LG TV How to and Troubleshooting Guide

LG has some of the best TVs in the market. Whether you are looking for a smart TV or a regular TV, LG has plenty of options depending on your budget and preference. But being electronic devices, these TVs can also fail or experience issues from time to time.

If you are having trouble with your LG TV, try troubleshooting it first before contacting service. Doing this often works, and can save you costs and help avoid the frustration of going without your home entertainment. Here is a simple how-to and troubleshooting guide for fixing common issues with LG TVs.

How to Update Firmware on LG Smart TV

Updating the firmware on your TV is important to keep it working its best, fixing bugs, and also get the latest features. If your LG Smart TV is connected to the internet, it should take just a few minutes to complete the process.

Start by pressing the Home button on the remote.
Then, click on the Settings icon when it appears. Or simply press the Settings button on the magic remote.
Point and click on the grey Advanced icon, down on the bottom right.
Alongside the picture menu that appears you will see “general”. Click on that and scroll all the way down, and click on “about this TV”.
You will see the current software version of your TV and there is the check for updates button. Click the check for updates button and your TV will let you know if a newer firmware version is available.
If there is a newer firmware version available, follow the on-screen prompts to download the software, and install it. Remember not to turn off or unplug the TV during the update process. The TV will reboot itself as a final step.

If your TV is not connected to the internet, you can update the firmware manually by downloading the update file from lg.com and placing it on a USB storage device. You will need a USB flash drive with at least the size of the firmware update of available storage and a computer with internet access.

Visit LG Support Home Page and search for the firmware file for your TV model number.
Download the zip file, and then unzip the file.
On the root of the USB drive, create a folder named LG_DTV. Then place the unzipped file into the LG_DTV folder. The file type should be EPK.
Turn on the TV and insert the USB drive that you have prepared. Then follow the instruction on the TV.

Check this too: Best Soundbar for Dialogue Clarity

How to Clean an LG 4K, OLED, or LED TV

It is recommended you use a soft, dry cloth to clean your 4K, OLED, or LED TV screen. Avoid chemicals such as alcohol, thinners, or benzene, as they may damage the protective film coving the panel. Also, do not spray water or other liquids directly on the TV to prevent an electric shock.

To clean your TV, follow these guidelines:

Find a soft, lint-free cloth.
Unplug the power cord.
Gently wipe the screen. Gentle, circular motions tend to give better results.

How to register and use magic remote on LG 43UF7590 (LED TV)

To use the Magic Remote, first pair it with your TV.

Put batteries into the Magic Remote and turn the TV on.
Point the Magic Remote at your TV and press the Wheel (OK) on the remote control.
If the TV fails to register the Magic Remote, try again after turning the TV off and back on.

To deregister the Magic Remote, press the Back and Home buttons at the same time, for 5 seconds. Pressing and holding the EXIT button will let you cancel and re-register Magic Remote at once.

To use Magic Remote:

Shake the Magic Remote slightly to the right and left or press Home, INPUT, 3D buttons to make the pointer appear on the screen.
If the pointer has not been used for a certain period of time or Magic Remote is placed on a flat surface, then the pointer will disappear.
If the pointer does not move as you wish, shake Magic Remote to the left and right. The pointer will move to the center of the screen.

What to do when your LG TV screen goes black (black screen of death)

To fix a black or blank screen on your LG TV follow these troubleshooting instructions:

Ensure that the power sources for all your devices are securely connected to your devices and the outlet.
Check that your TV is set to the correct input.
If the problem doesn’t resolve, unplug the power cord from your digital box, wait for 30 seconds, then plug it in again. Wait until the box has fully powered on again, then check if you can now see a picture.
If the problem persists, you could try an HDMI handshake if you have an HDMI cable connected to your TV.

Does LG TV have a reset button?

Most LG TVs don’t have a hard reset button. To reset, you need to use the remote that came with the television.

How do I reboot my LG TV?

You can reboot your LG TV and reset the settings for both picture and audio. The TV allows you to reset the settings separately. All you need to reset your TV is the remote control that came with the television.

To reset picture settings:

Press the MENU button on the remote.
Highlight “Picture” and press “Enter”.
Select “Reset” and press “Enter”.
Adjust the picture settings according to your preferences.
Press MENU button to exit menu.

To reset audio settings:

Press the MENU button on the remote.
Scroll to “Audio” and press “Enter”.
Select “Reset” and press “Enter”.
Adjust the audio settings according to your preferences.
Press MENU button to exit audio menu.

To reset LG WebOS TV follow these steps:

Press the Smart button on your remote.
Then click the gear icon in the top right, then General> Reset to initial Settings.
Follow on-screen instructions to complete the reset.

Troubleshooting no picture problem

If there is no picture and no sound on your LG TV:

Check if the TV is turned on.
Check if the power cord is connected to a wall outlet.
Check if there is a problem in the wall outlet by connecting other devices.

LG LED TV turns off suddenly fix

Follow the instructions below to troubleshoot LG TV that turns off suddenly:

Check the power control settings. The power supply may be interrupted.
Check if the Sleep Timer/Timer Power Off feature is activated in the TIMERS settings.
If there is no signal while the TV is on, the TV will turn off automatically after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Why is my LG TV not turning on?

There are several reasons why the TV is not turning on:

If it is not turning on using the remote, the remote control may not be working, remote batteries could be dead, or the view from the remote to the TV is obstructed. Try turning the TV on with the power switch on the unit.
The power cord may not be inserted properly and could be loose.
If using a power-strip or surge protector, they could be the issue. Try plugging the TV directly into a wall outlet to see if the problem resolves.

LG LED TV has sound but no picture

If your LG LED TV has sound but no picture, follow this guide to resolve the issue:

Power on your TV using the button on the TV control panel. With the TV powered on, press any button on the control panel to see if a menu or on screen display will appear. If a display appears, continue to the next step. If there is no display then your TV will require service.
Does the TV show display with any external device connected to it? If all connected devices have the same issue, the TV will need service. If only one device has the problem, continue with the next step.
If the device having the problem is a home theater/ receiver, note that if these act as a hub for all external devices connected to the TV, the TV will need to be set to the same input as the home theater. Set the home theater to output from the external device connected to it. Connect the external device directly to the TV if you do not know how to operate the function/input operation of your home theater receiver.

If there sound but no picture when connected to the following devices:

Check this too: Ring Doorbell Pro Troubleshooting: Issues and Fixes

HDMI cable/satellite box, BDP, and other devices

Ensure the TV is on the proper input.
Verify the connection is secure and retry. Unplug the external component for 30 seconds, disconnect the HDMI cable from the TV and move it to another port, plug the device back in, and change the TV to the new input to see if the problem is resolved.
Sometimes, the cable/satellite box may lose the resolution setting. Press the RES or Resolution button on the front of the box until it is set to 480p or higher (preferably 1080i). If this button is not available on the box, press the Info button on your remote. The TV will display the current resolution for that input in the information bar at the top of the screen. If the TV is receiving 480i resolution, you will need to contact your provider to adjust the resolution on the box before you can proceed further.
If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, then your TV will need service.

HDMI PC or Laptop

Ensure the TV is on the proper input.
Be sure the laptop is set to output a resolution supported by the TV.
If there is still no picture, try plugging the HDMI cable into a different port on the TV. Then, swap the TV to the appropriate input.

Component

Be sure the TV is on the correct component input.
Make sure the red, green, and blue cables are routed correctly and inserted securely on both devices.
Unplug the external device for 30 seconds and then restore power. Check if a picture is displayed and you can hear sound. If not, try an alternate component cable or alternate set of ports.

A/V Composite

Be sure the TV is set on the AV input.
Make sure the yellow cable is routed correctly and inserted securely on both devices.
Unplug the external device for 30 seconds and then restore power.
Is the issue resolved? If not, try another AV cable or other set of ports.

DVI-HDMI

Ensure the TV is on the proper input.
Be sure the laptop is set to output a resolution supported by the TV.
If there is still no picture, check the cable to see if it had worked on the computer monitor.

LG TV troubleshooting wifi connectivity problems

If your LG Smart TV is not connecting to wifi, it could be because of several reasons. To fix the problem, try the following troubleshooting instructions:

Unplug your router and TV.
Plugin the router and TV. Plugin the router first, and wait for it to establish a connection (there should be lights at the top or on the front to indicate connectivity), then plug in the TV.
Make sure there are no other devices nearby that could be causing interference. Household electronics such as cordless phones, microwave ovens, etc., and other routers on the same frequency can cause interference.
If your TV has a Quick Start feature, turn it off by pressing the Settings button on your remote, the go-to all Settings> General> Quick Start>off. Power cycle the TV and test to see if it is able to connect properly.
Turn off Simplink Feature. Press Settings on your remote> all Settings> General> Simplink (HDMI-CEC)> off. Power cycle the TV and test if it is able to connect properly.
Remove any USB memories attached to the TV. A USB hard drive can cause interference.
Check the Time Zone and Date. Press Settings on your remote> all Settings> General> Time & Date. If your router has a Lease Expiration, this may affect connectivity.
If you have a smartphone with a hotspot and at least 3 bars of signal, try to connect the TV to the hotspot. This is to test if the TV is able to connect to any other signal.
Using an Ethernet cable, connect the router directly to the TV to see if the TV is able to receive a signal.
Ensure the software is up to date. The TV will need to be connected to the internet to update. If you are able to the hard line to the modem (Step 9 above), you can check for software updates to improve your network connection. Press Settings on the remote> all Settings> General> About this TV> Check for updates. Then power cycle the TV and test to see if it is able to connect properly.

If the above basic troubleshooting steps don’t resolve the issue, proceed with the following steps:

Turn off Quickstart Feature by pressing Settings on the remote> All Settings> General> Quickstart> Off
Power cycle the TV. Plug off your LG TV> Unplug it> Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds.
Then plug the TV, power it back on, and try connecting to your WI-Fi network.

LG TV troubleshooting no signal

A NO SIGNAL message on your TV means that the TV is not getting an input signal from the currently selected source. To fix this problem, follow the troubleshooting tips:

Try switching to each other input, maybe the ports aren’t labeled correctly.
Try connecting the HDMI cable to a different port, maybe the port is malfunctioning.
Try connecting a different device or the same device to a different TV, to see if the device is causing the issue.
The HDMI cable can short-out or get damaged over time. Try using a different HDMI cable.
Some devices may have compatibility issues, like some of the new 4K Blu-ray Players connected to LG 4K TVs. It is possible the HDMI HDCP Handshake may be timing out.

If the tips don’t resolve the issue, there could be a problem with your connection:

Try changing the input source with the remote. If your remote has an Input/Source button, press it and choose the input from the list that matches where your device is connected. If your remote doesn’t have an Input/source button, press the Home button, then look in the upper right corner of the TV for the input icon, and click it.
Pay attention to IN and OUT. The cable needs to come OUT of the other device and IN to the TV. The TV’s Input port will be labeled HDMI 1, Cable/Antenna etc.
Make sure you set the TV to the correct source. If you are connecting with an antenna or other external device, the TV must be tuned to the correct input in order to view the programming of each device.

LG TV screen goes black randomly

If your TV goes black randomly, it may be due to a problem with backlight. To fix the problem, try changing the picture mode to “Standard”, then make sure that your backlight setting is at its lowest. If the problem persists, you need to change the backlight.

LG TV takes a long time to turn on

Smart TVs use memory just like a PC or phone. The more apps you run on your LG smart TV, the more memory your TV uses and when the memory gets low, the TV can start to run a little slow. The TV may take a while to turn on, the apps may take longer to start, or the menu may take longer to load.

Check this too: Samsung TV Troubleshooting and How to Guide

Another reason for this problem is a power supply issue, more likely the electrolytic capacitors. Once the capacitors start to go bad they cause power issues. The TV may start taking long to turn on, fail to turn on, or turn off randomly. To fix the problem, you will need to replace the bad capacitors or replace the power board.