LG TV HDMI ports are not working – Troubleshooting

Is your LG TV not recognizing HDMI connections? I’ve encountered this issue before and shared what worked for me as well as other possible solutions.

Here are some of the common reasons as to why the HDMI ports on your TV are not working properly:

1. The HDMI cable may not be compatible with that specific LG TV.
2. The cable may not be properly connected to the port, hence a loose connection.
3. The HDMI cable may need replacing as it may have a short-out. The cable may also be damaged, especially at the head.
4. The HDMI port may be damaged.
5. The device you’ve connected using the HDMI cable may not be working.

But these are not the only reasons. Fortunately, all these issues can be fixed by either or all of the troubleshooting tips below.

In fact, sometimes all you need is to ensure the HDMI cable is properly inserted both on your TV and the device you are connecting to.

1. The HDMI icon is grayed out

An HDMI icon that is grayed out and therefore not selectable is one of the indicators that there is an issue with the HDMI connectivity.

It basically means that your TV does not detect a connection. It could also mean that the device you have connected to the TV isn’t powered on.

To solve this, proceed as follows:

• Confirm that the HDMI cable is connected properly on both ends.
• Ensure the device you’ve connected to your TV is powered on.
• Press the Input button, then click on that particular HDMI input, and check if there is a connected device. If not, then the device wasn’t detected.

2. Input switching problems

The LG TV is designed in such a way that, when a particular input requires troubleshooting and fixing, it independently switches to another input.

This may be problematic for you especially when you want a specific input but cannot access it, since the TV automatically switches to another one.

To solve this:

Enable SIMPLINK

SIMPLINK is LG’s version of HDMI-CEC. This is a feature which is embedded in the HDMI spec enabling a remote for one device to control other devices which are HDMI connected through the same channel.

A good example of this is, you can switch off your TV using your decoder/cable box remote.

To Enable SIMPLINK:

1. Connect a device to the HDMI port.
2. On your LG remote, push the Home button.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Select General from the menu.
5. Choose SIMPLINK and turn it ON. Turn on the Auto Power Sync setting.
6. SIMPLINK will only show the input of the connected device, which should also be powered on.

If the HDMI indicator still appears on your LG TV screen, try changing the HDMI cable you’re currently using.

The length of an HDMI cable has an effect on the strength of the signal, which may cause your television to malfunction. (Most technicians do not recommend using wires longer than 20 feet).

Refresh your HDMI connections

You can try resetting the HDMI connections through these steps:

• Unplug all HDMI cables from the TV’s ports.
• Switch off the TV and unplug it from the socket.
• Wait for 10 minutes. This resets the device’s mechanics to factory default settings.
• Plug in the power cable and switch on the TV.
• Plug in back the HDMI cables.

In the event that this does not solve your issue, consider replacing the motherboard since it’s likely experiencing a malfunction. But before that, contact an LG repairer for assistance.

3. HDMI detection issues

For cases where the TV has stopped recognizing HDMI input automatically, follow the steps highlighted below:

• Verify that the TV and the source device are both on.
• Disconnect, then reconnect one of the devices’ HDMI cables.
• Turn on the HDMI Input Enhanced setting to receive 4K signals from the source in High Definition if your TV supports the HDMI Enhanced Format, and the source supports it.
• Switching to a different port, as your HDMI ports may be incorrectly labeled.
• The HDMI port may be malfunctioning. Try to connect the HDMI cable to different input ports.
• Connecting a different device to the TV (or the same device to a different TV) to check whether the TV is the root of the problem.

4. No signal from the current input

In this case, a No Signal message is displayed to show that the TV is not getting any input signal from the selected source.

To resolve the No Signal from HDMI error on LG TV:

• Switch to another input, as the ports may be incorrectly labeled.
• Connect the HDMI cable to a different port. The current port may be damaged.
• Use a different HDMI cable as the cable may have a short-out due to prolonged use.
• Check the compatibility of the HDMI cable and the TV. Some cables may be incompatible with your LG TV. It is possible that the HDMI HDCP Handshake may be timing out.
• Try using the cable on another device in order to confirm there is no problem with the TV and that the cable is correctly working.

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