Whether due to bad weather or hardware issues, your TV can encounter a no signal issue. This is indicated by an all-black screen with a “no signal” text displayed on it. There is no picture, and the TV screen does not respond to the remote. Generally, you only have to turn off the device for a while for the signal to recuperate. If it doesn’t, follow the simple troubleshooting steps in this guide to deal with the no signal issue on your TV.
What Is a “No Signal” Problem?
Most TV manufacturers include an auto-connection mechanism that allows the device to be detected and displayed on the screen as soon as you turn on the remote. If your TV says “weak” or “no signal,” even though it’s set to the correct source or input as the cable box, what you’re facing is a network reception issue.
When a TV displays a no signal message, it is quite frustrating. But, in most cases, you don’t have to call for outside assistance. You can fix the issue on your own for free, or at least a lesser cost.
First try to power off the TV, wait for a few minutes and restart. If the problem continues, you’ll need to examine the individual connections one by one to troubleshoot. It’s a simple process of elimination.
If you’re using one of the HDMI ports on the TV to connect to a laptop/computer or any other screen-sharing device, you must disengage them before proceeding – except when you’re using a PC as the TV source (see the last section).
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1. No Signal When Cable Is Disconnected
When you encounter a no signal problem on your TV, first check that the cable going into your home hasn’t been disconnected.
- For a cable box device, check whether the outside source cable connecting to one of the TV ports wasn’t unplugged accidentally. Plug it back in, and the TV screen should display a picture.
- If you have a wall-mounted TV, check behind to see whether the source cable was accidentally disconnected from a wall outlet or power strip. Reinsert it properly.
You also need to check your TV source using the remote. For example, if it’s in “PC” mode, you will not get a no signal status after turning the TV on. In that case, you need to change the input source of the device. (See below.)
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2. Check the Cable Box/Set-Top Box
Your set-top box is a big culprit for a no-signal issue. Whether you have an SD or HD box, the provider might have released new firmware and proceeded to update it in the background. This means new satellite settings may have been uploaded, but the device has not fully integrated with the adjustments.
Make sure the TV is in a power off state. Unplug the cable box power cable, and insert it once again to solve the problem. There’s an easy power button on newer cable box models that you can turn on and off.
For some older devices, you may also want to pull out the smart card/viewing card, firmly without much pressure, and let the cable box cool for a while. Later, reinsert the card with the chip facing downward, following any visible arrows.
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3. HDMI Cable/Port Issues
In some cases, the reason behind a no signal problem can be traced to either the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables or the ports.
Disengage the HDMI cable, and reinsert it into the old or new HDMI port. You may want to upgrade your HDMI connector cable to a self-locking one to help it stay in the port position. Once you sort out these HDMI issues, your TV signal should start working again in a jiffy.
If the connections are not fitting tightly or slipping out, there may be slight damage to the ports. It’s nothing serious that a TV mechanic can’t fix, and you can migrate to an alternative HDMI port. (Most TV manufacturers include at least two HDMI ports.)
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4. HDCP Errors
In some cases, your TV will run into what is known as a High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) error. This anti-piracy measure suggests that non-licensed devices should not be receiving any cable TV content. Almost all modern TV sets have to be HDCP-compliant.
If you’re trying to connect a Kodi box, for example, to your cable TV using HDMI, especially with higher definition displays, the no signal message will show up due to HDCP errors. You will have to remove the offending device, and that should restore the connection.
5. Change the Input Source of the TV
Switching to the correct input source screen helps resolve the sudden no signal problem for TV. Depending on your television model, you may find additional input modes for TV, AV, video, and HDMI. These displays are sometimes shown as TV 1/TV 2 or Video 1/Video 2 or displaying the various source names.
After powering on your TV, click a Source or Input button. It may be labeled differently on your specific television brand. You only need to use your remote control to change the input source for your television device.
You should be able to see multiple choices for your TV, AV, video or HDMI displays.
Use the remote control’s arrow buttons to change the available options for TV, AV, video, PC, or HDMI. If you can’t access some of the options, they aren’t supported on your television model.
Restart the TV to check whether the problem has been resolved.
Sometimes your TV needs to be on a different base channel. While being on 1 or 2 is the default setting on the TV remote, you sometimes need to move it to 3 or 4. Again, this change is for the TV remote only and has nothing to do with your cable or streaming service provider.
You can also reverse the order of starting the cable box and TV compared. This allows both devices to connect again and receive the signals.
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6. No Signal When Connected to PC
There can be numerous reasons behind you seeing the no signal message when trying to connect your TV to a PC. While the TV hardware-related problems are covered elsewhere in this guide, there are a few things you can try that are more software-related, but they will only work for Windows devices.
Hit Win + P on your keyboard until you select either the Extend, Duplicate or Second Screen Only options. One of these should make the picture appear. If you’re on PC screen only mode, you won’t get any signal on the TV screen.
Go to Settings -> System -> Display, and ensure that the checkboxes corresponding to Multiple Displays are enabled.
If your PC is connected to the TV device, click on Detect next to Detect other display. If they are connected wirelessly, click Connect next to Connect to a Wireless Display.
If that doesn’t work, and your computer has an HDMI port on its GPU and motherboard, you need to make sure you’re connected to the right port. Normally, if you have a connected GPU, the HDMI port on the motherboard will be disabled automatically.
There are some other, more general recommendations for different TV manufacturers to solve the no signal problem on your TV.
- Sony: Sony also recommends a power reset for your TV by unplugging all the power sources and reconnecting the device.
- Samsung: Samsung offers an additional HDMI cable test function feature for HDMI troubleshooting. It can be accessed from Settings -> Support -> Device Care -> Self Diagnosis -> HDMI Troubleshooting.
- LG: sometimes the no signal problem on a TV is confined to a single channel only. Use LG’s Settings button on the remote to select the Auto channel option. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Other factors for a TV no signal problem include bad weather, loose cables, a frozen cable box, and an interruption of service by your cable provider. Another common problem with TVs is when they’re unable to connect to your home Wi-Fi networks. Check out these fixes.
Image credit: Adobe Stock. All screenshots and images by Sayak Boral.
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