Samsung TV Sound But No Picture: I Fixed It Within Minutes

Last week, the screen of my 60-inch Samsung smart TV went black all of a sudden.

I was watching a movie on Netflix and as soon as I switched to Disney Plus, the picture disappeared. This was a little weird because I could still hear the sound of the previews playing on the Disney Plus home screen.

At first, I thought something was wrong with Disney Plus. So I tried navigating to the home screen. The screen still stayed black.

Not wanting to give up, I sat down to troubleshoot the issue.

I tried turning the TV off and on. Even tried to cast a video from my phone. But all I was able to get was the sound. There was no picture on my Samsung TV.

After a couple more attempts, I tried a hack that I had used when my old LG TV wasn’t turning on. And surprisingly, it worked with the Samsung TV as well.

Just like that, I was back to watching movies in a couple of minutes.

If your Samsung TV has sound but no picture, you need to perform a power cycle reset of your TV. To reset your Samsung TV, unplug the TV from the power source, press the power button on the TV for 60 seconds, plug the TV back in, and turn it on.

What Causes the Black Screen Issue on Samsung TV

The black screen issue is a common problem with Samsung TVs. During this, the TV’s screen either goes completely black or flickers on with a faint light.

Many times, the black screen issue may happen only on a particular app or input source, or it may affect the entire TV. You may or may not be able to hear sound from your TV during this time.

The common causes and solutions of the Samsung TV black screen are shared in the table below.

Cause of No Picture on the TV	Why it Happens	How to Fix
Power supply issues	A sudden power surge causes the backlights to malfunction	Soft reset the TV
Loose or damaged cables	TV is not able to receive signals from other connected devices	Unplug and re-attach all the cables firmly, replace the cables if damaged
Outdated software	Outdated software causes compatibility issues in the TV	Update the TV’s software to the latest version
Damaged backlight	There is not enough backlight to display an image on the screen	Repair or replace the backlight LEDs

Depending on whether you are able to see some part of the screen or it’s completely black, you can apply the relevant fix to get the picture back on your Samsung TV.

Power Cycling Your Samsung TV

A power cycle reset, or a soft reset, forces your Samsung TV to start fresh. It clears any temporary data or settings which may be affecting the TV’s performance.

To reset your Samsung TV:

Unplug the TV from the power source.
Press the Power button on the TV for 60 seconds.
Plug the TV back in.
Turn the TV on using the power button on the TV.

When you press the power button with the TV unplugged, it drains any residual power in the TV and forces it to reset.

A power cycle reset does not affect any of your custom settings or installed apps. Hence, it is the safest and quickest option to fix your Samsung TV.

Note: In case your Samsung TV won’t turn on, check if there are any defects in the power cable. You need to replace the power cable if it is cut or damaged.

Re-connect the Cables to Your Samsung TV

Sometimes, your Samsung TV may not be able to display a picture if the connection between your TV and your set-top box is not correct.

If you are using a set-top box or any other input source connected via an HDMI cable with your Samsung TV, you need to check for loose connections, faulty cables, or faulty HDMI ports.

Remove all the cables from your TV and the connected devices.
Inspect the cables for external cuts or damages.
Replace the cables if damaged.
If the cables are in good condition, reconnect them to your TV.

Note: Make sure you plug all the cables in firmly.

Once done, turn on your Samsung TV to check if it has any pictures.

In case the TV still does not show any picture, remove the HDMI cable again and insert it into a different HDMI port.

If you are able to get the picture back after this, it means the HDMI port to which the cable was connected previously is damaged. You can then get it replaced whenever possible.

Factory Reset Your Samsung TV

A factory reset will delete all your custom preferences and also remove all the installed apps from your TV. So, you should only perform a factory reset after you have tried the other fixes.

To factory reset your Samsung TV:

Press Home on your Samsung TV remote.
Navigate to Settings.
Click on General.
Click on Reset.
Enter your security PIN.

Note: If you have never set a security PIN, the default PIN will be 0000.

Your Samsung TV will reset to its factory version.

Once your TV turns on, you will need to go through the set-up and activation process to start watching your Samsung TV again.

If the screen of your Samsung TV is completely black, performing a factory reset can be a challenging task.

In this case, first, point a flashlight toward your TV screen. If you are able to see the display faintly, you can navigate through the settings and factory reset your Samsung TV.

Check Whether Your Samsung TV’s Backlight is Damaged

The backlight LED strips of your TV are responsible for displaying a picture on the screen. If these LED strips are damaged, your TV won’t get enough light to display a picture, thus causing a black screen.

To identify whether your Samsung TV has damaged backlight LEDs, you can perform the flashlight test.

Turn on your Samsung TV.
Shine a flashlight on any part of the screen.

Note: You can even use the flashlight from your mobile.

Move the light all over the screen.
Look out for any flickering or faded images on the screen.

If you see any kind of flickering when you shine a flashlight on the screen, it means your Samsung TV does have a picture, but the backlight is damaged.

In case your best option is to contact Samsung Support and get your TV repaired.

It’s Easy to Fix Your Samsung TV

Once I got the picture back on my Samsung TV, I was overjoyed to be able to enjoy my favorite movies again.

For some of you, a simple power cycle reset may not work. You may need to replace the cables or some components of your Samsung TV to get it working again.

But one thing’s for sure, if you apply the right fix, it’s easy to solve the issues with your Samsung TV.

To help you fix your Samsung TV, I have put together a list of common issues and their possible fixes.

Samsung TV Issues	How to Fix
No picture on the screen – with or without sound	Power cycle the TV, reconnect the cables, perform a factory reset
No sound from TV – with or without a picture	Check volume settings, check audio connections, reset sound settings
TV is not able to connect to Wi-Fi	Restart the router, reset network settings, update the TV’s software
The image is distorted	Perform a picture test, adjust or reset the picture settings
An app is not working	Clear app cache, update the app, delete and reinstall the app
Remote control not working	Replace the batteries, reset the remote control

If you encounter any other issues with your Samsung TVs, you can always contact Samsung Support for assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the Samsung SmartThings app with my Samsung TV?

To use the Samsung SmartThings app with your Samsung TV, make sure your TV is connected to your home Wi-Fi network and download the SmartThings app on your mobile device. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to connect your TV to the app and use it as a remote control or to access other TV features.

How do I connect my Samsung TV to Wi-Fi?

To connect your Samsung TV to Wi-Fi, navigate to the TV’s settings menu and select Network. Then, select Wireless and follow the on-screen instructions to connect to your home Wi-Fi network.

How do I use the voice control feature on my Samsung TV?

To use the voice control feature on your Samsung TV, make sure your TV is compatible with the feature and that it’s enabled in the settings menu. Then, use the microphone on your remote control or a compatible mobile device to speak commands to your TV.