Every fault below comes from real call-outs across Durban and surrounding areas. Some have a quick check you can try yourself before booking anyone — where that's true, we say so. When a visit is needed, the diagnosis is done with a signal meter, quoted before work starts, and covered by our 12-month workmanship warranty. New to this part? Start with the screen panel component guide.
1. Cracked or physically damaged screen
What you'll see: A visible crack, spreading ink-like bleed, or a section of the picture permanently black or discoloured after an impact.
Why it happens: Physical impact — a fall, a knock, or pressure applied to the panel.
How we fix it: We confirm the exact panel part number and its availability, quote the replacement honestly against the TV's age and value, and only proceed once you've approved the fixed price.
Full cracked or physically damaged screen troubleshooting guide →
2. Vertical or horizontal lines on screen
What you'll see: One or more thin coloured or white lines running across the picture, present on every source and every input.
Why it happens: A damaged ribbon cable or connector between the panel and the T-Con board (often repairable), or — less commonly — a genuine panel fault.
How we fix it: We check the ribbon connections first, since that fix costs a fraction of a panel, and only recommend panel replacement once a panel-level fault is confirmed.
Full vertical or horizontal lines on screen troubleshooting guide →
3. Dead pixels or a patch of discolouration
What you'll see: A small cluster of pixels stuck black, white or a single colour, or a patch of the screen with a visible discolouration.
Why it happens: Localised panel damage, sub-pixel failure, or — on OLED — early localised burn-in.
How we fix it: We assess the size and location of the affected area against the panel's cost and the TV's remaining useful life, and give you the honest repair-vs-live-with-it comparison.
Full dead pixels or a patch of discolouration troubleshooting guide →
4. OLED burn-in / image retention
What you'll see: A faint "ghost" of a logo, news ticker or static UI element visible even when different content plays.
Why it happens: Prolonged display of a static image, common with news channels, game HUDs or channel logos left on screen for long periods.
How we fix it: Mild retention often improves with the panel's built-in pixel-refresh cycle run overnight; genuine burn-in is permanent, and we'll tell you plainly which one you have before recommending anything.
Symptom doesn't match any of these?
Faults overlap — a "screen panel problem" is sometimes another link in the chain wearing a disguise. Describe what your system is doing on 069 423 8290 (or WhatsApp a photo of the error screen) and we'll tell you which component it actually sounds like, free, before anything is booked.