How to Fix Samsung TV Broadcasting Greyed Out

It can be frustrating when you turn on your Samsung smart TV only to find that the broadcasting or streaming options are greyed out or unavailable. There are a few potential reasons for this and some troubleshooting steps you can take to restore full functionality.

Why Broadcasting is Greyed Out on My Samsung TV?

There are a few potential causes for Samsung TV channels being greyed out or unavailable:

Outdated Channel Info: Your Samsung TV pulls in information about available channels and programming from your TV provider. If this channel info becomes out of date, it can cause channels to disappear.

Signal Issues: Problems with your over-the-air signal, cable connection, or satellite dish can lead to missing channels. Anything that interrupts the signal can cause channels to grey out.

Software Problems: Glitches in the Samsung TV software can sometimes make channels unavailable. Power cycling the TV usually resolves this.

Parental Controls: Some channels may get blocked or greyed out if parental controls or rating locks are enabled. Double-check your parental control settings.

Wrong Input Selected: If you have the wrong input source selected on your TV, such as HDMI1 instead of TV, your broadcast channels will not show up.

Provider Issues: Sometimes, the problem is on your TV provider’s end. There could be an outage or regional programming issue. Check with your provider.

Samsung TV Broadcasting Not Available: Troubleshooting Steps

If you find options greyed out or unavailable on your Samsung TV, don’t panic. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and restore full broadcast functionality:

Check Samsung TV Signal Strength

Problems with your over-the-air signal can cause certain channels to drop out. Checking the signal strength is a quick fix:

Go to Picture and select Expert Settings from your Samsung TV settings menu.
Select TV Signal Strength to check signal power levels.
Good signal strength is around 90-100%. Anything under 85% could cause issues.
If signal strength is low, inspect antenna cables and connections. Ensure no splits or damage.
If an amplifier is used, check that it’s working and that the amber LED is solid. Replace if needed.
Adjust antenna position to point more directly at broadcast towers.
Rescan for channels after adjusting the antenna. Significantly, more channels will appear when the signal is strong.

Periodically checking the signal information can help you spot and resolve over-the-air reception issues before channels disappear. Maintain good signal strength for reliable channel availability.

Change The Input Source

Locate the Input or Source button on your Samsung TV remote. This may be labeled as Source, Input, AV, or have a TV icon.
Press the Input or Source button to bring up a menu list of available input sources connected to your TV.
Common input sources include HDMI ports (HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc.), TV for your antenna/cable connection, AV for older connections, Component for component video cables, and PC for a computer monitor connection.
Scroll through the input list and ensure the currently selected one is the correct source for the TV channels you want to view. For example, if you want to watch cable or OTA antenna channels, make sure the “TV” input is selected.
If the incorrect input is selected, you will see a blank screen or “No Signal” message instead of your TV channels. Navigate to the proper input source and press Enter on your remote to select it.
After selecting the correct input source, exit the menu and check if your TV channels are now displaying properly without any being greyed out.
You may also need to re-scan for channels after switching to the correct input.

Update Channel Info

Updating your Samsung TV’s channel information is one of the easiest ways to restore missing channels. Here’s how:

Go to the Settings menu using your Samsung TV remote and select “Broadcasting” or “Channels”.
Look for an option like “Auto Program,” “Update Channels,” or “Tuning.” This scans your TV antenna feed for available channels.
Initiate the channel scan. The TV will search for any new channels being broadcast in your area.
Once the channel update scan finishes, exit the menu and check to see if any missing channels have reappeared.

Updating the channel info essentially re-syncs your Samsung TV with the latest channel availability. This simple fix brings back many previously greyed-out channels for no reason.

Power Cycle the Samsung TV

One of the simplest fixes for a Samsung TV with greyed-out channels is power cycling:

Locate the power button on your Samsung TV and turn it off.
After the TV powers down, unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
Wait 60 seconds, then reconnect the power cord to an outlet.
Turn the TV back on using the power button and confirm that the missing channels have returned.

Power cycling forces your TV to fully reboot its software, clearing any corrupt data or glitches that might be preventing channels from displaying. Best of all, power cycling takes less than 5 minutes and can quickly restore unavailable channels.

Adjust Parental Controls

Don’t forget to check your parental control settings if encounter unavailable channels. Here’s how:

Go to the General menu, then Parental Controls, and enter your PIN.
Review each parental control category, such as TV Rating, Movie Rating, and Channel Blocking.
Check that restrictions are not enabled or blocking certain channels from view.
If parental controls are causing missing channels, you can disable restrictions entirely.
You can also adjust settings like ratings and content blocking to be less restrictive if needed.

Parental controls are designed to block inappropriate content. But they can also inadvertently restrict access to certain channels if settings are too strict. Adjust as needed.

Disable Hospitality Mode

First, Turn ON your TV
Now, Press the Mute Button> 1> 1> 9>Select or Enter
Now you will able to see the following screen

Change the setting from “On” to “Off”. This disables the hospitality mode
And then Restart the TV.

Disable Demo Store Mode

Turn on your Samsung TV.
Grab your remote and press the Home button. Navigate to Settings using the directional arrows.
Select All Settings followed by General & Privacy.
Scroll down and open System Manager.
Choose Usage Mode. Enter your PIN if prompted. The default PIN is usually 0000.
Select Home Mode to disable Demo Mode and switch to regular home use.

Update Samsung TV Software to Latest Firmware

Software bugs and glitches are common causes of the Samsung TV greyed-out channel problem. Updating to the latest firmware can prevent issues:

Go to the Support menu and select Software Update.
TV will automatically check for the latest firmware and download if available.
Once the firmware download is complete, follow the prompts to install the update.
TV will reboot and install updates. Wait 10-15 minutes for the process to finish.
Check the channel list again. Software update often resolves missing channel bugs.

Regularly updating your Samsung Smart TV ensures you have the latest features and performance improvements. More importantly, firmware updates fix annoying software bugs that can cause greyed-out channels.

Perform Samsung TV to Factory Reset

If a simple restart doesn’t work, a factory reset often resolves greyed-out channel issues:

Go to the General menu in your Samsung TV settings.
Select Reset and choose the Reset TV to Factory Settings option.
Enter PIN if prompted. Choose reset all settings.
TV will take 5-10 minutes to complete the factory reset, erasing all customizations.
After the reset finishes, go through the setup process, reconnect to WiFi, and input.
Rescan channels. Missing ones should reappear after resetting the TV.

Factory reset erases all user customizations and reverts software back to its original state. By clearing all data and settings, factory reset eliminates any corrupted data that could cause channels to disappear.

Conclusion

Now, you can enjoy all your favorite shows, news, and movies in full-color broadcasts like normal. And troubleshoot other issues as they arise with confidence using this broadcasting grey-out troubleshooting guide.

So don’t hesitate to try these steps and contact Samsung Support if needed. Before you know it, your Samsung TV broadcasting will be vibrant and crystal clear again.