Why Is Insignia TV Red Light Blinking? Top Fix That Works!

Why is the Insignia TV red light blinking? Well, this is one of the most common questions by Insignia TV users, because all of them stumble upon the blinking red light sooner or later.

There is no need to worry since the red light’s most-important indication is that the TV is working…

To resolve the red blinking light on your Insignia TV, begin by performing a power cycle by unplugging the TV from the power.

In case that doesn’t help, switch to another power outlet and/or proceed with reducing the heat (overheating) and/or performing a full reset.

Let’s continue to unwrap the blinking light…

Why is Insignia TV Blinking Red Light?

• Power inconsistency and the TV can’t work normally.
• An ongoing automatic or manual firmware update.
• The remote control is constantly sending signals.
• The Insignia TV is overheating and turning off.
• Incompatible connected HDMI port source device.
• The Insignia TV infrared sensor is malfunctioning.

For now, it’s recommended to leave the possibility of a hardware fault behind and proceed with the solutions you can undertake at home.

For this purpose, we’ve designed a chronological list of troubleshooting steps to help you exclude possibilities one by one. So let’s jump right in!

How to Fix When Insignia TV Red Light Blinking in Minutes!

Tip: Follow the steps consecutively!

1. Power-Reset the Insignia TV

The first step is to completely discharge the power of the Insignia TV by disconnecting the cable from the back of the TV as well as from the wall outlet.

The next step is to verify that the outlet is functional by plugging another device such as a lamp or phone charger into the strip or outlet.

• The Insignia TV must remain unplugged for at least 60 seconds!

Inspect the TV’s Power Equipment:

The Insignia TV’s power equipment could be a standalone power cable or a combination of a cable and a power brick.

You need to verify that the cable is not broken, burnt, or melted on its connectors, which ultimately prevents the TV from being supplied with an electrical current.

Was There a Recent Power Outage?

If you’re able to recall a recent power outage, keep in mind that the red light might be appearing due to fluctuations in the power.

The Insignia TV might remain blinking in red until the power is fully back and there are no fluctuations or any sort of inconsistency.

Pro Tip: Plug the TV directly into the electrical outlet without having any strip, power plug, or anything in between the outlet and power adapter. 

2. Inspect the Insignia Remote!

One of the reasons why the Insignia TV is blinking in red is false signals from the remote.

Well, whenever one of the remote buttons is stuck, it will constantly send false IR signals to the TV, which ultimately makes the IR receiver blink every time an infrared signal is sent.

• To exclude this possibility, eject the batteries from the remote control!

In case the blinking stops when the remote is without batteries, verify that there is no button that is stuck within the remote.

The easiest way to check is to press all remote buttons, which will also contribute to a full remote discharge, and hopefully, the blinking red light will be finally gone!

Quick Fact: A weak battery charge on the remote might interfere with the IR receiver on the TV!

3. Reduce the TV Overheating

Even if rarely, overheating makes the Insignia TV automatically turn off to reduce the heat and preserve the hardware components.

After a force shutdown, the red light is likely to start blinking as an indication that something went wrong.

Here are some of the best steps to help you reduce TV overheating:

1. Open a window to ventilate the environment/room.
2. Using a vacuum cleaner removes dust accumulation.
3. Clean the ventilation openings on the TV from dust.
4. Lower the streaming resolution to reduce utilization.
5. Leave the television unplugged for longer to cool down.

In case the Insignia TV is not turning on at all, only the red light keeps blinking, well, now is the time to test plugging your TV into a different power outlet.

Perhaps your wall outlet went faulty and is no longer supplying constant electrical current, which prevents the TV from working…

4. Switch HDMI & Source Resolution!

Sometimes, when you switch to an empty or non-working HDMI input on your Insignia TV, the red light will blink as an indication.

This is why if you have a connected HDMI device to the TV and the red light is constantly blinking, plug the device into an alternative HDMI TV port.

• The Insignia TVs should have up to 3 x HDMI (1 x SIDE and 2 x BACK ports)!

We strongly recommend plugging your HDMI device into one of the back ports on your Insignia TV since the SIDE HDMI could be worn out.

The back ports are not that frequently used so it’s likely that they will be working better with your HDMI device.

An Incompatible HDMI Resolution?

The Insignia TV red light might be blinking when you’re on one of the HDMI inputs because the connected device resolution is incompatible.

So, switch to another resolution, preferably to a resolution that your TV supports, so try 1920 x 1080 (FULL HD), or 1280 x 720 (HD).

Tip: In case that doesn’t work, disconnect the HDMI device from the TV and check whether the red light will be blinking.

5. Factory Reset the Insignia TV

The Insignia TV can be factory reset from the TV settings or without the TV even being turned on and operational.

The only requirement is for the TV to be plugged into power and for the red light to be blinking, which means that the TV is receiving power and “partially” working.

Alert: The factory reset erases all data, content, apps, and settings on the Insignia TV!

How to Factory Reset Insignia TV From the Settings?

Follow the steps below if you can go into the settings of your Insignia TV:

1. Press “Home” on the Insignia remote control.
2. From there find and enter the “Settings” menu.
3. Find and enter the “Device & Software” tab.
4. Then, select “Reset to Factory Defaults”.
5. The TV will shortly restart and prompt you.
6. Configure all of the TV’s initial setup settings.

How to Factory Reset Insignia TV While Turned OFF?

Follow the steps below if you’re unable to turn on and access the settings:

1. Unplug the Insignia TV from the power outlet.
2. Then, press and hold the TV’s power button.
3. While holding, plug the TV back into power.
4. Release the button when the screen lights up.
5. Info: You should then see a control panel.
6. Press the power button twice to move down.
7. Highlight and select “Wipe Data/Factory Reset”.

Note: The factory reset takes about 60 seconds, after which, the red blinking light will be gone!

6. Replace the TV Power Cable!

The final solution, before concluding anything, is to test with a proven-to-work power adapter.

It’s not excluded that the power equipment of the Insignia TV has been damaged as a result of a power outage or surge, which impacted the power cable, but luckily your Insignia TV survived.

So, if you keep the documentation of your Insignia TV, check the exact model. Otherwise, try to recall the inches of your Insignia TV screen, and purchase a power cable accordingly.

You can find a variety of supported power adapters on Amazon.com.

Tip: The 12V AC/DC Power Cord for Insignia TV is compatible with 19", 20", 24", and 32" inch Insignia TV models.

Insignia TV Hardware Defects – Red Light Blinking!

The red light blinking on Insignia TV still won’t go away?

Well, it’s not excluded that your Insignia TV suffered a power surge, which can lethally damage the TV in a variety of ways.

Here are the possibilities for a hardware-related fault with the TV:

• Blown or swollen motherboard capacitors.
• A short circuit in the TV’s backlight strip.
• Defective Insignia TV display or screen.

Tip: For any HW defects with your Insignia TV, check the warranty and contact the local supplier!

Quick Recap:

When the Insignia TV red light blinking, then there is something wrong with the power, remote, or TV’s hardware. The quickest solution to perform it is the hard reset as well as an inspection of the remote control. In case nothing helps, factory reset the Insignia TV.

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