5 common reasons why your TV screen could be freezing frequently, and how to fix it

Ever been in this situation? You’re watching an edge-of-the-seat thriller, and suddenly, at the very climax, your TV screen freezes or starts to randomly pixelate. Annoying, but at the same time, worrying right? Worry as it may be though, there are very simple explanations for the same, and very easy fixes as well. Read on.

Reasons why your TV screen could be frozen

Here are a few common reasons why your TV screen could be frozen, and how to fix the same.

1. Your Wi-Fi connection is weak

2. Loose cable connections

3. Your TV is due for an update

4. Your TV’s cached data is full

5. Weak signal from the dish to the set top box

1. Your Wi-Fi connection is weak

Now, if you happen to be streaming a movie on your smart TV, and the screen suddenly starts to pixelate, chances are it could be due to a weak Wi-Fi signal. In such a case, check your router to see how strong the connection is. If it is low for no apparent reason, consider rebooting it. Another issue may also be that the router is simply placed too far from your TV. Move it closer to the TV, and if possible, plug a LAN cable from your router into your TV’s Ethernet port.

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Yet another reason for a bad signal could also be too many devices being connected to your Wi-Fi router at the same time. In such a case, consider disconnecting a few of them, if you’re not using them at the time.

2. Loose cable connections

Similar to a loosely secured cable or Ethernet connection, should you happen to have connected your phone or laptop to your TV using an HDMI or a VGA cable, your TV’s screen could also be flickering or freezing because the same not being connected securely. Most of the times, unplugging and re-plugging them back in firmly, should do the trick.

3. Your TV is due for an update

We bet you didn’t know that your TVs and your smartphones are more alike than you thought. They both come with several apps, which depend on a stable internet connection to work efficiently. These apps, in addition to a stable internet connection, are also required to be updated from time to time, to ensure they can continue to function as per usual.

Apps such as Netflix and YouTube are particularly notorious for not functioning properly, when they’re not updated. Moreover, similar to your smartphones, not updating your TV’s firmware will also cause it to eventually slow down and glitch frequently. Therefore, always ensure your TV’s application, and its system itself, is always up-to-date.

4. Your TV’s cached data is full

A TV’s cache stores short-term information on your TV, in a manner similar to what your phone does. When it is full, it can cause your TV to become extremely slow, and cause its image to freeze. If you find your TV glitching frequently, consider clearing the cached data on it. While doing so, you have the option to clear all of your TV’s cached data, or also just the one for individual apps.

If you have happen to have an Android TV, you can usually find the option to do so under the ‘Storage’ menu in the settings app, under ‘device preferences.’ However, bear in mind that this setting may be available under a different sub-menu or under a different name too, depending upon the make and model of your TV.

5. Weak signal from the dish to the set top box

This is an issue more peculiar to analogue TVs, should you happen to be using one. Any rain, thunder, lightning or cloudy weather in general, hampers your dish’s ability to receive signals from your satellite. When this happens, your best bet is to simply wait, for the weather to clear out. Another option includes unplugging your set top box for ten minutes, and then plugging it back in. However, if the issue still persists, consider repositioning your dish a little bit, and also check that it is securely connected to your TV.

ALSO READ: TV screen flickering? Here are some possible reasons why

While these are the most common reasons, and are extremely easy to fix, there could be other issues your TV may have as well, which are best attended to by a trained technician, so as to ensure you don’t damage your TV or harm yourself while trying to fix it. These issues likely arise from manufacturing defects. to protect yourself against the same, and having to burn a whole in your pockets for repairs, consider investing in Croma’s ZipCare Protect Advanced plans for TVs.