Whenever I insert a new device into my TV…
There are no two words I dread more than:
“No Signal.”
Fortunately, I’ve gone through every possible solution to this problem.
So you won’t have to.
Keep reading to discover:
- 7 easy ways to fix a Samsung TV that has a ‘No Signal’ error.
- What’s HDCP, and how can you disable it to fix your signal problems.
- Which HDMI cable you should get if your old one can’t receive any signals.
- And so much more…
Why does my Samsung TV say no signal?
Your Samsung TV says ‘No Signal’ because of an issue with its HDMI connection. An outdated firmware or a broken HDMI cable can also trigger this error. A ‘No Signal’ error can occur from the input. Otherwise, it’s because of the HDMI handshake glitch.
Samsung TV no signal: 9 fixes
#1: Troubleshoot
Diagnosis is the first step to a cure.
And, in your Samsung’s case…
Troubleshooting helps you pinpoint the issue. How?
By narrowing down potential broken parts until the culprit remains.
To troubleshoot your HDMI connection, you should:
- Change your HDMI cord.
- Try to switch to other inputs.
- Connect the HDMI to a different port.
- Connect a different device to your HDMI port.
Further reading: (5 Ways) How To Change Input On Samsung TV
#2: Power cycle
Have you ever had a problem solved by turning your TV on and off?
That’s not a magic trick. It’s science…
And it’s called a power cycle.
Power cycling completely restarts your entire TV.
By doing so, your TVs are completely discharged.
Allowing the clogged processes of your device to work again.
And, don’t worry, you can do this in under a minute:
Note: To ensure this works, do this for both your TV and the external device.
- Turn off your device.
- Unplug it from the socket.
- Leave it for 30 seconds.
- Plug it back in, then turn it on.
#3: Update firmware
If your desktop has MacOS or Windows…
TV’s have their firmware.
Think of it as the brain of your TV.
As you grow older, your brain slows down.
While you can’t stop your aging process…
You can help prolong your TVs.
How?
Just like your PCs, the firmware needs to be updated.
To accomplish this, you have 2 choices, either update:
- Using the settings.
- Or with a flash drive.
Settings menu
Through your settings is the most straightforward way of updating your firmware.
And you can do this without leaving your seat. Just:
- Press the ‘Settings’ button on your remote.
- Select ‘Support.’
- Go to ‘Software Update.’
- Press ‘Update Now.’
Now, wait for a few minutes or until the update finishes. And you’re good to go.
But what if you want to update your firmware manually?
Via flash drive
Sometimes, you want to ensure that you have the latest update.
And you can do this using a flash drive.
Just follow these 3 steps:
Step #1: Download the update
For the first step, you’ll need a laptop or a PC.
- Go to Samsung’s Download Center.
- Enter your TV’s model number on the search bar.
- Find your TV.
- Select the latest version of firmware, then press Download.
Step #2: Copy the update to your USB
- Right-click your downloaded file.
- Select ‘Extract Here.’
- Insert your flash drive into your PC.
- Copy the extracted file to your USB’s root folder.
Note: Make sure that your USB has nothing other than the firmware files.
Step #3: Complete update
- Turn your TV off.
- Insert the flash drive into the TV’s USB port.
- Turn on your TV and go to ‘Settings.’
- Select ‘Support.’
- Under ‘Software Update,’ press ‘Update Now.’
You might ask:
“Isn’t step #3 the same as updating the TV with my settings menu?”
Well, kind of.
They have the same steps but instead of your TV looking for an update online…
It’ll look for firmware files on your flash drive first.
Can’t follow the written instructions? How about a visual demonstration instead?
For that, you can watch this video:
#4: Fix your PC connection
Are you experiencing the ‘No Signal’ issue only when connecting to a PC?
If so, the problem isn’t the cable or port…
But where you plug it in.
In that case, you need to…
Step #1: Check display output
Make sure that your PC is outputting its display to the right source.
To do that:
- Go to your PC or laptop, then right-click your desktop screen.
- Click ‘Personalize.’
- Select ‘Display.’
- Look for your TV.
- On your keyboard, press the Windows Key and ‘P’ simultaneously.
- Either ‘Duplicate’ or ‘Extend’ your TV.
Note: If you can’t find your TV on the list, the problem is likely with your HDMI cable or port.
Step #2: Update display drivers
Next, you’ll need to update your drivers.
But, hold on, what are those?
Think of drivers as instructions.
They tell the hardware on your PC how to communicate with its software.
And, when one of them is outdated…
It may cause your hardware to stop working with the PC.
And hardware includes your HDMI cable.
Update your drivers now with these 5 steps:
- On your laptop or PC, go to the Device Manager.
- Under Display Adaptors, right-click your PC’s graphics card driver.
- Select ‘Update Driver.’
- Wait for the installation to finish.
- Restart your laptop or PC.
Check again. Can your TV read the signals now?
No? Darn it.
Let’s move on to…
Step #3: Reinstall drivers
If nothing’s working…
Delete, then reinstall your drivers.
Do that in this order:
- Go back to the Device Manager.
- Right-click your PC’s graphics card driver.
- Click ‘Uninstall Driver.’
- Restart your device.
The graphics card driver is an essential component of your PC.
You’re triggering its failsafe by deleting the driver and then restarting your PC.
What’s the failsafe?
It’s to reinstall the driver by itself.
#5: Disable HDCP
Do you ever wonder how your screenshots turn black when it’s Netflix?
It’s because of the High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection.
Wow, that’s a mouthful. Let’s call it the HDCP.
HDCP is an anti-piracy protocol that can block recording software.
That said, HDCP doesn’t embed itself in the software.
Instead, it’s on hardware, specifically your HDMI cable and port.
And what that means is…
Unfortunately, you can’t disable HDCP on all devices.
But you can turn them off for your PlayStation.
PS4
- Open your ‘Settings’ menu.
- Go to ‘System.’
- Toggle off the ‘Enable HDCP’ setting.
PS5
- Press the settings icon on your home screen.
- Select ‘System.’
- Go to ‘HDMI.’
- Turn on ‘Enable HDMI Device Link’.
- Turn off ‘Enable HDCP’.
Warning: Some games and apps require HDCP. Turning this off would block you from using those.
#6: Clean HDMI ports
Occam’s Razor is a philosophical principle.
And it states that…
Sometimes, the most obvious solution is the right one.
In the case of your Samsung, let me ask you a question:
When’s the last time you cleaned your ports?
Last month? Week? Never?
There you go, there’s your Occam’s Razor.
Now, make sure you clean your HDMI ports properly by:
- Using tweezers to straighten skewed pins.
- Wrapping a microfiber cloth around a toothpick.
- Wetting them lightly using isopropyl alcohol.
- Cleaning each crevice of your port and cord.
- Letting it rest for a couple of minutes.
- Properly plug it back into your TV.
#7: Splice HDMI cable
Do you live with either pets or rodents? Both?
If so, check your cables.
Chances are, animals gnawed through some of them.
Nasty, right?
You can choose the easier method and buy a new HDMI cable for this problem. (More on that later.)
Or, if the money’s tight, you can also splice your HDMI cable instead.
Step #1: Unsheath the cable
- Locate the damaged part of the cable.
- From the middle of the damage, measure one inch on both sides.
- Cut the cable into 2 at the center of the damage.
- Unsheath the cable using those measurements in step #1.2 as its ends.
- Repeat steps #1.2 to #1.4 for the wires inside.
Step #2: Reconnect the cable
- Partner the wires with each other using their color as a reference.
- Put a heat shrink tubing over it.
- Seal the connection using a heat gun.
- Repeat steps #2.2 to #2.3 for the larger cable.
#8: Get a new HDMI cable
As previously mentioned, you can also buy a new cable to save you the hassle.
“Great, I’m going on Amazon to buy a cable now.”
Wait, hold your horses.
We need to address the HDMI handshake issue first.
HDMI handshake issues happen when the source and your TV is incompatible.
Think of it as 2 people sharing a handshake with their left hands.
The handshaking can cause your Samsung to have the ‘No Signal’ error.
You should know which HDMI cable you need to buy to prevent this.
Category 1 (Standard)
This category caps at 24bpp, also known as True Color.
- 720p at 60 Hz.
- 1080i at 60 Hz.
Note: BPP means bits per pixel. The higher BPP is, the more color accurate it will be.
Category 2
Meanwhile, this category ranges from 30 bpp to 64 bpp. It’s also known as Deep Color.
Furthermore, there are 2 kinds of HDMI cables under Category 2:
- High Speed.
- 4K HDMI Cable.
And these are the resolutions and refresh rates they can broadcast.
High Speed
- 4K at 30 Hz.
- 1080p at 60 Hz.
4K HDMI Cable
Note: Others also call this Premium High Speed HDMI Cable.
- 4K at 60 Hz.
Category 3 (8K HDMI Cable)
Like Category 2, this category also uses Deep Color.
- 8k at 60 Hz
- 4K at 120 Hz
#9: Contact Samsung
If you’ve gotten this far, everything else didn’t work.
Don’t worry. I have one last fix for you…
And that’s to let others fix it for you.
You can contact Samsung’s Support Center here.