You didn’t get a Vizio Smart TV just so you can go back to the yesteryears and relive the era when radio dramas were the go-to entertainment source. No, siree! If you’re fine with that, you should have gotten a radio instead.
So, what can you do if your Vizio TV has no picture even though its audio still works?
To fix a Vizio TV with sound but no picture, you must first conduct a power cycle. The process is simple: Unplug the TV from its power source, hold its power button for one minute, and let the TV reboot afterward.
That’s just one of the solutions, though! In this post, we’ll explore eight superb ways to troubleshoot this issue so you can DIY everything in record time.
FIX 1. Power cycle your Vizio TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 4 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 10 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TV A working power cable A working wall outlet |
When your Vizio TV doesn’t display any images, its screen will appear either black or have a pink or blue tint. And as with most display issues, power cycling is the first action when you have a Vizio TV with sound but no picture.
After all, residual electrical charges are the usual culprits of many Vizio TV errors, including the no-picture issue. With this, you eliminate all your Vizio TV stored electrical charges and fix what’s causing images to not appear on its display screen.
Power cycling also helps deal with minor software errors that may cause display issues on your Vizio TV by resetting its system memory. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Turn off your TV and unplug its cable from the wall outlet. Note: You can also unplug its power cable from the wall outlet without turning it off first. Doing so will force your Vizio TV to shut down. |
Step 2: Hold the power button on your Vizio TV for 60 seconds to drain its residual electrical energy. Note: Different Vizio TVs have their power buttons in varying locations. Some models have it at their back panels, while others have it underneath their front bezels. |
Step 3: Plug in its cable to power the Vizio TV. Note: Press the power button if your TV doesn’t boot up automatically after connecting to a power source. |
| Step 4: Let your Vizio TV reboot and check whether or not it can display images again. |
FIX 2. Check its HDMI connections
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
| Things Needed | A Vizio Amart TV An external input device A working HDMI cable A can of compressed air A can of contact cleaner A soft brush or cleaning cloth |
When you encounter display issues on your Vizio TV, the HDMI connections and external input devices are among the usual culprits. In particular, it often concerns those connected to input devices, such as cable boxes, Blu-ray players, and more.
Additionally, your external input devices may cause display issues if they suffer from minor errors and faults. As such, it’s crucial to determine what’s behind your Vizio TV’s no-picture error to identify the appropriate solution for resolving this problem.
For example, you can easily replace faulty HDMI cables if they’re causing your Vizio TV not to display any images. With your Vizio TV’s external input devices, you might need to troubleshoot them separately or use an entirely different one.
Step 1: Inspect the external input device and check the HDMI cable plugged into your Vizio TV. Note: Disconnect and reconnect its HDMI cable to correct any loose connection that might be causing video data transmission to fail. |
Step 2: Look for signs of broken contact pins or wear and tear on the HDMI cable wire. Note: Replace the broken HDMI cable immediately if you find any sign of damage. |
Step 3: Inspect your Vizio TV and input device’s HDMI ports for dirt or dust buildup, and use compressed air to clean them. Note: You must clean both devices’ HDMI ports before connecting their cables because dust or dirt buildup can block video data transmission. |
Step 4: Use a contact cleaner spray on the HDMI cables or ports that have developed rust. Note: Don’t apply a contact cleaner on a turned-on Vizio TV to prevent circuit damage. |
| Step 5: Remove the HDMI cable and port rust using a soft brush or cleaning cloth. Note: Be sure to remove any residue from the contact cleaner. |
FIX 3. Change its input channels
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 5 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 20 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TV A Vizio TV remote control An external input device |
Even with a working external input device and an impeccable HDMI connection, the Vizio TV screen may go black while its sound still works due to incorrect input selection.
Thus, it’s best to double-check the selected input source on your Vizio TV to be safe.
Thankfully, switching input sources is made easier with the dedicated input button on your Vizio TV remote. With this, you can choose between your connected external input devices on the fly.
You can also set your Vizio TV’s default input source if desired. Once set, your Vizio TV will automatically select the default input source whenever you turn it on, provided that the external input device is connected and turned on.
Step 1: Press the Vizio TV remote control’s Input key to access the change input panel. |
Step 2: Scroll left or right to select one connected input or source device. Note: Follow the steps below to set a default input source on your Vizio TV. |
Step 3: Press the Vizio TV remote control’s Menu key to access the main settings menu. |
Step 4: Go to System. |
Step 5: Highlight the “Input at Power On” option and scroll left or right to select the default input or source device. |
FIX 4. Update the TV software
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TV A Vizio TV remote control A working internet connection |
This solution might be a surprise, considering that you must access your Vizio TV’s system menu to perform a software update. However, it’s important to note that updating your Vizio TV that way is only a way to request an update manually.
By default, newer Vizio TVs equipped with the SmartCast platform receive updates automatically whenever connected to a WiFi network. This process runs in the background, so you don’t need to do anything to activate it, other than turning on your Vizio TV.
However, you can’t update your Vizio TV if it doesn’t already have access to your WiFi network before the display issue occurred. In this case, setting up a WiFi connection on a Vizio TV without images on its screen would be impossible.
FIX 5. Factory reset your Vizio TV
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 2 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 50 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TV |
Another way of dealing with the Vizio TV black screen issue is to restore its default settings via a factory reset process. Doing so removes any corrupt files and data that cause display issues on Vizio TVs and prevents images from being displayed.
The downside is that you must accept losing your Vizio TV’s essential files and user data. After all, conducting a factory reset reverts everything on your Vizio TV to its initial state, meaning the things you add after using the device are deleted.
WARNING: Save a copy of your best files and TV preferences before you factory reset, as the process will erase them.
It can be a difficult pill for some users, especially those who have saved tons of data and files over the years. However, it’s much better than allowing your Vizio TV to succumb to having a black screen that renders it useless as a display device.
After all, there isn’t any use owning a Vizio TV if you can’t utilize it for its primary purpose, which is to watch shows and movies. Believe it or not, it will all be worth it once you can use your Vizio TV after the factory reset.
| Step 1: Hold the volume down and input buttons on your Vizio TV simultaneously for 10 seconds to begin the factory reset.  Note: Using only the input button, you can begin the factory reset on other Vizio TVs. |
Step 2: Let the Vizio TV clear its memory and reset the system to its default settings. Note: Even if your Vizio TV only shows a black screen, the factory reset should continue if you only have a display issue and the sound is working. |
FIX 6. Check for possible screen issues
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 20 minutes |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TV A screwdriver A replacement main, power supply, or control board |
Hardware damage is possible if your Vizio TV has no picture but its sound works. In particular, we recommend inspecting the main, power supply, and control boards inside the Vizio TV.
Their cables might be loose, or the boards themselves could have burnt and swollen parts. Whatever the case, you must determine the problem before identifying its appropriate fix.
Step 1: Shut down and lay the Vizio TV on a table facedown. |
Step 2: Unscrew the Vizio TV’s back panel. |
Step 3: Remove the back panel cover to unveil the components inside the Vizio TV. |
Step 4: Inspect the cables around the main, power supply, and control boards for signs of damage. |
Step 5: Inspect the boards for burnt and swollen parts. Note: Unscrew the boards to check underneath them. |
| Step 6: Secure any loose cables, replace any damaged board, and reassemble your Vizio TV. |
FIX 7. Test its backlight for damage
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 10 to 30 seconds |
| Things Needed | A Vizio smart TV A flashlight |
A Vizio TV with sound but no picture will often have broken or faulty backlight LED strips. Therefore, we recommend testing its backlight to confirm if you need to install new LED strips to replace the old ones.
You can use a flashlight or your camera’s flash to see whether or not your Vizio TV’s black screen displays images. You should see pictures on the TV screen if only the faulty backlight’s LED strips need a replacement.
Replace its backlight LED strips
| Difficulty | Very Difficult ●●●●● |
| Number of Steps | 20 |
| Time to Perform Fix | > 1 hour |
| Things Needed | A Vizio TV A screwdriver A pair of pliers An adhesive tape2 Suction cups A double-sided tape A set of replacement LED strips |
Replacing the LED strips on a Vizio TV isn’t a simple process, so it’s best to let a technician do it if you’re not confident with your skills. Otherwise, follow our replacement guide below and do it yourself.
| Step 1: Shut down and lay the Vizio TV on a table facedown. |
| Step 2: Unscrew the Vizio TV’s back panel. |
| Step 3: Remove the back panel cover to unveil the components inside the Vizio TV. |
Step 4: Lift the TV’s IR sensor. |
Step 5: Unscrew the TV’s bezel. |
Step 6: Disconnect the two ribbon cables on the control board. |
Step 7: Flip the Vizio TV face up and remove the bezel. |
Step 8: Remove the TV’s address board protector. |
Step 9: Dislodge the TV’s address board from the bottom filter frame. |
Step 10: Tape the TV’s address board to the LCD panel. |
Step 11: Use suction cups and lift the LCD panel. |
Step 12: Pry the clips to dislodge the TV’s filter frames. |
Step 13: Remove the TV’s filter frames on all sides. |
Step 14: Tape the corners of the light filters and bind them together. |
Step 15: Use your pliers to remove the reflector sheet’s standoffs. |
Step 16: Remove the TV’s reflector sheet. |
Step 17: Remove the TV’s LED strips. Note: Use a putty knife if the TV’s LED strips have double-sided tape. |
Step 18: Apply new double-sided tape where the LED strips go. |
Step 19: Install the TV’s replacement LED strips. |
| Step 20: Reassemble the TV by reversing Steps 16 to 1. |
FIX 8. Contact Vizio’s Customer Support
Your final option is to contact Vizio’s Customer Support if the fixes we detailed above didn’t resolve the display issue. Once you’ve described your Vizio TV’s issue to their chat support agent, you will be guided through the next steps to take.
They’ll help book an appointment with your local service center if a service repair is required. Check if your Vizio TV is under warranty, as you might get a free service instead.
