Some tips to see if your smart TV is really broken

When a Smart TV starts malfunctioning, many people's first thought is that it's ready to become e-waste. But instead of burning through cash, there are a few tips to see if your Smart TV is actually broken.

5. App keeps crashing

If apps on your Smart TV keep crashing, it might be time for an update. Sometimes the real culprit is just outdated software. You can manually check for firmware updates from your Smart TV's menu, usually located in network settings.

At the extreme, your Smart TV may have reached a point where many of its apps stop working because they are too old. Their smart features have an expiration date, and eventually your Smart TV will become a useless TV. With the right add-ons, you can make your TV 'smart' again.

4. Smart TV cannot connect to Wi-Fi or constantly lags, freezes, or freezes

Many people turn off Wi-Fi on their Smart TVs to save bandwidth. Many devices in the home are connected to Wi-Fi , so people often have to disable one device, then come back and wonder why they're not connected. Opening the TV menu and checking your network settings will tell you if you're connected. And if you are, go ahead and update your Smart TV.

Moving on from there, if you still can't connect, it's your router . Are you getting a signal right away? The color of the light indicates the status of the connection, such as green or white when the connection is successful and red when it's not. If you're having network issues, try unplugging your router, waiting 60 seconds, and then rebooting; otherwise, there may be a power outage.

3. When the image is lost, try with a flashlight!

Let's say your Smart TV screen is black, but you can still hear the sound. One way to diagnose the problem is to use a simple flashlight. By shining it directly at your Smart TV, it will display an image on the screen with the flashlight as the light source. It's like a hidden message, except it's not funny or cute.

Still no picture? No problem. Double check that your video cable connector is clean and that the port is free of dust, as dirt can disrupt the connection. It's best to try the video cable with other devices to see if the problem repeats itself.

2. Smart TV keeps turning off

Your TV is one of those devices that you expect to be on all the time, but if it keeps turning off, the underlying problem is either hardware or software related. The first thing that's easier to do is go into your Smart TV's menu – sometimes in the network settings – and initiate an update. You should also look into the power saving settings, as they can be set to a timer.

As for hardware, clear away anything that might get in the way of your Smart TV, especially around the back. Smart TVs are essentially computers and need proper cooling.

1. Audio delay

With external speakers, you must connect wirelessly, either via Bluetooth or via a direct connection with cables such as HDMI , RCA, optical, and ARC. Cleaning the contacts and removing dust is a surefire way to establish a connection.

Wireless and Bluetooth connections are trickier because both have very little latency, at least on older versions of Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz wireless signals. However, the signal degrades over distance. Running another round of pairing mode may reduce the latency, or depending on the age of your soundbar, you may need to upgrade. Whether you should use Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz really depends on your situation and hardware.

Micah Soto

Update 24 June 2025