HDMI port issue with ancient Vizio E470VLE
Hey guys, thanks for any insight.
I got a free E470VLE, which is about the right price for an entry level tv from ten years ago. No remote, but I had an RCA universal remote that works with it. The problem is no signal coming through the HDMI ports. This model has two HDMI ports, and neither are working properly.
If I hook up my old Samsung Blu-ray player to either HDMI port, then turn on the player, the tv fires up too, so some sort of signal is coming across. Sometimes I get a message saying Reading Data, but eventually it comes up with a notice that says Not Support.
The other devices I have with HDMI out, a WD streaming media box and a Samsung DVD player, do not start the tv when I turn them on. The Not Support message shows up when I turn on the tv manually. Sometimes I get a No Signal detected with all devices.
After reading a little online, I tried the trick of holding the power button on for thirty seconds with everything unplugged. No change. I've reset all controls to factory specs.
Anything else I can try? I haven't seen any firmware updates for this model.
All the analog ports work well. With my old Blu-ray player, I can connect with Component and the picture looks good. Composite also works, as does the RGB/DSub connection. Since I sit close to the screen, 47" would be a little too big for me as a computer monitor, especially over analog.
So, is there any conclusion other than the HDMI is borked?
Posted Jul 12, 2020, 10:07 PM UTC · edited
Have you tried different HDMI cables?
Yes, I have three cables and all work on my other tv. None of the cables work with this Vizio.
Good idea though.
I'm wondering if your other devices are set to a higher resolution or something. It's weird that it says Not Supported, since I assume bad ports would just stay black
Highest resolution from the Blu-ray is 1080p, highest from the DVD is 480p and I'm not sure about the streaming device, but I think it is 1080 also. The TV is capable of 1080p resolution.
In the menu of the TV, I'm not allowed to access the Wide control except when I connect it to a computer. So I can't adjust resolution or stretch the picture when getting input from other sources. This makes me believe that the software of the computer is screwed up. Re-flashing the existing firmware might help.
I wonder if there is a way to clear CMOS on a TV main board? (Edit: I found a high quality picture of the main board, which doesn't appear to have a CMOS battery or jumpers or switches marked CMOS, so it probably isn't analogous to computer design.)
I wouldn't clear it, you'd likely be left with no firmware and the TV wouldn't boot up. But yeah, it does sound firmware related. Does it have the option of updating firmware via internet? Otherwise you'd probably have to load it on a USB stick, but I'm not aware of Vizio offering TV firmware for download on their website.
You might also have luck finding a replacement mainboard online.