8 Best Ways to Fix Monitor Goes Black While Watching Netflix
The Netflix content library is updated weekly with new shows and movies. You can take a Netflix screenshot to share your favorite scenes from a movie or show you are watching. But recently, some users reported an issue where their PC monitor screen goes black while using the streaming platform website.
It happens randomly, and it could ruin your surveillance party plans. If you are facing the same, here is a list of solutions to fix monitor turns black while watching Netflix.
1. Switch to another web browser
Starting with the basic solutions, you can try to fix this problem by switching to another web browser. For example, if you use Microsoft Edge, you can switch to Chrome or Firefox. Open the new browser, log into your Netflix account and check if the issue is resolved.
2. Check your monitor for HDCP compliance
HDCP or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection helps content streaming platforms such as Netflix to prevent possible copying of audio and video content. Content from the streaming platform must be encrypted before reaching the presentation device. In your case, the presentation device is your monitor.
If your monitor is not HDCP compliant, you are bound to face issues like black screen or no sound. This is known as the HDCP handshake problem. To avoid this, make sure your monitor has HDCP compatible ports. If you have a 4K monitor, we recommend using HDCP 2.2 compatible cables.
3. Disconnect your HDMI splitter
If you have an HDMI splitter connected to your monitor, we recommend disconnecting it. When you use an HDMI splitter, Netflix will start thinking that you are pirating its content through a capture card. Hence, you will notice the black screen issues on your monitor. Remove the separator and check if the problem is solved.
4. Disable VPN Service
You can use a VPN service to watch Netflix content that is not available in your country. But sometimes it can cause disturbance while watching that particular show or movie. So we recommend that you try switching VPN services and see if your monitor is working fine now. If the VPN service you are using stops working with Netflix, you can check out our article which suggests working solutions.
5. Disable Browser Hardware Acceleration
The next solution we suggest is to disable hardware acceleration in your browser. Hardware acceleration aims to improve the visual output of a browser by assigning graphics-intensive tasks to your system’s GPU instead of the CPU. However, it may crash an application and interfere with video streaming by turning off the monitor screen.
Follow these steps to disable hardware acceleration. We have provided steps for three popular browsers.
For Microsoft Edge
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge on your Windows system.
2nd step: Click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Click Settings from the list of options.
Step 4: In the Settings menu, go to System and performance.
Step 5: Tap the toggle next to “Use hardware acceleration when available” to turn it off.
Step 6: Close the Settings window and open Netflix to check if the issue has been resolved.
For Google Chrome
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your Windows system.
2nd step: Click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Click Settings from the list of options.
Step 4: In the Settings tab, click the search box at the top, type hardware acceleration, and press Return.
Step 5: In the options that appear on your screen, tap the toggle next to “Use hardware acceleration when available” to turn it off.
Step 6: Click Relaunch.
Step 7: After Chrome restarts, open Netflix and check if the issue is resolved.
For Firefox
Step 1: Open Firefox in your Windows system.
2nd step: Click the Settings icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Manage more settings from the list of options.
Step 4: In the Settings tab, scroll down and find the Performance section.
Step 5: Uncheck the “Use recommended performance settings” option. This will enable the hardware acceleration option.
Step 6: Check the box next to “Use hardware acceleration when available” to disable it.
Step 7: Open Netflix in a new tab to check if your monitor is still working or not.
6. Check and remove browser extensions
There are many browser extensions that claim to improve your Netflix viewing experience. But some of them could be the reason why your monitor goes black when watching Netflix because they contain bugs. You can try removing some browser extensions and see if the problem is fixed. Follow these steps to remove browser extensions. We have provided steps for three popular browsers.
Remove extensions from Microsoft Edge on Windows
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge on your computer.
2nd step: Click the Extensions icon in the upper right corner of the menu bar.
Step 3: Click Manage Extensions from the list of options.
You will see all your installed extensions on your screen.
Step 4: Click Remove under the extension name to remove it.
Step 5: Open Netflix in a new tab and check if the issue is resolved. Otherwise, repeat the steps.
Remove Chrome Extensions on Windows
Step 1: Open Chrome in your Windows system.
2nd step: Click the Extensions icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select Manage Extensions.
Step 4: Once the page showing all installed extensions opens, select one and click Remove under its name.
Step 5: Open Netflix in a new tab and check if removing extensions fixes the problem. If not, repeat the steps to remove other extensions.
Remove Firefox Extensions on Windows
Step 1: Open Firefox on your Windows system.
2nd step: Click the Settings icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Click Manage more settings from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: On the Settings pages, scroll down and find Languages & Appearance.
Step 5: Click Plugins and Themes.
Step 6: Select Extensions from now.
Step 7: After seeing all the extensions, choose the one you want to remove.
Step 8: Click on the three dots next to the blue toggle.
Step 9: Select Delete.
Step 10: Open Netflix in a new tab and check if the issue is resolved.
7. Update GPU Drivers
If you are still experiencing the issue, we recommend updating your Windows GPU driver. This will ensure that the hardware works properly with the latest or latest tested version of the software. These drivers are updated automatically. But you can also manually check for GPU driver updates and install them. Follow these steps, which are the same for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.
Step 1: Click the search field or icon, type Device Manager, and press Enter.
2nd step: In the Device Manager window, find Display Adapter and click on it.
Step 3: Right-click on the name of your graphics card.
Step 4: Click Update Driver from the list of options.
Step 5: Click Check automatically for updates.
Step 6: If an update is available, it will be downloaded and installed on your computer.
Step 7: Close the Device Manager window and open Netflix in your browser to check if the issue is resolved.
8. Download the Netflix desktop app
If nothing worked for you, we suggest downloading the official Netflix desktop app from the Microsoft Store. After downloading it, sign in with your Netflix account and see if it works.
Watch Netflix on your favorite monitor
Apart from the steps mentioned above, we also suggest you upgrade your PC monitor if you have been using the same model for a long time. You can check out our article on the best computer monitors that include Full HD and 4K options. You can choose a template based on your budget and viewing preferences.