TV Has No Sound

Forgive us, but you have to check! You've probably been frantically turning up the volume and....nothing.

Using the remote, press the volume up button—go ahead it won't hurt. If nothing shows up on the screen (no volume setting information), try using the volume buttons on the television itself—if your TV has them.

• Go to Settings.
• Select Sound.
• Select Sound Output.
• Make sure it is set to TV Speaker.

That will ensure you have at least some speakers connected. Try again and see if you get sound. If yes, you're done. If no, there may be more than one volume setting to check:

• Check the volume setting on your cable box. Sometimes the cable system has its own remote, and that remote can control the volume setting for signals from the cable box. Make sure it's not muted.
• Check the setting for the volume on other connected devices.
  • Sometimes other connected devices can have their own volume setting and if they are muted or turned way down you'll get no sound.
  • You may discover this if you change signal sources and suddenly you have sound again. Try it! If your TV talks, the problem is solved!
• Not working? Go to the next step.

On some models, you can run a sound test. Consult your owner's guide to see how to do this. This can tell you if your internal speakers are working because it sends a signal to the audio output that's independent of any outside source.

If you've checked the volume and other settings as described above, it may help to reset your sound. You can access this function either from the Home screen on the TV or through your remote on some models. Your owner's manual will tell you how, or you may be able to find it in an onscreen menu. You may find that your sound might work now but not on some sources. Check them all after you reset it. It could be a source problem. if no sound from any of them, go to the next item.

Check the batteries in the remote.

• Are they installed properly?
  • Sometimes the batteries are put back in incorrectly when they fall out if the remote is dropped.
  • They can come loose (like when the battery cover is missing). so push them into place and spin them in place so you are sure that the terminals have good contact.
  • Check for leakage or corrosion on the batteries. This can happen if the TV isn't frequently used so no one notices the remote failing.
• Are they dead? (Check with some fresh batteries) If everything works you've nailed it.
• Still no go? Go to the next step.

Sometimes just restarting the TV will clear a sound glitch.

• Unplug the TV for 60 seconds. Count slowly, and while you have it unplugged, press the power key for at least 30 seconds.
• Then plug it back in. Then turn it on again.
• In either case, check the sound and see if the problem is fixed. If not, move on to the next step.

In some instances, the sound for a device may be plugged into a mismatched port, so that the video feed is going in one place, and the audio to the wrong port. HDMI carries its own audio signal so this essentially doesn't apply to a TV connected via HDMI. Check that the video input and the audio input go into the same input port, like Source 1 Video and Source 1 Audio. If OK, go to the next cause.

A bad HDMI cable could be messing up the audio. A bad HDMI cable will often compromise the video as well, but it happens enough with just the audio going wrong to be worth checking.

• First, check the connections and re-insert them carefully at both ends.
• If that doesn't work, and you have another device available with an HDMI port, like a computer, use that same cable to connect a monitor to the computer.
• See if you get sound or if the cable works properly in that new setup.
• If it works, you know the cable is good. Go to the next step.
• If it doesn't work, replace the cable. Test it to confirm.

Occasionally a sound glitch can be a result of corrupted software or a corrupted update. It is a relatively simple process, and it is recommended by most manufacturers anyway, so it doesn't hurt to try. Your Owner's Guide will show you how for your specific model, and your TV may also be doing it automatically. Test the sound after the update. If good, you're all set.

If this hasn't worked there is a hard reset you can perform that returns the TV to factory settings, but it costs all your stored data unless you back it up. This is probably a more last resort procedure until you have checked everything else.

Your user manual will have information on how to do this for your specific model. Usually, it will be in the Settings type menus. The word "reset" will almost always be a part of the command along with "initial" or "factory".

Perhaps your speakers have failed, and they need to be replaced.

• You can often "flick test" a speaker with a 9-volt battery, by seeing if the speaker makes a noise when the input leads are momentarily connected to the battery,
• Alternatively you can check the speaker terminals with a multimeter for either no continuity or a short.
• Here's a link to a representative replacement guide.
• If the speakers seem to be operating, it may be your main board, replace it.

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