Ever settled down for a night of binge-watching your favorite series on DirecTV, only to be met with utter silence? I have, and it threw me off more than I’d like to admit. Have you ever wondered what’s going on when the picture is crystal clear, but there’s no sound to complement the visuals?
If your DirecTV sound isn’t working, it might be due to the audio settings being set to a format incompatible with your TV or sound system. Switch the audio settings on your DirecTV box to PCM or Stereo to resolve this issue.
One potential reason for sound issues with DirecTV could be a simple case of muted or very low volume settings, either on the DirecTV box itself or on your TV. Before diving into more complex troubleshooting, check and adjust the volume levels. It’s similar to trying to start your car without realizing it’s in gear – a fundamental step that’s easy to overlook but crucial to the operation.
Another common issue could stem from a loose or damaged HDMI cable. The HDMI cable is the lifeline that carries both audio and video signals to your TV. If the cable isn’t securely connected or if it’s damaged, you may experience picture without sound, or vice versa. To fix this, ensure the HDMI cable is firmly plugged into both the DirecTV box and your TV. If the problem persists, try replacing the HDMI cable with a new one. This step is akin to ensuring a water hose has no kinks or leaks for optimal flow – a simple yet effective solution to a potentially frustrating problem.
DirecTV Sound Not Working
DirecTV can be run through a DirecTV device, or through the DirecTV app that is installed on a smart TV. The sound can run through the TV speakers or through external speakers which are connected via cables or wirelessly. Either the TV itself, the DirecTV device, or the surround sound speakers can have an issue that causes the sound not to work, here’s how to fix this issue.
Restart your TV, and DirecTV device. Uninstall and reinstall the DirecTV app, turn off Dolby digital audio, unplug external speakers to test if it’s the external speakers, check that the speaker cables are connected correctly, and change the sound output in the TV settings.
Each of these steps can be a solution and the sound can start working again after completing only one of these steps. Therefore, it’s a matter of trying each one until it begins working again. Here’s step by step instructions for how to perform each one.
1. Ensure sound is turned up on the TV and DirecTV device
Although you likely have the sound on, it’s worthwhile to check that the sound is turned up on the TV. Also if you’re using a DirecTV device make sure the sound is turned up on that as well. Some surround sound systems go through a receiver that has a master volume. So, ensure the sound is turned up on your surround sound system, and any other external speakers you may be using.
2. Unplug external speakers and run the audio through the TV speakers
It’s possible the issue is being caused by external speakers such as your surround sound system, or a bluetooth soundbar. These external speakers can be malfunctioning rather than DirecTV itself. So to test whether it’s the external speakers unplug any speakers from the audio out at the back of your TV. It can vary by model but they’re typically labelled as audio out.
Or there will be an HDMI cable that goes from your TV to the speakers or a receiver, that then has cables running to a surround sound system. Ensure no speakers are plugged into your TV, which will force the audio to come out of the TV speakers. If the TV speakers are fine then you can be sure it’s an issue with the external speakers. An issue with the surround sound speakers can also be controlled by a setting on the TV which will be covered in the last step on this list.
If the surround sound system is the issue, skip to the last step on this list.
3. Restart the DirecTV device and the TV
The DirecTV device may have an issue with the internal computer. Restarting it will fix this issue. So, power it off, and unplug it at the wall. Leave it off for about 1 minute, then plug it back in and turn it back on.
Do the same for your TV as the TV can also have a similar issue. This goes double if you’re using the DirecTV app. Each TV is a little bit different, but generally once it’s in standby mode simply unplug it from the wall for 1 minute then plug it back in and turn it back on. On some TV’s to reset it can simply hold down the power button on the TV remote until it switches off then press the power button to turn it back on.
4. Turn off Dolby digital audio
There is a setting in the DirecTV menu which turns off Dolby digital audio. For some reason this works to fix audio issues. To access this setting press the ‘Menu’ button on your DirecTV remote this will bring up a menu. On the left hand side scroll to ‘Settings’, then scroll across or down depending on what version you’re running and find the ‘Audio’ option.
Select this and some more options will show up. Click on ‘Dolby Audio’ and if it’s turned on, turn it off.
5. Uninstall and reinstall the DirecTV app – smart TVs only
If you’re using a DirecTV device that’s plugged into your TV to watch DirecTV then skip this step. Otherwise you’ll be using the DirectTV app. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app will factory reset your DirecTV app which can fix this issue. To do this is a bit different based on what operating system you’re using.
But, the general procedure which will work for most operating systems is to go to the home screen, and put the cursor over the DirecTV app. After that you long press the middle button, or the select button and some additional options will come up. One of them will be ‘uninstall’ or ‘remove’. Then you need to download it again from the app store.
Bear in mind that when you do this you’ll need your login info for DirectTV. So, you’ll need to log find it in your email, or go to the DirecTV website to get it. If you can’t find how to uninstall it, then search on Youtube for how to uninstall an app on your brand of TV. For example ‘how to uninstall an app on a Samsung smart TV’.
6. Ensure audio cables are connected all the way in
If you’re using a DirecTV device that is plugged into your TV the audio input lines can be a bit loose. A pet could have tripped over them, or as someone was cleaning around the TV they may have slightly yanked them by accident. There is a white, yellow, and red cable typically. They will be plugged into the ports on your TV that say ‘Audio In’.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on November 13, 2021.
Remove them and plug them back in so that they’re plugged in firmly. Do this on both ends of the cable. If you’re using a home theater system that goes through a receiver or a few external speakers also check the audio cables for these. And ensure they’re plugged in all the way, and aren’t slightly loose.
7. Change the digital sound output on TV
A TV has a sound output setting. It’s typically set to auto. But, it can be changed which can fix the sound issue. For example, it can be switched from auto to PCM instead.
Try each of the options in the sound output setting on your TV. It will be one of the settings when you go to the audio settings in the settings menu for your TV. You may want to try a different type of audio cable.
Finally, if you’re tried all of these options then it’s best to get in touch with DirecTV to see what they say you should do moving forward. The steps listed above are recommended on the official DirecTV website which you can see here. I’ve also included some others which I know from experience will fix this issue. So, you can let them know you’ve done the troubleshooting steps they recommend and the sound is still not working.
DirecTV Sound No Sound
Sound playing on your TV is controlled via the audio settings on your TV. But, it relies on the DirecTV device or app working correctly, and being plugged in and configured correctly. When you get no sound when watching DirecTV, here’s the troubleshooting steps to get it working.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on November 13, 2021.
For a DirecTV device ensure the volume is turned up on the DirecTV device and on the TV. If you’re using external speakers, verify that they aren’t the issue by unplugging them and allowing the sound to play through the TV speakers. Turning off Dolby digital audio also is known to fix this issue.
I’ve explained step by step how to perform each of these steps, as well as additional steps that you should try one by one to get the sound working. Scroll to the top of this article and start with step ‘1. Ensure sound is turned up on the TV and DirecTV device’, and after each step check to see if the sound is now working.
DirecTV Sound Low
If you’re getting sound then it’s a good sign that your speakers are all set up correctly. However, if the sound volume is not very loud then you’ll need to perform a few checks to identify what’s causing the issue. Here’s what they are.
There are three possible causes: the volume isn’t turned up on your DirecTV device, the volume isn’t turned up on your TV, or the volume isn’t turned up on your external speakers. Check each to make sure it’s turned up enough so the volume is at the right level for you.
Typically if the volume is at a good level on other apps. Or on other channels on your TV that don’t go through your DirecTV device then the volume is turned down on the DirecTV device. It needs to be turned up using the DirecTV remote. If the volume is low on other apps or channels that aren’t run through DirecTV then it’s likely the volume is low on your TV, or turned down at the receiver or each individual external speaker.
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on November 13, 2021.
Restart both your TV and DirecTV device by unplugging or turning them off at the wall outlet and wait for 1 minute before plugging them back in or turning them back on at the wall outlet. If that doesn’t fix the sound not working, next turn off Dolby digital audio in the settings, explained below.