LED Backlight Tester: Nifty TV Repair Tool for Backlighting Problems

If your LCD/LED or Smart TV is having some screen issues like uneven brightness, unusual dimming or is totally missing images, pictures (like in the case popularly known as the black screen of death, a.k.a . BSOD) and you suspect you may be having LED backlighting problems, then one good tool you may want to consider is the LED backlight tester.

Basically, what it does is test if the LEDs are functioning normally. It can test individual LEDs or strips of LEDs that are commonly used in modern flat screen LCD TVs as the LCD panels in these TVs require suitable lighting (usually from the back) so that the images/pictures created on the screen become visible. Most models can also test LED drivers which are the parts of the TV that control the LEDs.

Quick Troubleshooting Tips

Again, the most common symptoms are unusual screen brightness issues but if you are seeing no images/pictures on the screen then you need to do a few checks to narrow down the potential causes. The screen turning black/blank does not instantly mean you have backlighting problems but it is one of the possible causes. First thing you need to do is to check if the backlights are working by turning off the lights off inside the room where the TV is. When the room is totally dark, you should be able to ascertain of the LED lights inside the TV are working by peeking through the back panel. Some models have provisions (by design or not) that can enable you to see the LED lights bleeding through holes in the TV’s back panel. In some models, you might need to remove the back cover panel to see the see the lights.

If you don’t see any lights then next step is to perform the flash light test on the black screen. By shining a flashlight on the screen, you should be able to make out the images being produced by the LCD panel if it is working correctly. If you see images on the panel upon pointing a flashlight, it further supports the potential problem with your LED backlights or the LED drivers or inverters. The LED backlight tester will come in handy in these situations.

Once sure of the problem being faulty backlighting, then you can the repair work. Please check out another post discussing an LED backlight repair/replacement on an LG LCD TV.

For more information on how to troubleshoot TVs with no pictures/images on the screen, please read the following posts:

To learn more about how to use an LED back light tester, watch the video below courtesy of ShopJimmy.