Smart televisions are computers; nobody just told you so. And like computers they occasionally seize up. Before you ring your provider, try this.
1. Work out whether the problem is the television
Play the same service on your phone on the same Wi-Fi. If it works there, the television is at fault. If it does not work there either, it is either your connection or an outage at the service.
2. Switch the television properly off
Pressing the button on the remote puts the television to sleep, it does not switch it off. Pull the plug out and leave it disconnected for a minute. This is remarkably effective with televisions and almost nobody tries it, because it sounds too silly.
3. Update the app and the television
Netflix and Oneplay change their apps regularly. If the television stays on an old version, the service stops working altogether — usually without a message that explains anything.
In the television's settings look for Software update, and check the app store for an update to the app itself as well.
When the picture stutters
That is almost always the connection, not the service. The television tends to be the furthest thing from the router, often behind a wall.
- The most effective answer is to run a network cable to the television. It looks like a step backwards, but the difference is immediate.
- If a cable is out of the question, moving the router somewhere more open helps — not behind a cupboard or into a corner.
- In a larger flat a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh system makes sense — but that costs money, so it is worth first establishing whether you need it.
When the app asks you to sign in and you do not know the password
Typing an email address with a remote control is torture, so people often note the password down somewhere and then cannot find it. Resetting a password is done on a computer or phone through that service's website, not on the television. Only then do you sign in on the TV.
One thing to watch: the password to the service is not the same as the password to your provider's account. People mix these up constantly.
When the television is older
Televisions older than roughly eight years reach the point where the manufacturer stops releasing apps for them. Then nothing helps — except a small box that plugs into HDMI and makes the television smart again. It costs a few hundred crowns and is far cheaper than a new television.
I am happy to help get it working, signing in included. It is one of the things people call about most often, and there is nothing at all to be embarrassed about.