Got a New Vizio TV? Setup Questions Answered

If you’ve recently purchased a new Vizio TV, congratulations! This budget-conscious brand produces some seriously impressive TVs and Smart TVs. As TVs have gotten smarter, the setup process has gotten better, too. In many cases, setup is a breeze.

But a smooth setup isn’t always the case. Added complexity can create new problems and headaches. If you’re having issues setting up your Vizio TV, the points below should help.

Want to protect your TV in case of some kind of failure? Upsie offers reliable extended warranties that will keep you entertained no matter what goes wrong. More on these later.

Casting to a Vizio TV, much like many other brands, is seamless and impressive when it works. But it can also be a little finicky. Here’s what you need to know about casting to a Vizio SmartCast TV.

First, make sure that the device you want to cast from is connected to the same wireless network as your TV. (This assumes your TV is connected to a wireless network. More on that in the following point.)

From your Android or iOS device, simply open any Chromecast-enabled app. Tap the cast button, and you should be in business. Android devices will enjoy broader casting compatibility since most Android builds contain this functionality natively.

To cast from your laptop (PC or Mac), you’ll need the Chrome browser. Add the Cast extension from the Chrome Web Store, and then visit the website of your choosing. You should see a Cast button in the Chrome toolbar. Click it and cast away!

TV models and menus vary, but if yours is Wi-Fi enabled, you’ll need to find this option in settings and sign in. The process looks something like this:

That should be it! Your Vizio TV should connect to your wireless network and begin accessing online resources.

Having trouble with this? This support document should help.

Since smart TVs are essentially little computers, they can crash in ways that older TVs couldn’t. It’s important to know how to reset modern TVs.

If your TV seems frozen, the first step is to give it some time to catch up. Usually, the TV can recover from whatever it’s struggling with. If a few minutes go by and the TV really does seem unresponsive, first try the power button on the remote. You may need to hold it down for a few extra seconds.

If that doesn’t work, try the physical power button on the TV itself.

If your TV still hasn’t reset itself, the last option is to physically unplug it from the wall. Don’t do this unless you have to, but this will certainly reset the machine. Plug it back in after about 10 seconds, and hopefully, it will boot up like normal.

At some point you may also want or need to completely wipe the TV, removing all personal info. This is accomplished in the menu, under System. Select Reset, then Reset TV to factory defaults (or something similar). This will clear everything: all your apps and customization will disappear.

Sometimes, Vizio TVs will stop responding. They will simply display a black screen. This has been termed the black screen of death because often there is no recovering from it. First, try power cycling the TV and even disconnecting from power. If you still have no screen at all, you have some kind of component failure. Repair or replacement (or extended warranty coverage) are your only options.

There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a movie marathon and having your TV go out on you. An extended warranty can’t prevent that kind of interruption, but it can take the financial sting and anxiety out of the equation.

With an extended warranty from Upsie, you get the peace of mind of knowing that you’re covered if something breaks on your Vizio TV. Upsie offers two, three or even five years of extended warranty coverage, keeping you protected from a wide range of mechanical or software failures, and provides for in-home repairs from certified technicians.

It’s tempting to think that an extended warranty will be prohibitively expensive, but not with Upsie. Upsie’s warranties are very reasonably priced, saving you significant money over the big box warranties out there. And the coverage is top quality, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Ready to get your new Vizio TV protected? Shop Upsie’s TV extended warranties.