Common Problems with Philips TVs (Solved!)

If you’ve encountered some issues with your Philips TV, don’t worry! I’m here to help you resolve them with some useful tips.

1. TV Turns On and Off

If your Philips TV freezes, turns off, and then back on, make sure that your TV’s software is up to date.

To do this, visit the Philips website and search for updates related to your TV model.

Update via USB

Follow these steps to update your TV via USB:

1. Insert the USB drive into your computer. Format it to FAT32 (right-click and select “Format”).
2. Open your web browser and go to the Philips website.
3. Click on “Software & Drivers” and enter your model number.
4. Click on “Software updates” to access the software page dedicated to your TV model and check the version number.
5. Verify the current software version on your TV and only update if the version on the website is higher. Download and “Extract” the software file.
6. Turn off your TV, insert the USB drive, and turn it on. The software update screen will automatically appear on your TV.
7. Follow the instructions and remove the USB drive.

Now your software update is complete!

Update via Internet

To update your TV’s software via the internet, go to the Settings menu > All Settings > Software Update > Search for Updates > Internet > Start > Accept > OK.

The software update will start and take 5 to 15 minutes. You will see the message “Installing system update.” Once the TV is fully loaded, turn it off and then back on. Your TV’s software is now up to date.

If the issue persists, here are some additional tips to try:

• Disconnect all devices and connections from your TV.
• If it restarts, try unplugging your TV from the power source for a minute before turning it back on.
• If there is no improvement, test your TV on a different power outlet.
• If the restarts have stopped, reconnect each device one by one to identify the faulty device causing the restarts.
• Contact the manufacturer of that device for troubleshooting.

2. Black Screen Issue on Philips TV

If your Philips TV turns on, the sound works, but the screen remains black, start by performing a power reset on your TV. Then check the sources on your TV one by one. If the issue persists, it may be due to a faulty power supply.

First, try resetting your TV. Press the On/Off button on your TV, wait for 15 seconds, and then turn it on again.

If that doesn’t work, perform a power reset by following these steps: unplug the power cord of your Philips TV from the wall outlet and disconnect all connected devices.

Wait for 5 minutes and then plug the power cord back in, followed by the connected devices.

If your TV turns on, the procedure was successful!

If the problem persists, check the source of the video input. Press the “Source” button on your remote control and choose the desired source.

It’s also possible that one of the sources on your TV is causing the problem. To check this, disconnect all sources from your TV and reconnect them one by one.

For the TV source, check the connection and ensure you’re receiving channels. If you’re using an antenna, perform a channel scan.

Make sure the antenna is properly connected to the TV.

Also, check if your Philips remote control is working.

If the problem is related to an external source, check the connection of the peripheral device. Ensure that it’s powered on and connected to the TV. If it still doesn’t work, try using a different device.

Try accessing the TV’s setup menu and check if your TV has downloaded the latest software update.

If your TV is still under warranty, contact Philips support directly, as the issue may be related to backlighting, power, or capacitors. Otherwise, contact a repair technician.

3. Blue Screen Issue on Philips TV

If you see a blue screen when connecting an external device through the HDMI input, it means that the video format is not supported by the TV.

You need to adjust the external device (DVD player, decoder, etc.) to a video format supported by your TV.

By following these steps, your TV screen should display normally. If the issue persists, contact Philips customer support!

4. Gridlines or Image Instability on the Edge of the Screen

If you suddenly notice gridlines on the side of your screen or the image becomes unstable and flickers, the cause could be multiple.

First, try unplugging your TV’s power cord and plugging it directly into a wall outlet, ensuring a secure connection. Electrical issues could be causing the problem.

You can also check all the cables connected to your TV, especially the HDMI cable if you’re using a set-top box. Make sure the HDMI output is securely connected and the cable is in good condition.

The same goes if you’re still using an analog antenna. Check the condition of the antenna and cable.

If, after checking, the problem persists or worsens, it’s likely that an electrical component in your TV is faulty. You may need to contact a repair technician to identify and fix the issue.

5. “Ci Plus Key Fail” Message on Philips TV

If you see the “Ci Plus Key Fail” message on your Philips TV and it doesn’t disappear, you need to disable the DRM warning. If this option is not available in your TV’s menu, start by updating the TV’s software.

Press MENU, then enter 1, 9, 9, 9, BACK. A special menu will appear. Scroll down to DRM Warning (number 65; you can press the up arrow to navigate faster). Press the right arrow to set it to OFF. Then turn the device on and off. The message should disappear.

If it doesn’t work, update the software (refer to step 1) and retry the DRM warning deactivation procedure.

6. “Channel Not Installed” Message on Philips TV

To remove the “Channel Not Installed” message on your Philips TV, reinstall the channels by following the menu “Settings > All Settings > Channels > Antenna/Cable Installation > Search for Channels” and press OK.

You will have two options:

• Quick reinstall: Your TV will perform an automatic reinstallation of channels.
• Advanced reinstall: You need to select the country, source (antenna or cable), and type of channels (analog or digital).

Unlike the quick reinstall, the advanced reinstall allows you to customize the channel search on your Smart TV. Select the option that suits you and press START to initiate the channel reinstallation.

The message will no longer appear on your TV.

7. Blinking Red Light on Philips TV

If the red light on your Philips TV blinks and you manage to turn it on, try updating the TV’s firmware. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to reset your TV to its factory settings.

If your TV turns on, perform a reset using the following method:

1. Press the Home button > Settings > General Settings > Factory Settings > Reset Your TV. Click OK, and the TV’s factory settings will be restored.

If the TV starts up, but the screen remains black and the light is on, it means the TV is in standby mode. Start the TV using the standby button on the remote control.

Disconnect all cables, accessories, and peripherals from the TV. Wait for a minute and reconnect the power cord without reconnecting the others.

When the LED light is on and the TV doesn’t turn on automatically, you can turn on the TV using the “standby” button on the remote control.

Try plugging the TV into another power outlet. If the LED light still blinks and the TV doesn’t turn on, perform an electrical reset following the procedure in point 2.

If you don’t get any results after following the above steps, it could be a problem with the SSB motherboard. Contact Philips customer support to resolve this issue.

8. Fluorescent Green Screen Issue on Philips TV

If your Philips TV displays a fluorescent green screen, it’s likely due to a faulty cathode ray tube (CRT), which is used in traditional displays. However, in the case of LCD TVs, it could be a scaler problem. The scaler is responsible for converting video signals.

In both cases, you should contact a repair technician to resolve the green screen issue on your TV.

9. Update Failure on Philips TV

If a software update on your Philips TV is interrupted and an error message appears indicating that the update cannot be completed, try unplugging all devices from the TV for a few minutes and then reconnecting them. Restart the TV and retry the update.

Try updating the software via USB or the internet, depending on your TV model (see procedure in point 1). If the software cannot be found, contact your local Philips TV support.

For Android TVs, if you can’t update your TV through the Android interface, try using Android Recovery. This function is accessible by turning off your TV, unplugging the power cord, and following these steps:

1. Look for a small joystick-shaped button on your TV. This joystick should allow you to navigate through the TV’s interface.
2. Press and hold the joystick while pushing it downwards, simultaneously pressing DOWN + OK.
3. Plug in the power cord while still holding DOWN + OK on the joystick.
4. You should see the Recovery Mode menu.

Insert the USB drive containing the firmware update file (downloaded in .zip format). Navigate until “Apply update from SD Card” is selected. Press OK to start the update.

If the software update is still not possible after following all the steps, contact Philips customer service.

Pros and Cons of Philips TVs

When it comes to Philips TVs, here are some positive aspects to consider:

• Picture quality
• Large screens that adapt to various film formats
• Excellent performance on images
• Ambilight technology, which creates ambient lighting on the sides of the screen and enhances the viewing experience for action movies, similar to the cinema

However, there are also a few cons to keep in mind:

• Average sound quality
• Image adjustment can be slightly complicated

Overall, Philips offers TVs with a great value for the price and performs well in the market.