Vizio TVs are a popular brand of televisions known for their affordability and value. They offer a wide range of TVs in different sizes, resolutions, and features, so there is a Vizio TV to fit every budget and need.
Despite all the plus sides to owning a Vizio TV, there are still some shortcomings, particularly with the issue of display. Several Vizio TV owners have complained about their TVs having dimming problems, thus reducing the overall picture quality of whatever they’re watching.
If you happen to be among such users don’t worry, we’ll be providing a solution in this article. In subsequent writing, we will outline possible causes of dimming problems on Vizio smart TVs, and also, how to fix them.
Vizio Smart TV Dimming Problems: Possible Causes & How to Fix
Vizio TVs are quite durable, as such, it’s very unlikely that a dimming problem is being caused by a hardware malfunction.
In this article, we’ll be focusing on only troubleshooting procedures that won’t void your warranty. In case none works for you, contacting customer support for a warranty claim is always available.
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Wrong Picture Settings/Mode
This is usually the main culprit when you’re experiencing dimming issues with your Vizio smart TV – you’re simply having the wrong picture settings. While that’s not to say that there’s a one size fits all type of TV picture setting, there are some that are right away not suitable for certain scenarios, or environments.
To solve this, you’ll want to select a better TV picture mode, or at least navigate to the section where you can edit the picture delivery yourself.
To change the picture settings on a Vizio smart TV, you’ll want to press the Menu button on the remote, navigate to Picture, press OK, and choose a better picture mode. If it’s not already on “Standard”, you may want to try that option.
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Turn Off DCR (Dynamic Contrast Ratio)
DCR is a feature that automatically adjusts the brightness of the TV’s backlight based on the content being displayed.
This can help to improve contrast and save power, but it can also cause the screen to dim too much in some cases. Vizio smart TVs have it activated by default; you’ll need to turn it off manually with the following steps.
- Press the Menu button on your remote control.
- Use the arrow buttons to highlight the Picture and press OK.
- Use the arrow buttons to highlight Advanced Picture Settings and press OK.
- Use the arrow buttons to highlight DCR and press OK.
- Use the arrow buttons to select Off and press OK.
- To save your changes, press the Menu button.
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Turn Off Local Dimming
Local dimming is a feature that divides the TV’s screen into zones and adjusts the brightness of each zone individually. Although it’s a great feature to improve viewing quality, it can still cause dimming problems, especially if your room or area where the TV is mounted isn’t properly lit.
To turn it off, you’ll want to press the Menu button and navigate through Picture >> Advanced Picture Settings >> Local Dimming >> then Select Off.
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Turn Off Eco Mode
As the name suggests, eco mode is an energy-saving feature that reduces the TV’s power consumption. While it’s advisable to keep it on especially if you’re using metered electricity, it can cause dimming problems as the TV will automatically adjust brightness and other settings to reduce power consumption. To turn it off, you’ll want to navigate through Menu. System >> Eco Mode >> then set it to Off.
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Turn Off Auto Brightness Control
Auto Brightness Control is another high-end feature that although very useful, can give a user dimming problems if their TV isn’t mounted in an area where the lighting is consistent.
For example, if you have a lot of sunlight coming into your room, Auto Brightness Control may not be able to adjust the backlight enough to produce a bright picture. To turn it off, you’ll want to navigate through Menu >> Picture settings >> Auto Brightness Control >> then set to Off.
If you manage to turn all these off and you’re still being faced with this issue, you’ll need to try some generic troubleshooting procedures below.
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Power Cycle the TV
If your TV dimming problem is being caused by a recent picture setting, or a temporary power failure, power cycling is just what you need to get things back to normal. You’ll want to unplug it from the power socket for about 5 minutes and plug it back in again.
Alternatively, on your remote, you can navigate through Menu >> System >> Reset & Admin >> Soft Power Cycle to power cycle the TV. Meanwhile, some models will require you to go through. Menu >> Admin and Privacy >> Restart TV.
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Factory Reset your TV
If all else fails, you can always resort to performing a factory reset before contacting customer support. Doing this will depend on the kind of model you own, some will require you to navigate through Menu >> System >> Reset & Admin >> Reset to Factory Settings, and others will require you to follow Menu >> System >> Admin and Privacy >> Reset to Factory Settings >> then select Reset TV.