Why Is My Samsung TV Picture Jumping? Complete Fix Guide

If you experience Samsung TV picture jumping, then there are quite a few things to check that are potential suspects.

We’ve found many users that managed to solve their problem and in this post, we’ll introduce what techniques they used so you can fix your problem in no time!

If the picture of your Samsung TV is jumping, try changing the input source back and forth, power cycle the TV, and reset picture settings to default. If that doesn’t work inspect the video cables, power, and eventually perform a factory reset.

There are several causes that can potentially make your picture not stable but luckily there are twice as many solutions.

Let’s first learn more about the causes and then about their respective solutions.

Why is Samsung 4K TV Picture Jumping?

A jumping picture of your Samsung TV most certainly means an issue with the display settings.

Picture disturbance can also happen if the broadcast or source you’re currently watching is going through some discrepancies or the cables you’re using are starting to die.

Tip: Try changing to another channel, source, or application to check if the issue happens on everything.

In case the problem appears no matter what you’re doing on your TV, here is what might have happened:

1. Power Problem

A potential power problem might cause some picture jumping and other color issues with your TV’s display.

2. Cable Problem

An HDMI cable or power adapter issue might also cause picture jumping on your TV.

3. Source Problem

A problem with the source or with the playout your TV is currently broadcasting might also make the picture jump or stutter.

4. Energy-Saving Features

Any enabled energy-saving features might also make the screen of your Samsung TV flicker and jump in weird ways.

5. Picture Settings

The wrong configuration can lead to a bad picture and weird behavior.

These are the general causes that the Samsung community has been dealing with in case of a jumping picture.

How To Fix Samsung TV Picture Jumping – Complete Solutions

Before you proceed, we recommend restarting your TV just in case the problem is temporary.

Sometimes the issue might be a simple malfunction which you can easily resolve by performing a standard restart of your Samsung TV.

If a reboot didn’t help, you should start applying the solutions one by one:

Solution #1 Power Cycle The TV

If a normal reboot wasn’t enough to fix the issue, a power cycle will definitely discharge your TV entirely.

This method usually comes in handy in all kinds of situations and it should be capable of fixing your Samsung TV picture from jumping.

Here is how to perform a power cycle on your TV:

1. Turn OFF the TV
2. Unplug the power adapter.
3. Wait for 5 minutes in order for the TV to cool down.
4. Plug the power adapter back in.
5. Turn ON your TV.

Check the state of the screen picture on multiple sources (Watch TV, Media Application, or HDMI input).

If the picture jumps even when you’re at the TV’s menu, jump straight to solution #4 and on.

Solution #2 Turn Ambient Settings OFF

Picture jumping is also referred to as “fluctuation” by some of the users, and if your case is similar, you might be able to solve the problem with a simple setting.

We’re going to turn OFF the ambient light detection.

Here is how to disable the setting:

1. Press the Home button on the remote.
2. Go to Settings > General.
3. Go down to Eco Solution.
4. Disable the Ambient Light Detection.

This will prevent your picture from dynamically changing brightness which turns out to be a real frustration for some users.

If that didn’t help, let’s move further down with the next solution.

Solution #3 Use Different Source

It is possible that the source your TV is currently broadcasting is ongoing with some issues, thus, making your screen flicker/jump.

This is why for this solution we recommend switching to a different, possibly proven source, where you will be able to diagnose the issue appropriately.

To change the source on your Samsung TV, you should go to Menu > Settings > Source Menu > “Choosing Source”.

Choose a source that contains your cable channels (Watch TV) and switch to a proven channel to determine whether the issue is caused by a bad source.

Once ready, unplug ALL devices connected to your TV including consoles, soundbars, headphones, and computers temporarily.

Then reboot your TV and test if the problem will appear again when watching TV channels.

Solution #4 Update Your TV

Another potential suspect for this issue is outdated firmware.

New software updates bring many new picture features and if you have missed a major update, some of the newer applications might start to bug your TV picture.

Here are some steps to check your firmware and update it to the latest version:

1. Press the Menu button on your TV remote.
2. Go to Support > Software Update.
3. Locate the “Update Now” button and click on it once.

Your TV will go through some restarts but DO NOT eject the power adapter under any circumstances.

If interrupted halfway, your TV will become unstable, and the firmware might bug irreversibly.

Solution #5 Disable Power Saver/Eco Features

If your Samsung TV picture is jumping you might have enabled any power saver or eco-features on your Samsung TV.

This might actively make your TV’s picture less bright, oddly looking, and make the screen jump/flicker to save power.

To disable power-saving features follow the steps below:

1. Open the TV menu.
2. Locate the Settings buttonand click on it.
3. Locate the Power Saver tab.
4. Disable the Eco Sensor feature if it is enabled.
5. Scroll even further down and locate an individual power saver.
6. If enabled, make sure to disable it as well.

We recommend performing another reboot on your TV to apply the changes more efficiently. In case the issue is still there, let’s proceed with the next fix.

Solution #6 Disable Auto-Motion Plus

If you didn’t know, the auto motion setting adds additional frames to elevate the fast movie scenes.

Sometimes those additional frames can cause flicker, picture jumping, and all kinds of weird screen behavior if left enabled.

To disable the feature, follow the steps below:

1. Open the TV Menu.
2. Go to Picture settings.
3. Navigate the Expert Settings.
4. By default, the Motion Plus settings are on Auto.
5. Make sure to disable it entirely.

Pro Tip: While you’re still in the Expert Picture Settings menu, try toggling ON and OFF the Digital Clean View settings.

Test if it will help your picture jump when OFF and when ON.

Solution #7 Reset Your Samsung TV

In case nothing worked so far and the issue is still there, we recommend performing a factory reset on your TV.

Sometimes even faulty data might cause discrepancies with the display of your Samsung TV and factory reset is the best approach users could think of.

Here is how to factory reset your Samsung TV:

1. Use the Menu button on your remote once again.
2. Go to Support.
3. Click on “Self-Diagnosis”.
4. Select the reset button using the OK key on your remote.
5. Enter the 4-digit code your TV has, which is “0000” by default.
6. Select yes to continue with the reset.

While the rest is executed, your Samsung TV will also restart several times like during the update.

Wait patiently and once ready, test if the picture jumping is still there. If yes, then your issue should be reported to Samsung and the best option you’ve got is to contact them.

Read Next: Why is My Samsung Smart TV Apps Loading Slow?

Bottom Line:

To fix a Samsung 4k smart TV with jumping/flickering pictures, we recommend hard resetting the device and inspecting all cable connections and third-party devices. Then, make sure to update the firmware, configure the picture settings, and if needed do a factory reset.

Now that you know what might be causing Samsung TV picture jumping, you should be able to resolve the issue with ease.

You can find many other Samsung TV-related problem solutions in our blog so don’t forget to check it out!