Vizio TV Color Problems: How To Fix [2023]

written by

Doug Stevenson

updated September 08, 2023

Offset colors are pretty normal for TVs, especially the older ones. But color issues popping up on a modern Vizio TV does warrant attention.

Vizio has been revolutionizing the television industry with their spectacular Smart TVs priced much lower than most competitors.

But that doesn't make them immune to traditional television issues like fading colors and unbalanced hues.

To fix Vizio TV color problems, adjust the picture settings, namely contrast, brightness, tint, and color temp. Check the cables, check for updates, and power cycle your Vizio TV. If the issue persists, factory reset your Vizio TV.

Read on to find out how to fix color problems on your Vizio TV.

Check Cables and Power Cycle Vizio TV

Color issues on a Vizio TV can manifest due to several reasons. May it be due to a broken internal component or bugs and errors messing up the system settings.

But one crucial reason for colors to go awry on your Vizio TV is the input and power cables situation.

Precariously connected power cables and inputs can cause much more turbulence than a mere splotch on display, Vizio TV restarting at random being one prime example.

And so, better check and ensure that all the cables connected to the Vizio TV have a snug fit.

While inspecting the cables, do check for tears, splices, corrosion, and other superficial damages to them as well. If you do find aberrations of any sort on the cables, better replace them with a new ones.

Using third-party accessories always comes with an added risk element.

Best if you use manufacturer-supplied accessories over after-market ones for better performance and longevity of your devices.

Products from trusted/certified resellers can also get the job done.

One other thing to keep a keen eye on when checking the cables is the I/O ports.

Rusty ports cannot sustain a proper input connection. Better leave them be and move your input to another source port.

Next, check the power supply situation on your Vizio TV. Irregular power outputs from a failing power outlet could also mess up the colors on your Vizio TV.

You could test the output by using a multimeter, but a much better way to rectify issues with power outlets is to change the connection to another port.

After doing so, refresh the Vizio TV as the next step.

You may also want to take a look at the HDMI cable situation. Color issues can arise from using unrecommended inputs too.

Nowadays, HDR and other Hi-Fi content demand faster HDMI cables for transmission. An HDMI 2.1 or above cable with superior coil characteristics should do the job.

Transmitting content through an inferior cable may trigger issues with the output, especially with color.

Power Cycle Vizio TV

Once you've taken care of the cable situation, refresh your Vizio TV.

Why refresh your Vizio TV? Well, let's say that physical damage may not necessarily be the sole culprit of color issues on Vizio TV. The software also can take an equal amount of blame in this matter.

Bugs, errors, and malicious files can make their way into your Vizio TV and disrupt the working of your TV, maybe even lead to a total system shutdown.

A rudimentary yet often cited as one of the most efficacious methods to thwart bugs in your system is to refresh it.

A power cycle test will do for now. Apart from rebooting the system, a power cycle test also refreshes the system internals by bleeding it off any pent-up static charges.

Start the process by unplugging all the cables connected to the TV, including the power supply.

Leave the TV idle for a few seconds. Then, press and hold the power button for a couple of seconds. Perform this step a few more times. (Takes care of the static energy depletion part)

Connect back the cables and power ON the TV. Check for the issue now.

You could reboot your Vizio through the system interface. Follow these steps to do so:

1. Open the Menu tab on your Vizio TV. (Press the Menu button on the Remote)

2. Open the Systems menu and select Reset to factory defaults.

3. Click on the Restart option and confirm your selection.

Update Vizio TV

Now that you know how software issues can compromise the color output on your Vizio TV (bugs), let's put an end to it, shall we?

As mentioned earlier, bugs and errors can make their way into your device and wreak havoc on your system. But how do they get inside in the first place?

The answer - Outdated firmware!

Devices running on out-of-date firmware versions are vulnerable to the many bugs and errors popping up by the hour since they lack the necessary security to fend them off.

Updates strengthen the security of your device and make your TV immune to bugs and errors.

And so, when met with issues sharing an identical severity as the color issue or Vizio TV freezing at random, check and update the firmware of your TV.

Follow these instructions to update the firmware on your Vizio TV:

1. Open the Menu tab on your Vizio TV.

2. Click open the System menu.

2. Select the Check for Updates option to run a scan for updates.

Update the TV and reboot it after completing the update. Check for the issue now.

Check the Picture Settings on Vizio TV

Vizio has adorned its TVs with a variegated list of setting options for you to tinker with in times of adversity, such as the one at hand.

Contrast, Color temperature, Brightness, Tint, etc., are some of the settings to keep an eye on while experiencing issues with color.

Additionally, some Vizio TV models may be incompatible with a particular picture mode. So you might want to look at these settings too.

Let's take a look at them, shall we?

Adjust the Appropriate Picture Settings

When it comes to picture personalization on a Vizio TV, there are quite a few options for you to look at.

Calibrating them with due diligence can inevitably transform your Vizio TV into a gamer's dream display.

But when it comes to color issues on Vizio TV, you need only bother with a couple of the picture settings, namely Contrast, Brightness, Tint, and Colour temp.

To access these settings, follow these steps on your Vizio TV:

1. Open the Menu tab of your Vizio TV. (Press the Menu button on the Remote)

2. Navigate to and open the Picture option.

Here, you can find the appropriate picture settings.

Before getting into calibrating the color and the brightness of your TV, you want to take a look at the Picture Mode setting.

Picture modes are known to cause issues in some Vizio models.

To negate issues with this feature, better cycle through the various picture modes a few times while keeping a keen eye on the colors. Restart the TV once done and check for the issue now.

Coming to the modification side of things, if the colors seem a bit faded for your taste, Contrast and Brightness are the go-to settings for you. Do modify with caution.

If the colors still seem to be washed out, adjust the Color and the Tint settings.

*Note: Tint and Color temp adjustments can bring about drastic changes in the image output.

You can always revert the modified settings back to their factory state by performing a Picture Settings Reset.

To do so, select the Reset Picture Settings option towards the bottom of the Picture tab.

Turn OFF HDR on Vizio TV

HDR is yet another feature that can mess up the color on your Vizio TV.

With HDR (High Dynamic Range) turned ON, you get to experience a much wider gamut of colors and contrast than your standard 4:2:0 image output.

But with some content, the HDR feature may not work as expected. Consequently, the image output gets muddled with obscure colors and blown-up contrasts.

To avoid such mishaps, better disable HDR on your Vizio TV when met with color issues.

Follow these steps to access the HDR setting menu on your Vizio TV:

1. On the Picture menu, open the More Picture settings option. (Expert settings on older TVs)

2. Select HDR.

3. Toggle OFF the feature.

Exit the menu and restart the TV.

Factory Reset Vizio TV

A factory reset is the most effective fix for most issues on a gadget. Vizio TV is no different.

When you hard reset a device, a few things happen. To begin with, all the system preferences get reset to the factory defaults.

You also lose all user-set preferences, downloaded content, and custom settings.

Gone are the residual files, errors, bugs, and stale files.

With that said, let's get on with the reset now.

Follow these instructions to reset your Vizio TV:

1. Open the Menu tab on your Vizio TV and select the System option.

2. Then select Reset TV to Factory defaults. Enter the Parental control code if prompted (default code: 0000).

5. Click on Reset TV to initiate the reset.

After executing the reset successfully, reconfigure the Vizio TV. Check for the issue now.

With Vizio SmartCast TVs, you can trigger a factory reset with the help of the onboard TV buttons. Here's how to do it:

1. First, hold down the Volume (-) and the Input button for 10 seconds.

2. A popup message will appear informing you to press and hold the Input button to initiate the reset.

3. Do as instructed.

Final Thoughts

Color issues on a TV are one of the most daunting issues one could expect on a TV.

Color has, and always will be, one of the fundamental aspects of modern TVs.

With technological advancements being made by the minute in the world of television and entertainment, issues with color demand more concentrated attention and resolution.

Apart from the fixes mentioned above, Vizio TV can also contract issues with color due to a broken T-Con board.

The t-Con board is one of the many discerning internal elements that control various aspects of a TV, including color.

If none of these fixes seems to take effect, better contact a professional and have your TV checked for a damaged T-Con board.

You could also contact the customer services of Vizio for further assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I improve color quality on VIZIO TV?

Color Temperature, Tint, HDR, and contrast are some of the picture settings you should look at for a more vibrant image on your Vizio TV.

What is calibrated mode on Vizio TV?

Calibrated mode is a picture mode on Vizio TV that comes preset with fine-tuned backlighting and contrast. You could also select the Calibrated Black/Dark for a more contrasty image output.

How do I make my VIZIO UHD color full?

To turn ON the Full UHD color option on your Vizio TV, go to Menu>Input>HDMI input to which your device is connected to>toggle ON Full UHD color.

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Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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