Easy Fixes for TV Problems

Issues with your TV can be extremely frustrating, but there is always a reasonable explanation and often simple solution to many issues you may have with your appliance.

Check the power and the inputs

If the TV's power indicator is not illuminated, make sure the set is connected to a working power outlet (test it with a table lamp or other small appliance).

• Try selecting a channel or switching on the TV using the controls within the set rather than those on your remote. If this works, you probably need to change the batteries in your remote control.
• If the TV appears to have power but there's no picture or sound, it's possible that someone has set the TV to receive its input from an attached DVD player or another source. Select the correct source using your remote control. The button you need may be labelled TV/VIDEO or INPUT, though this varies from model to model. If your remote control doesn't work, you can sometimes access the TV's on-screen menu by simultaneously pressing the "Volume up" and "Volume down" buttons on the set itself. Then use the P+ and P- buttons on the set to navigate through the menu until you reach the input control. Select the correct input and press both volume buttons together repeatedly until you exit the menu system.
• The cables that connect your TV to your DVD or satellite box can come loose — check that all the plugs are firmly connected.

Change the default settings

TVs in a showroom compete against one another for your attention, and for this reason, many manufacturers produce them with default settings in which the image is bright and colourful. When you buy a TV and take it home, it's easy to adjust its settings for a truer picture.

• Set up the lighting in your room for optimum viewing.
• Using your TV's remote control, navigate to the on-screen menu and select "Picture Settings." On modern sets you'll usually find a number of preset options, such as "Vivid," "Standard" and "Movie." "Movie" mode usually reduces colour saturation and brightness and is ideal for watching DVDs or Blu-ray disks; "Standard" mode is a reasonable compromise for watching normal broadcast TV; while "Vivid" mode boosts colours, and may be a good choice if you primarily use the TV for playing games.
• Tweak the defaults or create your own unique picture quality by changing the "Brightness," "Colour," "Contrast" and "Sharpness" settings. Set the brightness so that pure black tones on-screen appear black, but you can still discern detail in shadowy areas. Reduce the sharpness so that halos do not appear around objects on screen, and try turning down the contrast, which is typically set far too high by default. Colour is more subjective, but try to set the TV so that skin tones and foliage appear realistic — if these colours differ widely from nature, the image will look "wrong."
• Make any changes gradually and let your eyes get accustomed to the new settings before further tweaking.
• A more objective way to adjust the picture quality is to use a tool such as THX Optimizer on your DVD player.