Question 1

the screen is black but i can hear sound and the standby light is white, did my x90l just die?

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: No, your TV isn't dead. A white light means it's on, and sound means it's processing a signal. You're likely dealing with a backlight failure, or more commonly, the local dimming system has crashed, leaving the LEDs off. FIX: First, let's try a hard reset. 1) Unplug the TV from the wall outlet. 2) Press and hold the physical power button on the TV itself (not the remote) for a full 60 seconds. This drains all residual power and resets the mainboard. 3) While it's still unplugged, press the power button a few more times for good measure. 4) Plug the TV back in and turn it on with the remote. Listen for the startup chime and watch the screen closely in a dark room—you might see a very faint image if the backlights kick back on. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Shine a bright flashlight at an angle directly onto the screen in a dark room. If you can see a very faint image/menu, then the panel and electronics are working, but the backlights have definitely failed. This is a hardware issue that requires a service call. HEADS UP: If the hard reset works, you should immediately check for a firmware update (Settings > System > Software update) and install it. Sometimes a software bug can cause the backlight driver to freeze, and an update may contain a fix. If it happens again after an update, it's almost certainly a hardware problem.

Question 2

my tv keeps switching to the wrong input by itself, like it will jump back to live tv while i'm watching my apple tv

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: That's the TV's Auto Picture or Auto Device Change feature being overly aggressive. It's designed to switch to an input when it detects an active signal, but sometimes it gets confused by cable boxes, game consoles in standby, or other devices sending intermittent signals. FIX: This is an easy one to shut off. 1) Press the Input button on your remote. 2) On the input selection screen that pops up, press the Down arrow on your remote's directional pad to highlight the gear icon (Settings) at the bottom. 3) Select it. 4) You'll see an option called Auto Device Change. Toggle that OFF. This stops the TV from automatically jumping to an input just because it sees a signal. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: There's a second culprit. Go to Settings > Channels & Inputs > External inputs > Auto picture. Toggle this OFF as well. This feature tries to guess the best picture mode for the content, and its detection routine can sometimes trigger an input change. HEADS UP: If you have a cable/satellite box connected, make sure its 'Power Saving' or 'Auto Standby' mode is turned OFF. These boxes often send a tiny wake-up signal periodically, which your TV can misinterpret as a command to switch over.

Question 3

i can't get the 'always on' voice feature to work, it just says microphone off when i say 'hey google'

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: The built-in far-field microphone on the TV is likely disabled. There's a physical switch for privacy, and if it's off, the TV can't listen for the wake word, even if the software setting is on. FIX: First, find the microphone switch. Look for a small physical slider button on the bottom edge of the TV, near the center, just below the Sony logo. It might be on the backside of that lower bezel. Slide it to the ON position (you should see a green indicator or feel it click). Then, on the TV, go to Settings > Device Preferences > Google Assistant > Allow hands-free and make sure it's toggled on. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Do a full reboot of the Google Assistant system. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps > Show system apps. Find Google Play services and Google (the app). For each one, select it, then choose Force stop, and then Clear cache. Do not clear data. Restart the TV from the system menu. This resets the voice services without deleting your account. HEADS UP: The 'Always On' feature only works when the TV is in standby (orange LED light), not when it's fully powered off (white light). Also, if you have any USB devices plugged in, sometimes they can interfere with the microphone array—try unplugging them temporarily as a test.

Question 4

the screen on my x90l looks weird and washed out when i play hdr content from my playstation 5

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: Your TV is receiving an HDR signal, but the picture mode isn't switching correctly to an HDR-optimized setting. It's probably stuck in a Standard or Custom mode meant for regular TV, which makes HDR look flat and gray. FIX: First, force the correct settings. While your PS5 is on and playing HDR content, press the Quick Settings button, then go to Picture > Picture mode. You should see options like HDR Vivid, HDR Game, or IMAX Enhanced. Select HDR Game for gaming. This applies the correct tone mapping. Then, go into Advanced settings and ensure HDR Tone Mapping is set to Gradation Preferred for brighter highlights, or Brightness Preferred for overall luminance. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Check the PS5's own settings. On the PS5, go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Make sure HDR is set to On When Supported. Also, under 4K Video Transfer Rate, try setting it to -1 (Automatic). Sometimes a bandwidth hiccup can cause the TV to fall back to a non-HDR signal. HEADS UP: The X90L has two HDMI 2.1 ports (3 and 4). For best PS5 performance with 4K/120Hz HDR, you must use one of these ports and ensure the HDMI signal format for that port is set to Enhanced (VRR) in the TV's external input settings.

Question 5

my sony tv remote just stopped controlling the volume and power for my soundbar even though it worked before

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: The TV's Bravia Sync (HDMI-CEC) feature has likely lost its programming for your soundbar. A software update, power glitch, or changing inputs can sometimes cause it to forget the linked device. FIX: You need to re-register the device. 1) Press the Quick Settings button on your Sony remote. 2) Go to Settings > Remotes & Accessories > Bravia Sync device list. 3) Find your soundbar in the list. Select it and choose Re-register device. Follow the on-screen prompts, which usually involve turning the soundbar off and on again. Once it's found, make sure System Audio Control is turned ON for that device. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Go nuclear and reset the entire Bravia Sync system. In the same Bravia Sync settings menu, select Bravia Sync control and toggle it OFF. Wait 10 seconds, then toggle it back ON. This forces the TV to rediscover all connected devices and re-establish control. HEADS UP: Some soundbars have their own CEC setting that needs to be enabled. Check your soundbar's manual (I know, I said I wouldn't say that, but this is external) for an option called 'HDMI Control', 'CEC', or 'System Control' and make sure it's on. Both ends of the wire need to be talking.

Question 6

how do i get the google assistant button to stop popping up on the bottom of the screen every time i pause my show

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: That's the 'Content Awareness' feature, part of the Ambient Mode/Google TV setup. It's trying to be helpful by showing you info or controls when it detects paused content, but it gets annoying fast. FIX: You need to dig into the Accessibility settings to turn it off. 1) Press the Quick Settings button (the gear icon) on your remote. 2) Go to System > Accessibility. 3) Scroll down to Content awareness and toggle it OFF. That should stop the pop-up banner from appearing every time you hit pause. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: There's a second, related setting. Go back to Quick Settings > System > Ambient Mode. Turn Ambient Mode OFF. This disables the whole 'smart' background system, which is often the root cause of those pop-ups and screen changes. HEADS UP: Turning off Content Awareness might also disable some other 'helpful' features, like showing actor details when you pause. If you find you miss that, you can always go back and toggle it on, but the trade-off is the persistent assistant button.

Question 7

the back of my xr65x90l makes a faint buzzing or humming sound, it's not the speakers, is this normal?

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: You're hearing coil whine from the power supply components, most likely from the local dimming circuitry for the full-array LED backlight. It's a common trait in many LED TVs, especially when displaying very bright scenes or specific color patterns. FIX: First, let's see if it's tied to a specific setting. Go to Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Advanced settings > Brightness. Try lowering the Peak Brightness setting from High to Medium or even Low. Also, switch Contrast down a few notches. Play some content and see if the noise reduces. The power draw is less on lower brightness, which often quiets the coils. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Check if it's coming from a specific area. The sound is usually from the center-back of the TV. Make sure all the screws on the back panel are snug (but don't over-tighten!). A slightly loose panel can resonate and amplify an otherwise faint electronic hum. HEADS UP: This noise can change or get louder in certain picture modes, like Vivid or IMAX Enhanced, because they push brightness and contrast to the max. If it's only audible when you're right up close to the TV and disappears at normal viewing distance, it's generally considered within normal operation and isn't a sign of impending failure.

Question 8

my new sony x90l tv keeps saying 'no signal' when i turn it on with my soundbar plugged into the hdmi earc port

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS: That's a handshake issue between your TV and soundbar, usually because the soundbar is trying to take over as the main audio source before the TV is fully booted. The eARC/ARC system can be a little finicky on startup. FIX: First, let's do a power cycle to reset the communication. 1) Turn off both the TV and the soundbar. 2) Unplug both from the wall outlet for a full two minutes. 3) While they're unplugged, press and hold the physical power button on the TV for about 30 seconds to drain any residual charge. 4) Plug the TV back in, turn it on, and wait for the Home screen to fully load. 5) Now plug in and turn on your soundbar. This sequence lets the TV establish itself as the boss before the soundbar checks in. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK: Go into your TV's settings. Navigate to Settings > Channels & Inputs > External inputs > HDMI signal format. Select the HDMI 3 port (your eARC port) and make sure it's set to Enhanced format (Dolby Vision), not Standard. Sometimes it defaults wrong and can't read the incoming signal properly. HEADS UP: If you're using a really old or non-compliant HDMI cable, it might not support the eARC protocol. You need a High-Speed HDMI cable, preferably one labeled 'Ultra High Speed'. A bad cable is the culprit more often than you'd think.

Sony 65 inch XR65X90L Full Array LED 4K Smart TV

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