Troubleshooting

Common Problems

Power Outage - No Picture or Sound

A common problem I have found occurs after a power outage, even just for a power glitch. When the power goes out, the cable box turns off. It does not turn itself back on when the power returns. The TV will come on and displays will work, but you will not get a picture or sound.*

Frozen Picture

If you have a satellite receiver or cable box, unplug it from the power for 2-3 minutes. Plug it back in. You will need to wait for it to resent once you plug it back in. If you are using an antenna, try a different channel. *

Distorted Picture

Try different inputs. Does the DVD picture look good? Does the cable picture look good? VCR? If only one input is affected, the problem is not with your TV, but with the source. *

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No Picture

Most televisions have a light in the front. Is it lit? Take your remote and try to adjust the volume. Do you see anything on the screen? Press the "display" or "info" bottom on your remote. Do you see anything on the screen? If you get any displays the set is most likely working. Check to see if your cable box or satellite receiver is turned on. "Display" will also tell you which input is selected. Try several inputs.

If there is not light at all, check to see if the TV is plugged in and try another electrical outlet. Listen for any clicks when you plug in the cord. If you have no clicks and no lights you need to call for service.

Most televisions have self diagnostics. Most are with lights on the front of the set. You may have some blinking lights. If you do, check to see which light is blinking and if there is a pattern to the blinks. Having this information when you call for service can expedite your service. *

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HD doesn't look that good or I don't seem to get HD

I have seen many setups incorrectly installed. If you have HD cable or HD satellite, you must be connected via component video or HDMI to get HD. You can not get HD through S-Video or composite video. *

NO Sound

If you have a satellite receiver or cable box, unplug it from the power for 2-3 minutes. Plug it back in. You will need to wait for it to resent once you plug it back in.
There are many settings that can cause the sound to be off. Many of these will show a display on the screen. It might say "MUTE". Try to change the volume. You may see a message which indicates a problem. Try different inputs. If some inputs work the problem is most likely outside the TV. *

Strange behavior from the TV

For anything out of the ordinary, step 1, unplug the TV for 10 minutes. Reconnect and try again. This will solve many problems. If that did not work, step 2 is to unplug the TV overnight. Yes, this really does work quite often! *

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* If you need to call for service, please also get the model number and serial number. These are found on the back of the set. Also, your date of purchase will be needed if there is any warranty.