Lines are a frightening symptom because they look like the screen itself is broken. Sometimes it is. Often it is not. A single thin line, a band of colour, a half-dark screen and a grid of lines can each come from different parts of the TV, and the difference between a board repair and a panel replacement is the difference between an affordable fix and buying a new set.
What causes lines on a TV screen?
| What you see | Usual cause | Usually repairable? |
|---|---|---|
| Lines on one input only | Cable or source device | Yes — often no TV repair needed |
| Lines that flicker or change with warm-up | T-Con board or panel ribbon connection | Usually |
| Half the screen dark or doubled | T-Con board | Usually |
| One fixed, sharp coloured line | Panel driver (COF) or panel | Sometimes |
| Lines after an impact or pressure | Physical panel damage | Rarely worth it |
| Lines plus cracks or colour bleed | Cracked panel | No — panel replacement |
The menu test
Press the Menu or Settings button on the remote. If the lines run across the TV’s own menu as well as the picture, the fault is inside the TV. If the menu is clean and the lines appear only on the set-top box or one HDMI device, the problem is the cable or the source, and the TV itself is fine. Swap the HDMI cable before anything else.
Board fault or panel damage?
- Board faults tend to be dynamic: lines flicker, move, change after the TV warms up, or disappear when the frame is pressed gently near the bottom edge.
- Panel damage tends to be static: a fixed line that never changes, often traceable to a knock, a fall or pressure on the screen.
- A line that appeared after the set was moved or remounted suggests a loosened ribbon cable, which is often repairable.
- Colour bleeding outward from one point, like ink, is internal panel damage.
What does the repair cost?
Delhi NCR market ranges for T-Con repair and, where the panel itself is damaged, panel replacement:
| Fault | 32" - 43" | 44" - 55" | 56" and above |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Con board repair or replacementHalf screen, double image, vertical lines | ₹1,500 - 4,000 | ₹2,500 - 6,500 | ₹4,000 - 12,000 |
| LED panel replacementCracked glass or internal panel damage | ₹6,000 - 18,000 | ₹17,000 - 28,000 | ₹25,000 - 48,000 |
When is it worth repairing?
A T-Con or ribbon fault is almost always worth repairing. A panel fault is worth repairing only when the panel costs well under the price of a comparable new TV — typically on large, recent, premium sets. On mid-range sets more than five years old, panel damage usually means replacement.