NOW TV black screen could be frightening at first glance, but fear not; this guide will help you!
We understand how frustrating it must be to get interrupted in the middle of a streaming session and immediately greeted by the black screen of death.
Yes, it’s pretty unsettling, but remember that this does not necessarily indicate failed TV hardware components, so let’s find a solution.
When the NOW TV screen goes black, first check for an issue with the HDMI equipment and inspect the device’s power supply. If everything appears intact, uninstall third-party equipment from your setup and perform a factory restoration on your NOW TV system.
Let’s continue to unwrap!
NOW TV Player Black Screen | Top Causes!
How to Identify NOW TV Box Black Screen?
To correctly identify the culprit for the black-screen problem, the next step is to diagnose the behaviour of the issue.
Typically, you should first pay attention to whether the black screen is constant and whether the issue resembles any event or pattern.
The NOW TV screen goes black, idling:
If the NOW TV screen goes black simply while on the home screen, the machine is overheating, or the HDMI connection is loose.
Another possibility is that the screen of the connected TV is going black and that your NOW TV box is working correctly.
The NOW TV screen goes black in apps:
When the NOW TV screen goes black during streaming, you should suspect outages from the providers or specific issues with the current broadcast.
- In addition, streaming issues can also be caused by the settings configuration on your NOW TV device.
Now that we understand the black screen better, let’s jump into troubleshooting!
How to Fix the NOW TV Black Screen in Easy Steps?
Tip: To resolve the issue more efficiently, follow our steps chronologically!
1. Reboot the NOW TV and Router!
The key to addressing temporal issues with any type of NOW TV equipment is to conduct a power cycle.
This is a proven solution to any underlying issues involving power complications or malfunctions with the hardware and potential software conflicts and errors.
NOW TV streaming sticks and NOW TV streaming boxes are power cycled differently!
How to Reboot a NOW TV Streaming Box?
- Disconnect the power cable of the NOW TV box from the outlet.
- Unplug the other end of the power adapter from the TV box’s port.
- Wait for 60 seconds while the NOW TV box discharges completely.
- Reconnect the power cable of the NOW TV box to the power outlet.
- Connect the other end of the cable to the power port on the TV box.
How to Reboot a NOW TV Streaming Stick?
- Disconnect the external power supply of the streaming stick.
- Unplug the NOW TV stick from the connected TV’s HDMI port.
- Wait for 60 seconds while the NOW TV stick is discharging.
- Reconnect the streaming stick to the HDMI port on the TV.
- Re-install the external power supply of the streaming stick.
How to Reboot Any Network Router?
Note: Unstable Wi-Fi could cause an application to crash and cause a black screen!
- Locate the “power” button on the network router.
- Next, hold the power button for 10-15 seconds.
- Once the router powers off, unplug it from power.
- Wait for 60 seconds while the router is unplugged.
- Reconnect the power adapter of the router back in.
The power cycle is beneficial if the streaming equipment is overheating or has issues with the hardware components.
This method can drastically reduce the internal temperatures of your devices and help with system issues contributing to the NOW TV black output’s occurrence.
Warning: Overheating of the NOW TV equipment can damage the hardware components!
2. Correct the Selected HDMI Source
Another possibility for the black screen is incorrectly selected HDMI input in the TV’s source menu.
To display the broadcast of the NOW TV box, the TV must be set to look at the HDMI input where the NOW TV cable box or streaming stick is connected.
You can cycle between the HDMI inputs from the sources menu on your NOW TV.
Thus, here’s how to identify the correct input and how to select it correctly:
- Check the HDMI port’s label above the physical port.
- Press the “Source” button on the TV remote control.
- Highlight the correct HDMI source in the input menu.
- Press “OK” to finalise the selection of the HDMI source.
How to Troubleshoot HDMI Connectivity?
Here are a couple of the best-working ways to troubleshoot issues with the TV’s HDMI:
- Connect the NOW TV box to a different port on the TV.
- Clean any dust or debris from the HDMI port on the box.
- Switch the HDMI cable’s sides and reconnect it securely.
- Inspect the HDMI cable and check for bent connectors.
- Replace the HDMI cable of the NOW TV streaming box.
If the TV still fails to display the broadcast of the NOW TV player, then chances are that there’s an issue with the system’s HDMI protocol.
If possible, test the NOW TV player on another TV or HDMI monitor to determine if the HDMI video transfer will occur without interruptions or lag.
Important: Verify that the black screen is not because of the connected TV or monitor!
3. Uninstall Any Third-Party Equipment
To be able to test cleanly and identify the origin of the black screen, you must remove all of the connected devices to your TV except the NOW TV box.
On the back of the TV/monitor, only the power cable and HDMI cable of the NOW TV box must be connected, and everything else must be unplugged.
Necessary: Unplug Any Power Connectors!
If there is any third-party power equipment between the NOW TV box and the power outlet, we recommend connecting the device directly to the power.
The black screen could occur due to defective in-between equipment, such as power splitters, electrical dividers or smart plugs.
Tip: Keep all external devices unplugged until the NOW TV black output cause is identified.
4. Switch to a Different Power Outlet
The black screen on the NOW TV box could be power-related. Any power fluctuations or A/C insufficiency can prevent your NOW TV box from turning on.
Thus, the HDMI on the TV or monitor will only show a black screen until the NOW TV box is functional again.
The best way to justify this is to install the power cable of the NOW TV player into an alternative electrical outlet.
So reposition the NOW TV player next to another suitable outlet and plug it in!
Test the Power Source!
We recommend testing the power source connected to the NOW TV to identify any electrical problems.
Feel free to use your phone’s charger or a lamp and observe whether the phone is charging or the light is flickering.
Note: Inspect your NOW TV box's power cable connector and port for damage!
5. Factory Reset the NOW TV Player
Based on the type of NOW TV box you have and the requirements for the factory reset, the process must be completed differently on each type of player.
Since resetting through the settings menu is impossible with a black screen, you must locate the physical reset button!
Let’s identify the factory reset process for each type of NOW TV player!
How to Factory Reset NOW TV Black Box?
- Find the “RESET” pinhole on the back panel of the black box.
- Insert a pin or an object similar in size into the reset pinhole.
- Press and hold the reset button inside for about 15 seconds.
- You can release the reset button after the box’s LED flashes.
How to Factory Reset NOW TV Smart Stick?
- Make sure that the NOW TV streaming stick is connected to a TV.
- Unplug the streaming stick and plug it back in after 10 seconds.
- Find the “reset” button on the left side panel of the streaming stick.
- Press the reset button once to reboot the NOW TV streaming stick.
- To factory reset the NOW TV stick, hold the button for 6 seconds!
How to Factory Reset NOW TV Smart Box?
Note: The factory reset is identical on the Freeview and 4K Voice Search boxes!
- Unplug the power adapter of the NOW TV box from the outlet.
- Wait for 60 seconds and reconnect the adapter back to power.
- Press and hold the small “reset” button for at least 15 seconds.
Reminder: When the NOW TV box is wholly reset, you must set up the device from scratch!
Quick Recap:
Hence, to address the NOW TV black screen, begin with a power circulation on the NOW TV player and a thorough inspection of the HDMI connection.
Then, verify that the correct TV input source is selected and perform a factory reset if the black screen is persistent.
Follow our blog for more NOW TV solutions!
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.