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Invalid Format

LG "Invalid Format" on Smart TV: resolution not supported

Verified with sources1 sourceReviewed Oct 4, 2026
Technician coming? See the 2 steps they must show you
Flat-screen smart TV
Samsung BelgiumCC BY 2.0Image source

Risk level

Low

Usually safe to check without specialist tools.

Urgency

Low

Quick answer

Your LG TV is receiving a resolution it does not support from the connected device (player, console, set-top box). Check the manual or spec sheet for the resolutions your model accepts and lower the output resolution in the external device's menu.

Safety first

Stop and check this first

  • Do not open the TV over this message: LG puts it down to the connected device's resolution, which is changed from that device's menu.

Safe checks you can perform

  • Check which resolutions your TV supports
  • Change the output resolution of the external device
  • Example with an LG Blu-ray player
  • If the message appears with a game console

Leave these tasks to a qualified professional

  • Do not attempt this professional task: Query with LG support
  • Do not attempt this professional task: Support from the connected device's maker

What a technician must be able to justify

Technician visit

These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.

These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.

  1. Query with LG support

    What they doIf the message appears even though the device sends a resolution your model supports according to its spec sheet, LG support reviews the case with the exact model.

    They must show youwhich resolutions your model supports on each HDMI input.

    In writingthe case number and the resolution or setting they recommend.

  2. Support from the connected device's maker

    What they doIf you cannot find how to change the output resolution on the player, console or set-top box, its maker or your TV provider tells you the right setting.

    They must show youwhere the device's output resolution setting is.

    In writingthe resolution set and the date of the change.

Before accepting a part or repair

Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.

Follow these steps

Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.

  1. Check which resolutions your TV supports

    No special tools

    Who:
    you, with the TV model number to hand.
    How:
    find the model on the label at the back of the TV and open its owner's manual or spec sheet on the LG website. Note the list of resolutions supported on the HDMI inputs.
    Result that matters:
    knowing which resolutions your specific model can display.
    If the device's resolution is not on the list:
    change it on the external device.
    If the resolution is on the list:
    check the device's output settings and, for a console, its specific settings.
    Evidence to keep:
    the TV model and its list of supported resolutions.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

  2. Change the output resolution of the external device

    No special tools

    Who:
    you, with the remote of the connected device.
    How:
    open the menu of the player, set-top box or console and find the output resolution setting. Pick a resolution that appears on your TV's list and save the change.
    Result that matters:
    the TV showing a picture without the format message.
    If the picture appears:
    the device was sending a resolution the TV did not support.
    If the message stays with every supported resolution:
    note the device and setting used and contact LG.
    Evidence to keep:
    a photo of the message and of the resolution setting chosen.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

  3. Example with an LG Blu-ray player

    No special tools

    Who:
    you, with the player's remote.
    How:
    press HOME on the LG Blu-ray remote, go to SETUP and then DISPLAY. Scroll down to RESOLUTION and pick the one that suits your TV best, following the steps LG gives.
    Result that matters:
    seeing how output is set on an LG device, as a guide for other devices.
    If the player shows a picture:
    keep that resolution saved.
    If your device is another brand:
    look for the same setting in its menu or manual.
    Evidence to keep:
    the resolution chosen on the player.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

  4. If the message appears with a game console

    No special tools

    Who:
    you, in the console's video settings.
    How:
    LG points to its articles on incorrect TV resolution from an Xbox and on HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color. Check the console's output resolution and look up those articles in the LG help library for your model.
    Result that matters:
    ruling out a specific console or HDMI setting as the cause.
    If adjusting the console clears the message:
    keep that configuration.
    If it still appears:
    contact the console's support or LG with the details you noted.
    Evidence to keep:
    the console model and the video settings tried.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

Still not solved

If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.

Where this code applies

A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.

Primary scope

System
TVs
Brand
LG
Product type
Smart TV

Known code variants

  • Format Not Supported
  • Formato no compatible
  • Formato no válido
  • Invalid Format
  • LG format not supported
  • LG formato no válido
  • LG invalid format
  • LG TV format not supported HDMI
  • LG TV formato no compatible HDMI
  • LG TV formato no válido
  • LG TV invalid format
  • LG TV invalid format HDMI

What it means

LG explains the "Invalid Format" or "Format Not Supported" message as an error that appears when the output resolution of the connected device is set to something the TV cannot support. Supported resolutions vary from model to model, so LG points you to the owner's manual or spec sheet of your TV. Its fix is to change the external device's output to a compatible resolution. The message alone never proves that the TV or the device has a faulty part: it describes a format mismatch between the two.

Warnings and stop conditions

  • Loweditorial warning

    Do not open the TV over this message: LG puts it down to the connected device's resolution, which is changed from that device's menu.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

Symptoms and causes

Probable causes · in order

  • Output resolution the TV does not supportCommon

    LG says the error appears when the external device's output resolution is set to a value the TV cannot display.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

  • Resolution outside your model's listPossible

    Supported resolutions vary by model; a setting that works on another TV may not work on yours, according to the LG spec sheet or manual.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

  • Video settings on a game consolePossible

    For consoles such as Xbox, LG points to its articles on console resolution and HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color, which also affect the format received.

    Evidence: Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

Virtual technician

Does Invalid Format still appear after these checks?

Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.

Start diagnosis

Sources and technical references

  1. 1

    Invalid Format or Format Not Supported

    LG · 2026 · official_doc

Sources: Invalid Format or Format Not Supportedreviewed 2026-10-04 · verified

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