Categories: Smart Home

Vizio TV Troubleshooting – The Ultimate Guide!

If you are budget conscious and looking to buy a smart TV that will offer you similar features as most famous brands at a relatively cheaper price, Vizio TV is definitely one brand worth considering. Vizio TVs are known in the TV market for their competitive prices, good picture quality, and excellent gaming features. The TVs run on SmartCast operating software, which allows users to use most TV apps and also cast or mirror from their smartphones and computers.  

However, Vizio TVs come along with their own issues and your Vizio TV is likely to develop one or two of such problems once you start using it.

When It comes to Vizio TV Troubleshooting, Normally, the problems that are associated with Vizio TVs involve a picture or display issues, screen flickering, and the SmartCast operating system failing to run/load. On most occasions, these problems can be fixed by resetting the TV or adjusting a specific setting on the TV. 

Sometimes, resetting the TV alone may not fix the problem and this may demand that you resort to other procedures. In this article, I will explore some common problems associated with Vizio TVs and share with you techniques you can apply to fix them. So, continue reading as I take you through how to troubleshoot more of such problems on your Vizio TV. 

What Are The Common Problems With Vizio TV?

Some of the common problems that users have complained about while using Vizio TVs include: 

  • Vizio TV not turning on
  • TV not turning on with remote
  • TV turns on and immediately turns back off
  • TV turning on by itself
  • Black screen
  • TV showing pictures but no sound
  • TV screen flickering
  • SmartCast not loading
  • TV unable to connect to WiFi

Vizio TV Troubleshooting Guide

Most of the problems with Vizio are software-related. As such, they can be solved by restarting your TV or resetting your TV to its factory settings. 

In a case where the issue is hardware related, you will be left with no option but to replace the damaged hardware component. 

Restarting your TV usually resolves the technical glitches and allows the TV to start on a fresh note. When you restart or power cycle your TV, you do not lose any of your TV’s data, settings, and password. 

However, on some occasions, the problem will demand that you factory reset or perform a hard reset on your Vizio TV. 

Hard resetting your TV will erase your settings and passwords completely but the good news is that your TV will have a fresh start just like when you purchased it for the first time.

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How Do I Do A Hard Reset On My Vizio TV

To hard reset or restore your Vizio TV to factory settings with your remote, use the following steps below:

  1. Press the Menu button on your remote
  2. Go to the System or Help depending on your TV’s model and select Reset and Admin.
  3. Select Reset to Factory Settings.

To reset it without a remote, follow the steps below:

  1. While your TV is on, press both the Volume Down and Input buttons on your TV for about 15 seconds.
  2. A prompt will display asking you if you want to reset your TV.
  3. Press the Input button for about 10 seconds.
  4. A message will display to indicate that the TV’s memory is being cleared.

After this, your TV will be restored to its factory settings and you begin to set it up with your settings afterward. 

Vizio TV Not Turning On

If your Vizio refuses to turn on after plugging it into a power supply, the problem may be coming from your power supply or the TV itself. 

You should change your power source to see if the TV will turn on and if it does you can confirm that it is the power source that is actually faulty. 

However, if the TV refuses to turn on after changing the source, then you should power cycle your device. 

You can follow the steps below to power cycle your TV:

  1. Unplug the TV from the power source on the wall.
  2. With the TV unplugged, press and hold the power button on the TV for 30 seconds.
  3. Wait for another 30 seconds and then plug the TV back into the electrical socket.
  4. Turn on the TV.

Hopefully, this should fix the problem and allow you to turn the TV on.

You should factory reset your Vizio TV if the same problem shows up a day or two after using it.

Vizio TV Won’t Turn On With Remote

When your Vizio TV remote is unable to turn on your TV, it probably means that your remote’s batteries are dead or the remote itself is faulty. 

Firstly, you should get close enough to the TV and try to turn it on. The batteries may be at the verge of running out so getting closer enough can help the situation.

You should replace the remote’s batteries with new ones if you find out that they are dead.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, you should consider doing the following:

  1. Remove the batteries from your TV remote
  2. Press and hold the power button on your TV’s remote for 15 seconds.
  3. Reinsert the batteries into the remote
  4. Try to turn on your Vizio TV with the remote.

In case the same problem shows up again, you should factory reset your TV using the steps we discussed earlier.

Vizio TV Turns Off Suddenly

Sometimes, your Vizio may turn off randomly when you switch it on. 

When this happens, you should check your power cable connection. Tighten it to the electrical socket on your wall if the connection is loose.

You should also set the power mode of your Vizio TV to Eco Mode. You can do that by applying the following steps:

  1. Press the Menu button on your Vizio TV remote.
  2. Navigate to Systems or Help.
  3. Select Power Mode and change it to Eco mode.
  4. Also, select CEC Setting and turn it OFF.

Your Vizio TV should be fine after applying these procedures but if it isn’t then you will have to hard reset your TV. 

Vizio TV Turns On By Itself

On a few occasions, your Vizio TV may automatically turn on after you turn it off.

This normally occurs when the power button on your Vizio TV gets stuck in the remote control. To fix this, slowly pull out the power button out of its hole with any pointed object or fingernail. 

You should also turn off the CEC in your settings using these steps:

  1. Press the Menu button on your Vizio TV remote.
  2. Navigate to Systems or Help.
  3. Select CEC Setting and turn it OFF.

If the above steps do not fix the problem, you should power cycle your TV to see if that will work. 

You will have to reset your TV to its factory settings if all of these procedures fail to work.

Vizio TV Black Screen With Sound

It is possible for your Vizio TV to display a black screen with sounds playing in the background. This may be a result of display issues or accidental activation of the Mute Screen feature. 

Some Vizio TV models actually come along with a Mute Screen feature which you can use to turn off the screen while using an audio application such as Spotify. When your TV’s screen goes black but plays sounds in the background, you may have activated this feature accidentally. To deactivate the Mute Screen feature, press and hold the mute button on your remote for about 5 seconds.

If the black screen is not a result of you activating the Mute Screen feature,  then you can use these tips to fix the problem:

  1. Turn off the TV and turn it back on.
  2. Press the Menu button on your Vizio TV’s remote.
  3. If the menu appears on your screen, your TV is not faulty. You should shift attention to the devices you have connected to your TV.
  4. Check to see if your HDMI cables are not faulty and also if the connections are intact.
  5. You ensure that the source or input you select on your TV is the same as the input that you connected your HDMI cables to.

Vizio TV Black Screen Of Death

Your Vizio TV may experience the Black Screen of Death when you begin to use it. When this happens, your TV will only display a black screen with no sound or image. This problem is generally caused by a faulty power board or inverter board in your TV. 

Before you consider replacing the board, you should try out these procedures to see if the problem would be fixed first:

  1. Ensure that the TV’s power supply cable is firmly connected to the power source.
  2. If that doesn’t fix the problem, you should power cycle your TV using the steps we discussed earlier.

In case the problem persists, you should test for sound and image on your TV. To do this:

  1. Get close enough to the TV and flash a torchlight from your smartphone onto the screen.
  2. If you see any image on the screen, the TV’s inverter board is faulty and needs replacement.
  3. If you can also hear sounds then one of the TV’s boards is faulty.

You should seek the assistance of a TV technician to help you fix these hardware components.

Vizio TV Problems Screen Flickers

If your Vizio TV’s screen is flickering, you should check out the settings of the Advanced Video Settings in the Settings menu. 

Turn off the Backlight Control, Ambient Lighting, and the Advanced Adaptive Luma settings if they are on. This should help fix the screen. 

However, if the problem persists, you should disconnect all cables and external devices from the TV. Wait for some seconds and then reconnect them to the TV.

You can also turn off the TV and perform a power cycle on your TV using the steps in our previous discussions.

You will have to reset your TV to factory settings if the above procedures fail to fix the problem.

Vizio TV Colour Problems

Vizio TVs normally come with their default picture settings. These settings, however, can be adjusted to match your viewing preferences.

You can customize your TV’s picture settings by yourself if you are not comfortable with the default settings of the color, brightness, contrast, sharpness, and so forth. 

To customize the picture settings on your TV, follow the steps below: 

  1. Press the Menu button on your remote.
  2. Select Picture and go to Picture Mode.
  3. Choose from the different picture modes available to see which one you are comfortable with.
  4. You can also adjust the values of the Colour, Brightness, and Contrast parameters in the Picture Mode for the appropriate picture settings that suit your needs.

Vizio TV Shows Pictures But No Sound

When your Vizio Smart TV shows pictures without sounds, your TV’s volume might be reduced to zero or muted accidentally on your TV’s remote.

You should therefore disable the Mute mode or increase the TV’s volume above zero. 

Sometimes, your TV’s speaker may actually be off and therefore needs to be turned on before you can begin to hear sounds on your TV.  You can turn your TV’s speakers on by doing the following:

  1. Press the Menu button on your remote.
  2. Go to Audio Settings.
  3. Scroll down to TV Speaker and press OK to turn it on.

If the above steps do not fix the sound, you should restart your TV and try out different HDMI cables if you have external devices connected to your TV.

SmartCast Will Not Load

A common problem that is often reported by Vizio TV users is the failure of the SmartCast software to load while using the TV.

When the SmartCast on your TV refuses to load, you should check your internet connection to see if it is up and running. 

If your internet connectivity has no issues and the SmartCast is still unable to load, you should consider doing the following: 

  1. Change your TV’s input to a different source such as HDMI 1.
  2. Wait till you see the No Signal message on your TV and press the Menu button on your remote.
  3. Go to Systems and select Reset & Admin.
  4. Choose Soft Power Cycle and select Yes.
  5. This will restart your TV and an information bar will appear on your screen after the TV is automatically turned on.
  6. Wait for about 30 seconds for the information bar to disappear.
  7. Switch your TV’s input from the HDMI 1 to SmartCast.

Your SmarCast should begin to load after applying these steps otherwise you will have to reset the TV to its factory settings or contact Vizio customer support for assistance. 

Vizio TV Menu Is Not Working

If you are unable to access the Menu on Vizio Smart TV, you should turn the TV off and power cycle the TV. 

In case the Menu refuses to work after power cycling, you should consider resetting the TV to its factory settings using the Volume Down and Input buttons on your TV.

Vizio TV Won’t Connect To WiFi

When your Vizio TV refuses to connect to your WiFi, you should check your router or modem to ensure that there are no connectivity issues with them. 

You should restart your router or modem and power cycle your TV using the steps we discussed earlier. 

You should also turn on the DHCP settings on your TV if it is turned off. To do this: 

  1. Press the Menu button on your remote.
  2. Go to Network and select Manual Setup.
  3. Go to DHCP and turn it ON if it was set to OFF.

If the above techniques are unable to fix the problem, you should consider resetting your TV to its factory settings. 

Final Thoughts

Technical issues with electrical gadgets such as your Vizio TV are expected to happen once you start using one. These problems, however, can simply be fixed if you have a fair knowledge of what to do in such times. This article, hopefully, should equip you with the necessary techniques that you will need to troubleshoot problems with your Vizio TV and get it back working as soon as possible. 

Most of the problems that are likely to come your way while using your Vizio TV are software-related and can be fixed by resetting your TV. 

In a case where the issue is hardware-related, you should seek the assistance of an experienced TV technician or contact Vizio customer support if your TV is under warranty. 

Josephine

Josephine is a home theater and tech enthusiast who is curious about electronics and how they are interconnected to produce beautiful sound and images. Beside coding, I also write about technology.

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