It’s easy to see why upgrading to a newer, more intuitive TV is a good idea, given all the time and effort you’ll save and the money you’ll save thanks to the smart TV’s many capabilities.
However, smart TVs can have their own set of technical issues, the most common being a gradual slowdown in performance after a few years of use.
Problems with the internet connection, the internal memory, or the age of your smart TV can all contribute to its sluggish performance. Limit the number of programs you run at once and make sure your Internet connection can handle the bandwidth needs of any streaming video services to avoid any malfunctions.
So that you may get the most out of your TV time, I will take you through all of these issues and show you how to resolve them, step by step, in this post.
2. You Have a Slow Internet Connection
3. Your TV Needs a Software Update
4. Your TV’s Memory Is Full
5. Your TV Is an Outdated Model
Why My Smart TV Is Slow
There are four possible causes for a smart TV performing more slowly than expected.
- Unreliable online access With a bad connection, your smart TV will likely perform slowly. Your internet could be overloaded, out of data, or out of range.
- You need to upgrade the TV’s software. An operating system upgrade could be all that’s needed to fix a sluggish smart TV.
- You can’t record any more shows since your TV’s memory is full. Your TV may be running slowly because it has a lot of cookies and caches that aren’t needed. You can get rid of these by clearing the RAM.
- Sadly, your TV is now ancient. When compared to other types of electronics, smart devices tend to show their age far more quickly. Your TV may not be able to receive software upgrades if you’ve had it for a while and it just started slowing down.
You Have a Slow Internet Connection
Most smart TV lag may be traced back to a lackluster connection to the internet.
Your smart TV’s potential is limited without a stable and fast internet connection. Unfortunately, the download speed and bandwidth requirements of modern smart TVs are beyond the reach of internet providers in many parts of the country.
If you live in a remote area or in a place where you share the internet with other people, like an apartment or hostel, you may not always have enough bandwidth for your smart TV to work quickly.
This is a common problem in the US that keeps people outside of big cities and suburbs from getting the most out of their smart TVs.
If you’re thinking about buying a brand new TV, you might want to think about your internet connection first.
When internet speeds are slow or bandwidth isn’t enough, it’s hard for TVs to browse the web and stream apps.
Many things might drain your internet connection and cause it to run slowly. Your connection will sluggishly progress when:
- There are now too many online gadgets (including TVs, PCs, phones, and game consoles) connected to your network.
- You have a significant data download coming from one of the devices on your network.
- The gadgets you use can’t handle the slow download rates of your internet service.
- You are using a modem/router that is either very old or very inefficient.
- Unfortunately, your smart TV’s current location is too far from the wifi router.
Don’t worry if you can’t watch TV without constantly having to deal with loading bars because of how fast your internet is.
If you are having trouble streaming, there are many ways to troubleshoot and fix your internet connection.
How To Test Your Internet Download Speed
Streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu need smart devices to have content downloaded from the internet.
With so many streaming apps, a Smart TV will need a download connection of at least 15 Mbps to function properly.
But that’s only the bandwidth your TV will need, so if you have additional devices connected to your internet and your connection speed is only 15 Mbps, your TV may have trouble loading even the simplest of webpages.
Go to speedtest.com, which provides a quick and free audit of your download and upload speeds across all of your devices, to check your internet connection speed.
You should consider upgrading your service if your download speed is less than 15 Mbps.
Make a call to your service provider and inquire about their offerings.
If you have a large number of linked devices and the financial means to upgrade to a fiber-optic network, you should do so.
How To Test for Bandwidth Saturation
When multiple devices are downloading large files simultaneously, your network’s bandwidth becomes overloaded.
Cloud storage downloads, such as those from iCloud or Google Drive, are a common cause of network congestion.
These programs, if left running in the background on one or more of your devices, will eat up your download speed, impacting all of your devices that share a router.
Connecting too many devices to a single router can also lead to bandwidth saturation, which slows down all of the connected devices.
If you think that bandwidth saturation is to blame for your slow TV, try turning off all the gadgets in your home one by one to test the theory.
You may also wish to password-protect your network if you suspect any of your neighbors are making use of it.
If doing these simple things makes your TV go faster, you know what’s causing it to move slowly.
How To Fix a Local Network Problem
If your connection is sluggish or you experience frequent interruptions, you can try to fix the issue on your own by rebooting your router and modem.
To reset, you must unplug the router and modem from the wall for at least 30 seconds.
Then, once you’ve unplugged them, plug them back in and see if your connection speeds up again.
If power cycling your modem and router doesn’t solve the problem, resetting them to factory settings might.
To find out how to reset your router to factory settings, you may need to read the user manual or do some research online.
Even so, before performing a factory reset, you should always double-check that you know the default password for your router.
If restarting and resetting your modem or router doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to upgrade.
Older types of these gadgets typically fail to broadcast the internet with sufficient bandwidth for modern smart TVs.
How To Enhance Your TV’s Internet Connection
If your TV isn’t connected to your router strongly enough, it may take longer to load pages than usual.
When you move further away from your router, your available bandwidth decreases. If your TV is located far from your wifi router, the streaming experience will be poor.
This problem can be solved in various very easy ways. Possible Actions
If your smart TV isn’t getting a good signal, try moving your router closer to it or upgrading its strength.
One way to improve your network’s signal strength is to use a wireless range extender, such as the TP-Link WiFi Extender.
Connect your television set right to your modem using an Ethernet connection.
One or more of these strategies can be used to improve the speed of the internet and the time it takes for TV shows to buffer.
How To Determine Your Download Capacity
It’s common for monthly download caps to be imposed by most internet service providers.
Typically, you can only use so much data each month; the limit is 250 GB in most circumstances.
There is a possibility that your download rates will be slowed by your internet service provider if you have multiple smart TVs, use a lot of data, and leave cloud devices running in the background.
As a result, if you stream a lot of TV shows, you can go over your data cap and incur extra charges.
People who charge for extra downloads or slow down your streaming speed before you reach your download limit could be the reason why your TV keeps buffering.
If you think this could be the problem, you might want to contact your internet service provider to find out how many gigabytes you get each month and how much you usually use.
You can fix this by either decreasing the quality of your TV’s picture, using it less frequently, or upgrading your internet service.
Your TV Needs a Software Update
If you’ve already confirmed that your internet connection is stable, yet your TV’s performance is painfully slow, a software update may be in order.
Newer versions of the program typically fix flaws and speed things up.
Also, the software on your TV will eventually become old and will need to be replaced with newer, better code.
Software updates are important for your TV to work well because they fix bugs, free up space, and make your connections more secure.
How To Update Your TV’s Software
But if you have notifications off, you’ll miss the fact that there’s a new update available.
Turning on the auto-update feature of your smart TV will ensure that you never forget to install the latest software and fix any problems that may arise.
The usual place to look for this is the settings menu.
The monthly check for updates is recommended if your TV doesn’t have an automatic updating feature.
It’s common for monthly download caps to be imposed by most internet service providers.
Your TV’s Memory Is Full
Smart TVs, like any other gadget, only have so much room for your apps, cookies, and caches.
It’s a catch-22: the more apps you have, the less storage space you have.
Also, if you’ve used your TV for a year or more, your browsing history and cookies may have built up, making it harder to find or stream content quickly.
The TV’s inability to download content when its storage is full highlights the need to keep the TV’s software uncluttered to ensure rapid streaming speeds.
If you erase the app’s data, all of your saved searches and other data will be deleted along with any personal information you may have entered.
In this way, you may delete all of your app data and free up as much storage space as possible on your TV, allowing it to run more quickly.
Restarting the TV, erasing caches, and erasing cookies are all good ways to free up space in the device’s memory.
Because the process for doing so differs depending on the manufacturer of smart TV, we will just discuss the most common methods for doing so.
We may not have covered your specific model, but the owner’s manual or manufacturer’s website should have further details.
How To Clear Memory Cache on Samsung or LG TV
When using a Samsung or LG smart TV, clearing memory and making space is simple.
The TV’s cache and cookies are deleted, and they discharge whenever the power is cut off. Here’s what you should do:
Start using your smart TV immediately and unplug it from the wall.
Keep holding your breath for at least a minute.
Replace the plug and turn on the TV.
Your TV’s performance should improve now that you’ve flushed the memory cache.
How To Clear Memory Cache on Android TV
You can save up space on your Android TV by clearing the cache of each individual app.
The following are the actions to take in order to delete all data and/or caches:
- Select “Home” from the menu on your remote.
- To alter preferences, click “Settings.”
- To see the system apps, go to the “Apps” menu, then “System Apps,” and finally “Show System Apps.”
- Choose a mobile program.
- Go to “Clear Caches” or “Clear All Data,” and then click “OK.”
How To Clear Cookies and Caches on Vizio Smart TV
Here are the steps you need take to delete all cookies and temporary internet files from your Vizio TV:
- Position the TV’s remote control in the “Home” position.
- To adjust preferences, select “Settings.”
- The “broadcasting choice” button must be clicked.
- Do so by going into the “Expert” mode.
- To adjust your HbbTV, select “Settings.”
- To remove all browsing history and cookies, select the corresponding menu item.
- For a complete cookie wipeout, choose “Yes.”
- To change preferences, select “Settings” from the “Home” menu.
- Go to your device’s “Apps” menu and then “System Apps.”
- To delete data from a specific app’s cache, launch it and click the corresponding button.
- In the options menu, choose “Clear Cache,” then confirm with “OK.”
How To Clear Memory on TCL Roku TV
None of TCL’s Roku TVs offer a way to remove the cache or cookies.
A factory reset is the only way to free up space on this TV. Here are the procedures to return your TV to its factory settings:
- To access the settings, tap “Home” and then “Settings.”
- Select “System” after some scrolling.
- To access the “Advanced” menu, click here.
- To return to factory settings, click that button.
- Choose “Factory Reset Everything,” then enter the code displayed.
- To force your TV to restart, press OK.
Your TV Is an Outdated Model
Smart TVs are always evolving to keep up with the rapid pace of current technology.
It’s common for manufacturers to stop supporting older TV models whenever they release a newer model.
You won’t be able to take use of the most cutting-edge features because your TV will have fallen behind the times within a few years.
The result is that some smart TVs become less speedy a few years after purchase.
A lot of customers are annoyed that their smart TVs don’t last very long because the latest software updates are only compatible with the most recent models.
Because of improvements in storage and processing power, newer TVs are the only ones compatible with more recent software releases.
Companies on the cutting edge of innovation tend to advance at a faster rate than their competitors, which means that their older models become obsolete more quickly.
Working with an older TV that has undergone numerous software updates can cause the storage to fill up with outdated programs and files.
Newer software can still add capabilities to your TV, but these more powerful functions may slow down older TVs because they require more storage and higher processing speeds.
Visit this post on my site where I compare and contrast the top smart TVs for internet browsing if you’re ready to ditch the frequent software updates.
You’ll get a sense of just how challenging it would be to replace these models once you make a choice.
How To Fix Slow Streaming on an Outdated Smart TV
In general, the most popular streaming services won’t work properly on TVs that are 5 years old or older.
Apps that are part of smart TV streaming platforms may eventually stop supporting older TVs because there are so many newer TVs that they would rather direct consumers toward.
You can only avoid this deterioration by upgrading to a newer model of television.
For the time being, at least, you can try removing apps to see if it helps.
If replacing your television is out of the question, there are various streaming devices, like the Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, and Chromecast, that can provide the same experience.
Using these devices, you can transform any standard TV into a smart TV and so eliminate the fear of obsolescence forever.
Streaming devices usually last longer and use less data because they don’t need software updates to work with other devices to stream to your TV.
Why My Smart TV Is Slow? Final Thoughts
A slow smart TV could be caused by a number of things, such as a bad internet connection, an old model, the need to update the software, or the inability to free up RAM.
In order to fix these issues, you can do things like check your download speed, update your software, delete your browser’s cache and cookies, or even upgrade to a newer model of TV.