. This is one of the more affordable major display repairs.
6. Wrong Colours — Pink, Green, or Purple Tint
What’s happening: The entire picture has an unnatural colour cast — commonly a pink, purple, or green tint over the whole screen.
Why it happens: Colour distortion is often caused by a damaged HDMI cable or a loose connection. If cables are fine, the problem may lie with the main board or, less commonly, the T-CON board failing to process colour signals correctly.
How to diagnose it:
Swap the HDMI cable and test with a different source device. If the tint disappears, the cable was faulty. If the tint appears on all inputs — including the TV’s built-in apps with no external source connected — the fault is internal.
Check the picture settings (Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Advanced Settings > Colour) to rule out an accidental calibration change.
Step-by-step fix:
If the issue is internal, a technician will test the signal path from the main board to the T-CON board using diagnostic tools. In most cases, either the main board or T-CON board requires replacement. At Refitec Kenya, we run full diagnostics before replacing any board to avoid unnecessary costs.
7. Screen Burn-In or Image Retention
What’s happening: A ghost image of a previously displayed item — such as a channel logo, a game HUD, or a news ticker — remains permanently or semi-permanently visible on the screen.
Why it happens: Burn-in is more common in OLED Sony Bravia models, where individual pixels can degrade at different rates due to prolonged static images. LCD/LED models can experience image retention (temporary), which usually resolves on its own.
How to diagnose it:
Display a solid white or grey screen and observe whether the ghosted image is visible. If it disappears after a few minutes, it’s temporary image retention. If it remains, it is true burn-in.
Step-by-step fix:
For image retention on LCD models, enable Pixel Shift via Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Advanced Settings > Motion > Pixel Shift. Run the built-in screen refresh cycle if your model supports it.
For true burn-in, especially on OLED panels, the panel itself will need replacement — a significant repair. Contact Refitec Kenya for an assessment and quote before deciding whether repair or replacement is the more economical path.
8. No Picture But Sound Works Fine
What’s happening: You can hear audio clearly — the TV is responding to remotes and menus — but the screen shows nothing.
Why it happens: When sound works but video doesn’t, the main board is sending audio successfully but the display chain has failed. The most common cause is backlight failure (same as issue 1 above). Less commonly, the main board’s LVDS output (the connection sending video to the T-CON) has failed.
How to diagnose it:
Perform the flashlight test described in issue 1. If a faint picture is visible under the torch, backlight strips are the cause. If no image appears at all, the main board or T-CON board needs assessment.
Step-by-step fix:
Follow the backlight strip replacement procedure if the flashlight test is positive. If it’s negative, the technician will test the LVDS output voltage from the main board. Depending on findings, either the main board or T-CON board is replaced.
When to Call a Professional
While some basic checks — cable swaps, factory resets, firmware updates — can be done at home, most Sony Bravia display repairs require professional tools and experience. Opening the TV without proper knowledge risks cracking the panel, damaging ribbon cables, or creating electrical hazards.
At Refitec Kenya, we offer:
Comprehensive Sony Bravia diagnosis for all panel sizes and model years. Same-day or next-day repairs for most common display faults. Genuine-compatible replacement parts including T-CON boards, LED backlight strips, and main boards. A repair warranty on all completed jobs. Convenient pick-up and drop-off services across Nairobi.
Book a Repair with Refitec Kenya
Don’t let a display fault ruin your viewing experience. Whether your Sony Bravia has a black screen, persistent lines, colour issues, or backlight problems, our technicians have seen it and fixed it.
Visit us at our Nairobi workshop or contact us today for a free diagnosis estimate.
📍 Refitec Kenya — Electronics Repair Specialists, Nairobi 📞 Contact us to book your repair appointment 🌐 Ask about our same-day Sony Bravia repair service
Keywords: Sony Bravia screen repair Kenya, Sony Bravia black screen fix Nairobi, Sony Bravia flickering screen repair, Sony Bravia lines on screen, Sony Bravia backlight replacement Kenya, TV repair Nairobi, Refitec Kenya Sony TV repair