As an owner of a Smart TV, I was recently frustrated by the low volume on Netflix. I spent hours trying to figure out how to increase the volume, and finally discovered the answer. In this post, I’m sharing my experience and solutions to this problem so others don’t have to go through the same frustration.
Low or zero volume on Netflix when watching on your Smart TV may be for one of several reasons. The HDMI connection could be faulty, settings for external speakers could be wrong, the TV needs a software update, or it could be that the TV’s audio settings are wrong.
Cause
Description
Solution
Incorrect TV Sound Settings
Default sound settings may be incorrect, especially after a software update or on a new TV.
Adjust volume and sound settings on your Smart TV.
Faulty Hardware Connection
The HDMI cable or HDMI port may be faulty, causing low or no volume on Netflix.
Check the HDMI connection, try using a different HDMI cable, or switch to another HDMI port on your TV.
External Sound System Issues
The connection or settings for an external sound system may be causing low volume on Netflix.
Check that your TV is picking up the external sound system and that the device is selected in the sound settings.
Outdated Firmware
Outdated firmware may contain bugs that cause sound issues with Netflix.
Update your Smart TV’s firmware to the latest version.
Software Glitches
A software glitch in your Smart TV or the Netflix app may be causing the low volume issue.
Perform a soft or hard reset on your TV, or contact Netflix support for assistance.
Enhance Dialogue or Amplify
If the voices are too low specifically, you may need to turn on the enhance voice or amplify sound feature on your TV.
Follow your TV’s instructions to turn on the enhance dialogue or amplify sound feature.
Factory Reset
Resetting your Smart TV to its factory settings may resolve the low volume issue.
Perform a factory reset on your Smart TV. Be cautious, as this will erase all data on your TV.
What’s Causing Netflix’s Low Volume On My Smart TV?
The Netflix app is built into most Smart TVs and should be usable from the moment you plug in your TV. However, sometimes it doesn’t work as it should. There are a couple of reasons your Netflix volume is too low on your Smart TV. Luckily, there are a few easy solutions to this problem.
Change Your TV Sound Settings
The first thing you should do is check your Smart TV’s volume settings. The default settings may be incorrect if you’re watching Netflix after getting a brand new TV. Similarly, it may be caused by a software update. Sometimes the default settings change when the TV updates and revert to their default states. There is a straightforward way to fix this problem.
On your Smart TV, go to Settings and then find the sound settings in the list. Then, select it and look for the advanced settings. If there are no advanced settings, then select speaker setup.
You’ll need to check that the volume on your TV is set correctly. If it’s not at the right level or if you’re not sure, change it and see if there’s any difference. Once you’ve changed the volume settings, log onto Netflix and check whether or not the problem has been resolved. You can always reverse the change if that does not solve the problem.
Check Your Smart TV’s Hardware
The next thing you’ll want to check is your hardware connection. Low or no volume on Netflix may result from a faulty HDMI cable or a fault with the TV’s HDMI ports. Don’t worry, though, because this is also a relatively easy problem to solve. There are a few things to check when testing the hardware connection on your Smart TV.
You can also try reversing the TV’s HDMI cable. This may sound silly, as HDMI cables are bidirectional, but sometimes the cable heads are not always symmetrical as they should be. On the other hand, the cable might be fine, but there was a hot-plug error. Hot-plug means the devices were on when plugged in. So reversing the cable is nothing more than an excuse to unplug the cable and try again.
If this does not fix the volume issue, there is likely a problem with your cable or your TV’s HDMI port. You can plug it into a different port and check whether that makes any difference. If that works, it probably means the HDMI port is faulty, and you should contact the TV manufacturer and report the problem.
If switching HDMI ports doesn’t provide a solution, try using another HDMI cable. It could be that your TV’s HDMI cable is faulty. If you don’t have another cable on hand, plug the current cable into another device and see if it works. If it doesn’t, you know what the problem is and can replace the cable.
Aside from connection problems, you may also run into issues using an external sound system. First, check whether the volume works fine when playing on the TV’s speakers. If it does, there might be an issue connecting with the sound system. There should be an option called output or audio in the sound settings. Check that your Smart TV is picking up the device and that the device is selected.
Software Issues Causing Low Volume On Netflix
One of the ways you can troubleshoot these issues is to reset your Smart TV to its factory settings. To do this, you’ll need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. It’s important to remember that doing this will erase all the data on your TV, so proceed with caution.
You may have put off that pesky firmware update for a while now and haven’t thought about it since. Now is a great time to check that your Smart TV’s firmware is up to date, as the manufacturer may have fixed the sound issue. Sometimes, older versions have bugs that get fixed later on, and putting off an update may cause those problems to surface.
When getting a new TV, it’s always a good idea to check that the firmware version installed is the latest. Manufacturers update the firmware to fix bugs that users report in previous versions. Therefore, an outdated version can cause problems if you’re trying out a new device or app on the TV. The audio problem may be common when Smart Tvs with older firmware versions connect to newer devices.
Other Options For Fixing Netflix Audio Problems
If none of these solutions solve the problem, it might be time to contact Netflix support. Inquire about possible audio problems they may have discovered and whether or not they can offer a solution.
Another option is to use an external media device to run Netflix and plug it into your TV. Adversely, if you are already using one, most Smart TVs have Netflix preinstalled. In this case, remove the external device and log in and watch from your Smart TV.
Try a soft reset
A soft reset, is where you turn off the TV and unplug it from the wall outlet. You then usually have to wait for 60 seconds then you can put the plug back in and turn the TV on again. Performing a soft reset clears a device’s internal memory of running programs, which often clears up any technical glitches.
You need to turn on enhance dialogue or amplify
If the issue you are having is that the voices are too low specifically, it might be the case that you need to turn on the enhance voice feature or amplify sound feature that a lot of TVs have. There are specific instructions to do this, linked in the blog post.
A hard reset involves completely resetting the TV to its factory defaults. Most TV models have specific instructions. However, if you have a Samsung TV here are the steps to follow:
To perform a factory reset:
Head to Settings > General.
Select Reset.
Enter your PIN > then select Reset.
Note: If you didn’t change your PIN initially the code is 0000
Conclusion
Nothing is worse than organizing a movie night only to find that your Netflix isn’t working! No or very low audio on Netflix can make it impossible to watch. Luckily there are a few ways to fix the problem. Our guide on fixing low Netflix audio on your Smart TV will have you watching your favorite shows in no time.
