Google TV Streamer Flickering? (Try These Easy Fixes!)

We know how unbearable the Google TV Streamer flickering can be, ruining your mood as you’re about to do a round of troubleshooting when you’re supposed to relax.

Don’t worry–if you follow this guide, this will be the final troubleshooting you will have to do!

In most cases, the Google TV Streamer flickering emerges from an HDMI compatibility fault, misconfigured video settings, or power losses.

Let’s proceed with the solutions and see how to fix this immediately!

How to Fix When the Google TV Streamer Flickering?

Note: Have you tried powering the TV on and off along with the Google TV Streamer?

1. Switch the Google TV Streamer HDMI Input

One of the most frequent causes for the flickering of your Google TV Streamer is a problem with the HDMI cable.

Whether it is the cable itself or the HDMI input that is causing your Streamer to flicker, you should start eliminating the possibilities.

So, first plug the HDMI cable of your Google TV Streamer into a different HDMI port on your TV (e.g., HDMI 1, HDMI 2, or HDMI 3).

Once you have plugged the Streamer into a different port, use the “Input” or “Source” button on the TV remote control to change the input.

So, if you’ve connected the streamer to HDMI 1, set the source to “HDMI 1” as well. If you are using HDMI 2, select the “HDMI 2” source, and so on.

Test on All HDMI Inputs ✅

Your TV offers up to 3 x HDMI inputs. In that regard, connect the HDMI cable of your streamer and test it on each of the TV inputs.

If you’re using only the side HDMI, since it’s the easiest to access, go ahead, move the TV, and try one of the back ports. They are typically not worn out. 

2. Reset the Power Supply of the TV Streamer

Before stepping up our troubleshooting, another simple thing you can try is the so-called “power reset” on your Google TV Streamer.

Well, the discharge is designed to eliminate any temporary issues with your device by draining all residual electricity after the power adapter is unplugged.

So, unplug your Google TV Streamer for ~60 seconds!

Note: When ready with the power reset, verify that the power adapter of the Google TV Streamer is secured on both ends. 

3. Adjust Google TV Streamer Display Settings

A misconfigured display setting could likely be causing the screen of your Google TV Streamer to flicker, tear up, or flash uncontrollably.

So, for the next step, we recommend accessing and configuring the essential video settings of your streamer correctly.

To access the video settings, navigate to “Settings” → “Display and sound” from the menu.

Once you are at the display tab, adjust the following options:

#1 Resolution:

The screen could tear up or even flicker if you choose a resolution that is not supported by your TV or viewing device. Hence, check the exact resolution of your TV and choose 1080p or 4K.

#2 Text Scaling:

Reduce or increase the text scaling, so it fits according to the TV and Streamer’s resolution.

Also, you must verify that it is not too large, nor too small, for the current TV resolution scale.

#3 Dynamic Range/Color Format

Cycle through the available color formats and adjust the dynamic range as necessary to reduce the HDMI-induced interference that could be causing the display to flicker.

#4 Match Content Frame Rate

Activate this function to allow your Google TV Streamer to match the frame rate of the current content. This is necessary to minimize screen tearing as much as possible.

#5 Ambient Screensaver

We recommend temporarily disabling the screensaver as the feature aims to reduce the power consumption of the display, which could lead to flickering in some cases.

⚠️Important: Once you are done adjusting the settings, reboot the Google TV Streamer and test the performance of the display.

4. Try a Replacement or Alternative HDMI Cable

One of the primary reasons for the Google TV Streamer blinking monitor is because of a faulty or incompatible HDMI cable.

Hence, before proceeding with any of our advanced solutions, we recommend connecting the Google TV Streamer via an alternative, proven-to-work HDMI cord.

The Google TV Streamers prefer an Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 certified cable, which is not supplied and sold separately from the device.

Additionally, to avoid any “desynchronizations” or loss of audio/video, we recommend connecting external devices over the same HDMI cable.

⚠️Important: If you want to stream 4K through your Google TV Streamer, it’s crucial to use an HDMI cable that is shorter than 10 feet. 

5. Deactivate HDMI-CEC for your TV & Streamer

In some cases, the flickering could be your Google TV Streamer or TV simply powering off for a few seconds, caused by the power conversion of the HDMI-CEC feature.

So, we recommend temporarily setting the “HDMI-CEC” for your TV and steamer to “Off”.

The HDMI feature is an innocent feature that allows you to control HDMI-connected devices via a single remote, but in many cases, it causes video problems.

5.1 How to Disable HDMI-CEC on a Google TV Streamer:

5.2 How to Disable HDMI-CEC On Most Smart Televisions:

TV Brand:	Name:	Disabling Instructions:
Samsung	Anynet+	Navigate to: Settings → General → External Device Manager → Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) → Set to Off
Sony	Bravia Sync	Go to: Settings → System → Bravia Sync → Off
LG	SimpLink	Head to: Settings → General → SimpLink (HDMI-CEC) → Toggle Off
Hisense	HDMI Control	Go to: Settings → System → HDMI Control → Switch Off
Panasonic	VIERA Link	Access: Setup → HDMI Control → VIERA Link → Choose Off

Note: We also recommend temporarily disconnecting all third-party devices from your TV and Google TV Streamer while testing for the flickering.

6. Reconfigure the EDID Settings of your TV

The EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) settings of your TV define the compatibility with third-party devices by regulating the refresh rate (Hz) and the maximum resolution allowance. 

If your TV does have an EDID configuration, we recommend changing the version to match the streamer’s refresh rate.

Here’s how to set the EDID version on most compatible TVs:

1. Access the Settings and navigate to “Display” or “Video”.
2. Search for “Advanced display settings” or enter “EDID”.
3. Check the available versions (should be EDID 1.4 & 2.0).
4. If your TV is currently on 1.4, set it to 2.0 or vice versa.
5. Register the changes and check if the flickering persists.

Note: If your TV has a separate refresh rate and resolution regulator, match the values on your Google TV Streamer to eliminate potential HDMI interference of the video transmission.

7. Address Issues with the Power Supply

Well, shortages of the power supply could also cause your TV or Google TV Streamer to flicker while streaming. Therefore, we have prepared a few things to try and eliminate this possibility:

7.1 – Power Source Issues:

Verify the power source of the Google TV Streamer and TV is reliable by connecting another device or testing them in a different outlet.

7.2 – Power Cable Issues:

If possible, test the Google TV Streamer with an alternative USB Type-C cable and adapter to check if the flickering is power-related.

7.3 – External Connectors:

Remove all external connectors, such as strips or dividers, from the power setup of your Google TV Streamer and TV.

8. Test the Streamer on a Different Device

Well, if you haven’t already used the Google TV Streamer with another HDMI-compliant TV or monitor, now is the time, as this could also be causing the problem.

This is a proven method to identify whether the issue is with the TV streamer or the TV/monitor streaming the broadcast.

All you have to do is relocate the USB Type-C adapter of the streamer, along with the included HDMI cable.

Now, check if your computer’s monitor or even laptop has an HDMI input, and check if the Google TV Streamer display still flickers while connected to an alternative device.

Note: Verify you have set the correct input source on the replacement TV or monitor before connecting the Google TV Streamer to power.

9. Reset the Google TV Streamer to Defaults

The factory reset is one of the last-resort solutions for the Google TV Streamer flickering, and it will almost certainly restore the proper functionality of the display.

However, as a result of the reset, your Google TV Streamer will lose all information, installed apps, and data permanently.

To initiate the factory reset, hold the action “Reset” button on the back of the streamer for 10–12 seconds or until the indicator illuminates yellow, then turns solid white.

Note: Do not interact with the Google TV Streamer while the reset is still ongoing. If the flickering persists, get in touch with Google Help for more assistance.