You look around you.
There’s no one there.
You try to open your TV again but…
It keeps closing by itself.
You just wanna watch a movie…
And if it’s the new Ghostbusters, you might think that you have to call them for real.
Well, no need to ring ’em up. This article’s here to tell you how to fix your Samsung TV.
Keep reading to discover
- 9 ways to fix a Samsung TV that keeps closing.
- How to scan your TV for viruses that can turn your TV off.
- What is AnyNet+, and why it can reboot your Samsung TV.
- Why resetting your TV to its default settings can fix your booting issue.
- And so much more…
Why does my Samsung TV keep turning off every 5 seconds?
Your Samsung TV keeps turning off every 5 seconds because it has a power issue. This problem can stem from your power board or cord. It can also be because of a software issue with AnyNet+ or your firmware. If not, you can also check if your external devices like your remote are working properly.
My Samsung TV keeps turning off every 5 seconds: 9 fixes
#1: Factory reset your TV
When in doubt, start over from the beginning.
With a factory reset, your TV restores all of its settings to default.
This allows you to undo all changes you’ve made to your TV that may have contributed to its errors.
Including if your TV is turning off every 5 seconds.
Give your TV a clean slate by:
- Press the ‘Menu’ button on your remote.
- Go to ‘Support’.
- Select ‘Self Diagnosis’.
- Choose ‘Select Smart Hub’ first.
- Enter your PIN. If you haven’t set a new pin, it should be 0000.
- Go back to ‘Self Diagnosis’.
- Now, select ‘Reset’.
#2: Power cycle your TV
I’ve been to a lot of technicians in my life, trying to get some gadget or device repaired.
And, always, their first question is:
“Have you tried turning it on then off again?”
That’s what power cycling is…kinda.
Simply turning your device off sometimes doesn’t turn it off completely. It just goes to sleep.
So to power cycle your Samsung, you should:
- Unplug your TV.
- Leave it unplugged for 30 seconds.
- Plug it back in.
- Turn it on.
#3: Replace bad capacitors
When the electricity reaches your power board, it doesn’t send them directly to the other parts of your TV.
The power board stores the electricity at its capacitors.
From there, the capacitor distributes the power evenly across all hardware. It ensures that everything gets all the electricity it needs–no more and no less.
However, due to frequent use and age, capacitors tend to get swollen or leak.
And, when this happens, your TV can automatically turn itself off.
So, what can you do to fix this problem?
You replace your capacitors. You can do this by:
Step 1: Discharge your TV
For safety measures, you first need to remove all residual charge from your TV.
You can completely discharge your TV by unplugging it for 24 hours.
Once you’ve let a day pass, you can now proceed to replace your capacitors.
Step 2: Replace the capacitors
- Remove the back of your TV.
- Locate and remove your power board.
- Desolder the old capacitors using a heat gun at the back of the power board.
- Place the replacement capacitors where you removed the old ones.
- Turn the board over again.
- Bend the extra lead then brush it with flux paste.
- Solder them in place then cut the excess lead.
- Brush the new solder with isopropyl alcohol.
- Put everything back together again.
If you can’t visualize how to replace a capacitor, you can watch this video demonstration:
#4: Remove surge protectors
A power surge is a significant spike in the flow of electricity. Its effects on TV range from nothing to a broken power board.
These are the main causes of a power surge:
- Lightning.
- Faulty wiring.
- Electrical overload.
- Power outages: blackout or brownout.
Your TV doesn’t respond well to power surges by itself. And that’s what a surge protector is for.
What it does is that it redirects the extra power into a grounding wire. This effectively turns electricity into nothing.
But father time takes anyone and anything. Soon, your surge protector will die due to age.
Now, a broken surge protector can damage your TV. How?
By giving your TV more electricity than it can reasonably carry.
If you suspect that this might be the case, just simply unplug your TV for 30 seconds. Then plug it directly into your outlet.
You might also be interested in: Why Is My TV Screen White? 5 Causes & Fixes
#5: Clean your remote
When your TV’s turning off by itself, there’s a chance that the problem isn’t with the TV itself…
But with your remote.
Your remote gets damaged by regular wear and tear.
Dust and dirt can get under its rubber buttons, causing it to hold down the power button. Or maybe you spilled some liquid on it.
Some users also report that low batteries also cause their remote to switch their TV off.
Note: It’s good practice to always take a picture of your hardware before removing them. This will help you if you get confused when you’re putting it back together.
With that done, here’s how to clean your remote:
- Unscrew the back of your remote.
- Using a thin blade, separate the plastic casing into two.
- Collect all the casing and the rubber buttons.
- Let them soak in a container with warm water and dishwashing liquid.
- Spray the remote with a can of compressed air to remove dirt in its creases.
- Let it dry, then put it back together.
#6: Scan for viruses
Yes, even televisions can have a virus.
Samsung revealed in 2019 that their TVs are vulnerable to malware.
But you might ask, “Wait, how can a TV get infected?”
Well, Smart TVs nowadays aren’t really that far off from smartphones or laptops.
Your TV can get infected from multiple sources, some of which are:
- From a flash drive.
- By downloading a trojan horse.
- By purchasing a TV from an illegitimate source.
- From opening a malware site on your TV’s browser.
Sometimes, a virus can crash your entire system and turn your device off.
Fortunately, Samsung has implemented a scanning mechanism for their Smart TVs.
To check if your TV has any viruses, you should:
- Grab your remote and press the ‘Settings’ button.
- Go to ‘General’.
- Scroll down and select ‘System Manager’.
- Under ‘Smart Security’, enter ‘Scan’.
#7: Turn Anynet+ off
“AnyNet+? What’s that?”
AnyNet+ is Samsung’s name for their HDMI-CEC function.
CEC stands for Consumer Electronics Control. This allows your TV and other devices to be controlled by a single remote.
This means that you can control your TV using your PS5 controller or your cable’s remote.
However, it’s not perfect.
Not all devices are compatible with each other. Your TV can misinterpret a signal from AnyNet+ and turn your device off.
If this happens, you can disable your AnyNet+. Here’s you can do it:
- Press the ‘Settings’ button on your remote.
- Go to ‘General’.
- Select ‘External Device Manager’.
- Choose ‘Anynet+’.
- Toggle it off.
#8: Update firmware
If all else fails, the problem is most likely your firmware.
Your firmware is responsible for your TV’s hardware. It ensures that your TV lasts longer and performs better by tweaking your software.
Samsung themselves recommends that you update your software always.
By default, Samsung should have their auto-update on.
But, if for some reason it’s not updating by itself, you can always brute-force an update by:
- On your remote, go to ‘Settings’.
- Select ‘Support’.
- Under ‘Software Update’, press ‘Update Now’.
- Wait for a few minutes. Press ‘OK’ once the update is finished.
#9: Contact Samsung customer support
Does any of these seem overwhelming and confusing to you? It’s all good.
Unless you’re a technician or have the technical knowledge, fixing your TV shouldn’t be your job. Leave it to the professionals.
Or, you can also reach out to Samsung’s customer service.