Does your Toshiba Fire TV have audio issues, no matter how many times you restart it, but the volume level always behaves oddly, or no sound come through?
There is no need to worry about this, most of the time it is not related to any kind of hardware issue and can often be fixed at home.
As a Toshiba Fire TV user myself, I understand how it feels to get a new smart tv and find it acting strangely, however, you are not alone.
Many Toshiba Fire TV users have experienced sound issues with their TVs.
In my experience, there were two issues with sound: One is that when I switch on the TV, no sound comes, and another is that after doing a normal power cycle, the volume level that I control through the remote did not work as expected.
After contacting the official support and researching various forums where Toshiba Fire TV users reported this issue and discussed possible fixes, I created this guide, which draws on the solution from all of those forums, official support, and from my personal experience when I faced this issue and did fix it.
As per the Toshiba Fire TV official support and numerous users, the lack of sound is caused by incorrect audio settings and a corrupted or half-installed software update. In which case, resetting the TV and configuring the audio settings again should resolve the problem.
Now let’s dive into what causes the Toshiba Fire TV to lose its sound and what you need to do to fix it.
Why Is My Toshiba Fire TV Sound Not Working?
There can be a variety of reasons why the audio on your Toshiba Fire TV isn’t working, mainly it depends on the connection and whether there is an external audio source via HDMI, ARC, etc, or if it’s the TV speakers that aren’t working.
Depending on the scenarios, the causes also vary. In order to determine the exact cause of an audio problem on your Toshiba Fire TV, you must rule out all possible causes and then check the audio after you have ruled out each possible cause.
Users and official support have reported that the Toshiba Fire TV sound stops working when the audio configuration and the external audio device connection are incorrect, and for that, you need to perform a complete reset and plug in the audio devices again as per the process.
On top of that, when the sound works sometimes and the TV only shows pictures at other times, the issue comes from internal software updates, as when bad updates or half updates get installed on TVs, such issues occur.
In addition, here is a list of all possible causes of no sound on your Toshiba Fire TV:
- Incorrect audio configuration
- Incorrect external audio connection
- Bad or glitched software update
- Temporary internal settings glitch
- Faulty HDMI ARC cables
As we know now the possible causes of the no sound issue, let’s see what you need to do in order to resolve it.
How Do I Get The Sound To Work On My Toshiba Fire TV?
Initial Checks
Whenever you’re troubleshooting, start by checking the basic setup.
Let me guide you through some key basic factors that you should take a close look at first:
Check the Cables
It is possible for people to get confused when connecting cables, especially if they are going to ports that are similar.
Make sure that they are properly connected to their ports. Plugin your RCA cable according to the color-coded inputs if you are using an RCA cable.
You can dramatically change the signal you receive from your Toshiba Fire TV depending on the physical condition and specifications of your cables.
Therefore, make sure that all cables are free from wear and tear. Always use the cables that came with your Toshiba Fire TV box.
The presence of an exposed wire can cause frequent audio and video synchronization issues.
If you need to replace your cable, be sure to buy them from Toshiba or a certified seller. Check the specifications of the cable to ensure that it will work perfectly.
Check your Input Ports
In the event that your input port is damaged, you would lose all communication between your Toshiba Fire TV and your input device.
In addition, the female ports are quite fragile, so plugging in the cable the wrong way can break the connecting pins.
Plugging in the cables safely should always be a priority. Make sure the cables are aligned correctly according to the port and do not apply too much pressure.
Try plugging in a working cable to see if a signal is detected will determine whether the port is working.
Toshiba’s Customer Services can arrange a parts replacement if you feel the ports need to be replaced.
Check your External Speakers (If Any)
If your external speakers are not working properly, it may be a hardware or wiring issue.
Check whether your speakers work properly by connecting them to a different sound input system.
Play around with any equalizer options your external speakers have and see if it automatically adjusts equalizer settings for you, and then choose your preferred setting.
Check your Fire TV Remote
Many people don’t expect there to be complaints about Fire TV, but a few reports have surfaced about Fire TV remotes causing problems.
There are many reported issues with Fire TV remotes such as ghost input presses and random disconnections from its parent Fire TV setup.
Though I did not see any Toshiba Fire TV remote complaints, it is always a good idea to be on the safe side and consider all factors.
You should start by changing the batteries in your Fire TV remote. When batteries are underpowered, they can deliver too little energy at irregular times, which can cause ghost touches.
If you are certain it’s the remote, order a new one through Toshiba or Amazon.
Power Cycle
Like a restart, a power cycle completely discharges all the electrical components in your Toshiba Fire TV, thus resetting the circuit.
Let’s begin by restarting. Occasionally, a restart can help resolve temporary software-related problems, and it might do the same for you.
Not to be confused with simply pressing the power button, which only puts the TV to sleep.
This will not clear temporary files, rather you need to unplug and have wait for 3-4 minutes before plugging the cables back.
It is advised to attempt both, first the soft reset, then the power cycle. I have included both steps below.
Soft reset Toshiba Fire TV:
- First, Use the Home button, and hold it down to access the menu.
- From your home screen, open Settings.
- Select My Fire TV from the menu
- Select “Restart” after that.
Follow the steps below for a proper power cycle after a soft reset.
You can do a proper power cycle by following these steps:
- Wait a few minutes (3-4) after unplugging your Toshiba Fire TV from the wall socket.
- Reconnect it. Power on the Toshiba Fire TV
- After turning it on, wait another minute. The device should successfully boot up all background services.
Now, check to see if the sound issue has been resolved. If it hasn’t, continue reading this guide.
Configure Audio Settings
You may also find that the incorrect audio settings are the cause of this only if you’ve added any external speakers or made any recent changes since the Audio isn’t playing on your Toshiba Fire TV.
In that case, make sure you select the proper output channel if an external soundbar or any other speaker is connected.
If you are experiencing issues with Dolby Digital audio, you can try turning it off or on since some apps have glitches with Dolby settings. I have even experienced issues with Disney plus and Netflix on my Fire TV.
Here’s how you can turn off the Dolby Digital on your Toshiba Fire TV:
- Displays & Sounds > Settings > Audio Output > Digital Audio Format > Audio Format select Dolby Digital
Update your TV Firmware and Apps
There have been complaints that Fire TV systems lag and UI stutter after firmware updates, with some even experiencing black screens.
For electronic devices, firmware updates are very important since they can provide fixes for known issues directly from Amazon and Toshiba.
Downgrading to an older firmware is also not recommended. Due to a possible version check implemented by Amazon for some Fire TV models, downgraded devices may be hard-bricked.
In the official Best Buy forums, a user complained that the sound frequently disappeared from his Toshiba Fire TV. After updating to the latest firmware, the issue went away, and the TV started working normally again.
The following steps will show you how to check for updates and install them if they are available:
- On your Toshiba TV, press the Home button and then select the Main Menu.
- Go to the Settings option on your home screen.
- Select My Fire TV from the menu.
- Go to “About” and select “Check for Updates”.
There will be an option for Install Update when the update is available. Click on that option to download the update. The update will usually take around five minutes to complete.
In addition to this, some apps fail to decode the audio signals properly via the Fire TV operating system when using certain apps.
Attempt a Factory Reset
Here’s the final step I can give you that will restore your Toshiba Fire TV to factory settings.
Note: Since this will completely erase your data, I would recommend you back up any files you need before you make the hard reset.
If you want to factory reset your Toshiba Fire TV, follow these steps:
- First, Access the Toshiba Fire TV menu, and hold down the Home button for a few seconds.
- Click on Device in the Settings section.
- Choose Reset to Factory Defaults and then Reset.
You will need to be patient while following it, once it gets done, your Toshiba Fire TV will look like new and any audio issues you are experiencing will be resolved.
Here’s a video which shows you another way to hard reset the Toshiba Fire TV it is the more advanced method for hard reset and solves all of the issue by restoring TV to its default state.
Conclusion
If you experience problems with your audio settings where sound doesn’t come on or goes out when switching between channels on your Toshiba Fire TV, or when watching anything on it, it’s undoubtedly not a pleasant experience, but it shouldn’t be a big problem at the same time, since it can be easily fixed.
Hopefully, you will be able to get the sound back on your Toshiba Fire TV after following the above instructions in the guide.
Additionally, if you still encounter any issues with any of the steps mentioned above, you can drop a comment below and I will get back to you.