Is Your Sony TV Unresponsive? – Best Working Solutions

Wondering why your Sony TV unresponsive? Keep reading our guide further to learn all about the unresponsiveness of your Sony TV, what is it caused by and how is it handled.

We will go through the best-working solutions the internet has to offer for your Sony TV freezing issues!

Your Sony TV may have become unresponsive if there’s an issue with the power supply or your Sony remote no longer works.

It is possible that the problem is caused by an outdated firmware on your TV, an issue with the inputs, or the external equipment!

Let’s learn more about the issue your Sony TV has!

Why Is My Sony TV Unresponsive to Remote?

There could be many reasons causing your Sony TV to become unresponsive to all input commands made through the remote and/or the hardware (panel) buttons.

We will review the most probable cause that is likely to make your Sony television unresponsive, without a reason!

Here are the reasons why your Sony TV has suddenly stopped responding:

1. There’s an issue with the cable connections
2. Your Sony TV is experiencing power issues
3. The remote of your Sony TV doesn’t work
4. You’ve selected an improper input source
5. Your Sony TV is running on an outdated firmware
6. Your Sony TV is having fatal software issues
7. There’s an issue with the HW of your Sony TV

Try This First!

Before we get into the solutions, try pressing each button on your remote control and check the back/side panel of the Sony TV for buttons.

You must determine if your Sony TV is really unresponsive to all buttons and interactions or only to some.

Note: If your TV guide is bugged, for example, you will be unable to change the channels by pressing the CH +/- buttons on the remote control.

7 Methods to Try When Sony Smart TV Unresponsive!

Note: To resolve your problem quickly and effectively, follow our steps in chronological order!

1. Unplug the Sony Television!

If the unresponsiveness is a signal of a power problem with your Sony TV, then unplugging the device may help.

It’s a great way to flush the temporal memory of the television as well as fix any issues with the software or the hardware of the TV device.

• To properly discharge/hard reset a Sony TV, you must unplug it from power!

Follow these instructions to perform a “Hard Reset” on your Sony TV:

1. Press the power button on the Sony remote.
2. Unplug the power cable of the Sony television.
3. Wait for at least 3-4 minutes to pass next.
4. Reconnect the cord of the Sony TV to power.
5. Try using the remote to turn on the Sony TV.

Note: If your Sony TV is getting power, unplugging the device should cause the small red lamp on the front panel to go off, and plugging it back in should light up the lamp again.

2. Try to Change the Input

When a source of a third-party device is selected on your Sony TV, many keys on the remote may stop performing functions for the device.

To check if the default source is selected on your Sony television, you must try to change the input, using the remote control!

• Point the remote towards the TV and press the “INPUT” button on the top

Info: After pressing the “INPUT” button, a menu should appear on the screen of your Sony TV, allowing you to adjust and select the correct source, with the arrow buttons.

3. Check the Remote Control

If your Sony TV otherwise works but doesn’t recognize any button presses on the remote, it’s likely that the problem is with the remote, rather than the TV itself.

There are a couple of methods to identify issues with your remote and troubleshoot them, so let’s start!

• If your Sony remote is inactive, it will not be able to interact with the TV!

How to Fix Issues with Sony Remote Control?

✅ Discharge the remote control, by taking out the batteries in the compartment of the device. Wait for at least 30 seconds and place the batteries back inside

✅ Reprogram the remote control, by pressing the I/O button and wait for the remote to blink. If a code is required, enter the one your Sony TV’s display shows 

✅ Replace the batteries with brand new ones and check if the Sony remote will command the TV now. Sony remotes use 2 AAA-1.5V batteries.

Extra Tip: Cleaning the remote might also be a good idea if all of the solutions above failed!

4. Inspect the HDMI Connection

Your Sony TV may be freezing due to an improper HDMI connection with one of the external devices.

If you’re primarily using the Sony TV for broadcasting through a streaming stick, a TV box, or another player, the HDMI connection could be causing the TV to freeze and not respond.

• To flush the HDMI connection, reconnect the cable and test

How to Check HDMI Cable for Issues?

Follow these simple instructions to inspect your Sony TV’s HDMI for issues:

• Inspect the cable for major hardware damages (rips, cuts, exposed cable wires)
• Connect the HDMI to a different input (switch Sony’s input in the menu)
• Connect an alternative HDMI cable (if the new HDMI works, the old one is faulty)

Notice: To keep your HDMI cable working for as long as possible, make sure that the cable is rested, the ports are not pressured and no objects or furniture is on top of the cable.

5. Troubleshoot your Sony TV’s Power

It is possible that the “unresponsiveness” of your Sony TV is actually caused by a freeze of the software.

This is when your Sony TV’s power is cut, or there are fluctuations and the most recent picture remains on the display and the TV also stops recognizing the remote.

• There are multiple ways to fix power issues with your Sony TV device!

How to Troubleshoot Sony TV’s Power?

1. Inspect the power adapter of the Sony TV, by unplugging it and taking a closer look. Try to spot any visual damage on the cable.

2. Connect the Sony TV to a different outlet and press the power button on the Sony remote control to turn on the TV

3. Remove any third-party connectors (outlet connectors, strips, dividers, and power cord extenders added to your Sony TV’ setup).

Alert: If your Sony TV also has other symptoms of power issues, such as rebooting, powering off randomly, or the screen going black, it is appropriate to contact Sony!

6. Unplug All External Devices

A faulty external device could be causing the problem with your Sony TV.

To test the TV only, unplug all of the third-party devices attached to the back of the device and try using the remote to check if the Sony device will still be unresponsive to any key presses.

• Disconnect all devices associated with HDMI, coax, or RCA cables

Alert: Keep all of the external devices disconnected from your Sony TV until the cause for the problem is identified or the issue is fixed.

7. Perform a Factory Reset (No Remote)

When your Sony TV is unresponsive, a factory reset may help with the problem.

Fortunately, you could trigger a factory reset on your Sony TV without using a remote, but simply pressing a combination of buttons on the panels of your Sony TV device.

• Check if your Sony TV has a Volume (-) button and a Power button on the side

Follow these instructions to perform a factory reset on the Sony TV easily:

1. Find the remote Volume Down and the Power button on your Sony TV.
2. Press and hold both buttons on your Sony TV for 10-15 seconds.
3. Keep holding until the LED light on your TV appears near the Sony logo.

Note: Cease all interactions with your Sony TV until the LED light has stopped blinking!

Need More Help?

In case your Sony TV remains unresponsive even after attempting all of the solutions in this guide you definitely need some qualified assistance.

First contact Sony Support to report the issue you’ve been facing and then possibly the merchant to claim your warranty.

Quick Recap:

The best solution when your Sony TV is unresponsive, reconnect the device from power first and then check if the correct HDMI input is selected.

If that didn’t work, troubleshoot the power supply of your Sony TV and unplug all of the external devices!

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