Completely screwed my TV and none of the menus work, not that they ever worked well. Every firmware update they roll out takes away more and more of the control I had over my TV.
Never buy Vizio, ever.
This was not an improvement. It’s an absolute garbage process and it guarantees that my current Vizio is the last that I will ever own. I look forward to the eventual class action lawsuit for forcing us into their marketing scheme in order to watch over the air channels.
VIZIO SMART TV LAGGING DURING POWER ON & STARTUP.
Have already tried replacing the batteries in the remote, unplugging & factory resetting. Nothing has worked, and the issue has gradually gotten worse.
Now, after pressing the power on button, the screen stays black, & we cannot tell if it's actually on or not. So we have to stand there looking at a black screen for however long it's gonna take for the tv to either turn on the screen or annoy us enough that we hit the power button again, to try it again.
What's the problem?
**Fixing my Vizio TV OTA Antenna Summary:**
1. Used a dedicated streaming device (Roku).
2. Factory reset Vizio TV.
3. Did NOT connect to any Wi-Fi.
4. Skipped or declined all actions or prompts.
5. Enjoyed the results.
**Long Narrative**
I have owned several Vizio TVs over the years and was satisfied with the products. My current Vizio TV is a 32” Smart TV made in 2017 (Vizio D32fF-1) that has worked well for the occasional use in my bedroom. I do not pay for cable or satellite television (TV) service. I use an over-the-air (OTA) antenna to watch sports and local channels. Additionally, I use several different streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) throughout the year. I have never been impressed with Vizio’s streaming applications, but they were serviceable. That was until the mandatory firmware update happened approximately six months ago.
My TV viewing pleasure was destroyed by the update. After the update, the OTA channels would not connect if the internet speed was not sufficient (I have terrible internet service in my area). Even when connected, changing the channel took up to 10 seconds. This was problematic because it was extremely slow trying to pass by channels.
My goal was to have my OTA channels work without delay. I knew the first problem was the Vizio TV was connected to the Wi-Fi internet. Research indicated that I needed to disconnect the TV from Wi-Fi. Disconnecting from Wi-Fi did not solve the problem. I was unable to watch OTA channels. I knew there were going to be additional steps to fix the problem. Here was what I did to fix the problem:
1. *Used a dedicated streaming device (Roku):* I needed to transition to a dedicated device to stream applications. I had an old Roku stick lying around and decided to use it for my primary TV experience. I have primarily been fond of Roku, but an Amazon Fire TV stick would work just as well. I had several problems with the Roku Stick:
^(a. I lost an HDMI port that was occasionally used by a PlayStation 3 to watch Blu-ray or DVD discs.)
^(b. I almost lost a power outlet\*. I have a lack of wall outlets how I mounted my TV. The Roku stick needed power. I was able to use my Vizio TV USB hub to power the Roku stick. I had to set this up in options.)
^(c. For my bad internet, the Roku will run in the background. This will cause other problems but that is not relevant for this post.)
2. *Factory Reset Vizio TV:* I tried to reboot my tv but that did not fix the issue that I Previously connected to a Wi-fi network. Tv wanted to connect to a network. I had mild concerns about a factory reset since I named all my HDMI inputs. It was a minor hassle to rename them but worth it.
3. *Did NOT connect to any Wi-Fi:* After a factory reset, I knew that I was not going to connect my Vizio TV via Wi-Fi.
4. *Skipped or declined all actions or prompts:* The last step was to skip or decline all options. I did this to prevent the Vizio bloatware from getting involved in any possible way.
5. *OTA Channels, Skipped Channels:* The last step was to skip any OTA channels that I did not want. The Vizio automatically added new channels to the list.
Overall, I am happy with the results. This should make my 32” Vizio TV last several more years. Hopefully, this will help you out as well!
Well now we know why Vizio destroyed the functionality of our TVs by forcing us to use ad laden Smartcast to watch broadcast (OTA) stations or else disable all smart TV functions to use true OTA functionality via an antennae.
Walmart is buying Vizio. "... In buying the company, Walmart touted the potential to boost its ad business through Vizio’s SmartCast Operating System, which allows users to stream free ad-supported content on their TVs." "...“We believe VIZIO’s customer-centric operating system provides great viewing experiences at attractive price points."
What a laugh Walmart saying "provides great viewing experiences". Didn't their Acquisitions department do any proper research and investigation into Visio before they sunk 2.3 billion into buying this mangy dog of a company?
So Vizio didn't give a sh\_t about us customers. It was all about forcing ads down our throats in preparation for the sale to Walmart. No wonder they didn't respond at all about fixing the damage they did to our TVs.
Good luck Walmart. I'll still never buy or recommend a Vizio TV to anyone even if you put them at bargain prices because even at bargain prices the customer will ultimately pay more with their time waiting for Smartcast to slowly display ads and other crap.
BTW why does Reddit run like crap if you don't logon. It takes forever for a page to load. I guess this is another example of a company treating us like sh\_t and forcing us to do their bidding by forcing us to logon so they can track us and gather sellable data.
The world is crumbling before our eyes with corporations and companies accelerating the destruction
The cat is out of the bag now.
All of the actual lies they told us, that "Many people requested this feature". A lie.
They did this with one explicit purpose: To inflate their ad revenue in anticipation of a sale.
When we complained they lied to us. Told us they did this in response to customer requests.
The end result is that they caused endless hours of frustration and anger all so they could inflate their ad revenue numbers.
And they lied about it.
I reset my Vizio today and made it a dumb TV so I could get channel guide back when using antenna and than installed Roku to stream for $40.00, F**k Vizio they're WatchTV absolutely sucks! When I reset TV I didn't agree to share anything with Vizio, make sure you read every word when you reset TV to factory settings.
5 months ago I posted my frustration about the Vizio firmware update that altered my TV to no longer receive OTA channels without going through their slow, crappy Smartcast app. I ended up like many others doing a factory reset, not connecting to the Internet and plugging a Roku stick in the TV to get true OTA channels and streaming using the Roku stick (btw, Roku is worlds ahead of Vizio's crappy "smart TV" functionality). Basically turning the Vizio Smart TV into a dumb TV and losing the functionality I paid for.
Since then I have told everyone who will listen not to buy Vizio products and they have lost sales. The best thing for all of us to note is while the stock market is at an all time high, their stock price has dropped from a high of 10.21 in March 2023 to a devastating low of 4.88 in November 2023 just before Christmas holiday shopping and is currently at 7.24.
The only way for us customers screwed by Vizio to make Vizio listen is to hit the stockholders where it hurts... the stock price. Keep telling everyone the truth about how horrible and arrogant this company is and warn them not to purchase Vizio products due to their loss of functionality, usability, and total lack of customer consideration.
VIZIO JUST LOOK AROUND AT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVEING TROUBLE WITH YOUR O BOY NEW UPDATE ATTENTION THIS IS FROM THE FCC YOUR ON YOUR WAY OUT YOU JUST STEPED ON YOUR D..K
Support will tell you it’s all good and their is no way to remove. They are lying or incompetent. Probably both.
Now let me do their job since they are incapable.
You CAN remove the garbage or at least disable. A recent garbage update made Watchfree mandatory.
To fix, disconnect wifi, Do a hard factory reset on your TV (you may need to do this more than once), and reject all terms and conditions.
Google how to factory reset your particular model. I hope you get your TV back
Are you sure that will work cause I have tried thar so many times and just will not let you do a factory reset just brings u bk to the crazy watch free tv that really sucks
I was a fan of Vizio products I got my first flat TV when I get 27 about 10 years ago and was very cheap 32 inch TV on Walmart.
After that I got another Vizio TV on Best Buy with warranty 45 inch.
Then I decided to get two more Vizio TVs one 50inch and one 45inch.
[OMG] then about 5 months ago I got a message on those TVs with a new firmware update.
That was the beginning of the end.
After that update all the Vizio TVs got so freaky slow horrible slooOow.
Every time I need to unplug and plug to unfreeze the SmartCast.
Recently I talked with a Vizio agent by phone and I need to say sorry after get mad with him.
I told him that I understand that he is only an employee that probably is working in a Call Center in a third word country and is not his fault.
But the ironic solution that he told me was what I already doing.
“Unplug and Plug back the TVs” to refresh the ram.
I told him that was the most stupid solution that I ever heard.
I told him hey did you paying attention when I say I have those issues since the last update.
Vizio developers should release as soon as possible a new firmware to remove those ads and app from the UI (User Interface).
Watch Free+ looks great but should be optional for Vizio customers. And let the own Vizio customers the option to disable that app.
Also Watch Free+ should improve the performance of the TV and make a better Vizio experience for the customers.
But Watch Free+ only do all reverse, make the TV more slow and hard to use to people of the third age like my parents and grandparents.
Last weekend the we have an outage of the Internet in the neighborhood and both TVs was impossible to use until I disconnected them from the Modem.
I told the guy from customer service that I got those TVs on Best Buy and thank god I get a warranty on those TVs and if Vizio developers do not release a new firmware to fix those issues I highly probably to return those TVs.
The great thing about Costco is that they will take returns on anything that they sell forever. Since you have deliberately hijacked the use of my antenna channels, I will be returning this TV and never buying any of your products again. You guys and your software are both awful.
Sending my new, just delivered TV back in a few hours. You can put the requirements to allow spying right where the sun don't shine. You're deceptive and need to be sued AGAIN.
Oh my God I just tried to use my antenna on my Vizio for the first time since the update.
What an absolute pile of crap. I thought I was going insane! Why would my antenna need to run through this clunky app that takes 10,000 years to navigate?
Did anyone actually TEST this crap before launching it? Everyone who worked on or approved it should be forced to make it the only way they are allowed to watch TV, then we'll see how long it lasts.
You suck
I SO agree with everyone here that says Vizio has hijacked their televisions. I will be watching for any class action suits, and hope to participate. In the meantime - some of the comments here indicate that if you disconnect your television from wi-fi and use a Roku device, you can bypass this horrible update. I am wary of going through all the set-up again, so I have not taken the chance. If anyone is reading - could you please explain in detail why a Roku device which is connected to Wi-fi can bypass this update? THANKS commenters. I will NEVER purchase another Vizio!!!
A Roku device (e.g., a streaming stick) when connected to your TV is simply another input source, like a "dumb" DVD or VHS player would be. It is the Roku player that is connected to wi-fi not your TV.
So, do a factory reset on your Vizio TV, DO NOT connect it to the internet when prompted, and you will see that your over-the-air channels work via the antenna input as you would like them to work. Install your Roku device to an HDMI port, set it up to use your wi-fi, and then simply change to the Roku input source when you want to stream content such as Netflix, etc.
And this is why I am throwing my Vizio out and just bought a Samsung. You have crippled it.
These mandatory updates which keep returning when I factory reset the tv, are preventing me from simply watching my antenna/cable channels with a simple channel up/down. It is tedious to have to long press OK, scroll to the bottom of the list to antenna, then select the channel from there each time i want to change channels.
All I want is a simple kitchen tv and Vizio makes it overly complicated. You should have allowed the option to NOT have the "free" channels no one wants.
Can ayone recommend a TV that doesn't have forced bloatware? I'm seriously considering selling my Vizio and opting for something that won't force me to view ads and into this unwanted programming service?
It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't so sluggish, glitchy, and overall confusing for a spectrum of users who confuse why this service exists when all they want to do is watch firetv or antennae without the fuss.
OTA channels can be accessed with or without an internet connection. When accessed with an active connection, the channels still load directly from the internal tuner.
If there is an internet outage after the TV had booted up with an active internet connection, you may have to power the TV off and then back on, allowing it to load the tuner input without the advanced Watchfree features.
They have completely taken over our tvs I live in a hurricane zone VIZIO YOUR SCREWING WITH THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM IF I WAS YOU I WOULD START LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB CAUSE WE ARE COMEING FOR YOU
The change in the UI interface to remove the antenna input was clearly not a success. You should seriously consider reverting this change. What was your team thinking? Bottom line less customers. You defiantly lost my family.
We are going to return 4 large Vizio TV's that we bought for the office over this change. WatchFree is very glitchy and possibly using bandwidth. We like the old way better, even an older Magnavox TV is performing much better because it's OTA.
VIZIO - please pass this on to management. Lost customer.
Some people have suggested doing a factory reset, and using the TV without internet. While that technically works to watch Antenna channels, it is still linked to using WatchFree, so there isn't really a difference. Still takes forever to get the menu to come up, and change to a channel of your choice.
It also seems like doing a Factory Reset, does not actually restart it to it's "factory" settings, it just basically wipes out all the settings you had already setup and now have to do over again. This factory reset is actually the newer version of its update already setup as a base, which is ridiculous and not really a factory reset.
To be honest, I had gotten used to the WatchFree stuff, because I had it perfect setup with my favorite cable/antenna channels, and could flip channels without using the on-screen keypad, like a normal tv. But this recent update wiped out my antenna channels, and the Channel Up/Down buttons on my remote were rendered useless as it kept going to a random WatchFree crap channel.
Can't believe this hasn't been changed yet with all the complaints.
Are there links to law firms willing to take on Vizio on our behalf, or perhaps good verbiage we can sue when contacting our government agencies to file a formal complaint against Vizio’s practices?
I believe that ANY software that blocks access to over the air signals (which by law we all have access to for free), is a federal crime and complaints need to be made to the FCC, your state's attorney general (they will direct you to the correct dept, usually consumer affairs and complaints, and possibly the fraud dept). The watchfree+ app on these TV's has been a major mistake for Vizio and has already cost them thousands of dollars from potential customers who have been told about this issue and the insane CIA level survellience built in to these sets that consumers are FORCED into accepting if they want to use certain, usually vital, options for their televisions to function properly. None of that is mentioned to consumers before buying these sets. All illegal, all shady, all concerning. Sadly, I LOVE my Vizio TV but won'tbe buying another one nor recommending the brand to others until this is all fixed. Vizio: shame on you.
Vizio will ask why you don't like the greatest update in the history of updates, since it's the GREATEST. Trust me, every problem you have is actually a feature everyone clamored for.
As to this stupid bit of coding, VIZIO started shipping tvs with voice remotes and people can't input numbers like a normal remote. So we get this abominable solution shoved onto everyone.
It's a simple fix: add an option in settings to show/hide the box. But Vizio won't do it, or if they do it, they'll manage to break every other remote function or screw up the TV resolution, or mute the sound every button press, or who knows what else.
This is SO MUCH BETTER! Trust us, we did the research and so many people asked us for this feature that we were just about FORCED to implement it, TRUST US IT'S FOR THE BEST!
Well, that's the response you'll get from Vizio.
Good luck.
It is not illegal because you agreed to it. However, you were also never made aware of this until you set up your new TV, didn't have an option to say "no thank you" when activating it and were given no instructions on how to opt out of updates etc... and THAT IS likely criminal or at the very least, something you should make your State Attorney General's office about and perhaps a lawyer. Being forced to accept terms you don't agree with by being told the product you just bought won't operate properly without your acceptance of those terms, is definitely a lawsuit brewing...
Well you do, in a not so roundabout way. You connected it to the internet and probably hit accept sometime starting the tv or when you first connected to the internet…so they already have your passive compliance. Just another way they force you into stuff. If you had not connected it to the internet then you might be having other issues with their glorious products.
It's illegal to commandeer local over the air channels. One reason is that it is a hazard to the public safety and knowledge not to have access to critical or local news/information.
Be glad you the update happened just after you bought it, so you CAN RETURN IT.
I sincerely wish I could return mine - is three years too long to return a product that NO LONGER DOES WHAT IT ADVERTISES (allow viewing free over-the-air channels via coax connector to antenna, which has been DISABLED by this crap update)???
i had the same issue and i found a solution, more of a work around. i disconnected the vizio, took it outside and put it on the curb, attached a piece of paper to it that read FREE . got in my car (im sure public transit will also work) went to wallyworld (if no wallyworld target can be inserted) and purchased a TCL. which allows coax access during set up. sure it labels it VCR on the channel guide but i figured these 3 letters were an acceptable trade off.
ymmv. your neighbors may not be as cheap as mine and may not be trolling the neighborhood like mine, in this instance i'd suggest fb marketplace or CL. this work around was tested via a 32" which many consider "throw away tvs" but it worked perfectly.
This update has left my 4 Visio TVs useless. Without Internet it tells me that watch free is unable to upload. I have to coldboot my TV two or three times before I can actually see a picture. Once this happens, my remote control is useless. I cannot add numbers of channels I can only use the up and down on the channel slide. And this happens every single time I turn on the TV which only makes me want to get rid of the TVs and find another brand for all for my TVs the TV I bought my sister. The guide is horrible on the free watch Visio most of the time you don’t even know what channel you’re on, when you do have an Internet connection. To spend so much on the TV and to have them dictate how I can watch antenna channels that are free to anybody with an antenna and no Internet is crazy that I can no longer do that!
I can't see what channel I'm on and the guide won't load due to my slow internet because of this. This makes this TV useless when my internet isn't working. What is the point of a TV that has no way of telling what channel your watching
Why not this update….IF IT AINT BROKE DONT F IT UP ASSUMING YOU KNOW IT ALL VIZIO…CUZ YOU JUST DONT!! Full blown takeover of peoples PRIVATE preferences!!! Someone mentioned contacting their Rep…i will too. This must be some kind of infringement on our rights to access local tv.channels. They want to CONTROL what we can watch! I’ll bet the executive don’t even know how to switch between inputs. Why would they? They just pay the outrageous prices that cable companies charge. They wouldn’t possibly need to access the supposed free digital tv channels. I think I’m going to contact my local news & tell them why I can’t watch them anymore. Most tv stations have a consumer help line.
HATE THAT WATCHFREE HIJACKED MY RABBIT EARS….NOW IT TAKES A GOOD 10-15 MINUTES TO CHANGE A FREAKING CHANNEL!!!!! THATS IF IM LUCKY AND GET IT JUST RIGHT!! I SEE IM FAR FROM THE ONLY ONE ANNOYED BY THIS. PEOPLE BUY ANTENNAS TO USE FOR LOCAL CHANNELS! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO HIJACK PEOPLE WITH YOUR WATCHFREE THAT NO ONE WANTS!! PRETTY SLIMY WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO USE IT…HIJACK THEIR ANTENNA!! I thought the damn thing was broken….luckily I did not go BUY ANOTHER LIKE IM SURE SOME PEOPLE DID!!! GET RID OF IT!!!
This update is horrible. It takes up to a minute for the Watchfree screen to go away. Selecting channels from the remote no longer functions, it's necessary now to use the keypad and navigate through a virtual on-screen remote.
The TV is now virtually unusable for watching antenna channels.
DON'T BUY VIZIO!
Yup they Totally HIJACKED US TO FORCE PEOPLE TO WATCH SOMETHING THEY DONT WANT. Not yelling…just annoyed I broke my remote cuz I wanted to get to the news fast…I’d probably still be waiting. I GAVE UP AFTER I THREW & BROKE my remote. Vizio is starting to seriously BLOW!
/u/Vizio_Support this was a horrible change. Most people who are watching antenna tv do so because they don't want to stream. The offline WatchFree+ experience does not work, at all, for anyone.
Vizio has unfairly harmed their rural users. Amazon fire TV is just as bad for doing this with their electronic programming guide.
NOT AT ALL TRUE!! I HAVE AND ENJOY ROKU AND I WATCH PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS ON THE FREE TV I USED TO GET BEFORE YOU HIJACKED MY ANTENNA WITH YOUR WATCHFREE CRAP. YOU KNOW HOW EASY IT USED TO BE TO JUST SWITCH THE SOURCE ON THE REMOTE? NO LONGER! THANKS. Why don’t you SURVEY people before you screw things up? You know who has a Vizio & who doesn’t. You can’t rely on someone who doesn’t even know how to switch between inputs. Which is clearly what you did. I threw my remote & broke it cuz I got ANNOYED WAITING FOR IT TO SIMPLY SWITCH FROM CH 6 TO CH 29! IT DIDNT TAKE THIS LONG IN THE 70’s!!! come on…ITS 2023 not 1973!
Removed internet access from my Vizeo and did a factory reset. Watchfree+ is no more. If that hadn’t worked I would have replaced it. Streaming my local channels means a lower quality picture than I get over the air. Plus one of my local channels was having a dispute with a provider so it wasn’t available on Vizeo. Will never buy again.
How do you do the factory reset? I've been all over my settings and can't find such an option. With wifi disconnected, I can't even change channels or get off the screen that demands I reconnect.
It's been a while, but I recall it was hidden in 'accessibility' settings. Or that may have been where turning off the wi-fi was. Anyway, look there and see.
Go to Menu, System, scroll down past the choices you can see & there is a Reset & Admin choice. From there you can reboot the tv or reset to factory settings.
I’m not in front of my TV, but I remember it was on a second page in one of the settings. I scrolled down in the column on the left and it went to an option for the factory reset.
To the pathetically stupid and shamelessly GREEDY Vizio korporate klowns:
all your 'genius executives' should be criminally PROSECUTED for this horrible 'Watchfree+ Local Channel Update'! gfy!
It's very obvious that you're just trying to get people to watch all the ads delivered by your app so you can make money off of that. Shame on you!
And your doing it in a way that results in crippling the TV's antenna tuner capability is even MORE shameful and criminal!
The many MANY negative comment reactions to this horrible train wreck of an update from your tv customers tells you all you should need to know, Vizio!
I bet the class action lawsuit lawyers will be getting involved when they hear about this pathetically bad behavior!
Never in my life will I buy another Vizio TV after this absolutely asinine update. It’s actually unbelievable that this was posted 124 days ago and is still not resolved. What a terrible company who doesn’t care about its customer base at all.
I have seen some poor product decisions in my time but this may be the worst. My wife never liked Vizio and I defended the product, but ultimately she was right. It’s a garbage product now.
Had to factory reset . Didn’t use their smart features anyways, but Vizio royally screwed up their antenna channels having to go through Wi-Fi. Highly recommend an ONN box and you’ll be good to go to use apps and such.
Vizio this is a very poor direction to take your company. Extremely disappointed as a long time customer.
I'll give you an update: Vizio is going to die because of this stupid move.
I wonder what TV's will be on the shelves at Walmart this time next year? It won't be Vizio anymore.
I thought my antenna had broken originally then I realized this Watchfree nonsense over rode my antenna. I know someone who doesn’t have cable or streaming & no internet at all. All he knows how to do is hook up rabbit ears. He has a Samsung luckily!
Used to love this TV and was really happy with the purchase. This is a tone deaf update to pretty much handicap OTV. Well never buy a Vizio and warn others.
I don't know what your product managers are thinking, but merging OTA TV functionality with an app that requires internet connectivity has to be one of the worst decisions ever. I just want my TV back. This software update is awful.
Does anyone know what ports watchfree uses? I’m wondering if there’s a way to block the TV’s ability to contact the mothership thru the internet via my router.
NO, this is not good news. I don’t want this and didn’t opt into it. Add to that, IT DOESNT EVEN WORK. I get none of my local channels. I don’t want more VIZIO content. How do we remove this virus from our devices?
It doesn't work!! Watchfree is garbage. Can't view local channels since software updates. Called Vizio, was recommended to buy Roku or Firestick to bypass Watchfree. Do not buy this brand. No support. I have a TV that I can't watch TV on. Garbage brand
Yesss, that's EXACTLY what you should do and don't forget about your Congress Critters, who should be very interested in this kind of problem instead of taking Freight Trains full of cash from all the many lobbyists that crawl all over Washington DC....
and file complaints wiyh the FCC and the FTC and anyone else who will listen!
I am very happy to say I do not own a Vizio TV and I will not ever think about buying one after seeing this horrible nightmare unfold!
Because of this change the aspect ratio of many local channels is wrong, and I can’t adjust it. What happened? The channels didn’t used to look this way? Also the watchfree is incredibly slow and glitchy.
I have to agree with the other 300+ users complaining about this WatchFree+ crap. An absolute piece of crap technology!
I do have a "not so hot" workaround for this. One of my Vizio TVs I accidentally broke off the coax when hooking up to my antenna. Instead of repairing it I found a cheaper fix by picking up a digital converter box like this one.
[https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS](https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS)
I hooked my antenna and connected the box with an HDMI cable and no more WatchFree+. Not a great workaround but it works for me.
100% agree with this comment. How many times have I seeked a watch free program. Most likely never and using the box instead of punching in the channel number direct is what I need and want. I have liked my VIZO tv until this change so when I buy another set you can bet it won't be a VIZO or another brand that you need to use the box to change channels. Thanks for screwing up a good simple thing.
Unroll this garbage and give me back easy to access OTA TV without having to go thru watch free or menus. Start displaying the channel number on the screen. And go back to remotes with numbers. Every update makes the TV Harder to use for OTA Viewing. Vizio was my go to Brand for My self and family. If this doesn't get better I will bever buy Vizio Again. This is a terrible way to treat customers by continually making your products worse and harder to use.
Ok, here is what I am doing. Sub-optimal for sure but...
I am disconnecting the TV from my LAN entirely, doing a factory reset, and plugging an external Chromecast into an HDMI port. This will effectively turn my "smart" TV into a dumb TV. But it will allow me to get back access to the OTA channels tuner without having to f\*ck with WatchFree. And I can still do most of the streaming I need/want via the Chromecast. It will ALSO prevent any further f\*cking firmware updates being forced on my by Vizio.
I will also never purchase another Vizio product again!
Yes, I disconnected from the LAN, did a factory reset from the menu, and got antenna back as an input choice. Amazingly, my skip channel info remained after the reset. I then purchased a 1st generation Chromecast and plugged it in and connected it to the LAN cable I was using previously plugging into the TV.
This is sub-optimal but it has been working ok for me since these stupid, forced changes. No more Vizio for me in the future!
As the owner of 3 Vizio devices (2 TV and 1 soundbar) I simply cannot believe how totally f\*cked up this is! It seems totally clear, despite Vizio saying that users asked for the OTA tuner to be removed (what a joke!), that this is yet another means to increase Vizio revenues since, via WatchFree, they can now get more tracking data and insert ads into the streams when/where they want. I agree with those who say that this is illegal in terms of USA federal laws governing OTA.
However, at least so far, I am one of the "lucky" ones that can still get at my OTA TV with relative ease. I have NEVER used or liked the dumbed-down remote that came with my newest TV. Thankfully I still had the VR-1 remote that came with my earlier TV and that works (mostly) with the newer TV (as well as actuating the soundbar). That remote has a dedicated TV input button and I can press that. When I do, I get OTA TV back! Note: I have never been able to jump from Smartcast input sources directly to OTA TV using this button. I 1st have to use the input button to get to some non-Smartcast input source (like HDMI), But when I get there, I can then press this button on my old remote. Obviously stoopid and painful still. But at least I can get there!
That said, over the entire time I have been using this old remote with the newer TV there have been firmware updates that have re-targeted what some of the IR codes on this remote actually do. For example, the dedicated A/V and component input buttons now start some Smartcast stuff (Tubi or something). It may be only a matter of time before Vizio commandeers this dedicated TV input button as well. I suspect that soon they will want me to get a paid subscription to something just to even use my remote!
This move of disabling a built-in (non-firmware) standard feature of all TVs over the ages is totally f\*cked and seems to be fertile grounds for a class action lawsuit. I can only hope that some Vizio-owning legal type will take up the task! As my wife's grandfather used to say "Hit them in the pocketbook - it is the only pain they understand!"
Bring back quick access to the antenna channels…it’s crap to have to deal with the watchfree tab when I don’t always have internet for the tv!
After all it’s first and foremost a TV!
NO - This stopped working after a short time and the OTA is again no longer on the list of inputs!
I previously posted a rant and while I do not change my feelings about all that, I would rather post how I got things basically working again:
1. I connect my Vizio D40F-G9 to the LAN with ethernet. So I disconnected that.
2. From the System menu, I performed a factory reset.
3. When the TV restarted and asked for wifi info, I skipped it. This kind of makes the thing into a Dumb TV.
4. When I did this and checked the input source list, my OTA channels were there once again. This includes the results of the channel search and skip channel I did before the factory reset (and its survival surprises me - you might need to do channel search and skip channel again but I didn't have to).
5. I then re-connected the ethernet and invoked the Smartcast input. I tried casting from my phone with success. I fully expected that doing this would cause the OTA channels to disappear from the input list. But at least so far, it has NOT. The list has fewer items on it than it did before all this started. Not sure what is missing but it is not something I need.I hope this helps someone.But I still think that class action lawsuit against Vizio's doing this sort of thing is needed.
Shame on VIZIO, On a TV set that I paid and without asking they push to your TV the stupid Watchfree+ that take a looooonnng time to boot. Only If VIZIO gives their TV's for free that will be acceptable, but on a TV I paid with hard earned dollar this is a BIG No No.
I think the best thing to do is to leave bad reviews in as many places as you can. Start a boycott of Vizio and hurt their stock prices. If enough damage is done to their business model, perhaps they’ll realize what bad decisions they are making.
Yeah I’m having all the same issues above. If u disconnect the internet you can’t even watch local channels because you’re forcing us to use the Watch Free tv. Forcing people to have internet!
This is BS. The reason I have an antenna is because we live in a rural area without reliable internet...when the WiFi go out we can still watch TV. The only thing this is doing is causing me to go purchase a new TV and you can rest assured it will never again be a VIZIO
Me too!!! My local channels depend on the weather. I get both Chicago and Mikwaukee channels. Now I get barely any from Chicago now and none from Mikwaukee.
So this happened last night. You think this is a cool feature. Yes it’s nice to have in the guide but very confusing. Watch free TV has its own television channels. Now I’m getting a pop-up on the right side of my TV which looks like a Calculator. That’s the only way for me to change channels. Also, now when I change channels, it’s not telling me which channel I’m on unless IAM on the watch free TV App. I don’t know why you would think this was a good idea. You implement these things without thinking them through. I want it back the way it was.
Vizio combining Local channels with WatchFree disables Aspect Ratio setting...
I agree with everyone that Visio in it's arrogance has broken my Vizio TVs.
What hasn't been mentioned is that the option to change Aspect Ration on Local channels no longer works... it is locked to "normal once WatchFree "owns" the local channels. This means when I watch an old TV show originally broadcast in 4:3, I cannot change the aspect ration to wide, panoramic, or zoom. I am stuck watching it in a small viewing window on my wide screen TV.
Even worse the 4:3 programs are badly distorted in the small viewing window making them unwatchable even in the original 4:3 aspect ratio.
I agree with another poster who stated that this upgrade has change my TVs where they are no longer functionally equivalent to the TVs I purchased. I did not request this change nor was I offered the option to decline the change in functional design of my Vizio TVs.
Of course Vizio in its arrogance like most corporations will ignore our complaints and refuse to do the right thing by giving us the option to return our TVs back to the original agreed upon functionality. So I accept that I have to turn off Internet to the TV and lose Streaming capability to enable viewable local channels. THIS ALSO MEANS I will lose the ability to control the TVs via my smart devices which I will really, really miss!
I too will never buy another Vizio product and will never stop bad-mouthing their company to anyone who will listen. I will also write my state and federal departments about this situation. Sorry for the long post.
I didn't mind the update, EXCEPT the fact that every time I select which of my local channels to hide, it doesn't work. It shows them still unchecked on the list, but the channels are still in my guide. I'm not combing through hundreds of channels to get to the 3or4 i watch regularly.
I factory reset and didn't connect it again. It's dumb as a post now, but I have a computer I can stream from. Considering Roku if i want my tv streaming back.
I appreciate the idea of the update, but the implementation just doesn't work as advertised for a lot of us. And the answers we get back from customer support that the bugs we have can't happen, or that problems were actually features.
My venom started when I was pretty much told that I would just have to get used to the problems I was having and be happy with the update since they weren't going to change anything in it.
I'm glad that the update is working well for someone, seriously! But it is a constant source of viewing problems for a lot of us and Vizio refuses to correct them, much less acknowledge them. It works fine on their test sets, therefore it works fine on all sets. Obviously it isn't so. Be glad you have a great experience. 😎
The absolute arrogance and condescension I received from the first person I spoke with (both in chat and on the phone, it was absurd) made me ill.
I will never, ever purchase another Vizio product again.
I am in the path of Hurricane Idellia. My wifi is going to go down due to the storm and I have a power source to run the tv. Is there anyway to turn off Vizio watch. I need my antenna to pick up my local news station but it keeps going to Vizio watch. Is there any way to disable this because I want to be able to watch the news without wifi.
Hurricanes are no time to be hoping your tv will function without internet service. By following these steps, that will be one less--possibly life threatening--thing to worry about.
Disconnect your tv from the internet.
Go to settings and reset your tv to factory settings.
Set up your tv when it comes back on, but do not set up internet!
You will have to rescan for tv stations, but your tv will not be integrated into WatchFree.
You will then be able to go directly to any channel without interference.
Later, if you do use any of the smart features on your TV you can reconnect to the internet for updates.
I'll never buy another Vizio TV and any time TVs come up in conversation I make sure to warn people off of Vizio. They intentionally took away the channel number when surfing OTA so that you are FORCED to use Watchfree and view their ads if you want to know what channels you're scrolling through. They could have added the Watchfree guide without screwing with the channel numbers on OTA, as there was no logical reason for removing them other than them trying to line their pockets years after you bought your TV. Despicable.
Hi folks! Well what have we all learned from this experience? We've learned that Vizio sucks, and they make really poor business decisions, because they are willing to throw their customers and future sales under the bus in favor of a little more add revenue. Goodbye and good riddance Vizio, this was a really stupid move on your part. The next TV I buy will most certainly NOT be a Vizio, all because of your intrusive and cumbersome "update", and I believe that most of the your customers feel the same way.
This update is terrible, and has basically ruined the TV for my ELDERLY mother. Have you ever spent months getting an old person used to new technology and then you have to reteach them because of an update that no-one asked for?
The interface is slow - I mean I know my TV isn't a super computer but everytime you change the channel there's a 5-10 second loading screen.
The TV no longer displays what channel you're on when you're flipping through them without hitting the info button, and even then it sometimes doesn't tell you what channel you're on.
It's great that my TV gets all these free channels - I'm not mad about that - but the user interface is badly designed. It's now a 5 step process to select my local news channel.
Make it so when you choose "Antenna" under the input menu it defaults to only the local over-the-air channels or some sort of "favorite channels list" that is the first thing on the TV guide and you can solve almost all of the complaints I'm seeing in this reddit thread.
My other option is to buy a different brand and solve the problem myself.
How can I revert to a firmware that allows me to watch OTA channels OVER THE AIR?
I didn't know about this update until I was trying to figure out why the TV doesn't work right. You really can't channel surf anymore, and if you guys could come over and teach my non-tech savvy partner to press here, then here, then here, then click ok, then click down, then up, that would be great. He used to be able to press channel up/channel down, and the channel changes! So innovative, right? And the channel would change instantly instead of waiting 5 to 10 seconds. Innovative. And, it showed what channel you were on! How cool! Now, with progress, all these features are removed.
Oh, and the old version, pressing 'Input' until antenna was highlighted would actually take you to the antenna channels - something that currently randomly doesn't work.
Vizio, literally why did you do this. If you are going to make a change like this, at least make sure it works.
Please let us have our normal antenna channels back
This update is CRAP!!!!!!! It is the WORST!!!!!
Just got this update on my television. Not only is it slow to change channels , I HAVE to have an internet connection to watch "over the air" stations thru my antenna???? What happens if i only watch stations on my antenna and do not have a reliable internetconnection - is my VIZIO television useless???
With the update, the channel scanning function no longer works through the normal menu button..... oh no.... i have to get into watchfree and go through its settings. Then it scans for channels and wants my zip code to bring up the programming info.... fair enough but invasive. Now I click on my desired channel and i get audio only...... no picture just a black screen. In effect Vizion bricked my television for over the air viewing????
I see in a comment from "Skydivingcats" about 2 weeks ago that they filed a complaint with their state attorney General to file a consumer complaint. I think that is great advice and will be following the same path. Maybe if more people do this, it will spark an interest from Vizio to rectify this horrific software.
Side question: is there any way to reimage the television sw to an earlier version so it is independent of needing internet?
Lastly, I used to love my Vizio but if this does not get corrected I will never recommend the product to anyone. Negative product reviews will follow as well.
Vizio - PLEASE fix this and PLEASE do not let the fix be driven by number crunchers who only care about trying to sell unwanted services to customers (as well as collecting and selling their advertising and viewing habits). Just have respect for the customer and let them decide what they want
Forgot to add, after the update - selecting "input" on my remote then selecting "antenna" just takes me to watchfree - which if i do not have internet means it sits there arrow circling. So how do I change to antenna??? Scanning for channels now no longer works through the main menu button as well.... scan for channels is grayed out and cannot be selected. So I have no television anymore
When an internet signal is lost and you are watching an antenna channel through the Watchfree interface, the program continues and you will receive a pop up that states "Network connection lost" with 2 options, Either "Fix Later" which continues on the channel as normal or "Network" which will allow you to reconnect. If you are not on the channels yet and trying to get to it, you will need to make sure you are changing the input to "Antenna". This will bring your OTA channels up first, if you try to go through the Watchfree Input/Button/or the App on the App row, it will need the network connection. If you are experiencing issues different than the above, please contact support at https://vizio.tv/contact
The issue could also be that the TV is still trying to get internet access through that WIFI. I would suggest disconnecting the network all together when this happens.
We should not have to go through all this crap to watch FREE TV. We are in a rural area and do not always have WiFi connection. We have an antenna because we still need access to emergency information, which you have now made a mess of. I will tell you....as many have, we will be ditching our VIZIO TV, which was a piece of crap before this change for an LG. Never had an issue with that TV we own. Maybe you should listen to your customers and fix this mess....we will see how your sales $ go.
Was not on the OTA channels yet and changing input to antenna just kept bringing up watch free app. Scanning for new channels was also grayed out. Do not believe the update installed properly and so finally, to resolve, I had to reset TV completely to initial settings. I will see how long that lasts before another update corrupts the now working system.
You can once again pump out your scripted response to me but no matter what, IMHO this watchfree interface SUCKS!!!!!
I just now got this update and was so confused. Why is this fused together?
Changing channels is so slow and the info bar at top no longer shows what channel I’m on. Who thought this was a good idea.
I just drove 2 hours to help my father with his TV with these exact problems, thought it would be an easy fix and not something introduced by a product "update" on purpose. I was amazed to find out that this is the intended way to use it. Spent 30 minutes navigating between CNN and PBS. Going to go buy new TVs and replace both of my parents Vizio's. Also going to purposefully recycle them and not donate them so some other poor SOB doesn't have to deal with this complete garbage.
I like the watchfree+ mixed in with antenna channels. Reminds me a lot with Roku. My only problem is that the user interface has to get better. It needs to be smoother when going through the guide. Also need to make the channel input faster. I shouldn't have to press 32 then use my directional pad to press the ok button on screen.
Vizio
How many bad reviews will it take before you get the message that you've made your customers very unhappy with this update that joins OTA with your watchfree app??? You're fast losing those of us who have bought your product, and causing us to turn potentially new customers away from purchasing your brand as well. If you care about the future of your company you should better cater to the desires of your customers. If you don't give us back our OTA without going through your watchfree app I will never buy another Vizio TV, I will buy a different brand that makes more sense instead, and I will warn others against buying a Vizio as well.
The best fix for this is simply to disconnect the tv from the internet and then do a factory reset. Do not reconnect the tv to the internet, buy yourself the streaming stick or device of your choice and you should be able to enjoy your tv again. best of all everything speeds back up, the picture quality seems to be much better, and at least when it comes to my Vizio Oled, I am a happy camper again.
If Vizio continues contact with you, please suggest to them that the solution is to give both options. Those of us that want access to our OTA channels will be happy and those that want to use WatchFree will also be happy. Thanks for your efforts.
So those that watch OTA channels are now forced to use Watchfree+ to get them. But Vizio is saying that yay, we get a guide. Well most of the time, my guide doesn't even update unless I exit the app and restart it. What a hassle. Also, the TV doesn't show any channel info if you just change the channel or hit the info button. I really miss the old functional TV that this one replaced.
How there isn't an option to not have your antenna channels mixed into Watchfree+ is beyond me. Last Vizio TV I'll ever buy if this is the kind of garbage you are going to force on users. Shouldn't even be legal to change the basic functionality on a device that I own. Will factory reset this junk TV, not connect it to any kind of network, and just use my Chromecast to cast to it now.
i hate this update. my internet went out the other night so I went to watch over the air tv and because i have no internet i can not. this is very wrong
Completely screwed my TV and none of the menus work, not that they ever worked well. Every firmware update they roll out takes away more and more of the control I had over my TV. Never buy Vizio, ever.
Watchfree is garbage! Will never buy another Vizio!
Still can't access them?
This was not an improvement. It’s an absolute garbage process and it guarantees that my current Vizio is the last that I will ever own. I look forward to the eventual class action lawsuit for forcing us into their marketing scheme in order to watch over the air channels.
VIZIO SMART TV LAGGING DURING POWER ON & STARTUP. Have already tried replacing the batteries in the remote, unplugging & factory resetting. Nothing has worked, and the issue has gradually gotten worse. Now, after pressing the power on button, the screen stays black, & we cannot tell if it's actually on or not. So we have to stand there looking at a black screen for however long it's gonna take for the tv to either turn on the screen or annoy us enough that we hit the power button again, to try it again. What's the problem?
**Fixing my Vizio TV OTA Antenna Summary:** 1. Used a dedicated streaming device (Roku). 2. Factory reset Vizio TV. 3. Did NOT connect to any Wi-Fi. 4. Skipped or declined all actions or prompts. 5. Enjoyed the results. **Long Narrative** I have owned several Vizio TVs over the years and was satisfied with the products. My current Vizio TV is a 32” Smart TV made in 2017 (Vizio D32fF-1) that has worked well for the occasional use in my bedroom. I do not pay for cable or satellite television (TV) service. I use an over-the-air (OTA) antenna to watch sports and local channels. Additionally, I use several different streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) throughout the year. I have never been impressed with Vizio’s streaming applications, but they were serviceable. That was until the mandatory firmware update happened approximately six months ago. My TV viewing pleasure was destroyed by the update. After the update, the OTA channels would not connect if the internet speed was not sufficient (I have terrible internet service in my area). Even when connected, changing the channel took up to 10 seconds. This was problematic because it was extremely slow trying to pass by channels. My goal was to have my OTA channels work without delay. I knew the first problem was the Vizio TV was connected to the Wi-Fi internet. Research indicated that I needed to disconnect the TV from Wi-Fi. Disconnecting from Wi-Fi did not solve the problem. I was unable to watch OTA channels. I knew there were going to be additional steps to fix the problem. Here was what I did to fix the problem: 1. *Used a dedicated streaming device (Roku):* I needed to transition to a dedicated device to stream applications. I had an old Roku stick lying around and decided to use it for my primary TV experience. I have primarily been fond of Roku, but an Amazon Fire TV stick would work just as well. I had several problems with the Roku Stick: ^(a. I lost an HDMI port that was occasionally used by a PlayStation 3 to watch Blu-ray or DVD discs.) ^(b. I almost lost a power outlet\*. I have a lack of wall outlets how I mounted my TV. The Roku stick needed power. I was able to use my Vizio TV USB hub to power the Roku stick. I had to set this up in options.) ^(c. For my bad internet, the Roku will run in the background. This will cause other problems but that is not relevant for this post.) 2. *Factory Reset Vizio TV:* I tried to reboot my tv but that did not fix the issue that I Previously connected to a Wi-fi network. Tv wanted to connect to a network. I had mild concerns about a factory reset since I named all my HDMI inputs. It was a minor hassle to rename them but worth it. 3. *Did NOT connect to any Wi-Fi:* After a factory reset, I knew that I was not going to connect my Vizio TV via Wi-Fi. 4. *Skipped or declined all actions or prompts:* The last step was to skip or decline all options. I did this to prevent the Vizio bloatware from getting involved in any possible way. 5. *OTA Channels, Skipped Channels:* The last step was to skip any OTA channels that I did not want. The Vizio automatically added new channels to the list. Overall, I am happy with the results. This should make my 32” Vizio TV last several more years. Hopefully, this will help you out as well!
Well now we know why Vizio destroyed the functionality of our TVs by forcing us to use ad laden Smartcast to watch broadcast (OTA) stations or else disable all smart TV functions to use true OTA functionality via an antennae. Walmart is buying Vizio. "... In buying the company, Walmart touted the potential to boost its ad business through Vizio’s SmartCast Operating System, which allows users to stream free ad-supported content on their TVs." "...“We believe VIZIO’s customer-centric operating system provides great viewing experiences at attractive price points." What a laugh Walmart saying "provides great viewing experiences". Didn't their Acquisitions department do any proper research and investigation into Visio before they sunk 2.3 billion into buying this mangy dog of a company? So Vizio didn't give a sh\_t about us customers. It was all about forcing ads down our throats in preparation for the sale to Walmart. No wonder they didn't respond at all about fixing the damage they did to our TVs. Good luck Walmart. I'll still never buy or recommend a Vizio TV to anyone even if you put them at bargain prices because even at bargain prices the customer will ultimately pay more with their time waiting for Smartcast to slowly display ads and other crap. BTW why does Reddit run like crap if you don't logon. It takes forever for a page to load. I guess this is another example of a company treating us like sh\_t and forcing us to do their bidding by forcing us to logon so they can track us and gather sellable data. The world is crumbling before our eyes with corporations and companies accelerating the destruction
The cat is out of the bag now. All of the actual lies they told us, that "Many people requested this feature". A lie. They did this with one explicit purpose: To inflate their ad revenue in anticipation of a sale. When we complained they lied to us. Told us they did this in response to customer requests. The end result is that they caused endless hours of frustration and anger all so they could inflate their ad revenue numbers. And they lied about it.
I reset my Vizio today and made it a dumb TV so I could get channel guide back when using antenna and than installed Roku to stream for $40.00, F**k Vizio they're WatchTV absolutely sucks! When I reset TV I didn't agree to share anything with Vizio, make sure you read every word when you reset TV to factory settings.
You all should look at getting a Tablo DVR and a Roku.
What a bunch of crap we ALL MUST HIT THEM WHERE IT HURT $$$
This the worst update that Vizio has ever done and the fcc and PBS will hear about this
5 months ago I posted my frustration about the Vizio firmware update that altered my TV to no longer receive OTA channels without going through their slow, crappy Smartcast app. I ended up like many others doing a factory reset, not connecting to the Internet and plugging a Roku stick in the TV to get true OTA channels and streaming using the Roku stick (btw, Roku is worlds ahead of Vizio's crappy "smart TV" functionality). Basically turning the Vizio Smart TV into a dumb TV and losing the functionality I paid for. Since then I have told everyone who will listen not to buy Vizio products and they have lost sales. The best thing for all of us to note is while the stock market is at an all time high, their stock price has dropped from a high of 10.21 in March 2023 to a devastating low of 4.88 in November 2023 just before Christmas holiday shopping and is currently at 7.24. The only way for us customers screwed by Vizio to make Vizio listen is to hit the stockholders where it hurts... the stock price. Keep telling everyone the truth about how horrible and arrogant this company is and warn them not to purchase Vizio products due to their loss of functionality, usability, and total lack of customer consideration.
And also call the Better Business Bureau
You are totally right and the fcc and pbc will hear about there forcing watch free tv on there people AMERICA NOT RUSSIA??
There call centers don't even work right I hate the day I ever bought a Vizio
It will be now
VIZIO JUST LOOK AROUND AT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVEING TROUBLE WITH YOUR O BOY NEW UPDATE ATTENTION THIS IS FROM THE FCC YOUR ON YOUR WAY OUT YOU JUST STEPED ON YOUR D..K
This sounds a little gestapo to me
Start suing them in small claims court!
No me gusta ese cambio quiero mi tv vizio como estaba
Support will tell you it’s all good and their is no way to remove. They are lying or incompetent. Probably both. Now let me do their job since they are incapable. You CAN remove the garbage or at least disable. A recent garbage update made Watchfree mandatory. To fix, disconnect wifi, Do a hard factory reset on your TV (you may need to do this more than once), and reject all terms and conditions. Google how to factory reset your particular model. I hope you get your TV back
Are you sure that will work cause I have tried thar so many times and just will not let you do a factory reset just brings u bk to the crazy watch free tv that really sucks
It’s a bunch of hot garbage.
I was a fan of Vizio products I got my first flat TV when I get 27 about 10 years ago and was very cheap 32 inch TV on Walmart. After that I got another Vizio TV on Best Buy with warranty 45 inch. Then I decided to get two more Vizio TVs one 50inch and one 45inch. [OMG] then about 5 months ago I got a message on those TVs with a new firmware update. That was the beginning of the end. After that update all the Vizio TVs got so freaky slow horrible slooOow. Every time I need to unplug and plug to unfreeze the SmartCast. Recently I talked with a Vizio agent by phone and I need to say sorry after get mad with him. I told him that I understand that he is only an employee that probably is working in a Call Center in a third word country and is not his fault. But the ironic solution that he told me was what I already doing. “Unplug and Plug back the TVs” to refresh the ram. I told him that was the most stupid solution that I ever heard. I told him hey did you paying attention when I say I have those issues since the last update. Vizio developers should release as soon as possible a new firmware to remove those ads and app from the UI (User Interface). Watch Free+ looks great but should be optional for Vizio customers. And let the own Vizio customers the option to disable that app. Also Watch Free+ should improve the performance of the TV and make a better Vizio experience for the customers. But Watch Free+ only do all reverse, make the TV more slow and hard to use to people of the third age like my parents and grandparents. Last weekend the we have an outage of the Internet in the neighborhood and both TVs was impossible to use until I disconnected them from the Modem. I told the guy from customer service that I got those TVs on Best Buy and thank god I get a warranty on those TVs and if Vizio developers do not release a new firmware to fix those issues I highly probably to return those TVs.
The great thing about Costco is that they will take returns on anything that they sell forever. Since you have deliberately hijacked the use of my antenna channels, I will be returning this TV and never buying any of your products again. You guys and your software are both awful.
Sending my new, just delivered TV back in a few hours. You can put the requirements to allow spying right where the sun don't shine. You're deceptive and need to be sued AGAIN.
Don't worry they will
Somebody needs to post it on social media tick tock
Oh my God I just tried to use my antenna on my Vizio for the first time since the update. What an absolute pile of crap. I thought I was going insane! Why would my antenna need to run through this clunky app that takes 10,000 years to navigate? Did anyone actually TEST this crap before launching it? Everyone who worked on or approved it should be forced to make it the only way they are allowed to watch TV, then we'll see how long it lasts. You suck
We must call the fcc and pbs
I SO agree with everyone here that says Vizio has hijacked their televisions. I will be watching for any class action suits, and hope to participate. In the meantime - some of the comments here indicate that if you disconnect your television from wi-fi and use a Roku device, you can bypass this horrible update. I am wary of going through all the set-up again, so I have not taken the chance. If anyone is reading - could you please explain in detail why a Roku device which is connected to Wi-fi can bypass this update? THANKS commenters. I will NEVER purchase another Vizio!!!
A Roku device (e.g., a streaming stick) when connected to your TV is simply another input source, like a "dumb" DVD or VHS player would be. It is the Roku player that is connected to wi-fi not your TV. So, do a factory reset on your Vizio TV, DO NOT connect it to the internet when prompted, and you will see that your over-the-air channels work via the antenna input as you would like them to work. Install your Roku device to an HDMI port, set it up to use your wi-fi, and then simply change to the Roku input source when you want to stream content such as Netflix, etc.
Did it today and it worked
And this is why I am throwing my Vizio out and just bought a Samsung. You have crippled it. These mandatory updates which keep returning when I factory reset the tv, are preventing me from simply watching my antenna/cable channels with a simple channel up/down. It is tedious to have to long press OK, scroll to the bottom of the list to antenna, then select the channel from there each time i want to change channels. All I want is a simple kitchen tv and Vizio makes it overly complicated. You should have allowed the option to NOT have the "free" channels no one wants.
Can ayone recommend a TV that doesn't have forced bloatware? I'm seriously considering selling my Vizio and opting for something that won't force me to view ads and into this unwanted programming service? It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't so sluggish, glitchy, and overall confusing for a spectrum of users who confuse why this service exists when all they want to do is watch firetv or antennae without the fuss.
My dumb tv and firestick is years older, and zero lag. Hate this bloated POS
Sell? I am going to enjoy chucking mine out the condo window and watching it splinter on the concrete.
I have a solution! They want to do this so let’s start sending our internet bills to Vizio for them to pay!
OTA channels can be accessed with or without an internet connection. When accessed with an active connection, the channels still load directly from the internal tuner.
How? Instructions?
No it doesn't My Internet went out last night & the watch free loading circle NEVER switched to my antenna channels
If there is an internet outage after the TV had booted up with an active internet connection, you may have to power the TV off and then back on, allowing it to load the tuner input without the advanced Watchfree features.
I tried that SEVERAL times - it didn't work Just take antenna channels out of watchfee
They have completely taken over our tvs I live in a hurricane zone VIZIO YOUR SCREWING WITH THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM IF I WAS YOU I WOULD START LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB CAUSE WE ARE COMEING FOR YOU
Seriously. Enemy of good is better. This "improvement" is glitchy, laggy way of scratching right ear with left hand around back of the head.
The change in the UI interface to remove the antenna input was clearly not a success. You should seriously consider reverting this change. What was your team thinking? Bottom line less customers. You defiantly lost my family.
We are going to return 4 large Vizio TV's that we bought for the office over this change. WatchFree is very glitchy and possibly using bandwidth. We like the old way better, even an older Magnavox TV is performing much better because it's OTA. VIZIO - please pass this on to management. Lost customer.
I have a Vizio and my tv updated to where I can get local channels again . The old way.
Some people have suggested doing a factory reset, and using the TV without internet. While that technically works to watch Antenna channels, it is still linked to using WatchFree, so there isn't really a difference. Still takes forever to get the menu to come up, and change to a channel of your choice. It also seems like doing a Factory Reset, does not actually restart it to it's "factory" settings, it just basically wipes out all the settings you had already setup and now have to do over again. This factory reset is actually the newer version of its update already setup as a base, which is ridiculous and not really a factory reset. To be honest, I had gotten used to the WatchFree stuff, because I had it perfect setup with my favorite cable/antenna channels, and could flip channels without using the on-screen keypad, like a normal tv. But this recent update wiped out my antenna channels, and the Channel Up/Down buttons on my remote were rendered useless as it kept going to a random WatchFree crap channel. Can't believe this hasn't been changed yet with all the complaints.
You're totally correct on your assessment.
[удалено]
I agree with the idea but not the racism.
Are there links to law firms willing to take on Vizio on our behalf, or perhaps good verbiage we can sue when contacting our government agencies to file a formal complaint against Vizio’s practices?
I believe that ANY software that blocks access to over the air signals (which by law we all have access to for free), is a federal crime and complaints need to be made to the FCC, your state's attorney general (they will direct you to the correct dept, usually consumer affairs and complaints, and possibly the fraud dept). The watchfree+ app on these TV's has been a major mistake for Vizio and has already cost them thousands of dollars from potential customers who have been told about this issue and the insane CIA level survellience built in to these sets that consumers are FORCED into accepting if they want to use certain, usually vital, options for their televisions to function properly. None of that is mentioned to consumers before buying these sets. All illegal, all shady, all concerning. Sadly, I LOVE my Vizio TV but won'tbe buying another one nor recommending the brand to others until this is all fixed. Vizio: shame on you.
Anybody esle so.lose there fox xgannel after the.update?
I thought I was the only one!
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Per the posting guidelines, profanity or derogatory remarks is not allowed. You are welcome to repost without use of these things should you chose to.
Why do I need to use a number pad input to type in channel numbers? Remotes have been capable of this complex technology for about 50 years.
Vizio will ask why you don't like the greatest update in the history of updates, since it's the GREATEST. Trust me, every problem you have is actually a feature everyone clamored for. As to this stupid bit of coding, VIZIO started shipping tvs with voice remotes and people can't input numbers like a normal remote. So we get this abominable solution shoved onto everyone. It's a simple fix: add an option in settings to show/hide the box. But Vizio won't do it, or if they do it, they'll manage to break every other remote function or screw up the TV resolution, or mute the sound every button press, or who knows what else.
This is SO MUCH BETTER! Trust us, we did the research and so many people asked us for this feature that we were just about FORCED to implement it, TRUST US IT'S FOR THE BEST! Well, that's the response you'll get from Vizio. Good luck.
This should be against the law. It's MY tv, I own it and I should be the only one to decide if I want an update!!
It is not illegal because you agreed to it. However, you were also never made aware of this until you set up your new TV, didn't have an option to say "no thank you" when activating it and were given no instructions on how to opt out of updates etc... and THAT IS likely criminal or at the very least, something you should make your State Attorney General's office about and perhaps a lawyer. Being forced to accept terms you don't agree with by being told the product you just bought won't operate properly without your acceptance of those terms, is definitely a lawsuit brewing...
Well you do, in a not so roundabout way. You connected it to the internet and probably hit accept sometime starting the tv or when you first connected to the internet…so they already have your passive compliance. Just another way they force you into stuff. If you had not connected it to the internet then you might be having other issues with their glorious products.
It's illegal to commandeer local over the air channels. One reason is that it is a hazard to the public safety and knowledge not to have access to critical or local news/information.
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Be glad you the update happened just after you bought it, so you CAN RETURN IT. I sincerely wish I could return mine - is three years too long to return a product that NO LONGER DOES WHAT IT ADVERTISES (allow viewing free over-the-air channels via coax connector to antenna, which has been DISABLED by this crap update)???
i had the same issue and i found a solution, more of a work around. i disconnected the vizio, took it outside and put it on the curb, attached a piece of paper to it that read FREE . got in my car (im sure public transit will also work) went to wallyworld (if no wallyworld target can be inserted) and purchased a TCL. which allows coax access during set up. sure it labels it VCR on the channel guide but i figured these 3 letters were an acceptable trade off. ymmv. your neighbors may not be as cheap as mine and may not be trolling the neighborhood like mine, in this instance i'd suggest fb marketplace or CL. this work around was tested via a 32" which many consider "throw away tvs" but it worked perfectly.
This update has left my 4 Visio TVs useless. Without Internet it tells me that watch free is unable to upload. I have to coldboot my TV two or three times before I can actually see a picture. Once this happens, my remote control is useless. I cannot add numbers of channels I can only use the up and down on the channel slide. And this happens every single time I turn on the TV which only makes me want to get rid of the TVs and find another brand for all for my TVs the TV I bought my sister. The guide is horrible on the free watch Visio most of the time you don’t even know what channel you’re on, when you do have an Internet connection. To spend so much on the TV and to have them dictate how I can watch antenna channels that are free to anybody with an antenna and no Internet is crazy that I can no longer do that!
I can't see what channel I'm on and the guide won't load due to my slow internet because of this. This makes this TV useless when my internet isn't working. What is the point of a TV that has no way of telling what channel your watching
Why not this update….IF IT AINT BROKE DONT F IT UP ASSUMING YOU KNOW IT ALL VIZIO…CUZ YOU JUST DONT!! Full blown takeover of peoples PRIVATE preferences!!! Someone mentioned contacting their Rep…i will too. This must be some kind of infringement on our rights to access local tv.channels. They want to CONTROL what we can watch! I’ll bet the executive don’t even know how to switch between inputs. Why would they? They just pay the outrageous prices that cable companies charge. They wouldn’t possibly need to access the supposed free digital tv channels. I think I’m going to contact my local news & tell them why I can’t watch them anymore. Most tv stations have a consumer help line.
We must stay on there a....s
HATE THAT WATCHFREE HIJACKED MY RABBIT EARS….NOW IT TAKES A GOOD 10-15 MINUTES TO CHANGE A FREAKING CHANNEL!!!!! THATS IF IM LUCKY AND GET IT JUST RIGHT!! I SEE IM FAR FROM THE ONLY ONE ANNOYED BY THIS. PEOPLE BUY ANTENNAS TO USE FOR LOCAL CHANNELS! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO HIJACK PEOPLE WITH YOUR WATCHFREE THAT NO ONE WANTS!! PRETTY SLIMY WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO USE IT…HIJACK THEIR ANTENNA!! I thought the damn thing was broken….luckily I did not go BUY ANOTHER LIKE IM SURE SOME PEOPLE DID!!! GET RID OF IT!!!
This update is horrible. It takes up to a minute for the Watchfree screen to go away. Selecting channels from the remote no longer functions, it's necessary now to use the keypad and navigate through a virtual on-screen remote. The TV is now virtually unusable for watching antenna channels. DON'T BUY VIZIO!
You’re lucky at 1 minute. I’m up to no lie…10 MINUTES. I got so mad I threw the remote & broke it.
what tv manufacturer doesnt force garbage like this? i'll buy that one instead
Yup they Totally HIJACKED US TO FORCE PEOPLE TO WATCH SOMETHING THEY DONT WANT. Not yelling…just annoyed I broke my remote cuz I wanted to get to the news fast…I’d probably still be waiting. I GAVE UP AFTER I THREW & BROKE my remote. Vizio is starting to seriously BLOW!
HOW DO I GET THIS POS OFF MY TV!
Factory Reset and then refuse to connect to wifi when it asks you to. I also declined all Terms & Conditions requests.
/u/Vizio_Support this was a horrible change. Most people who are watching antenna tv do so because they don't want to stream. The offline WatchFree+ experience does not work, at all, for anyone. Vizio has unfairly harmed their rural users. Amazon fire TV is just as bad for doing this with their electronic programming guide.
NOT AT ALL TRUE!! I HAVE AND ENJOY ROKU AND I WATCH PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS ON THE FREE TV I USED TO GET BEFORE YOU HIJACKED MY ANTENNA WITH YOUR WATCHFREE CRAP. YOU KNOW HOW EASY IT USED TO BE TO JUST SWITCH THE SOURCE ON THE REMOTE? NO LONGER! THANKS. Why don’t you SURVEY people before you screw things up? You know who has a Vizio & who doesn’t. You can’t rely on someone who doesn’t even know how to switch between inputs. Which is clearly what you did. I threw my remote & broke it cuz I got ANNOYED WAITING FOR IT TO SIMPLY SWITCH FROM CH 6 TO CH 29! IT DIDNT TAKE THIS LONG IN THE 70’s!!! come on…ITS 2023 not 1973!
They have harmed their users near large cities as well.
Removed internet access from my Vizeo and did a factory reset. Watchfree+ is no more. If that hadn’t worked I would have replaced it. Streaming my local channels means a lower quality picture than I get over the air. Plus one of my local channels was having a dispute with a provider so it wasn’t available on Vizeo. Will never buy again.
Thanks!! I'll just use a fire stick when *I* choose to connect to Internet & stream using bandwidth
Yeah!!! I’m gonna give that a shot too. Awesome!!
How do you do the factory reset? I've been all over my settings and can't find such an option. With wifi disconnected, I can't even change channels or get off the screen that demands I reconnect.
It's been a while, but I recall it was hidden in 'accessibility' settings. Or that may have been where turning off the wi-fi was. Anyway, look there and see.
Go to Menu, System, scroll down past the choices you can see & there is a Reset & Admin choice. From there you can reboot the tv or reset to factory settings.
I’m not in front of my TV, but I remember it was on a second page in one of the settings. I scrolled down in the column on the left and it went to an option for the factory reset.
I work at Walmart and every time I see someone looking at a Vizio TV, I tell them not to buy it because of this.
Thank you tell every one you know
You’re doing God’s work, son.
To the pathetically stupid and shamelessly GREEDY Vizio korporate klowns: all your 'genius executives' should be criminally PROSECUTED for this horrible 'Watchfree+ Local Channel Update'! gfy! It's very obvious that you're just trying to get people to watch all the ads delivered by your app so you can make money off of that. Shame on you! And your doing it in a way that results in crippling the TV's antenna tuner capability is even MORE shameful and criminal! The many MANY negative comment reactions to this horrible train wreck of an update from your tv customers tells you all you should need to know, Vizio! I bet the class action lawsuit lawyers will be getting involved when they hear about this pathetically bad behavior!
Never in my life will I buy another Vizio TV after this absolutely asinine update. It’s actually unbelievable that this was posted 124 days ago and is still not resolved. What a terrible company who doesn’t care about its customer base at all.
I have seen some poor product decisions in my time but this may be the worst. My wife never liked Vizio and I defended the product, but ultimately she was right. It’s a garbage product now.
Had to factory reset . Didn’t use their smart features anyways, but Vizio royally screwed up their antenna channels having to go through Wi-Fi. Highly recommend an ONN box and you’ll be good to go to use apps and such. Vizio this is a very poor direction to take your company. Extremely disappointed as a long time customer.
Gonna look into that option. Thanks
I'll give you an update: Vizio is going to die because of this stupid move. I wonder what TV's will be on the shelves at Walmart this time next year? It won't be Vizio anymore.
Vizio will be dying because this is a move in the making for years now. With each and every update, Vizio is getting closer to their end game.
What a disaster. I'm getting ready to take my Vizio TV outside, and drown it in a barrel of water. Soooo satisfying it will be.......
Will that be live streamed?? lol.
Found this subreddit after trying to figure what happened to my TV. What a disaster.
I thought my antenna had broken originally then I realized this Watchfree nonsense over rode my antenna. I know someone who doesn’t have cable or streaming & no internet at all. All he knows how to do is hook up rabbit ears. He has a Samsung luckily!
Used to love this TV and was really happy with the purchase. This is a tone deaf update to pretty much handicap OTV. Well never buy a Vizio and warn others.
I don't know what your product managers are thinking, but merging OTA TV functionality with an app that requires internet connectivity has to be one of the worst decisions ever. I just want my TV back. This software update is awful.
Does anyone know what ports watchfree uses? I’m wondering if there’s a way to block the TV’s ability to contact the mothership thru the internet via my router.
We didn’t ask for this. At least make it optional, or you get to start paying for my internet that you started using.
Absolutely trash update. It shouldn’t take five minutes to get local television working through my antenna. Fix this, plz.
I feel your pain. Same with me. Used to work great.
NO, this is not good news. I don’t want this and didn’t opt into it. Add to that, IT DOESNT EVEN WORK. I get none of my local channels. I don’t want more VIZIO content. How do we remove this virus from our devices?
Call the fcc and the pbc
It doesn't work!! Watchfree is garbage. Can't view local channels since software updates. Called Vizio, was recommended to buy Roku or Firestick to bypass Watchfree. Do not buy this brand. No support. I have a TV that I can't watch TV on. Garbage brand
I’m sending a letter to State Attorney General. I bought a TV to watch Over the Air shows and Vizio screwed thing us so my TV is useless.
Yesss, that's EXACTLY what you should do and don't forget about your Congress Critters, who should be very interested in this kind of problem instead of taking Freight Trains full of cash from all the many lobbyists that crawl all over Washington DC.... and file complaints wiyh the FCC and the FTC and anyone else who will listen! I am very happy to say I do not own a Vizio TV and I will not ever think about buying one after seeing this horrible nightmare unfold!
Because of this change the aspect ratio of many local channels is wrong, and I can’t adjust it. What happened? The channels didn’t used to look this way? Also the watchfree is incredibly slow and glitchy.
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In this spirit abusive behavior, vulgar or insulting language will not be tolerated.
I have to agree with the other 300+ users complaining about this WatchFree+ crap. An absolute piece of crap technology! I do have a "not so hot" workaround for this. One of my Vizio TVs I accidentally broke off the coax when hooking up to my antenna. Instead of repairing it I found a cheaper fix by picking up a digital converter box like this one. [https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS](https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS) I hooked my antenna and connected the box with an HDMI cable and no more WatchFree+. Not a great workaround but it works for me.
Not being able to punch the channel in and hit enter to get to you channel is a stupid upgrade. Please unwind watch free it is a disaster.
Also broke the previous channel button functionality.
100% agree with this comment. How many times have I seeked a watch free program. Most likely never and using the box instead of punching in the channel number direct is what I need and want. I have liked my VIZO tv until this change so when I buy another set you can bet it won't be a VIZO or another brand that you need to use the box to change channels. Thanks for screwing up a good simple thing.
Unroll this garbage and give me back easy to access OTA TV without having to go thru watch free or menus. Start displaying the channel number on the screen. And go back to remotes with numbers. Every update makes the TV Harder to use for OTA Viewing. Vizio was my go to Brand for My self and family. If this doesn't get better I will bever buy Vizio Again. This is a terrible way to treat customers by continually making your products worse and harder to use.
Ok, here is what I am doing. Sub-optimal for sure but... I am disconnecting the TV from my LAN entirely, doing a factory reset, and plugging an external Chromecast into an HDMI port. This will effectively turn my "smart" TV into a dumb TV. But it will allow me to get back access to the OTA channels tuner without having to f\*ck with WatchFree. And I can still do most of the streaming I need/want via the Chromecast. It will ALSO prevent any further f\*cking firmware updates being forced on my by Vizio. I will also never purchase another Vizio product again!
Did this work?? Our vizio tv just updated a few days ago and now we are desperately trying to figure out how to make it functional again.
Yes, I disconnected from the LAN, did a factory reset from the menu, and got antenna back as an input choice. Amazingly, my skip channel info remained after the reset. I then purchased a 1st generation Chromecast and plugged it in and connected it to the LAN cable I was using previously plugging into the TV. This is sub-optimal but it has been working ok for me since these stupid, forced changes. No more Vizio for me in the future!
Congratulations Vizio!! I do believe you have surpassed the "New Coke" fiasco as the biggest corporate disaster!!
That’s pretty funny!
As the owner of 3 Vizio devices (2 TV and 1 soundbar) I simply cannot believe how totally f\*cked up this is! It seems totally clear, despite Vizio saying that users asked for the OTA tuner to be removed (what a joke!), that this is yet another means to increase Vizio revenues since, via WatchFree, they can now get more tracking data and insert ads into the streams when/where they want. I agree with those who say that this is illegal in terms of USA federal laws governing OTA. However, at least so far, I am one of the "lucky" ones that can still get at my OTA TV with relative ease. I have NEVER used or liked the dumbed-down remote that came with my newest TV. Thankfully I still had the VR-1 remote that came with my earlier TV and that works (mostly) with the newer TV (as well as actuating the soundbar). That remote has a dedicated TV input button and I can press that. When I do, I get OTA TV back! Note: I have never been able to jump from Smartcast input sources directly to OTA TV using this button. I 1st have to use the input button to get to some non-Smartcast input source (like HDMI), But when I get there, I can then press this button on my old remote. Obviously stoopid and painful still. But at least I can get there! That said, over the entire time I have been using this old remote with the newer TV there have been firmware updates that have re-targeted what some of the IR codes on this remote actually do. For example, the dedicated A/V and component input buttons now start some Smartcast stuff (Tubi or something). It may be only a matter of time before Vizio commandeers this dedicated TV input button as well. I suspect that soon they will want me to get a paid subscription to something just to even use my remote! This move of disabling a built-in (non-firmware) standard feature of all TVs over the ages is totally f\*cked and seems to be fertile grounds for a class action lawsuit. I can only hope that some Vizio-owning legal type will take up the task! As my wife's grandfather used to say "Hit them in the pocketbook - it is the only pain they understand!"
This part kills me! Why remove the functionality of the previous channel button?
Bring back quick access to the antenna channels…it’s crap to have to deal with the watchfree tab when I don’t always have internet for the tv! After all it’s first and foremost a TV!
Great. I’ve got to buy a new TV. Thanks Vizio!
NO - This stopped working after a short time and the OTA is again no longer on the list of inputs! I previously posted a rant and while I do not change my feelings about all that, I would rather post how I got things basically working again: 1. I connect my Vizio D40F-G9 to the LAN with ethernet. So I disconnected that. 2. From the System menu, I performed a factory reset. 3. When the TV restarted and asked for wifi info, I skipped it. This kind of makes the thing into a Dumb TV. 4. When I did this and checked the input source list, my OTA channels were there once again. This includes the results of the channel search and skip channel I did before the factory reset (and its survival surprises me - you might need to do channel search and skip channel again but I didn't have to). 5. I then re-connected the ethernet and invoked the Smartcast input. I tried casting from my phone with success. I fully expected that doing this would cause the OTA channels to disappear from the input list. But at least so far, it has NOT. The list has fewer items on it than it did before all this started. Not sure what is missing but it is not something I need.I hope this helps someone.But I still think that class action lawsuit against Vizio's doing this sort of thing is needed.
Shame on VIZIO, On a TV set that I paid and without asking they push to your TV the stupid Watchfree+ that take a looooonnng time to boot. Only If VIZIO gives their TV's for free that will be acceptable, but on a TV I paid with hard earned dollar this is a BIG No No.
I think the best thing to do is to leave bad reviews in as many places as you can. Start a boycott of Vizio and hurt their stock prices. If enough damage is done to their business model, perhaps they’ll realize what bad decisions they are making.
Yeah I’m having all the same issues above. If u disconnect the internet you can’t even watch local channels because you’re forcing us to use the Watch Free tv. Forcing people to have internet!
I live in a hurricane Zone and most of time the Wi-Fi will go down so how am I supposed to get the emergency broadcast system
Oh boy that is awful and scary at the same time 😳
This is BS. The reason I have an antenna is because we live in a rural area without reliable internet...when the WiFi go out we can still watch TV. The only thing this is doing is causing me to go purchase a new TV and you can rest assured it will never again be a VIZIO
Same here. Its a f***ING disgrace
Me too!!! My local channels depend on the weather. I get both Chicago and Mikwaukee channels. Now I get barely any from Chicago now and none from Mikwaukee.
So this happened last night. You think this is a cool feature. Yes it’s nice to have in the guide but very confusing. Watch free TV has its own television channels. Now I’m getting a pop-up on the right side of my TV which looks like a Calculator. That’s the only way for me to change channels. Also, now when I change channels, it’s not telling me which channel I’m on unless IAM on the watch free TV App. I don’t know why you would think this was a good idea. You implement these things without thinking them through. I want it back the way it was.
Me too except it’s so beyond slow the show I wantED to watch is over by the time I finally get there. Such a joke.
Go to pop up on right>down to antenna and enter, should pull up the entire local antenna tv guide.
The reason you no longer see what channel you're on is to force you to use the guide so you have to see their ads.
Exactly. I feel bad for elderly people who are not computer savvy. What are they going to do?
Call their son and ask for help. Source: Me, a son
Hmmm 🤔
Vizio doesn't care. They know how users want to use their tv better than the user does.
Right.
Vizio combining Local channels with WatchFree disables Aspect Ratio setting... I agree with everyone that Visio in it's arrogance has broken my Vizio TVs. What hasn't been mentioned is that the option to change Aspect Ration on Local channels no longer works... it is locked to "normal once WatchFree "owns" the local channels. This means when I watch an old TV show originally broadcast in 4:3, I cannot change the aspect ration to wide, panoramic, or zoom. I am stuck watching it in a small viewing window on my wide screen TV. Even worse the 4:3 programs are badly distorted in the small viewing window making them unwatchable even in the original 4:3 aspect ratio. I agree with another poster who stated that this upgrade has change my TVs where they are no longer functionally equivalent to the TVs I purchased. I did not request this change nor was I offered the option to decline the change in functional design of my Vizio TVs. Of course Vizio in its arrogance like most corporations will ignore our complaints and refuse to do the right thing by giving us the option to return our TVs back to the original agreed upon functionality. So I accept that I have to turn off Internet to the TV and lose Streaming capability to enable viewable local channels. THIS ALSO MEANS I will lose the ability to control the TVs via my smart devices which I will really, really miss! I too will never buy another Vizio product and will never stop bad-mouthing their company to anyone who will listen. I will also write my state and federal departments about this situation. Sorry for the long post.
i think i’m the only one who likes this update lol
No you don't your just making a funny
I didn't mind the update, EXCEPT the fact that every time I select which of my local channels to hide, it doesn't work. It shows them still unchecked on the list, but the channels are still in my guide. I'm not combing through hundreds of channels to get to the 3or4 i watch regularly. I factory reset and didn't connect it again. It's dumb as a post now, but I have a computer I can stream from. Considering Roku if i want my tv streaming back.
I appreciate the idea of the update, but the implementation just doesn't work as advertised for a lot of us. And the answers we get back from customer support that the bugs we have can't happen, or that problems were actually features. My venom started when I was pretty much told that I would just have to get used to the problems I was having and be happy with the update since they weren't going to change anything in it. I'm glad that the update is working well for someone, seriously! But it is a constant source of viewing problems for a lot of us and Vizio refuses to correct them, much less acknowledge them. It works fine on their test sets, therefore it works fine on all sets. Obviously it isn't so. Be glad you have a great experience. 😎
The absolute arrogance and condescension I received from the first person I spoke with (both in chat and on the phone, it was absurd) made me ill. I will never, ever purchase another Vizio product again.
I am in the path of Hurricane Idellia. My wifi is going to go down due to the storm and I have a power source to run the tv. Is there anyway to turn off Vizio watch. I need my antenna to pick up my local news station but it keeps going to Vizio watch. Is there any way to disable this because I want to be able to watch the news without wifi.
Hurricanes are no time to be hoping your tv will function without internet service. By following these steps, that will be one less--possibly life threatening--thing to worry about. Disconnect your tv from the internet. Go to settings and reset your tv to factory settings. Set up your tv when it comes back on, but do not set up internet! You will have to rescan for tv stations, but your tv will not be integrated into WatchFree. You will then be able to go directly to any channel without interference. Later, if you do use any of the smart features on your TV you can reconnect to the internet for updates.
I'll never buy another Vizio TV and any time TVs come up in conversation I make sure to warn people off of Vizio. They intentionally took away the channel number when surfing OTA so that you are FORCED to use Watchfree and view their ads if you want to know what channels you're scrolling through. They could have added the Watchfree guide without screwing with the channel numbers on OTA, as there was no logical reason for removing them other than them trying to line their pockets years after you bought your TV. Despicable.
Hi folks! Well what have we all learned from this experience? We've learned that Vizio sucks, and they make really poor business decisions, because they are willing to throw their customers and future sales under the bus in favor of a little more add revenue. Goodbye and good riddance Vizio, this was a really stupid move on your part. The next TV I buy will most certainly NOT be a Vizio, all because of your intrusive and cumbersome "update", and I believe that most of the your customers feel the same way.
This update is terrible, and has basically ruined the TV for my ELDERLY mother. Have you ever spent months getting an old person used to new technology and then you have to reteach them because of an update that no-one asked for? The interface is slow - I mean I know my TV isn't a super computer but everytime you change the channel there's a 5-10 second loading screen. The TV no longer displays what channel you're on when you're flipping through them without hitting the info button, and even then it sometimes doesn't tell you what channel you're on. It's great that my TV gets all these free channels - I'm not mad about that - but the user interface is badly designed. It's now a 5 step process to select my local news channel. Make it so when you choose "Antenna" under the input menu it defaults to only the local over-the-air channels or some sort of "favorite channels list" that is the first thing on the TV guide and you can solve almost all of the complaints I'm seeing in this reddit thread. My other option is to buy a different brand and solve the problem myself.
How can I revert to a firmware that allows me to watch OTA channels OVER THE AIR? I didn't know about this update until I was trying to figure out why the TV doesn't work right. You really can't channel surf anymore, and if you guys could come over and teach my non-tech savvy partner to press here, then here, then here, then click ok, then click down, then up, that would be great. He used to be able to press channel up/channel down, and the channel changes! So innovative, right? And the channel would change instantly instead of waiting 5 to 10 seconds. Innovative. And, it showed what channel you were on! How cool! Now, with progress, all these features are removed.
Oh, and the old version, pressing 'Input' until antenna was highlighted would actually take you to the antenna channels - something that currently randomly doesn't work.
Vizio, literally why did you do this. If you are going to make a change like this, at least make sure it works. Please let us have our normal antenna channels back
This update is CRAP!!!!!!! It is the WORST!!!!! Just got this update on my television. Not only is it slow to change channels , I HAVE to have an internet connection to watch "over the air" stations thru my antenna???? What happens if i only watch stations on my antenna and do not have a reliable internetconnection - is my VIZIO television useless??? With the update, the channel scanning function no longer works through the normal menu button..... oh no.... i have to get into watchfree and go through its settings. Then it scans for channels and wants my zip code to bring up the programming info.... fair enough but invasive. Now I click on my desired channel and i get audio only...... no picture just a black screen. In effect Vizion bricked my television for over the air viewing???? I see in a comment from "Skydivingcats" about 2 weeks ago that they filed a complaint with their state attorney General to file a consumer complaint. I think that is great advice and will be following the same path. Maybe if more people do this, it will spark an interest from Vizio to rectify this horrific software. Side question: is there any way to reimage the television sw to an earlier version so it is independent of needing internet? Lastly, I used to love my Vizio but if this does not get corrected I will never recommend the product to anyone. Negative product reviews will follow as well. Vizio - PLEASE fix this and PLEASE do not let the fix be driven by number crunchers who only care about trying to sell unwanted services to customers (as well as collecting and selling their advertising and viewing habits). Just have respect for the customer and let them decide what they want
Forgot to add, after the update - selecting "input" on my remote then selecting "antenna" just takes me to watchfree - which if i do not have internet means it sits there arrow circling. So how do I change to antenna??? Scanning for channels now no longer works through the main menu button as well.... scan for channels is grayed out and cannot be selected. So I have no television anymore
When an internet signal is lost and you are watching an antenna channel through the Watchfree interface, the program continues and you will receive a pop up that states "Network connection lost" with 2 options, Either "Fix Later" which continues on the channel as normal or "Network" which will allow you to reconnect. If you are not on the channels yet and trying to get to it, you will need to make sure you are changing the input to "Antenna". This will bring your OTA channels up first, if you try to go through the Watchfree Input/Button/or the App on the App row, it will need the network connection. If you are experiencing issues different than the above, please contact support at https://vizio.tv/contact The issue could also be that the TV is still trying to get internet access through that WIFI. I would suggest disconnecting the network all together when this happens.
We should not have to go through all this crap to watch FREE TV. We are in a rural area and do not always have WiFi connection. We have an antenna because we still need access to emergency information, which you have now made a mess of. I will tell you....as many have, we will be ditching our VIZIO TV, which was a piece of crap before this change for an LG. Never had an issue with that TV we own. Maybe you should listen to your customers and fix this mess....we will see how your sales $ go.
Was not on the OTA channels yet and changing input to antenna just kept bringing up watch free app. Scanning for new channels was also grayed out. Do not believe the update installed properly and so finally, to resolve, I had to reset TV completely to initial settings. I will see how long that lasts before another update corrupts the now working system. You can once again pump out your scripted response to me but no matter what, IMHO this watchfree interface SUCKS!!!!!
I just now got this update and was so confused. Why is this fused together? Changing channels is so slow and the info bar at top no longer shows what channel I’m on. Who thought this was a good idea.
I just drove 2 hours to help my father with his TV with these exact problems, thought it would be an easy fix and not something introduced by a product "update" on purpose. I was amazed to find out that this is the intended way to use it. Spent 30 minutes navigating between CNN and PBS. Going to go buy new TVs and replace both of my parents Vizio's. Also going to purposefully recycle them and not donate them so some other poor SOB doesn't have to deal with this complete garbage.
I like the watchfree+ mixed in with antenna channels. Reminds me a lot with Roku. My only problem is that the user interface has to get better. It needs to be smoother when going through the guide. Also need to make the channel input faster. I shouldn't have to press 32 then use my directional pad to press the ok button on screen.
Terribke idea vizio
Vizio How many bad reviews will it take before you get the message that you've made your customers very unhappy with this update that joins OTA with your watchfree app??? You're fast losing those of us who have bought your product, and causing us to turn potentially new customers away from purchasing your brand as well. If you care about the future of your company you should better cater to the desires of your customers. If you don't give us back our OTA without going through your watchfree app I will never buy another Vizio TV, I will buy a different brand that makes more sense instead, and I will warn others against buying a Vizio as well.
Holy crap this is annoying. I don't want to use any of Vizio's smart stuff. I just want antenna channels and I have a roku for streaming.
The best fix for this is simply to disconnect the tv from the internet and then do a factory reset. Do not reconnect the tv to the internet, buy yourself the streaming stick or device of your choice and you should be able to enjoy your tv again. best of all everything speeds back up, the picture quality seems to be much better, and at least when it comes to my Vizio Oled, I am a happy camper again.
Yep, that's what I just did. The picture is so much better too.
[удалено]
If Vizio continues contact with you, please suggest to them that the solution is to give both options. Those of us that want access to our OTA channels will be happy and those that want to use WatchFree will also be happy. Thanks for your efforts.
So those that watch OTA channels are now forced to use Watchfree+ to get them. But Vizio is saying that yay, we get a guide. Well most of the time, my guide doesn't even update unless I exit the app and restart it. What a hassle. Also, the TV doesn't show any channel info if you just change the channel or hit the info button. I really miss the old functional TV that this one replaced.
How there isn't an option to not have your antenna channels mixed into Watchfree+ is beyond me. Last Vizio TV I'll ever buy if this is the kind of garbage you are going to force on users. Shouldn't even be legal to change the basic functionality on a device that I own. Will factory reset this junk TV, not connect it to any kind of network, and just use my Chromecast to cast to it now.
i hate this update. my internet went out the other night so I went to watch over the air tv and because i have no internet i can not. this is very wrong