'No signal' usually just means the TV is listening to the wrong input. Every TV has the same basic control, but it hides under different names: Input, Source, or an icon that looks like a rectangle with an arrow.

What you'll need

  • The TV remote (or the buttons on the TV itself)
  • The HDMI port number your device is plugged into

The steps

  1. Find the input button

    Look for a button labeled Input, Source, or TV/Video on the remote. On TV sets without a remote handy, the physical control panel (usually under the bottom edge or on the back right side) includes an input option.

  2. Open the input list

    Press the button once. A list or row of inputs appears: HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3, Antenna, and so on.

  3. Select the right HDMI port

    Highlight the HDMI port where your streaming device is plugged in and press OK or Select. The device's home screen should appear within a few seconds.

  4. Rename the input (worth the minute)

    On most smart TVs, highlight the input, then look for an Edit or Rename option. Change 'HDMI 2' to 'Roku' or 'Fire Stick'. Next time, nobody has to remember numbers.

Worth knowing

  • Many streaming remotes can switch inputs: Roku and Fire TV remotes with TV control often wake the TV straight to the right port.
  • If one HDMI port is labeled ARC or eARC, save it for a soundbar rather than a streaming stick.
  • Hotel TVs with locked inputs: look for a small physical input button on the TV's side panel.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the device is broken when the TV is simply on the wrong input.
  • Plugging into an HDMI port on a soundbar or receiver but switching the TV, not the audio device.
  • Cycling inputs too fast — some TVs skip past ports before the handshake finishes.

Research basis: Samsung, LG, TCL, Hisense, Sony and Vizio smart TVs. Steps checked against current manufacturer documentation as of the last-updated date above.