A Hisense TV with sound but no picture is most often a failed backlight, and the independent repair guides give the same confirmation test: in a dark room press the power button and shine a phone flashlight at the screen. If you can faintly see the menu or picture, the LCD panel works and the LED backlight strips have failed, which is a repair or replacement decision rather than a settings fix. Before that, rule out the simple causes.
The checks in more detail
Press Home or Settings to confirm the TV is on, select the correct input with the Input or Source button and pause on each, check that the connected device is awake, and reseat the HDMI cable at both ends or use another cable. With no picture and no sound, disconnect the TV from the outlet and hold the TV's power button for thirty seconds, then reconnect and turn it on. Try another source, port or app to see whether the fault is one input or everything. If the picture returns on a menu or another input, the fault is upstream.
An iFixit answer thread on a Hisense that went black with sound reaches the same backlight conclusion. If the flashlight test shows nothing at all, the main board or the T-Con board may be at fault, and a repair quote should be compared with the cost of a new TV. Update the software if the TV boots, and use a factory reset only as a last resort. A photo of the screen taken with the phone camera sometimes shows a faint image the eye misses, and the photo is also useful evidence when you contact Hisense about a backlight fault.
A faint picture under the flashlight means the panel and signal are healthy and only the light behind them failed, which is why factory resets do not help and why a repair quote is the next step. Compare the state at cold start and after an hour, since a backlight that fails when warm and returns when cold points at a failing strip rather than a dead one. If the set is under warranty or a store protection plan, start the claim before paying for any diagnosis, since a paid repair first can complicate the claim.
Differential
Likely causes of “Hisense TV line has sound but no picture”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The wrong input
What separates it The screen is black but there is sound because the wrong input is selected
How to confirm Select the input that the device uses, and check for a picture
- 2
A loose or bad cable
What separates it There is no signal because the cable is loose or bad
How to confirm Reseat the cable at both ends, or replace it with another one
- 3
A failed LED backlight
What separates it A faint image shows under a flashlight because the LED backlight has failed
How to confirm Repair or replace the backlight, which is a job for a technician
- 4
A sleeping device
What separates it One source shows no signal because the device is asleep
How to confirm Wake the device with its own remote, and check the picture again
- 5
A main or T-Con board fault
What separates it Nothing shows even under a flashlight because a main or T-Con board has a fault
How to confirm Get a repair quote, since board faults need a technician to fix them
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether a menu appears on the screen when you press Home
- The result of the flashlight test in a dark room
- Whether other sources give a picture on the same TV
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck the TV is on
ReversibleCheck that the TV is on, by pressing Home, and looking for a menu on the screen.
Select the input
ReversibleSelect the input, and check each one, to see which source gives a picture, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Reseat cables
ReversibleReseat the cables at both ends, and try another cable if you have one, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Hold power for thirty seconds
ReversibleUnplug the TV and hold the power button for thirty seconds, then plug it in.
Try another source
ReversibleTry another source, to isolate whether the fault is in the TV or in the source.
Do the flashlight test
ReversibleDo the flashlight test in a dark room, by shining a light at the screen.
Get a quote
ReversibleGet a quote for a repair, if the backlight is dead, before you decide what to do.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Mini-LED
- U8N and U7N have many backlight zones, which can make a repair costlier.
- Budget
- A7N models are often cheaper to replace than to repair.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the U7N Mini-LED TV, U6N Mini-LED TV.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the flashlight shows a faint image, the backlight needs service
- !If nothing shows, consider a repair quote against replacement
- !If only one source fails, check that device
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Backlight diagnosis.
Power cycle, standby light meanings, repair costs.
Common faults and fixes.
Common issues.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does sound without picture mean?+
Sound without a picture usually means that the backlight has failed.
Can the input be wrong?+
Yes, the input can be wrong, so check that it matches the port that you used.
Is it worth repairing?+
Compare against 60 percent of a new TV.
Can a reset help?+
A reset helps only for a stuck state, and not for a hardware fault.
How do I contact Hisense?+
Use hisense-usa.com/support, where you can reach Hisense by chat, by email or by phone.
Which HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1?+
On many recent models the HDMI 2.1 ports are ports 3 and 4, so check your manual.
What is local dimming on a Hisense TV?+
Local dimming means backlight zones that adjust to the picture, to give deeper blacks in dark scenes.
Can I update a Hisense TV by USB?+
Yes, with a FAT32 drive and the firmware file that you download from Hisense for your model.
What is Anyview Cast?+
Anyview Cast is Hisense's own screen mirroring feature, for sending a phone screen to the TV.