Why does my Samsung TV have sound but no picture?

For some reason most Samsung TVs eventually run into a similar problem where the sound works, but there is no picture.

There are countless cases of Samsung TV owners who say they’ve had this problem. Luckily there is a very easy fix that should resolve about 50% or so of Samsung TVs with sound but no picture.

If your Samsung TV has sound but no picture, you need to reset it. Unplug your TV and wait a full 60 seconds. While the TV is unplugged, press and hold the power button for 30 seconds. After the 60 seconds are up, plug your Samsung TV back in.

Power cycle your Samsung TV

While this fix sounds incredibly obvious, unplugging your Samsung TV from the wall outlet is the most common way to get the picture back and working again.

The key here is to actually wait the FULL 60 seconds. Have some patience and make sure it’s been at least a full minute before plugging it back in.

While the TV is unplugged, find and hold the power button on your Samsung TV for about 30 seconds. Make sure you are holding the power button on your TV, and not your remote!

This will help to drain any residual power left in your TV’s capacitors and allows the TV to soft reset itself. This is much different than simply switching the TV on and off with the remote.

Once you plug the TV back in after the 60 seconds, you should see it power back up no problem.

While this fix should work for about 50% of cases, the remaining 50% can be a bit trickier. If you’re still having trouble getting your Samsung TV picture back, read on.

Check all HDMI connections

If power cycling your Samsung TV didn’t do the trick, then the very next thing you should check are your HDMI connections.

If you have anything connected to your TV via HDMI, make sure that the connections are snug! That means unplugging them and then plugging them back in securely.

With the rise in popularity of HDMI streaming devices like Roku and Firestick, more and more Samsung TV owners are reporting that their TV has sound, but no picture. And it’s often due to a bad HDMI connection.

Bad HDMI connections come in a few forms:

1. Loose HDMI connection
2. Faulty HDMI port
3. Bad HDMI cable

If you confirmed the connection is secure, go ahead and double-check that you are on the right Input channel as well.

To do this, look at the back of your TV and find the HDMI port you’re using. Above the HDMI connection, there should be a label, or some writing on your TV, indicating which HDMI port number it is.

Take note of that number (HDMI “2” in the example above).

Then grab your Samsung TV remote (NOT your Roku or Firestick remote, if you’re using those) and click SOURCE (or INPUT). You’ll likely need to toggle this several times until you find the corresponding input on your TV

If the connection is secure, and you’re on the correct input, I would try connecting to a different HDMI port. Samsung TVs often have multiple ports, sometimes up to four! Use a different port and see if you get the picture back.

If not, the last possible fix here is to replace the HDMI cable you’re using and see if that does the trick.

Issue with Samsung TV backlight

If nothing has worked to this point, it is very possible that the backlight of your Samsung TV is broken.

All TVs have a backlight that helps illuminate the screen of the TV. Think of the backlight as the flashlight that lights the puppet show. When it stops working, it’s nearly impossible to see the show!

If you have an LCD TV, it’s likely your CFL lights are the issue. If you have an LED TV, your LED lights may be defective.

An easy way to determine whether or not this is the case is to power on your TV and then take a flashlight and bring it very close to your TV screen.

Look real close to see if there is any image on the screen when you flash the light.

If you see a picture appearing, but it’s extremely faint, it’s probably because the backlight of your TV failed and it needs to be replaced.

Problem with Samsung TV screen

If your backlight is working fine, then you most likely have an issue with the screen of your Samsung TV.

Problems with the screen are a lot trickier to solve because there are a handful of different components inside the TV itself that could be causing it.

The most likely culprits are the the T-con board, Cof-IC or Scalar PCB (power control board).

If you’re handy and adventurous, you can take off the back panel of your Samsung and try to replace these components yourself. But you’re probably better off hiring a trained TV technician to do the work for you.

Keep in mind that the screen size will make a big difference on cost and whether or not a repair makes financial sense.

Repairing a TV that is 32″ or less is rarely worth the repair because of the labor costs involved (just because the screen is smaller, doesn’t mean it takes any less time to fix it!).

These days, buying a brand new TV is likely your best bet, unless you can do the work yourself.

Samsung TV support

But before you go shopping, it’s definitely worth reaching out to Samsung support.

They offer a variety of service methods, from in-home service to mail-in options.

The cost for this service will vary depending on the final diagnosis and whether or not the work is covered under warranty.

But the good thing is you’ll get a certified Samsung technician to take a look.

Samsung TV warranty

You can also check online to see if your TV is covered under Samsung’s warranty.

Unfortunately Samsung TV warranties typically only last 1 year and most of the cases I’m hearing of TV’s turning on by themselves are on TVs several years old.

Still worth a shot.

Conclusion

If your Samsung TV has sound, but no picture, don’t panic, there are several proven fixes you can try to get things back up and running:

• Power cycle your Samsung TV
• Check all your HDMI connections
• See if your TV’s backlight is still working
• The issue may be with the screen itself
• Contact Samsung TV support
• Check your Samsung warranty

Hopefully one of these fixes worked for you. Were you able to get the picture back on your Samsung TV? If so, let me know how in the comments below!