How to Enable 4K on a Vizio TV

Vizio has a wide range of 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) TVs. They all feature native 4K image quality, including HDR support. HDR refers to high dynamic range, a feature that provides better contrast. This means that the colors on the screen look more realistic.

If you need to turn on 4K on your Vizio, you are probably using an external device such as a computer, game console, etc. that is connected to your Vizio TV. In this case, you’ll need to enable the HDR feature using your TV’s settings or the designated Vizio Smartcast App.

Read on for detailed instructions and additional insights on both methods.

How to turn on 4K

Let’s cut to the chase and show you how to enable 4K HDR on your Vizio TV for external use. Native support will always be there, but you might want a better picture on your PC, laptop or console.

Follow the steps:

1. Download the Smartcast app for iOS or Android.
2. Start the SmartCast application.
3. Click Settings.
4. Then click Input, and select HDMI Color Subsampling.
5. Select HDR on the HDMI port you’re using (for example, HDMI 1 or another port you’ve connected your device to).

Note that we’re assuming you’ve already connected the external device to your Vizio 4K TV. If not, connect it with an HDMI cable and follow the steps above. Remember which HDMI port you use.

You can do this on Vizio TVs

If smart devices and apps aren’t your thing, we hear you. You can also do this through your Vizio TV’s settings. These steps may vary slightly depending on the type of Vizio TV you have. That’s why we mentioned the app solution first – it’s more general.

Anyway, here are the instructions to enable 4K HDR on Vizio V-Series 4K TVs (should be the same for M and P models):

1. Power up your 4K Vizio TV.
2. Go to input settings.
3. Select the correct HDMI port.
4. Enable the Full UHD Color option.
   

That’s it, your external device should now recognize the 4K HDR TV setup, and your picture should look sharper. Note that this only works on newer models, which means older models may not be compatible. For example, while a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X can accept this 4K HDR resolution, older versions of them won’t be able to run it.

Extra neat settings

The Vizio 4K TV has cool customization options so you can tweak it to your liking. Open up the picture settings on your TV and experiment. We recommend trying Movie Mode, which will further improve picture quality for your viewing pleasure.

You have the backlight function on the same menu, as well as brightness and contrast. It all comes down to personal preference, and we’ll leave that up to you. Unfortunately, motion settings on Vizio TVs are limited, but if you want a judder-free picture, enable Movie Mode.

If you’re a gamer, you’ll appreciate a setting called “Game Low Latency.” Open picture settings, then select more pictures, then turn on game low latency. This option will significantly reduce input lag and improve your overall gaming experience.

If you are using your computer with your Vizio TV, we strongly recommend that you run it in computer picture mode. Go to picture settings, then picture mode, then computer.

Enjoy your 4K content

This is how you enable 4K HDR on your Vizio TV for all external use. Hope this article helps you get the best picture quality from your TV. All Vizio 4K models are solid, but the newest P-Series is easily the best. Therefore, they are the most expensive.

No matter which 4K Vizio TV you own, you should be able to use these tricks. Of course, the menu structure and option names may vary slightly.

Feel free to leave your comments and questions in the comments section below.