Finally. After missing it in theatres…
I get to see Spider-man.
Let me just boot up my Vizio TV, and what?
Why is he flickering?
Is this a new superpower?
Oh, it’s my TV.
Fortunately, I may not be as bright as Peter Parker, but I know just what to do.
Call me your friendly neighborhood technician.
Keep reading to discover:
- Which settings can cause your Vizio TV to flicker.
- 7 pain-free ways to fix your flickering Vizio TV screen.
- The beginner’s way to solve flickering by reattaching ribbon cables.
- And so much more…
Why is my Vizio TV screen flickering?
Your Vizio TV screen is flickering because of outdated firmware or a dirty HDMI port. Your cables and the socket can also cause this issue. If not those, then the problem stems from your Settings menu. More specifically, the Ambient Lighting, Backlight Control, Luma, Clear Action, and HDR setting.
Vizio TV screen flickering: 7 ways to fix it
#1: Power cycle
I’ve been fixing gadgets my entire life.
And still, I haven’t found a fix more effective than a power cycle.
“Power cycle?”
It’s the process of turning your device off and then on.
Simple, right?
But trust me. It works.
And, if it doesn’t, you’re probably not doing it right.
You see, it’s not just a simple restart. But it is simple nonetheless.
All you have to do is:
- Turn your TV off.
- Unplug it from the socket.
- Standby for 30 seconds.
- Plug your TV back in.
- Turn it on.
#2: Edit display settings
Another thing you can try is to tweak your display settings.
Vizio has a lot to offer when it comes to customizing your display.
Which, in this case, can both be a good and a bad thing.
Good because you have more control over how you watch movies and shows on your TV.
And bad because the number of settings makes it hard to pinpoint the problem.
Thankfully, we know the usual suspects…
The most likely cause of your screen flickering. These are:
- HDR.
- Clear Action.
- Ambient Lighting.
- Backlight Control.
- Advanced Adaptive Luma.
Why these 5 in particular? Let me explain…
Ambient Lighting
This is a nifty feature, especially for night owls.
See, there’s a light sensor at the front bezels of your TV.
Your TV then uses software to detect how much brightness you need based on your surrounding.
In theory, it’s a great implementation of technology.
But, sensors break.
And, when it does, your TV can switch brightness levels at a quick rate…
Which can then look like flickering.
To fix this, turn off Ambient Lighting:
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Head to Picture.
- Switch Picture Mode to Custom.
- Tap More.
- Toggle off Ambient Light Sensor.
Backlight Control
There are 2 ways your Vizio can control its brightness.
The first is with software. The second is by manually adjusting its backlight level.
By default, you have complete control of how bright your backlight is.
How?
With the Backlight Control setting.
However, you should turn this off in case your TV is flickering.
Why?
Because it’s more stable to have your TV control the backlight by itself than you.
To turn this off:
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Head to Picture.
- Select More.
- Disable Backlight Control.
Advanced Adaptive Luma
After going through my Vizio settings, there’s 1 option I don’t recognize:
“Advanced Adaptive Luma.”
It sounds cool, sure. But I’ve never come across such a setting.
After further research, I found out why:
It’s just a different name for Dynamic Contrast. Now that phrase, I know.
Dynamic Contrast automatically adjusts the contrast of your movie or show.
This setting can be handy for watching dark films where you can barely see who’s talking.
But, it’s not perfect.
Sometimes, it could cause flickering on your TV by constantly changing its contrast.
When that happens to you, you should:
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Head to Picture.
- Switch Picture Mode to Custom.
- Tap More.
- Toggle off Advanced Adaptive Luma.
Clear Action
Do you ever wish that your display could be smoother?
I do too.
That’s why Vizio implemented a setting called Clear Action.
Clear Action raises the refresh rate of your TV through software.
But, here’s the thing:
Not every show is shot at high refresh rates.
Tearing might occur when your Vizio TV tries to upscale a video with low refresh rates.
Not only that, but you could also experience continuous flickering.
You can fix this by simply turning the setting off. How?
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Head to Picture.
- Go to Advanced Picture Settings.
- Toggle off Clear Action.
HDR
Lastly, you also have to turn off HDR when you’re using an HDMI connection.
Why?
Vizio SmartCast Display with HDR doesn’t support HDMI cables lower than 2.0.
So you’re left with 2 choices:
Either change your cable…
Or turn off HDR with these 5 quick steps:
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Head to Picture.
- Go to Advanced Picture Settings.
- Select HDMI Function.
- Toggle off HDR.
#3: Update firmware
Next, try to update your firmware.
Outdated firmware is known to cause bugs and issues within your system.
To fix this, Vizio regularly rolls out a new update to patch the issues of the old one.
Your TV should, by default, update automatically when it’s not in use.
However, to be sure, you should also update it manually.
Simply follow these instructions:
Through the Settings menu
Note: Ensure that your TV’s connected to a Wi-Fi network.
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Head to System.
- Select Check for Updates.
If there’s an available update, your TV should ask you if you want to install it. Choose Yes if you do.
Using a flash drive
For this method, ensure that your flash drive has at least 2 Gb capacity and is FAT-formatted.
If you have one already:
- Download the latest Vizio TV firmware here.
- Extract the downloaded file into the flash drive.
- Connect the flash drive to your Vizio TV.
- Select OK to confirm the installation.
- Let your TV reboot.
- Wait for the progress bar to finish.
You may also be interested in: Is Vizio A Good TV Brand? 3 Problems & 6 Reasons
#4: Perform a system reset
Is the flickering a recent problem?
If so, wouldn’t it be nice to turn back the clock?
Spoiler alert:
You can. Or, at least, you can restore your TV to how it once was.
How?
With a factory reset.
What’s more, is that it’s actually an easy process. You just have to:
Warning: Factory resetting your TV will delete all of its data and configurations. Proceed only if you’re okay with this.
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Go to System.
- Select Reset & Admin.
- Tap Reset TV to Factory Defaults.
- Type and enter your passcode.
- Choose Reset to confirm.
If you need visual help to perform a system reset, look no further than this video:
#5: Clean HDMI port
Be real…
Do you clean the back of your TV?
Good for you if you do.
And for those who don’t…
Take this as a reminder. It’s about damn time.
Here’s a tip for you:
Most of the dirt and gunk gather inside your ports.
This might also be the reason why your display is flickering.
Something is blocking the connection between your TV and its input.
To thoroughly clean your ports, simply:
- Put one drop of pure alcohol inside the port.
- Wrap a microfiber cloth around something thin.
- Use the cloth to clean the crevices of your port.
- Let the alcohol dry.
- Clean the remaining gunk using a can of compressed air.
- Repeat until the port is squeaky clean.
#6: Reattach ribbon cables
After flickering, does your TV:
- Turn completely black?
- Get an extremely distorted image?
- Have one of its sides completely dark?
In that case, you likely have a loose ribbon connection.
You’ll need to open the back of your TV for loose cables.
But don’t worry.
I’m here to guide you every step of the way. I pinky promise.
To start:
- Put your TV on a soft surface.
- Remove the screws that hold the back cover.
- Pry open the back using a non-flexible blade.
- Detach and reattach all ribbon cables.
That should do the trick.
#7: Faulty power source
What if the problem isn’t your TV…
But the socket?
To confirm, get a lamp or a fan. Anything that turns on when plugged in.
Now, plug the device in the socket where your TV was.
Did it turn on?
If not, then it’s confirmed. The problem really is your power source.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to call an electrician for this.
Why?
Because there’s a deadly amount of electricity coming into your socket.
In the meantime, move your TV.
And don’t ever use the broken socket to avoid shorting your devices.
BONUS: Contact Vizio
Some problems are beyond us.
In the case of your TV, sometimes the flickering won’t go away…
No matter what you do.
So, don’t try to fix it alone.
Instead, call for help. Contact Vizio and get a customer service representative.