I recently moved my 83 yo mom to assisted living. We are having a terrible time getting her TV set up. We bought her a new Vizio smart TV as she was using a small table top TV previously. The AL has Spectrum cable TV. I don't know if the problem is with the TV, Spectrum, or me! Now when turning her TV on it comes up to the home screen with all the smart TV apps. There's no way she can navigate that home screen to get to the cable guide. We thought we had disabled the smart features, but they keep coming back. All we want is for her to turn on the TV and have the cable guide come up. She'll be able to scroll up and down for the channels. Is it because it's a smart TV? How can we get the TV to give her the Spectrum guide only and not all the other apps? I've asked the AL what other residents have done, and I didn't really get much of an answer. Should I contact Vizio or Spectrum? Try to buy a 'dumb' tv? I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.
Because it's a smart TV—Vizio pushes the SmartCast home screen on startup (especially after 2021+ firmware updates), making cable hard for elderly users.
Quick fixes (try in order; no model number limits exactness, but these work on most):
Set default to cable input:
Press Menu (gear) on remote.
Go to System > Input at Power On.
Change from "Automatic" or "SmartCast" to Previous Input (or "Last Used") or select "TV"/"Antenna"/"Cable" directly if listed.
Switch to cable input (press Input, choose "TV" or coaxial label).
Tune to a channel, power off fully, then back on. It should boot to cable guide now.
Scan channels if guide empty:
Menu > TV Channels > Find Channels > Select Cable > Auto scan.
Stop smart features returning:
Disconnect Wi-Fi: Menu > Network > Forget network (prevents updates forcing SmartCast).
Or factory reset: Menu > System > Reset & Admin > Reset TV — during setup, skip Wi-Fi/SmartCast/Google account.
If coaxial direct from wall (no box): Ensure plugged into TV's "Cable"/"Ant" port. Spectrum guide loads via TV tuner.
If Spectrum box used: Connect via HDMI, set default to that HDMI port instead.
Extra help for her:
Use a simple universal remote (~$10-20) with just power/volume/channel buttons.
Tape over confusing remote buttons.
Contacts:
Call Vizio (1-855-833-3221) with model # (on back) for exact steps.
Spectrum if no channels after scan.
Dumb TV swap? Only if above fails—many 2020+ Vizios resist fully. Try fixes first; a basic non-smart 32" (Insignia/TCL, ~$150) with tuner is easy fallback.
If what I and Quilted bear posted does not help, you may need pay for a tech to set you up.
Oh for the days you just turned on the TV and just got NBC, CBS, ABC and the VHF stations.
Oh how I wish the older TV's that were "plug and play". Nothing is simple any more. When my Dad was living in senior living, they had one guy who's only job was to set up and fix the TV sets (the residents all brought in their own TVs). There were constant calls of TV's going hay-wire due to pushing by accident the wrong button on the remote.
I have two remotes. One is for the TV (in my case, an LG). When I turn on the TV with the LG remote, I get exactly what you described, the home screen and all the apps.
BUT if I turn on the TV with the XFinity remote, it goes straight to HDMI 1, which is my cable input. Honestly, I never touch the LG remote, simply don't need it.
The DISH Tech removed a bunch of Apps, and have the TV default to my DISH TV Guide. I still have to be quick on the remotes! You have to go into the TV's settings to remove all the unwanted stuff. It's like getting a new cell phone with "Bloatware." I had to delete about 20 items before even using my phone!
It's very frustrating and annoying how these vendors basically force APPS on you, when you just want to watch TV.
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