LG smart TVs come with a variety of built-in speakers, depending on the model and price range. Although we can’t equate the speaker quality to what you’d get from a dedicated sandbar, they still do a pretty nice job bringing audio to our visuals.
As an LG smart TV owner, one of the situations you don’t want to be in is having a silent TV especially when you don’t have a soundbar or home theatre for support.
In this article, we will be giving a step-by-step guide on how to troubleshoot any volume problem associated with an LG smart TV. First, let’s start with the possible causes, and then outline troubleshooting measures.
LG Smart TV Volume Problems: Possible Causes
LG smart TV in-built speakers are quite durable, as such, it’s very unlikely that its issues are due to a hardware malfunction. Also, you’re almost never in a situation where the in-built speakers are defective right off the box.
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Device is on Mute or Volume is Turned Down
Well, this is more or less a no-brainer. The audio won’t work if it’s shut it off. Before thinking about other complicated causes, make sure that the TV isn’t on mute. Press the Volume Up button on the remote to make sure that it’s not on mute.
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Faulty HDMI Cable
Although HDMI cables are quite durable, there’s no absolute cable as some of them get to wear out over time, especially if you’re using one of low quality that wasn’t originally from LG TV manufacturers. To confirm if this is your issue, you may want to use another source; perhaps an optical audio or USB drive.
If you get to hear audio, then your HDMI cable connected to your TV box or decoder is most likely the problem. When you’re able to confirm that this is your problem, replacing the HDMI cord will be your next step to get everything working as normal again.
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Software Bug
Sometimes, your TV may get affected by a bug that causes its volume controls to automatically switch off. This is often the case when you have a corrupt USB storage inserted. It can also happen when you’re playing a format that’s not completely supported by your TV.
To solve this, can either power cycle the TV, carry out a factory reset, or search for firmware updates. We’ll discuss how to do each of these in detail in the next section.
LG Smart TV Volume Problems: How to Fix
In order not to do something that’ll void your warranty, we’ve restricted this section to only easy fixes that won’t necessarily change the hardware components of your device. If any doesn’t work by the end of the day, you can always claim a warranty and get a replacement, or at least get it fixed for a lesser cost by the LG technician.
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Perform a Sound Test
A sound test is the first step you want to take in resolving any volume problems associated with your LG smart TV. In many instances, when the sound functionality of your TV starts failing, a sound test will help you point out the problem and also offer solutions.
All you need do is on your TV remote, and navigate through Settings >> Sound >> Sound Test. If your TV has WebOS6.0, you’ll want to navigate through All Settings >> Support >> Quick Help >> Check Items >> Self Diagnosis of TV Settings >> Sound >> then select “No Sound” to perform a sound set. Although it’s not available on all LG TV models, it’s a nice place to start if it’s in yours.
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Turn Off Smart Sound
The Smart Sound feature on LG Smart TVs is a technology that automatically adjusts the TV’s sound settings to match the type of content you are watching. Sometimes, if the content you’re watching has varying volumes in different scenes, it can affect the volume functionality of the TV, making it extremely low in some instances.
To solve this, you’ll want to turn off Smart Sound by navigating through Settings >> Sound >> Smart Sound >> then toggle it off. You should only start considering this when a sound test shows your device is working properly.
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Use Other Options/Sources
Before considering a factory reset, you want to first make sure that the volume issue isn’t just peculiar to a particular source. To change the sound source, on your remote, simply navigate through Settings >> Sound Out >> Other Options >> then try to play from another sound source if it becomes audible.
This is also the solution when you mix up the sound sources; you’re using a USB storage device but the sound is still being locked to what’s being played through the HDMI cable.
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Power Cycle the TV
In many instances, a simple power cycle or soft reset can get your LG smart TV to start working properly again. This is often the solution when your issue is caused by a software bug, or your device playing an incompatible file.
All you need do is unplug it from the power socket, wait for about 5 minutes, and plug it back in. This should reset any recent bugs and your audio should be back with the next power on.
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Factory Reset your LG Smart TV
There are some instances when only factory reset would do, especially if it’s a case that has to do with wrong volume tone settings, and you can’t find what you did to have it undone.
There are two ways through which you can reset an LG Smart TV; with the TV remote, and with the buttons on the side or bottom of the TV. All you need do is navigate through Settings >> All Settings >> General >> Reset to Initial Settings.