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Why is My Smart TV Slow and How Can I Fix It?

TV, Smart device

Combining stunning high-definition displays with the power of advanced computing, smart TVs help change the way we consume content in the modern era. Yet, in this age of high-speed internet and instant gratification, a slow or subpar smart TV can quickly transform a relaxing evening of streaming into an annoying night of frustration.

If you’ve ever found that your smart TV is slow, your smart TV won’t turn on or if you’ve ever experienced any other smart TV problem, you have come to the right place. We will explore the reasons behind the sluggish operation of your smart TV, and more importantly, provide potential solutions to get your smart TV back in working order.

How to restart a smart TV

Before delving into all of the reasons why your smart TV’s not working properly, you should first simply try restarting it. You can typically find a prompt with a restart option when navigating through the TV’s settings. To manually restart your smart TV, hold the power button down for a few seconds until the TV is completely turned off. Then, unplug the power cord for two minutes before plugging it back in and rebooting the system. Your smart TV should now be restarted.

Slow internet connection or network issues

Smart TVs rely on a stable and fast internet connection to stream content, access online services and download updates. If the internet connection is slow or unstable, it can result in buffering and pixelation issues as well as other streaming interruptions. Furthermore, weak Wi-Fi signals or interference from other devices can also lead to a subpar viewing experience.

To fix a slow internet connection that might be hindering a smart TV’s efficiency, you can try:

  • Resetting your router. Turn the router off, unplug it from the power source for at least a minute and plug it back in to allow the router to reboot and reestablish a connection.
  • Moving the router closer to the smart TV. Walls and other obstacles might interfere with your Wi-Fi connection. Move your router closer to your TV or look into investing in a Wi-Fi extender.
  • Optimizing your Wi-Fi settings. Wi-Fi routers usually operate on different channels to avoid interference. Look at your router’s settings and ensure it is using the appropriate channel.
  • Using a wired connection. Smart TVs have Ethernet cable ports, allowing them to be connected straight to your home’s internet without using Wi-Fi. This eliminates any interference that might be affecting wireless internet, giving your TV faster internet speeds.

If you are still having internet issues or if your smart TV can’t connect to Wi-Fi after you have tried these solutions, you can contact your internet service provider for further troubleshooting.

Overloaded storage or limited memory

Everything installed on your smart TV consumes a certain amount of storage space. If you have a lot of downloaded apps, files and other downloaded content, your smart TV can experience a storage overload. Additionally, your smart TV’s limited random access memory (RAM) can fill up over time, which negatively affects its streaming capabilities and overall performance.

Unfortunately, a smart TV’s RAM is generally not able to be upgraded because it is wired directly into the TV’s motherboard. Even though the RAM is unable to be modified, there are a variety of options to free up some of your storage space, which ultimately makes your RAM more efficient. You can help improve your smart TV’s operation by:

  • Uninstalling apps that are rarely used and making sure unused apps are closed and not running in the background.
  • Clearing the cache to delete temporary files and data from various apps or the operating system itself, which all use up precious space.
  • Deleting unnecessary downloaded media files that you no longer need, such as older photos, videos and gaming content. You can also always move them to an external storage device, like USB flash drives or external hard drives.
  • Streaming content instead of downloading media files. Streaming takes up less permanent storage space than downloaded content, leaving more space for other operations.

If you don’t experience any improvements, you can also reset your smart TV to its original factory settings. This can be done by navigating through your TV’s settings and advanced options. However, unlike restarting your smart TV, a factory reset will erase everything that wasn’t originally preinstalled on your TV, so it should be a last resort when attempting to free up storage space.

Outdated software

Ensuring that you keep up with regular system updates greatly benefits the performance of your smart TV. Updates often include bug fixes, security patches and other improvements. You might sometimes experience unresponsiveness or it may seem like your smart TV is frozen when you are using outdated software on your smart TV.

Relying on various software components like the operating system, apps and drivers, manufacturers release updates to optimize and enhance these components. Compatibility issues, increased resource usage and system inefficiencies can all occur without regular system updates. Furthermore, outdated software might lack new features and functionalities that newer apps or services might be providing, which limits your smart TV’s overall capabilities.

To check if your smart TV is due for a system update, you can typically easily navigate through the settings menu and follow your TV’s update instructions. However, many times your smart TV will either automatically update or send you a prompt that tells you a system update is needed.

Other less common smart TV issues

Less common issues that might be hindering a smart TV’s performance include:

  • Overheating. Smart TVs generate heat during operation and without proper ventilation, they can overheat. Ensuring your television has adequate airflow and isn’t confined to a small, crowded space typically helps with cooling down.
  • Too many background processes going on at once. Some smart TVs run background processes or services even when not actively in use, which can consume system resources and slow down the TV. Check for unnecessary background apps or services and close or disable them.
  • Insufficient processing power. Most smart TVs have enough processing power to last the duration of the TV’s life. Plus, the latest eco-friendly developments in TV technology helps sustain energy and contribute to TVs lasting longer. However, if you hold onto your smart TV long enough, your system could be outdated and it might be time to consider looking into a new smart TV.

Hopefully you are no longer asking yourself, “why is my smart TV slow” or, “why isn’t my smart tv working?” Even though a plethora of problems can arise during your smart TV’s lifetime, the issue hindering your unit’s performance is typically easy to diagnose and fix.

If your smart TV is not working properly and continues to run slowly after you have tried everything, you can always contact your TV’s manufacturer and learn more about how to fix a smart TV. You can also look into a TV repair service. The sooner you get your issues resolved, the sooner you can sit back and enjoy everything your smart TV has to offer.