Simple Steps to Fix a Hisense TV That Won’t Turn On

Will your Hisense TV not turn on? Or is the red light flashing while your screen is black? There are a lot of reasons your TV might appear to be off when it's actually on, from software glitches to a failed backlight. In this article, we’ll go over the most common reasons why your Hisense TV might not turn on and how to fix them.

Hisense TV Not Turning On: Common Fixes

If your Hisense TV won’t turn on, try power cycling it: Unplug the TV for at least a minute, press and hold the power button for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Check your outlet and TV power cable to make sure it’s getting power. Ensure your TV is set to the correct input source if it’s on but the screen remains blank.

1

Power cycle your TV.

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Power cycling can fix common glitches. While this may sound like the oldest tech support trick in the book, it’s an effective way to cure a lot of electronics-related ills. Unplug your TV and leave it unplugged for at least a minute. Before plugging it back in, hold down the power button on the TV itself (not the remote) for about 30 seconds. This will help discharge any remaining static electricity from your TV. Plug the TV back in.
- Try to turn your TV on after it's plugged in and see if your issue is resolved! If not, continue to the next steps.

2

Reset your remote and replace the batteries.

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Your remote may not be working. If your TV isn’t responding when you press the power button on your remote, the remote might be broken. Try putting in new batteries. If that doesn’t work, power cycle the remote by taking out the batteries, holding the Power button for about 30 seconds, and putting the batteries back in. You can also try using a completely different remote.
- To quickly test whether the issue is with the remote, try turning on your TV with the TV’s power button rather than the one on the remote. It’s usually located somewhere on the back, bottom, or side of the TV.

3

Check the input source.

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Your TV might enter Standby Mode if there's no input. For example, if your Xbox is connected to HDMI port 2 and you have the TV set to HDMI 1, it will appear off, but the light will shine red. Here's what you can do to make sure you have the right input selected:^{[1]
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- Turn on your TV and see if the screen lights up before going dark. Press Input or Source on your remote to cycle through the Inputs and see if any others are working.
  - If you don't have your remote, you can press the Input button on the TV itself. This is typically located on the bottom or side of the TV.
- If switching through the sources on your TV doesn't work, try your Input device (like your streaming box, DVD player, or console) with other TVs using the same cable to see if it works.
- If it doesn't work, there may be something wrong with your input device or the cable (see the next two steps).

4

Unplug HDMI input devices.

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Some devices may cause your TV to go dark when they’re turned off. If you have any HDMI devices plugged into your TV, such as a game console or set-top box, disconnect them. See if your TV screen turns on once it’s disconnected.
- Ensure your device is connected with a certified cable, as uncertified HDMI cables can cause a blank screen or other connection issues.

5

Check the HDMI port and cable.

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Your TV may work, but the HDMI is not transmitting data. Since HDMI is responsible for both sound and picture, a damaged port or cable could cause one to work and not the other if your TV is plugged into an HDMI input source. So maybe you hear audio but don't see pictures whenever you turn your TV on.^{[2]
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- To fix this, remove the HDMI cable and firmly plug it back in, then see if the issue is fixed.
- If the previous troubleshooting step didn't work, remove the HDMI cable and plug it into a different HDMI port (if you have more than one).
- Finally, try using a different HDMI cable if you think the current one is faulty.
- Check other cables (RCA, coaxial) if you use those instead of HDMI.

6

Make sure your power cable is working.

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Your TV’s power cord might be broken. You can try the same cable on something else, or you can try a different power cable with your TV.
- You can also check the cable for physical damage. If you spot something wrong with the cable, that might be why your TV isn't turning on.

7

Ensure that the wall outlet is providing power to the TV.

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Maybe your wall outlet isn't working. Even if your TV turns on for a second before turning back off, you may have a faulty outlet. Try plugging your TV into a different outlet or power strip.
- If your TV turns on and stays on with the new outlet, you know that something is wrong with the original outlet!
- You can also check the fuse box/circuit breaker to see if the switch responsible for providing power to that outlet is on. If it's off, you've found your problem!

8

Do a factory reset without the remote.

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Reset your TV if other fixes don’t work. A faulty software update can mess up settings that help the TV function properly. Just keep in mind that a factory reset will not only return your TV to its original settings, but will also erase any personal data that you put on it, like your Wi-Fi network information.
- To reset without a remote, take a small, thin tool (like a straightened paperclip) and press the "Reset" button on the back of your TV for about 15 seconds.^{[3]
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- If you can't find a "Reset" button or hole anywhere on your TV, you can hard reset your TV using the right button combination:
  - Unplug your TV, then press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons at the same time.
  - While still holding the buttons, plug your TV back in.
  - Hold the buttons for 10-30 seconds, or until a reset screen appears. Release the buttons and follow any instructions on the screen.

9

Check if the backlight is defective.

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If the screen is dark but the red light is on, the backlight could be the issue. Water damage, a power surge, physical damage, or defective bulbs can contribute to a backlight problem, which usually means you need a new TV. This is the root problem behind many "Hisense TV is on, but no picture" searches.^{[4]
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- You can test if this is the problem by turning on your TV and shining a flashlight at the screen. If the backlight is working, you'll see a reflection of your flashlight. However, if you see dull images on the screen, the backlight is most likely damaged.

10

Make sure the TV's other hardware is functioning.

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If you've made it through this entire list without a fix, your TV might have a hardware issue. Hardware issues are a lot more difficult to fix and might require you to buy a new TV if you aren't very handy.
- To test if this is the issue, make sure you're in a dark room (so you can see your TV's lights). Look through the back vent of your TV for any signs of lights. If your TV doesn't have a vent, you'll have to remove the back panel, but don't try that if you're not handy.
- If you see lights through the back vents but the TV doesn't show images, your issue is most likely the TV's T-Con board or the main board.

11

Contact Hisense support and check your warranty.

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As a last resort, contact support and check your warranty. Your TV may still be covered! If it is, you might be able to get a new TV to replace your broken one or you can have technical support come to fix your TV in person.^{[5]
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- You'll need the model number of your Hisense TV, the serial number of the remote, and the date you bought it. All of this information should be located on a sticker on the back of your TV.