I’ve owned a Samsung 55-inch NU6900 Series 4K TV for about five years. It delivers solid picture quality, good sound, and a range of smart TV features, including apps and screen mirroring. However, these latter features started working less efficiently, making me wonder if I should replace the set. Except, I wasn’t in the market for a new TV, so I took matters into my own hands.
I treated my Samsung NU6900 like the ailing piece of tech that it was. After tweaking a few settings and performing a few key resets, I restored my smart TV to its fresh-out-of-the-box glory days. While I performed my DIY hacks on a Samsung set, these tips apply to any smart TV brand.
Delete what you don’t use
Source: Samsung
Much like our phones, tablets, and laptops, our smart TVs come loaded with apps and other web-connected features that most of us never use. While some of this software may not be removable, most TV brands and models allow you to delete the stuff you never sign in to. Generally speaking, the more “stuff” your smart TV must contend with, the slower it will run.
In the case of my Samsung TV, there were numerous apps I could delete. There were also some pre-installed apps (Samsung TV Plus being one of them) that weren’t removable. You’ll know in advance that you can’t remove the app because the option to do so is grayed out or gone. After I finished deleting stuff, I restarted my Samsung TV and noticed a solid boost in performance almost immediately.
Some smart TVs allow you to clear cached app data, though this tends to be on a case-by-case basis. For example, my Samsung TV doesn’t have that option, but it has a soft reboot capability. This resets the RAM of the smart TV, which can reduce sluggishness. With the TV off, I press and hold the TV power button on the remote until the Samsung boot logo appears.
If a particular app gives you trouble, delete and reinstall it to see if performance improves (consider this an alternative cache-clearing method).
Make sure the software is up to date
Source: Lucas Gouveia/Android Police | Nature Peaceful/Shutterstock
While older smart TVs and apps may not receive regular patches, staying on top of these updates ensures your tech runs optimally, both in terms of performance and security. This is especially important for apps that require a linked form of payment.
During the initial setup of your smart TV, you can sometimes set up automatic updates. However, some older sets may not have this setting. For my Samsung TV, I navigated to Settings > Support > Software Update to check for a new system patch, but was informed that my TV software was up to date.
Even if your smart TV isn’t connected to the web, many sets can be updated via a USB flash drive. Most TV manufacturers have support sites that often contain the latest software for your set. Connect a flash drive to your PC, download the update file to the disk, and then connect to your TV’s USB port. Then, go to the Software Update menu and select USB.
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Opt for Ethernet over Wi-Fi
Most smart TVs can be connected to a 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi network, but nothing beats a hardwired Ethernet hookup. The brand and model of your smart TV determine whether it includes an Ethernet port, as manufacturers sometimes omit this port to save money during production. If you own a smart TV with this connection and can run an Ethernet cable from your TV to your modem or router, I recommend doing so.
There’s no beating the speed and consistency provided by a hardwired hookup to your home network. Also, opting for Ethernet over Wi-Fi allows you to allocate extra bandwidth to your router’s 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. That way, your tech that only pairs to a Wi-Fi network has plenty of bytes to work with.
To determine if your TV has what it takes, look on the back for a port labeled Ethernet or LAN. Then, run an appropriately sized Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable between your TV and internet equipment.
If your smart TV doesn’t have an Ethernet port, relocating your router closer to the TV (if possible) may improve the Wi-Fi signal your TV receives. You could also switch the smart TV to a different wireless band (2.4GHz is best for longer distances, and 5GHz is better for close range).
A simple reset of your internet gear wouldn’t hurt either. If all else fails, it might be time to upgrade your modem or router (and we have a great roundup of recommendations).
Disable unnecessary tech
Source: Samsung
Beyond your smart TV’s web capabilities, you may be a fan of the picture quality it delivers. I love how my Samsung 4K LED looks, but I also turned off a couple of default settings that allow the TV to run a little faster, especially when navigating around the UI.
Begin by shutting off auto-motion enhancement features on your smart TV. Samsung calls this feature Auto Motion Plus, while brands like Sony and LG call it MotionFlow and TruMotion. I turned this TV feature off on every set I’ve owned for the last decade-plus because the artificial motion doesn’t look natural to me. It also has a habit of slowing down a smart TV’s UI and app launches.
It’s a good idea to turn off a TV’s Eco mode (often enabled by default). While this feature is designed to improve picture quality by responding to ambient lighting in real time, the constant dimming and brightening is extra backend work your TV is tasked with, which could hog data from certain internet functions.
Also, turn off external device management features that may be activated, as this auto-HDMI-switching tech can be another source of system or app lag.
Factory reset as a last resort
Source: Google
If you walked through the above fixes and didn’t notice an improvement in your smart TV’s performance, do a factory reset. This should be a last-ditch effort, as performing a hard reset usually wipes all system data. This means you’ll need to re-download the apps you use and sign in again. You’ll also need to reconnect your TV to your Wi-Fi network and change the picture and sound settings to your preference.
Before performing a factory reset, write down all your existing settings and apps.
Alternatively, you can perform a hard reset on most smart TVs by unplugging the TV from the power. Wait about 30 seconds before plugging it back in and turning it on again. This is another way to reset the RAM while also powering down any glitched software that may slow things down.
Improving your smart TV the DIY way
It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to fine-tune the performance of an older smart TV. In many cases, these methods also work for a streaming device or web-connected game console that may experience similar issues.
One important item to reiterate: make sure you have your essential login information available beforehand. The last thing you want to do is run a factory reset and not know the usernames or passwords for go-to apps like Netflix and Hulu.
If you decide to buy a new smart TV, there are several settings you should change after setting it up. Changing these settings will improve the TV’s performance and picture quality.
