When I see a blinking red light on my Insignia TV, I drop everything I’m doing and rush to it—for good reason! This feature is an SOS call from the TV! So, what’s next?
To fix the Insignia TV red light blinking error, conduct a power cycle to drain the device’s residual electrical charges. Unplug your TV and hold its physical power button for 60 seconds before plugging it back into a wall socket.
Don’t worry if that sounds rather simplistic. In this post, we’ll walk you through the top six ways to troubleshoot the Insignia TV blinking red light error; even better, we’ll start with the most common causes so you can easily fix it all in a snap.
What is the Insignia TV blinking red light issue?
The Insignia TV blinking red light issue is no good news, as this refers to a TV error that prevents it from turning on. The good news is that you can fix this common problem with simple troubleshooting methods.
However, don’t take things too lightly. The issue could get complicated depending on what’s causing it behind the scenes; thus, when the red LED on your TV starts blinking, you need to attend to it immediately.
Various factors can cause this boot-up problem on Insignia TVs, something we highlight in the following section.
Common Causes of Your Insignia TV’s Blinking Red Light
Below are the most common causes of the Insignia TV blinking red light issue. Understanding these possible causes can help you determine the best solution to resolve it on your Insignia TV.
- Minor Insignia TV system errors: Like most TVs, your Insignia TV may suffer minor errors during use. These errors will cause your Insignia TV’s system to malfunction, which may prevent it from booting up.
- Power-related problem: Receiving insufficient power prevents your Insignia TV from working correctly. It may cause hardware damage and other TV errors.
- Connection or input error: Incorrect input and a loose cable connection are usual culprits of boot-up problems.
- Hardware defect or damage: Your Insignia TV won’t work or boot up with defective or damaged hardware. Turning on your faulty Insignia TV will only result in a blinking red light.
How to Fix Your Insignia TV’s Blinking Red Light Problem
FIX 1. Power-cycle your TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 3 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV A working power cable A working wall socket |
Believe it or not, the electrical charges stored by your Insignia TV’s capacitors can lead to various system and hardware errors.
Since storing this energy is the normal function of TV capacitors, you must discharge them often via a power cycle to prevent issues.
The power cycle is an excellent fix when there’s a red blinking light since power-related issues usually cause it. Whether or not the TV capacitors are the culprit, you’ll likely fix the problem once your Insignia TV reboots.
Step 1: Shut down your Insignia TV and unplug its power cord from the socket. Note: You can immediately unplug a frozen or unresponsive TV without turning it off first. |
Step 2: Hold the power button for 60 seconds to discharge your Insignia TV’s electrical charges. Note: Insignia puts their TVs’ power buttons in varying locations depending on their model. Refer to the user manual to find your Insignia TV’s power button. |
Step 3: Plug your Insignia TV’s power cord into the wall socket to turn it on. Note: If the Insignia TV doesn’t boot up automatically, click the power button. |
FIX 2. Check if your Insignia TV has a damaged power cord
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 to 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV A working power cord |
Before checking your Insignia TV’s power cord for damage, ensure that it’s plugged in securely into the wall socket and the device’s DC/IN port. Most power-related problems are due to simple oversight, resulting in loose power connections.
You don’t want to exert a painstaking effort to troubleshoot your Insignia TV’s blinking red light if you only have a loose connection problem.
It should be straightforward since you only need to unplug and replug the power cord into the wall socket and DC/IN port.
If doing so doesn’t stop the red light from blinking, that’s when you check your Insignia TV’s power cord for damage. The most common types of damage you must look for are wear and tear on the wire, physical defects, and rust buildup on the connector.
Once you identify if your Insignia TV’s power cord has damage, find a replacement immediately. And even though it’s working, it’s inadvisable to keep using a damaged power cord since it makes your TV prone to further damage and fire accidents.
Third-party replacement power cords for your Insignia TV should be accessible in your local electronics store. Otherwise, you can look up online stores like Amazon and Best Buy since they’re the official retailers of Insignia TVs.
FIX 3. Inspect the Insignia TV’s HDMI inputs
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 to 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV A working HDMI cable An external HDMI device |
Like your Insignia TV’s power cord, we suggest looking into its HDMI cable to check whether or not the connection is loose. This troubleshooting method is essential since faulty HDMI inputs may result in the Insignia TV’s red light blinking during use.
You must ensure that both ends of the HDMI cable are plugged in securely into your Insignia TV and external input device. This way, data transmission will be smooth between both devices, helping stop your Insignia TV’s red light from blinking.
Unfortunately, HDMI cables are also susceptible to the same damage your Insignia TV’s power cord may suffer from. As such, you must inspect the HDMI cable if securing its connection to both devices doesn’t fix the blinking red light problem.
Doing so will help you determine whether or not your HDMI cable needs an immediate replacement. Similarly, you can find replacement HDMI cables in your local electronics store or online stores like Amazon and Best Buy.
Aside from your Insignia TV’s HDMI connection, you can also troubleshoot HDMI-related errors by changing its input configurations. Here are some HDMI settings you can reconfigure on your Insignia TV to stop its red light from blinking.
Change the Insignia TV input
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 8 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 40 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV An Insignia TV remote A working HDMI cable An external HDMI device |
The most simple HDMI configuration you can change on your Insignia TV is its input source selection. With this, you only need to select the correct input source depending on the external device linked to your Insignia TV and the port it connects to.
This action is particularly effective if your Insignia TV won’t turn on but its red light is on. Sometimes, this can happen because your Insignia TV doesn’t detect a video source due to incorrect input selection, causing its screen to stay black.
As such, you might think your Insignia TV isn’t turning on when it’s only waiting for an input source to display. In this case, selecting the correct input source should quickly fix the blinking red light problem.
Unfortunately, it’s important to note that setting the input source varies in some Insignia TV models. The below steps are for Insignia Fire TVs, so you must follow a different step if you have an Insignia Roku TV.
Step 1: Navigate to the Insignia Fire TV home menu. |
Step 2: Scroll to Inputs. |
Step 3: Select the input source based on the external device’s HDMI port. Note: Follow the bonus steps below to your Insignia Fire TV’s default input source. This way, your Insignia TV will automatically select it whenever it’s available during bootup. |
Step 4: Return to your Insignia Fire TV’s home menu and scroll to Settings. |
Step 5: Select Display & Sounds. |
Step 6: Select Power Controls. |
Step 7: Select Power On. |
Step 8: Select Last Input. |
If you’re an Insignia Roku TV user, you must go to the Settings and TV Inputs menu to change your device’s input source.
Other Insignia TVs may have a dedicated input button on their remote control, making the input source selection more straightforward.
Turn off HDMI-CEC
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 40 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV An Insignia TV remote |
Additionally, we suggest turning off your Insignia TV’s HDMI-CEC feature since it’s a common cause of input source glitches. Since HDMI-CEC gives your external device partial control of your Insignia TV, it can lead to various input-related problems.
In most cases, Insignia users accidentally turn their TVs off when turning off their gaming console or Blu-ray player. It’s because HDMI-CEC lets you control your Insignia TV using the connected HDMI device’s remote control and vice versa.
Step 1: Go to Settings. |
Step 2: Click Displays & Sound. |
Step 3: Select “HDMI-CEC Device Control.” |
Step 4: Turn off ARC/eARC. |
Step 4: Return to the Insignia TV Settings and select Device & Software. |
| Step 5: Press Restart to reboot the Insignia TV. Note: This action will apply the changes to your Insignia TV’s HDMI-CEC feature. |
If you’re an Insignia Roku TV user, go to Settings > System > Control other devices (CEC) and turn off the one-touch play feature. Doing so will deactivate HDMI-CEC for all connected external input devices on your Insignia Roku TV.
For standard Insignia smart TVs, click the settings button on their remote control. You should find an option called INlink or INlink Control, which is Insignia’s trademark name for their smart TV’s HDMI-CEC feature.
FIX 4. Perform a factory reset on Insignia TV
When it comes to Insignia TV’s blinking red light problem, you can always resort to a factory reset if other troubleshooting methods fail. This method is the most practical way to address software and system-related problems on your Insignia TV.
As such, the factory reset should effectively fix your Insignia TV’s blinking red light as long as hardware defect or damage isn’t causing it behind the scenes.
However, you must note that the factory reset process is only advisable as a last-resort option. No amount of factory reset can fix an Insignia TV suffering from internal damage and defective hardware.
We prepared two separate instructions for factory resetting your faulty Insignia TV. Both methods will achieve the same results, so choose between them according to your preference or whether or not your Insignia TV has a working remote control.
Use the Insignia TV remote
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 3 minutes |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV An Insignia TV remote |
Performing the factory reset using your Insignia TV remote is the standard, most user-friendly method since it’s accessible from the settings menu.
If you’re familiar with your Insignia TV’s user interface and menus, this method should be a walk in the park.
This method is the least intimidating since Insignia users have more time to digest the options they see on their TV screens. We recommend following this factory reset instruction, especially if you’re not good at handling electronic devices.
Since this method requires your TV’s remote control, you must ensure it works perfectly before proceeding. You might need alternative control options like a USB keyboard, a smartphone with a TV remote app, or a universal remote control.
Again, the instructions below only work for Insignia Fire TVs. Insignia Roku TVs have a different user interface and layout, so the below steps are inapplicable.
Step 1: Navigate to the Insignia Fire TV home menu. |
Step 2: Go to Settings. |
Step 3: Select Device & Software. |
Step 4: Select “Reset to Factory Defaults.” |
Step 5: Click “Reset.” |
Step 6: Let your Insignia TV restore its factory defaults and wait for it to restart its system. Note: Follow the setup instructions on your Insignia TV screen once the factory reset is complete. |
Use the Insignia TV button
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 8 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 3 minutes and 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV A working wall socket, |
Unlike the first method, many Insignia users may find this one intimidating due to the lack of remote control usage. However, that’s precisely where this factory reset method shines, as you can perform this when you can’t access your TV’s settings menu.
With this, you can troubleshoot the Insignia TV blinking red light issue even when the screen is frozen and unresponsive to remote control inputs. It’s a handy method to have as a backup since you can use it to troubleshoot your Insignia TV in a pinch.
Believe it or not, more advanced Insignia users may prefer this method since it’s more accessible once you know what you’re doing. For instance, this method is more straightforward if you have an Insignia Roku TV.
The instructions below only show how to perform the factory reset on Insignia Fire TVs. Don’t worry, though, we’ll also tell you how to factory reset your Insignia Roku TV later in this guide.
| Step 1: Shut down your Insignia TV and unplug its power cord from the socket. Note: You can immediately unplug a frozen or unresponsive TV without turning it off first. |
Step 2: Hold the Insignia TV’s physical power button. Note: You may find this button in other locations depending on the Insignia TV model. |
Step 3: Plug your Insignia TV into a wall socket while you hold the physical power button. |
| Step 4: Release the power button when your Insignia TV boots up, and wait for its Android Recovery menu to appear on the screen.  |
Step 5: Scroll down and click “Wipe data/factory reset.” |
Step 6: Click Yes to restore your Insignia TV to its factory defaults. |
| Step 7: Click “Reboot system now” to restart your Insignia TV after the “Data wipe complete” message appears.  |
Step 8: Wait for your Insignia Fire TV to reboot its system. Note: Follow the setup instructions on your Insignia TV screen once the factory reset is complete. An alternative control option is required to go through this on-screen setup. |
As mentioned, using the TV button method to factory reset your Insignia Roku TV is more straightforward. After all, you must only locate the reset button at the back and hold it until the Roku logo appears on the TV screen.
After completing this simple, one-step process, please wait for your Insignia Roku TV to reboot so you can follow its on-screen setup instructions.
FIX 5. Check if the socket is supplying your TV with the correct voltage
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 to 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV A working power cord A working power socket A multimeter or voltmeter |
Sometimes, power-related problems may have nothing to do with your Insignia TV. In such cases, the only possible culprit is the wall socket where you plug your Insignia TV’s power cord.
Since the wall socket is the power source, it supplies the electricity your Insignia TV’s components need to function correctly. As such, you likely have a faulty wall socket if your Insignia TV won’t turn on even when its red light is on.
Depending on the Insignia TV model, it might require 120V or 240V of power to run perfectly. Therefore, you must ensure the wall sockets in your house have a compatible voltage rating to supply your Insignia TV’s power requirements.
We recommend using a multimeter or voltmeter to measure the voltage rating on your wall sockets. If your Insignia TV requires 120V, the reading on your multimeter or voltmeter must be close to that value.
You can check your Insignia TV’s power requirements in its user manual. Ensure your Insignia TV only uses a compatible wall socket to prevent hardware damage or electrical failure.
FIX 6. Inspect and replace your Insignia TV’s main and power boards
| Difficulty | Moderately Hard ●●●●○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
| Things Needed | An Insignia TV A screwdriver A replacement power supply board |
Step 1: Place the Insignia TV on a table facedown and unscrew its back panel. |
Step 2: Remove the back panel to see your Insignia TV’s internal components. |
Step 3: Inspect your Insignia TV’s power supply board for loose wires and damaged capacitors. Note: TV capacitors typically suffer from burn damage and swelling. You can replace these damaged capacitors individually or the entire power supply board. |
Step 4: Inspect your Insignia TV’s main board for loose wires and burnt components. |
| Step 5: Unscrew and replace your Insignia TV’s damaged main and power supply boards. |
Step 6: Reassemble the Insignia TV after replacing its faulty boards. Note: Turn your Insignia TV on to check if you fixed the blinking red light problem. |
