While TVs are a great way to catch up on your favorite shows and movies, having a broken TV can ruin the experience of streaming. Whether your TV broke in an accident, or it’s just worn out, you’re probably wondering how you can fix it. 

If your TV has huge and deep cracks, buying a new TV is often cheaper than paying to get the screen fixed. If the cracks are small, you can use an LCD repair kit or a pencil eraser. 

The most common reason people wonder how they can fix a broken TV is when the screen is cracked. Cracked TVs are one of the most complicated things to fix as they require a large amount of maintenance. In this article, we will discuss steps you can take to fix a broken TV screen as well as when it might be better to just get a new TV. 

Use a Dry Pencil Eraser 

A dry pencil eraser can do wonders for cracks and scratches on a TV screen. Before getting started though, you need to take a soft nonabrasive cloth and run it over the TV screen. Make sure the cracks you see are not broken glass. 

If you feel any broken glass or rough edges, the cracks are often too deep inside the screen and cannot be fixed with a pencil eraser. 

If you don’t feel any rough edges or indents, you can use the pencil eraser method: 

  • Make sure the pencil eraser is clean and dry. Gently rub the scratches and cracks. Remove the eraser debris as it comes off.After a minute, check and see if there are results. If there are no results, this method probably won’t work. If you do see results, continue rubbing over the marks until they are completely faded or filled in.

Keep in mind that some marks might not be able to be completely filled in or covered. If they are not filled in after a few minutes, you probably need an alternative method to fix the cracks.

Use an LCD Repair Kit

You can find LCD scratch repair kits from online vendors or tech shops. They usually only cost about $20 so they are a cost-effective way to fix minor scratches on a TV screen. 

Each kit might work a little differently or have different components so make sure to read the instructions and follow them closely to get the best results. 

Use a Soft Cloth 

If you are experiencing issues with pixels rather than scratches and cracks, you can use a narrow object and a soft non-abrasive cloth to try and fix them. The best thing to use is a pencil, but it can be any object with a narrow and dull tip. 

Follow these steps:

  • Wrap the pencil or object you’re using in the soft cloth. Rub each of the pixels gently. This might help to wake them up and work again. Rubbing too hard can damage the pixels further, so make sure to be as gentle as possible.

Keep in mind that sometimes seeing dead pixels on your screen means there is a serious internal issue on the inside of the TV. 

If this method doesn’t work, you might need to get a new TV or call a professional. 

Use Your Warranty 

If you pull your TV out of the box and the screen is broken, then it was most likely cracked and smashed during transit. You should contact the company’s customer support right away and tell them about the situation. 

In most scenarios, the warranty will cover a replacement as long as the TV was broken before it reached you. 

Call a Repair Person 

If the TV is heavily cracked or damaged, you might not be able to fix it yourself. This is especially the case if the cracks are deep and the inside components of the TV are damaged as well. If the TV screen is completely shattered though, most repair shops and repair people will not even want to work on it. 

This is because it’s a long job that is usually a waste of time. The cost you will pay to repair an entire screen is also around the same cost as getting a new TV. 

Buy a New TV 

When the cost of repairing a screen ends up being about the same as buying a new TV, you should always just get a new TV. This way you don’t need to worry about the screen breaking again. 

With your new TV, you should make sure to get a screen protector and mount the TV securely to the wall. 

Final Thoughts 

When the TV has small surface cracks, you can use a pencil eraser and soft cloth to fix them. When the damage is large, you can get a repair person or you can buy a new TV, whichever is more cost-effective.