UN50CU8000 smart hub issues

[Nathan327]

A few months ago I purchased the UN50CU8000FXZA Television from Best Buy and all "smart" features have been nothing but constant problems. A summary:

- Apps will be stuck loading forever 

- No image will be displayed for any show/movie/stream across all apps, but the audio and subtitles will work 

- Apps will be frozen on one screen (a movie, a live channel, etc.) with no way to exit 

- TV will be unresponsive to remote commands 

And many more, you get the idea. All of these problems are temporarily solved by unplugging and plugging back in (no issues for a day or so). However, the TV is low profile mounted to a wall with a recessed outlet, meaning I have to take the TV off of the wall to unplug, or I have to flip a circuit breaker - what a pain!

Issues are happening across all apps and have had at least 1 inhibiting problem every two days of using the TV since purchase in August. 

I do have the latest firmware, it is hard wired to 300Mbps internet so that should not be a problem. 

I am new here and wondering what my options are. It is still under warranty. It does not seem like the "service request" option would get me very far. 

[UnhappyCustomer1]

I have nothing but issues with the cu8000 model.  Are you running firmware 1220.9?  That seems a bit better but still have wifi issues one a week that requires reseting the network settings.

[Samsung_Moderator · Accepted solution]

Hey Nathan327, Welcome to the Community! I know this purchase must have been exciting, and it will be my pleasure to help keep it that way.

Having a black screen while hearing the sound can be very frustrating. There are a couple of things we can try to get this the way we want it.

If your device has a one connect box

Press the Home (Menu) button on the remote.
If the menu appears, then the TV is powered on, but it is either not on the correct source or not receiving a signal.
If the menu does not appear, the TV may be having power issues. See our guide for TV will not turn on.

Confirm the TV is set to the same source as the external device.
Your TV may display a black screen if it's connected to a source but the external device is turned off. For instance, if your cable box is connected to HDMI 1, you should set the TV source to HDMI 1 and make sure the cable box is turned on.

If the TV is set to the correct source, but there is still no image, unplug and reconnect the connections one cable at a time, from both ends of each cable. If there's any damage to the cable, it will need to be replaced. After you've reconnected the external device, turn it off and then back on.

Note: The HDMI cable test is designed for HDMI cords less than 6 feet long. The test may not give accurate results on longer cords.

Test the HDMI cable.
Certain TVs have an HDMI cable test. Some models only have this test after a software update, and older models do not have it. If your model does not have this test, or is not connected by HDMI, skip this step

To perform the test, make sure the TV's source is still on the HDMI setting for the cable you want to test. Navigate to Settings, and then select Support. Select Device Care, select Self Diagnosis, and then select Signal Information. Select HDMI Cable Test, and then select Start Test.

If the test says the cable is bad, replace the cable. 

Test different external devices.
The final thing to rule out is the external device you're using. Try connecting a different device, or using a different source port. If you were unable to test the cable in the previous step, then try swapping the cable too.

If the TV can display a picture in any other setup, then you've ruled the TV out as the cause of the issue. Keep trying various setups until you identify the device or cable that is not working, and troubleshoot or replace it.

So let's rule out the remote issue by trying these steps.

Reset the remote.
If you have a remote that uses batteries, remove the batteries, and then hold the Power button for eight seconds to reset the remote. Then, reinsert the batteries and try to use the remote again. Check out the user manual if you need help accessing the battery compartment.

Alternately, if you have a 2021 or newer TV model (with a solar remote):

To reset the solar remote, press and hold Return and Enter (the center of the navigation pad) for 10 seconds. After performing this reset, you will need to pair the remote to the TV again. Please skip the next step if you have the solar remote.

Check if the remote is sending an IR signal.
Take either a digital camera or use the camera on your phone or tablet. Point the remote at the camera, and then press and hold the Power button on the remote. As you hold the button down, look at the camera's screen. If the remote is sending an IR signal, you will see a colored light coming from the remote control.

If you do not see the IR light, replace the batteries with fresh ones and try again. If you still do not see the IR light, then replace the remote.
If your remote is not a Smart Remote, and you see the IR light, turn on your TV using the control on the TV directly. Then, try controlling the TV again by pointing the remote directly at the Samsung logo.

If you have a Smart Remote, try to pair it with the TV.
Press and hold Return and the button that is diagonally up and to the right of Return. (This is usually the button with 4 colored dots, but can vary depending on the remote) . This will reset the smart remote.
Stand within 1 foot of the TV, and press and hold Return and Play/Pause simultaneously for at least 5 seconds or until a message appears on your TV indicating that the remote is now connected.
If the remote will not pair:

Unplug the TV for 30 seconds, and plug it back in.
Stand within 1 foot of the TV, and press and hold Return and Play/Pause simultaneously for at least 5 seconds or until a message appears on your TV indicating that the remote is now connected.

When you have an app that is freezing, not loading, missing, or crashing, you should:

1. Cold boot the TV.

2. Update the TV's software.

3. Delete the app from the TV and download it again.

4. Reset Smart Hub on your TV.

Cold boot the TV
Cold booting your TV is a little different than simply turning it off and back on. When you turn it off, it is really in standby. A cold boot actually shuts the TV down and reboots it, like restarting a laptop. This can solve issues you may be having with apps, glitches in the menu, and picture issues, etc.

There are two ways to cold boot your TV:

With the remote
For most people, the easiest way is to hold down the Power button on the remote until the TV turns off and on again. This should only take about 5 seconds.

With the plug
If you do not have the remote, unplug your TV from the wall outlet or surge protector, leave it unplugged for 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.

If you turn off a surge protector with other devices plugged into it (such as your router), give them time to power up and reconnect before testing any functions on your TV.

Update the Software.

Delete the app from your TV and download it again
Note: Make sure you have your login information before deleting or reinstalling a third-party app. These steps will sign you out, and you will need to sign back in.

Delete the app.
To delete the app, navigate to and select Apps on the TV, and then select the Settings icon in the top right corner. Find the app you are having an issue with, and then select Delete.

If Delete is grayed out, this is a recommended app. Select Reinstall instead.Delete option highlighted below an app on a Samsung TV

Download the app again.
To download the app again, press Return on the remote and select the Search icon in the top right corner. Enter the name of the app, select it, and then select Install.

Open the app and try again.
Check to see if the issue you were having with the app is still occurring. If it is, repeat this process or contact the app's developer to see if they are aware of the issue. Many times a fix will be available soon.

Reset Smart Hub on your TV

Gather the login information for all of your apps.
When you reset Smart Hub, the TV will sign you out of your Samsung account and all of your apps. Make sure you have the current login information for all of your app accounts before you proceed.

If you need login information for a third-party app, please visit the app developer's website. 

Reset Smart Hub.
The steps for resetting Smart Hub will vary depending on what year your TV was made:

2018 and earlier: Navigate to Settings, and then select Support. Select Self Diagnosis, and then select Reset Smart Hub.
2019 and later: Navigate to Settings, select Support, and then select Device Care. Select Self Diagnosis, and then select Reset Smart Hub.

Enter your TV's PIN.
When resetting Smart Hub, you may be asked to enter the TV's PIN. The default PIN is 0000.

If you have ever changed the PIN on your TV, enter your PIN to start the reset.

You may need to download the app again after the reset.

After the initial setup process, try the app again.
If you are still having an issue with the app after completing the Smart Hub reset, reach out to the app developer to see if they are aware of the issue. Many times a fix will be available soon.

I know this is a lot, but if any of these steps not help I recommend letting a service technician have a look. As we would like to gather additional information, and look at this from a case by case basis, please provide the full model code and serial number of the device as well as your best contact phone number, name, and email.  

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If your unit is out of warranty and you would like to receive quotes on service/labor from an Authorized Service Center near you, please visit:

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/service/location