TV Has No Sound: How to Fix It, Brand by Brand

By HomeSmitten Team ·

How to Fix JVC TV with No Sound

The quick answer

Check mute and volume, then the input, then the audio output setting. A TV set to send sound to a soundbar, Bluetooth speaker or headphones will be silent on its own speakers. If you use HDMI, try the PCM-Stereo audio format and a different cable or port. Unplug the TV for about a minute, update the software, and only then reset. If the built-in sound test fails, it is likely a repair or replacement.

No sound is rarely a dead speaker. Most of the time a setting is sending the audio somewhere else, or a connected device is muted. Working through the checks in order can save a repair bill. Skipping to a factory reset can erase your apps and settings for nothing.

This guide starts with one order of checks that fits any TV. Then there is a section for each brand. Several of these brands are budget or legacy names with little official support online. For those, we say what we could verify and where to look, and we don't invent menu paths.

Try These First: The Order That Saves Time

Go in this order. Each step rules out one cause. Menu names vary by brand, model and software version, so use the closest match on your screen.

  1. Mute and volume. Press volume up on the remote and look for the on-screen bar. Samsung and Hisense both list this as the first check. Also raise the volume on any cable box, console or streaming device, because their own volume can be low or muted.
  2. One source or all of them? Switch to a different input or app. If only one app is silent, the fault is in that app or device. If every source is silent, it is the TV or its output setting. Hisense's manual says that if its built-in Sound Test plays a melody cleanly, the problem is probably an external device or the signal.
  3. Audio output setting. This is the most common cause. Samsung's page says to set Sound Output to TV Speaker (Menu, Settings, All Settings, Sound, Sound Output). LG's help page lists Sound Out choices for HDMI(ARC) device, Optical, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and warns that if Sound Out points to a device that isn't connected, you may hear nothing. Sony's help article (which we could only see in search results) says the speaker setting must be TV Speakers, not Audio System.
  4. Headphones and Bluetooth. Samsung says to make sure nothing is plugged into the headphone jack, since it can redirect the audio. A paired Bluetooth speaker or headphones can do the same. Unplug them or turn Bluetooth off to test.
  5. Digital audio format (HDMI, optical, soundbar). If a soundbar or receiver is silent, the TV may be sending a format it can't play. Roku's support article recommends PCM-Stereo if you're unsure what your soundbar supports, because it is the most basic mode and all soundbars can play it. On Roku TVs the setting is under Settings, System, Audio, Digital Audio Format. Other brands use similar names such as Digital Output Audio Format. If PCM-Stereo works, try Auto or Dolby again afterward.
  6. Cables and HDMI ports. Reseat the cable. Try a different cable and a different port. For ARC or eARC, LG says to use a High-Speed HDMI cable that supports CEC in the port labeled ARC or eARC, because an ordinary HDMI port can't send audio back to a soundbar. On LG you may also need SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC) turned on.
  7. Soundbar or receiver. Make sure it is on, not muted, and set to the matching input (HDMI ARC or Optical, for example). LG makes the same point for its sound bars. Test the soundbar with another source if you can.
  8. Power cycle. Hisense's manual says to unplug the TV from the wall and plug it back in after 60 seconds. In that manual the advice sits in the no-picture list, so treat it as a cheap test for any odd behavior, not a sound-specific fix. This is different from holding the power button, which we found no manufacturer source for.
  9. Software update. Check the TV's update setting and install anything waiting. Some brands mention updates as a fix for audio bugs, but we found no official page naming a specific fault, so this is general advice.
  10. Run the built-in sound test. Samsung puts it at Settings, Support, Device Care, Self Diagnosis, Sound Test. Hisense uses Settings, Support, Self Diagnosis, Sound Test. Panasonic's page points to a TV Self Test under Menu, Help. If the test sound plays, the speakers work.
  11. Reset last. A factory reset returns settings to default and removes your accounts and apps, so you'll set the TV up again. Use it only after everything above has failed. Back up or note down anything you need first.
  12. When the TV itself is at fault. If the test sound doesn't play, or plays crackling, the speakers or main board may be faulty. Panasonic's page says to contact an authorized servicer. Check warranty first. Out of warranty, get a repair quote and compare it with the cost of a replacement. That comparison is a judgement call, not a rule.
What you seeLikely causeTry
Silent on every inputOutput setting, mute, or headphonesSet output to TV speakers
Silent on one appThat app or its deviceUpdate or reinstall the app
Silent on HDMI soundbarARC port, CEC, or audio formatPCM-Stereo, other port, other cable
Sound test failsSpeakers or main boardWarranty or repair quote

JVC TVs

JVC doesn't make its own TVs any more. JVCKENWOOD licenses the name to other companies, and the licensee depends on where you live. Wikipedia says AmTRAN handled JVC TVs in North America and that Currys has a similar arrangement in Europe, but also notes those TV details date from around 2008. A search also pointed to a different, more recent US licensee, so the current one has changed.

How to Fix JVC TV with No Audio

What this means for you: the company that supports your JVC is the one named on the box, receipt or manual, not JVC itself. We couldn't verify JVC-specific menu paths for sound. Use the shared order above, then find your model number on the label at the back and look up the manual from the seller or licensee. Don't follow steps written for a different JVC model.

Bush TVs

Bush is a UK budget brand. Wikipedia says Sainsbury's owns it through Argos, which sells Bush products exclusively, and that some Bush TVs are made by Turkish firm Vestel. In Australia and New Zealand the brand belongs to a different company.

We found no official Bush sound-troubleshooting page. What is verified is where to get a manual: ManualsLib lists more than 86 Bush LCD TV manuals by model, and the model number is on the sticker at the back of the set. If you bought from Argos, start with their support. A Bush manual we saw lists a helpline, but that number was tied to Argos branding, so confirm it before you rely on it.

The shared order above applies: output setting, headphones, HDMI port, then power cycle. Don't use any menu path from a forum unless it matches your manual.

Sanyo TVs

Sanyo was bought by Panasonic in 2009, and Panasonic planned to retire the brand in most markets. In October 2014 Panasonic licensed the name to Funai for TVs, soundbars and Blu-ray players in North America, sold exclusively at Walmart according to Wikipedia. Consumer Reports said in 2018 that Sanyo TVs mostly turn up in Walmart stores.

How to Fix Sanyo TV with No Audio

So a recent Sanyo TV in the US is a Funai-made set, and an older one may be a pre-2011 Sanyo. We found no verified Sanyo-specific sound steps. Find the model number on the back, then look up the manual for that exact model. The shared order above is the right starting point. Walmart's return and warranty terms may matter if you bought it recently, so check your receipt.

Hisense TVs

Hisense is the one brand here with a manual we could read. A Hisense US manual for a VIDAA-based TV (32A4GV) lists these sound checks: check the volume, check that Mute is off, check the volume on any connected cable box, satellite box or player, and make sure the audio cable is on the right output of the external device. For antenna or cable, check signal information, since a weak signal can distort sound.

It also has a Sound Test at Settings, Support, Self Diagnosis, Sound Test. If the TV plays the test melody cleanly, the manual says the problem is probably an external device or the signal. Its power advice, in the no-picture list, is to unplug the TV and re-plug after 60 seconds.

How to Fix Hisense TV with No Audio

Hisense also sells Roku TV, Google TV and Fire TV models, so the menus differ. Check the manual for your model on Hisense's support site. If the whole TV is silent after these steps, contact Hisense support.

Hitachi TVs

Hitachi stopped making TVs in Japan in 2012 and stopped selling them there in 2018, per Wikipedia. The brand continues on TVs through a license: Wikipedia says it is licensed to Vestel for sets sold at Argos in the UK. Older Hitachi sets you may find second-hand are from before that.

We found no Hitachi sound steps we could verify. For a current Argos-sold set, the retailer's support and the manual for your model number are the right route. For an older set, search the model number from the rear label with the word manual. Apply the shared order above. Be careful with very old sets with analog audio connections: cable and connector checks matter more there than software. If the sound test, where the set has one, doesn't work, the fault is hardware.

Sharp TVs

Who supports a Sharp TV depends on region and age. Per Wikipedia, in 2015 Hisense got the right to use the Sharp name on TVs in North and South America, and Sharp regained it for US TVs in 2019. In Europe a company called UMC took an exclusive license in 2014, and Sharp took a majority stake in it in 2017.

We found no official Sharp page on no-sound fixes. A Sharp-branded Roku TV will use Roku's Digital Audio Format setting from the shared section. On any Sharp, check whether the problem happens on every input or only one, since that separates the TV from the connected device. Use the model number on the back to find the manual on Sharp's support site for your region. For a set bought around 2015 to 2019 in the Americas, the manual may point you to Hisense.

Xiaomi TVs

Xiaomi has support pages for no-sound problems, listed per model on mi.com. We could see them only in search results because the pages blocked our fetch, so treat this as a pointer. The pages mention checking the Mute key, picking the right speaker output, and, on one model, a path under Settings, Device Preferences, Sound, Speakers, where you pick TV Speakers or S/PDIF. Another suggests a firmware update, clearing an app's cache if only that app is silent, and checking external speakers on another device.

Menu names differ between Mi TV models, so find the FAQ for your exact model on Xiaomi's support site. A reset is the last step and erases your data.

Telefunken TVs

Telefunken is a licensed brand. The trademark has been held by TELEFUNKEN Licenses GmbH since 2004, owned by Gordon Brothers since 2023, per Wikipedia. Turkish company Vestel has made Telefunken TVs under license since 2008. Because the brand is licensed, the seller or licensee in your country is who supports the set.

We found no Telefunken-specific no-sound steps and no official support page for TVs. Use the model number on the rear label, then look for the manual on the retailer's site or on the licensee's. The shared order above covers the fix for nearly every case. If the set has a sound test and it fails, ask the seller about warranty before paying for a repair.

Technika TVs

Technika is a retailer brand. Wikipedia lists it as a Tesco electronics brand. We couldn't verify who makes or supports current Technika TVs. Several results for a Technika manual were low-quality sites that repeated the same generic file, so we don't recommend them.

A reliable route is ManualsLib, which carries some Technika manuals (we saw a 39-page operating manual for a Technika 32 from 2011). Search it by the model number on the back of your set. If you bought from a shop, ask them about support and warranty. We found no verified Technika menu paths, so use the shared order above and match it against your manual.

NEC TVs

NEC is mostly a display and IT name today, not a consumer TV brand. Wikipedia says NEC sold a majority of NEC Display Solutions, its professional display business, to Sharp in 2020, and lists TVs among older NEC Home Electronics products.

If you have an NEC screen in an office, shop or classroom, it is probably a professional display, and its manual and support come through the supplier or the display maker, not a retail TV channel. These often have no speakers, or take sound from a separate source, so check the audio input and external speakers first. For an older NEC TV, find the model number and manual online. We found no verified NEC sound steps. The shared order applies, especially the output setting and cables.

Grundig TVs

Grundig is owned by Arcelik, part of Koc Holding, which bought full ownership in 2007, according to Wikipedia. The brand's German business operates as Beko Germany. Arcelik also owns Beko, so Grundig and Beko support are related.

How to Fix Grundig TV with audio problems

We couldn't load an official Grundig sound page, and Wikipedia doesn't say who builds the TVs. Don't rely on the random manual PDFs that search results show. Use the model number on the back and search grundig.com for your region, or ask the seller. Then apply the shared order: mute, source, audio output, cables. Menu names differ between Grundig models, so follow your own manual.

Nokia TVs

Nokia doesn't make TVs. Search results for Nokia's own support page say support is provided by licensees: Streamview in Europe and Flipkart in India. The same page states that Nokia is not the manufacturer, importer, distributor or retailer. We could not open that page directly, so confirm this on Nokia's site.

That means a Nokia TV problem goes to the licensee for your country, or to the seller. We found no verified Nokia sound steps, and we could not verify the audio menu for your model. Use the shared order, and look in your own sound settings for the output choice. Reset only as a last step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my TV have a picture but no sound?

The most common cause is the sound output setting. If the TV is set to send audio to a soundbar, receiver, Bluetooth speaker or headphones, its own speakers stay quiet. Check mute and volume first, then set the audio output back to the TV speakers to test.

Will holding the power button for 10 seconds factory reset my TV?

We found no manufacturer source saying so. A power cycle (unplug for about a minute) does not erase settings. A factory reset is a menu option and wipes your settings and apps, so it comes last.

Why is there no sound through HDMI from my streaming box or console?

Two usual causes are the device's own volume or audio output setting, and a digital audio format the TV or soundbar can't play. Roku advises PCM-Stereo as the most basic format that all soundbars can play, so try that to test.

How do I find the right steps for an old or budget brand?

Find the model number on the label on the back of the TV, then search that number with the word manual. Use the maker's site or the shop that sold the TV. Menu names vary by model, so don't trust steps written for a different set.

When is a TV with no sound not worth repairing?

That is a judgement call. If the built-in sound test fails and the set is out of warranty, get a repair quote and compare it with the price of a new TV. If the sound test works, the fault is probably in a connected device or the signal, not the speakers.

Sources