TELEVISION PROBLEMS - FAQs

Television Troubleshooting Tips

The screen on my television set is black and there is no sound.

Check to make sure your set is plugged into a working AC outlet. If the outlet you are plugged into is controlled by a wall switch, make sure the switch is in the "on" position. If the television is plugged into a switched power strip or surge protector, make sure that switch is on as well. If you are certain all switches are on and there seems to be no power to the outlet, check your circuit breaker box for a thrown breaker. If there is still no power you may need to contact your electrician. If after making this series of check you are certain you do have power to the AC outlet you are using, there is probably a problem with the television itself. At this point you should call a TV repair shop.

The screen on my television set is black , but I can hear sound.

Check to make sure the brightness and contrast controls are adjusted properly. These controls are usually located on the set itself, or they are accessed through the on screen menu display using your remote control. If increasing the settings on these controls results in no improvement, the problem is most likely within the set itself. At this point you should call a TV repair shop.

I have a picture and can hear sound but the reception is snowy or pixelating.

If this problem exists on only one channel, it could be a problem with the station itself. Wait a few moments to see if the problem corrects itself. If the problem persists or is ocurring on most of the channels, proceed with the steps below.

1. Check the cable connections on the back of the TV set (VCR and cable converter box if you have these devices) to see if there are any loose, broken or disconnected cable wires.

2. If your TV cable first runs through a cable converter box, make sure it is plugged into a live AC outlet and turned on. If the cable runs through a VCR, make sure that it is turned off. This can usually be verified by the lights on the face of these units.

3. If the problem is still present, and the TV cable is first running through a VCR as described above, disconnect the main TV cable input wire from the VCR and attach it directly to the TV cable connector on the back of the television set. If reception returns to normal, the problem is either with the VCR or one or more of the interconnecting jumper cables.

4. If none of these suggestions seem to correct your problem, please contact our office to schedule an appointment for a service technician to visit your home.

I have a good picture and sound, but can't tune channels above channel 13.

Assuming you have a cable ready television set, make sure it is properly set in the "Cable Standard (STD) or "CATV" mode. If the television is in the "Antenna" or "AIR" mode, you will not be able to tune stations above channel 13. These setting are most commonly set through the on screen menu display on your television. Once the "Cable" mode is properly set you may need to program the available cable channels into you television sets memory. Most late model televisions have an automatic programming feature that can be accessed through your remote control and/or through the available controls on the set itself. Look for a "menu button" on the remote or set which will provide you with the on-screen display, showing all the main features you can program or adjust with regard to the television set. One of the features will be "autoprogram or channel memory or channel setup" This is the feature you need to activate in order to program the channels into memory. If you have problems, refer to your owners manual for an explaination of all your televisions features and controls. If you can't find your owners manual, feel free to call our office. We will do our best to walk you through the procedure.

Autoprogramming your television

The procedure of autoprogramming will vary from one manufacturer to another, here is a list of some of the most common television brands that will show you, step by step, how to run your televisions autoprogram feature.