Why Your Samsung TV Won't Turn On (Even Though You Can See The Red Light)

There are many settings for a Samsung Smart TV you can use to optimize your entertainment experience, but it seems that no matter how good Samsung TVs get, there's no accounting for malfunctions. It seems as certain as death and taxes that technology will fail or Samsung TVs will disconnect from the Wi-Fi. Or at least give users a headache periodically. When you point your remote at your TV and hit the power button but the TV fails to respond is one of the more frustrating issues that can plague TV owners. There's that brief skip in your heartbeat when things don't go as planned and then anxiety levels rise because you're not sure if it's a major issue or something that will be fixed in a brief moment.

Sometimes this happens when there's a glitch of some sort in the software. Maybe you were adjusting the picture settings to optimize the Samsung TV for gaming too fast and the TV just couldn't keep up, so the screen went black. It's on, but it's not responding. Other times the issue is with the remote. A backlight malfunction could be a probable culprit, as well. That means the TV is on, but the backlight isn't working. Luckily, there's a fix for all of these different issues, though some issues might require a long wait or spending money before the TV is up and running again.

When the red standby light is visible on your TV, that means it's receiving power. That's good news because it means you don't have to fiddle with the outlet or the TV's power cord. The first thing to do is determine if the issue is with the TV or the remote. If the TV doesn't turn on when you use the remote, try pressing the power button on the TV itself. If that resolves the issue, try testing the remote again. If there's still no response, then the remote is the culprit. 

It may simply need new batteries, which is an easy fix. If that doesn't work, then you may need to pair the remote with the TV again. To do so, point the remote at the Samsung television, pressing and holding the 'Return' and 'Play/Pause' buttons simultaneously for no less than three seconds. If the TV won't turn on even when pressing the power button on the TV, then it's unfortunately time to call Samsung Support. For those allergic to talking on the phone, Samsung offers some other virtual options, such as a 24-hour live chat.

For those who really don't want to deal with customer support, there's an alternative troubleshooting method that's actually rather easy. In case it's an odd software glitch, try unplugging the TV from the wall and plugging it back in. It's the old "turn it off and back on" IT solution. Leave it unplugged for one minute. While it's unplugged, spend half of that minute holding in the power button on the TV. Don't skimp on counting because it's best to keep it held in for a solid 30 seconds. Once that's done, let go of the button but wait another 30 seconds before plugging the TV back into the outlet. If the problem was a software glitch, that may resolve it. Sometimes the easiest answers are the right ones. 

While a backlight issue sometimes presents with a blinking standby light, there are occasions where the TV presents as normal except the screen doesn't display an image. To see if there's a problem with the backlight, you need a flashlight. Turn it on and hold it close to the screen when the TV is on. If there's a picture, albeit very faint, where you're aiming the light, then the problem is with the backlight. It's possible to turn it into a DIY project, but it's best to call Samsung's customer support and let them know about it, especially if you're not comfortable with removing a TVs back panel.