HIGH BUZZING SOUND FROM MY TV - maybe a fan problem ?

[PeerNorway]

I am hoping some of you technically gifted than me in this group could help me figuring out what why my Samsung QLED 75" Q900R (2018) has started having a very high buzzing sound every time I start up my TV. It is a little over 3 years since I bought it, and I have not had any issues with it as both the picture and sound works fine/flawlessly.

The problem I am experiencing is only when I start my TV - not after the buzz have become quiet. At first it was a not-so-loud buzzing sound that lasted for a few minutes, then it is now a light buzzing (higher than normal “blow”-fan sound) which changed to a higher buzzing after a few seconds (like it is gearing up) and then goes back light buzzing sound again till it stopped. Now the high buzzing sound lasts longer before everything goes quiet again. At first this lasted about 9-12-15 minutes - but then it was a rather high buzzing all the way through which lasted about 26 minutes before going silent again. After that the buzz will not start until I turn my TV off and turn on (start) the TV again.

There are no other issues that I am noticing with my TV. The TV picture is flawless, it works fine even in 4K60Hz on the YouTube app on the TV. There are no issues with the sound from the TV itself. Even the download and upload speed works flawlessly with 104.44 download and 10.43 upload - which is the internet speed I have as an internet connection (100Hz download, and 10 upload). The only flaw I have experienced is with the YouTube app and the stream apps (HBO Max, Netflix and TV2 Play), but I suspect it might be an external internet / WiFi-network problem in which it takes some time to get the videos and its preview-thumbnais loaded when I start the YouTube app, and sometimes a movie or TV-show episode stops in HBO Max, Netflix and TV2 Play app - but I suspect it might be internet or/and WiFi network - as I am not using a cable to connect my TV to the internet. So everything else works flawlessly (that I know of…).

I have checked the temperature on the One Connect Box (OCB) and it use to be very hot, but now it is just “normal hot”, and I suspect the buzz sound does not come from the OCB. The screen panel is not hot or cold - which I seem to remember it used to be hot, which, which I think is strange, but I do not mind - though the buzz sound comes fromt he back panel of the screen. I used to have the TV up on the wall, but now I have it with that stand/“legs” on a TV bench, in which the TV has some more space between the wall and the TV.

This buzzing sound has been going on for about two weeks now. I have done a fabric reset, which did not fix the buzz sound problem. I use my TV a lot during the day and evening/night time. Once or twice during these two weeks, it has happened a few hours after starting the TV and the buzz has ended, but usually it is just a low “fan sound”, which I am guessing indicates either the TV screen panel or OCB regulartes the heat on - but again, the TV screen is not hot.

I suspect it is the fan in the back panel of the TV that makes this “buzz”-sound - but I am not a tech expert. The normal “fan-sound” has not bothered me at all as it has only been a low “zumming sound”, but this rather loud buzz sound I have experienced now is both annoying and a bit concerning.

Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe share experience on how to detect and some check list I should prepare before contacting the Samsung customer service, as I am still within the 5 years “lemon law” thing we have over here in Norway in which we are protected by law as long as we have had an electrical thing with normal use - no accidents or rough use. I am also wondering if this can be fixed through the internet by a tech guy hooking up on my TV, or if I need a technician come over to my home and open up the TV.

If there is anything I can do, or any tips let me know.

Here is a sound clip I made today with the high sounding buzzing sound, which I have uploaded on YouTube - so that you can hear how it sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq6chcw4iDg

[JAMES4578]

@PeerNorway That is a bit puzzling, remains to be seen if that is more of an issue.  However having the Tv checked by an engineer the best idea, Display specifications lists 1 HDMI 2.1 port,Rtings says that the supported  port is no4, this information from some time ago though.   https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/q900-q900r-8k-qled#test_206   Hopefully there is the equipment to determine.

[PeerNorway]

There is no way for me to display the HDMI ports - if any of them, or the port 4 (which I have also concluded should be the port), is in fact HDMI 2.1 or "a mystery port" that will accept 8K60Hz. I am still hopeful that an 8K Apple TV or Google Chromecast might finally solve this - but I have my doubts as the H265 / HVEC codec my TV has is hardware restricted, and I am not sure if an external AV1 codec will overwrite that. By the way, you heard anything about a new Apple TV, or if the already released Apple TV 4K will be able to update to 8K (including the AV1 and HDMI 2.1 - if it does not have that port yet) ?

[JAMES4578]

@PeerNorway  Despite earlier speculation  according to  Flat panels an upgraded Apple Tv Box  unlikely to support 8k.  https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news/Apple Tv  As far as I am aware the 4k version does not make full  use of the HDMI 2.1 's  higher Bandwidth and an upgrade may be challenging https://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/n/With-AV1-coming-to-tvOS-could-the-next-Apple-TV-get-8K-support 

[PeerNorway]

Argh... That means more waits.... You think someone other than Apple that might release an 8K media player ?

From what I have head, but not fully gotten confirmed, is that there was a PC screen/graphic card that did 8K, which had YouTube 8K videos work on this TV, if directly connected by cable (not sure if it was connected through HDMI or USB) - but it was a very expensive graphic card at the time it was released (not sure what the price is now, but I do not build or use PC...). But if this that graphic card with 8K worked on this TV, then I would also assume the graphic card also had AV1, which overwrite this TV hardware restricted H265/HEVC codec.... All this is just theories and rumours.

[PeerNorway]

After being completely quiet - for about 5 days - the buzzing is back. As before, the noise does not start right away, but maybe a minute after startup of the TV, the noise goes on for 9-8 minutes  and then it is gone again. It was not the highest noise sound this time, but writing it down here so I can keep track for the technician from Samsung.

Later today, when I turned on my TV again - with a few hours apart - then no buzz or humming sound...

EDIT: Friday 29th. january (and days before that). Buzzing and high humming back every time I start my TV. Today it lasted about 20 minuttes in the start up and went completely silent, and even started again after four hours for about 15 minuttes with high buzzing and then silent again...

Monday, 30th. January: No buzz or humming when starting up my TV twice today, and no buzz during use.

Tuesday, 31st. January: No buzz or humming when starting my TV today...

Wednesday, 1st. February: Had a friend over to lift the TV on a table so we could have a look at the back panel of the screen - no dust (or dirt). Started the TV several times, but no buzzing or humming...

Thursday, 2nd. February: No problems...

Friday, 3rd. February: buzzing back when start up TV first time  - it gradually got higher (sound), and then went quiet after some time (about 12-20 mins.)

Tuesday, 7th. February: ....the buzz is back, happens daily now, every time I start my TV, and sometimes a some time after start.

Wednesday, 8th. February: buzzing loud during start-up for about 15-20 mins. and also starts again some hours later....

Monday, 13th. February: No buzzing for a couple of days....

Wednesday, 15th. February: Buzz back when start up - started after 2 mins. then gets higher about 5 minuttes after that with also variant volume of buzz, and stops and starts (sounds like a printer), and then quiet. All this lasted  for about 10-11 minutes after TV start-up.

Thursday, 16th. February: 10 minutes buzzing noice in startup, then quiet.

Wednesday, 22nd. February: sometimes it buzz (for 10+ minutes after I have turned on my TV) with load or different buzzing and humming - and sometimes it doesn't. I have noticed a very light constant sounding that is almost not possible to hear which goes in a wave type of "buzz" (but not the same buzzing sound I have been having problems with since January. But today I experienced something strange on my YouTube app (not while buzzing/humming) - the TV picture was black and lacked detailed on a YouTube video (1080p60Hz) - so I had to turn my TV off and restart my YouTube app to get the video normal again - which was the first time of this new problem....

Wednesday 1st. March 2023: First startup did not make any noice, but when starting up my TV for the 2nd. time the buzz and zumming in waves up and down, then buzzing very high - as heared in these two sound clips uploaded on YouTube:

...and a higher buzzing sound after that, in which the noice lasted up to about 30 minuttes, like an old refrigerator: 

 Saturday, 4th. March 2023: I think this is possible a new fan  problem (on top of the other mentioned problems) in which this sound goes on an on throughout the time I have my TV on (with some pauses, but does not stop). By the way, have sent an e-mail yesterday about these problems to the shop I bought the TV after talking to Forbrukerrådet (Lemon Law in Norway) - so that they hopefully could have a technician over to fix all this.

[Ryanp95]

I have the exact same issue. Goes from intermittent humming/buzzing/vibrating to high pitch squealing. 

Very irritating; any further information on it?

[PeerNorway]

@Ryanp95 not yet. I will have to contact the Samsung Customer service to get a technician over, but I have not had time to organise it. Plus I have been under the weather with a bad flue... I will keep making update in here.

[PeerNorway]

Today I was in touch with Samsung technical though their telephone support.

I was first asked if I had tried to factory reset my TV, plus done the "buzz-humming-crack sound" troubleshoot thing which I was kindly tipped with a linked to in this thread by @JAMES4578 - which I had already done and had not fix the problem - so then the Samsung employee connected to my TV (though the external access function) and did an EDID test of some sort and also factory reset my TV. I was told they had to do this so I would not get charged fees/cost in case this did not fix the problem when they have to later send over a technician to have look at my TV. It was a pleasant experience, and one thing I found out is that Samsung actually offers a 5 years warranty on their TVs for the Norwegian customers - and not just two years "warranty" which the Norwegian shop Komplett.no (that I bought the TV from) had wrongly stated in my order, and which they had set as "expired"... This 5 years warranty is probably because we already have the very strict Lemon Law over here in Norway which is also set to 5 years after purchase on products like TV, mobile phones, etc. By the way, the term "warranty"  and "lemon law" is not the same, "warranty" is something extra a shop or a manufacturer would give the customer on top of the 5 years Lemon Law which is set and regulated by the Norwegian Government to protect the private consumers and customers (not business-to-business).

I was told by the Samsung employe that if this did not fix my loud buzzing-humming noise problem, then I should call them back to arrange a technician to come over to physically open up my TV to have a look. He also mentioned something about sending me a "validation e-mail"  of some sort, and that I will have to record a video that shows/describes visually and with sound the problem after that. As already mentioned my TV works fine except for that annoying buzzzzzzzzz noice....

After I had hang up I restarted my TV and no high buzzing sound/noise occurred, but instead it had this really annoying low-frequency "electronic buzz", which then went from permanent to wavy (up and down)... It lasted quite a long time also (I forgot to time it), so I had to turn off my TV - and even then the low-frequency buzz noise continued, which lasted for another extra minute or so before getting completely quiet again. Sometime later I turned on my TV again, and the annoying high buzz noise was back in waves up and down - and again I turned off my TV with the high buzz still continuing for some time afterwards. Later that evening I turned on my TV for the third or forth time and the buzz sound was completely gone and my TV was quiet- which was a bit annoying and tragic-comical as I had planned to record the whole buzzing cycle... Haha.... I have however noticed that there is a very light sound of "buzz-humming" that you can almost "not" hear after the TV has been on for a while which comes and god, and this too is both annoying and a bit stressful.

Tomorrow on Friday - or in the beginning of next week - I will call Samsung back.

[Nidge]

Any update as I also have this same issue?

[PeerNorway]

Sorry for being a little on the slow burner here, but I have been very busy this week.

I plan to contact Samsung tomorrow or early next week to get a technician over.

Today the buzzing which was both constant and waves was almost 18 mins. from the start-up of my TV. I also had a lower-volumed wavy buzzing a a few hours later while my TV was on (without turning off and on again), This lower volume buzz  seems to comes and goes.

I have (audio) recorded the whole buzz cyclus from start to finish, plus a one minute segment the later buzz. This is because the Samsung guy I talked to on the phone last week told me they wanted  me to film it, and I asked if I could just record the sound as my TV seems to be working flawlessly except for the very annoying buzz.

Once I get an update I will post it here for you guys !