Mitsubishi TV Problems: 7 Most-Common Issues (Solved)

Most people know the Mitsubishi brand as an automobile name, but did you know they make TVs too? From what we can tell, Mitsubishi TVs are a solid middle-of-the-line pick, but they do have several common problems associated with them.

Let’s take a look at the 7 most common problems with Mitsubishi TVs, so you can decide if they’re worth purchasing for your needs or not:

Table of Contents

Lines on the Screen: What Are these Lines Doing on my Picture?

One of the more commonly reported—and particularly frustrating—issues with Mitsubishi TVs is an error that causes any number of vertical lines to appear on your screen.

The TV will otherwise still function as intended, but with ugly lines overlaid on top of whatever you’re watching.

While this issue doesn’t technically prevent you from using your TV, it does present a constant irritation and an obstacle to an unimpeded viewing experience.

Sure, you can watch your favorite movies and shows despite the lines, but do you really want to? Is the TV really worth the money you paid for it with these ugly lines in the way?

The only fix that we know of for this issue is to send your TV in for repairs. If it’s still under warranty, you should get a free repair, though you will have to wait for your TV to be shipped to the company, repaired or replaced, and shipped back to you.

Display Issues: Why Won’t My Screen Turn On?

A particularly debilitating issue with any TV is when the screen won’t power on at all.

At least with the lines on the screen, you can still watch TV, but if the display won’t even turn on, your TV is basically useless.

From what we can tell, this issue is generally caused by a fault in the TV’s motherboard. Often, the screen itself is in perfect condition, but a fault with the board prevents it from powering on, causing the LED light to blink several times instead whenever you try to turn it on.

This can be solved by replacing the motherboard, another fix that should be free if your TV is still under warranty.

Some users have reported still having problems even after their board was replaced. If you’re unlucky enough to be in this position, the good news is customer support should still be able to help you as long as you’re under warranty, and you might end up getting your TV replaced altogether if it fails again after a repair.

The bad news, of course, is that you’ll have to wait even longer before you have a functioning TV again.

Fragile Screen: Why Does my TV Look Like it Has a Thousand Papercuts?

Another complaint we’ve seen crop up around Mitsubishi TVs is that the screen is damaged very easily, just from normal use and sitting around your home.

This won’t be evident right away, but after a few weeks, months, or a year or two of use out of your TV and subtle damage can accumulate to the point of affecting your picture quality.

This apparently happens from exposure to dust, tiny particles of which are enough to damage the fragile screen surfaces of Mitsubishi TVs over time.

If you live in an immaculately cleaned environment and take pains to keep it that way, you might not have to worry about this issue, but dust is omnipresent to some extent in just about any human-inhabited environment, so it can be difficult to impossible to avoid altogether.

Can I Have It Fixed?

It’s unclear if this issue would be covered by a warranty or not.

You might have some luck, or your claim might be refused and chalked up to user-end damage; we just can’t say for certain.

What is certain is that if you seek to replace the screen out of your own pocket, you’d be better off just buying a new TV, as the cost of a screen replacement is often more than the price of a new television.

The best fix for this issue is preventative, meaning you have to plan ahead for it to work. If you plan on purchasing a Mitsubishi TV, you might want to consider investing in a screen protector or dust screen of some kind to protect the TV’s delicate screen from this kind of damage.

Frequent cleaning of your TV can also help, but be sure to use a non-abrasive cleaner and microfiber cloth designed for use on electronic screens. Even then, you’re probably best off protecting it in some way beyond just regular cleanings, as damage will still slowly accumulate over time.

External Sound Issues: Why Won’t my TV Play Through my Speakers?

Do you have a fancy soundbar, surround sound system, or another external speaker setup?

Great!

Hope you like ignoring your fancy setup and using the onboard speakers instead whenever you watch TV.

That is to say, another common problem with certain models of Mitsubishi TVs is that they will refuse to accept external sound systems when watching broadcast television.

This seems to be an oddly specific problem in that your external setup will work fine for DVD players, video games, etc, but not broadcast television.

There doesn’t really seem to be a fix for this issue, as it appears to be an inherent flaw in certain Mitsubishi TV models.

According to many reviews, the onboard speakers feature good quality sound, so if you don’t want to bother with external setups anyway, or you primarily intend to use the TV for gaming, watching DVDs, or other uses, then this might not be an issue for you.

But if you like to channel-surf and consider yourself an audiophile who loves using extra gadgets to get the best sound possible, this could be a dealbreaker.

Flimsy Construction and Damage on Arrival: Why Is my Brand-New TV Already Broken?

We’ve already mentioned the fragile screens of many Mitsubishi TVs and how they’re easily damaged by something as simple and ubiquitous as dust, but the low build quality doesn’t end there.

Some users report that their TVs are damaged very easily from general wear and tear, and some even claim to have received brand-new TVs already in a broken state!

As such, we recommend you purchase your Mitsubishi TV from a retailer you trust, and who has a robust return policy for broken items, because there’s a decent chance you’ll need to make use of such a policy if you’re unlucky enough to be one of the customers who gets a TV damaged on arrival.

Furthermore, the build quality is something to take into consideration in terms of your living conditions. If you have a stable, secure location to tuck your TV into such as an entertainment center, and don’t have any pets or small children who might bump into, knock over, or otherwise play rough with your TV, then a Mitsubishi model may still work for you.

However, if you live in a more chaotic environment or are particularly clumsy and accident-prone, you’re probably better off looking for a sturdier brand.

Insufficient Number of Signal Ports: Why Can’t I Plug More Devices into my TV?

This is a relatively minor problem that will only affect certain kinds of users, but it’s worth mentioning at least briefly for those who tend to plug a lot of devices into their TV.

The number of ports will vary from one model to another, but in general, we see reviewers complaining that there just aren’t enough of them compared to similar TVs on the market, with one Mitsubishi model featuring only two HDMI ports and one AV/component port.

If you just want to watch TV and maybe plug in a DVD player, this won’t present a problem for you.

However, if you’re the kind of person who wants your satellite/cable box, DVD player, multiple game systems, and so on all plugged into your TV at once, then you’ll either have to make peace with frequently unplugging and re-plugging devices when you swap from one to another, or look for a different TV with more ports.