Sony's Picture and Screen FAQ lists adjusting the picture settings, HDR compatibility, and a picture that looks stretched or cut off. For wrong colors start with the picture mode: Vivid oversaturates, and Custom, Cinema or Professional are more accurate; reset the picture settings from the Picture menu. Check Color, Tint and Color temperature, and set Color temperature to Expert 1 or Warm for the most natural look. Check Color space and Live Color, which increase saturation. If the picture is green, purple or washed out on HDMI, swap the HDMI cable and port and reboot the device, as Sony's black-screen steps advise; check the source's color format and range, and set HDMI signal format to Enhanced for 4K HDR.
Check HDR: HDR content shown without the TV's HDR setting looks flat and gray.
The checks in more detail
Sony's HDR compatibility article explains which models support HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision. Compare the same photo on another device, since a file can be at fault. Restart the TV, update the software and start in Safe Mode to rule out an app that changes settings. If the picture has stripes or persistent tints, the panel may need service. Use a calibration disc or the built-in test patterns for careful adjustment. Reset to factory only if settings have been changed many times. Show the same photo on a second display.
If both look alike the file is the cause, and if only the TV differs, settings, cable or panel are. If colors change when you swap the HDMI cable, the cable or port is the cause, and if they change with the app, the app is.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sony BRAVIA TV line colors look wrong, washed out or tinted”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Vivid or Live Color
What separates it The colors look oversaturated because Vivid or Live Color is selected
How to confirm Choose Custom or Cinema mode, which give more natural colors
- 2
A bad HDMI cable
What separates it The picture has a green or purple tint because an HDMI cable is bad
How to confirm Swap the cable and the port, and see whether the tint follows the cable
- 3
Wrong HDR or color range
What separates it The picture looks washed out or gray because of the wrong HDR or color range
How to confirm Match the source and the TV settings for HDR and for the color range
- 4
An app changing settings
What separates it The colors drift because an app is changing the settings
How to confirm Use Safe Mode to test whether a downloaded app is changing the settings
- 5
A panel fault
What separates it There are stripes or a persistent tint because of a panel fault
How to confirm Contact Sony service, since stripes and a fixed tint point to a panel fault
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The source and the cable that you are using
- Whether other sources look fine on the same TV
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedChoose Custom or Cinema
ReversibleChoose Custom or Cinema mode, and reset the picture settings to their defaults, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Set color temperature
ReversibleSet the color temperature to Warm or Expert 1, for a more natural look, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Swap HDMI cable and port
ReversibleSwap the HDMI cable and the port, to isolate which of them is causing the tint.
Check HDR
ReversibleCheck HDR, and make sure that the TV and the source both handle it consistently.
Use Safe Mode
ReversibleUse Safe Mode to rule out a downloaded app as the cause of the color changes.
Update the software
ReversibleUpdate the software on the TV, and then retest the colors with the same source.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Triluminos
- BRAVIA models use Triluminos color with different panels.
- QD-OLED
- The A95L uses QD-OLED with its own color behavior.
- Picture modes on the Bravia 8
- Sony's Cinema and Custom modes give the most accurate color, and Vivid exaggerates. IMAX Enhanced content has its own mode. Turn off Light sensor and Eco options while adjusting, and use Reality Creation sparingly, since it sharpens and can add edges.
- HDR and Dolby Vision
- If the picture is dim in HDR, check that the source outputs HDR and that the HDMI input is set to Enhanced format. Dolby Vision content selects its own profile; confirm that the TV shows the Dolby Vision logo. Reset and adjust one setting at a time.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models A80L, A90J, A95L, BRAVIA 2 II LED TV, BRAVIA 5 Mini LED TV, BRAVIA 7 Mini LED TV, BRAVIA 8 II QD-OLED TV, BRAVIA 9 Mini LED TV, X85K, X900H, X90L, X95L.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If stripes or a tint persist on every source, contact Sony
- !If only one source is wrong, check its settings
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Index of Google TV help articles.
Restart, reset settings, update, Safe Mode and Clear data.
Google TV help topics.
Power cord, reset, TV button and external devices.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Which mode is accurate?+
Custom, Cinema or Professional are the most accurate picture modes.
What is Live Color?+
Live Color is a saturation boost, which makes colors look stronger than they are.
Can HDR look flat?+
Yes, HDR can look flat, if the settings on the TV and the source do not match.
Can an app change settings?+
Yes, an app can change the picture settings, so try Safe Mode to test.
Which Bravia 8 mode is most accurate?+
Cinema or Custom.
Why does HDR look dim?+
The input format or the source's HDR setting.