Hi Allison,<br /><br />Thank you for sharing your experience. If your TV powers on but you’re seeing a black screen, it could be caused by your external device or the connection itself. Please try the following steps to help determine the cause:<br /><br />1. Press the Home button on your Samsung remote.<br />– If the menu appears, the TV is powered on but may be on the wrong source or not receiving a signal.<br />– If the menu does not appear, the TV may be experiencing power issues.<br />2. Check the red standby light near the bottom of the screen.<br />– The light is on when the TV is off (standby), and off when the TV is on.<br />– If the light is off and there’s no menu or picture, the TV may not be receiving power.<br />3. Check your input source.<br />– If your cable box or streaming device is connected to HDMI 1, ensure the TV source is also set to HDMI 1.<br />– If it’s already set correctly but there’s still no picture, unplug and reconnect the HDMI cable at both ends. If any cable is damaged, it will need to be replaced. Power cycle the device and TV after reconnecting.<br />4. Try a different HDMI port or cable.<br />– Connect a different external device to see if the issue is limited to one source.<br />– If a new device works, you’ve narrowed down the issue.<br />5. Run HDMI Troubleshooting. Go to: Home &gt; left directional key &gt; Connected Devices &gt; Connection Guide &gt; Video Device &gt; HDMI Troubleshooting (approx. 2 min).<br />6. Check for firmware updates. If your screen stays on long enough, we recommend checking for updates, which may resolve any HDMI communication bugs: Home &gt; left directional key &gt; Settings &gt; Support &gt; Software Update &gt; Update Now.<br /><br />If the problem persists after these steps, please call us at 1-800-SAMSUNG, 8AM – 12AM EST, 7 days a week. LiveChat agents are also available via the ‘Support’ section on our website.<br /><br />~Samsung Advisor