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I recently moved my 83 yo mom to assisted living. We are having a terrible time getting her TV set up. We bought her a new Vizio smart TV as she was using a small table top TV previously. The AL has Spectrum cable TV. I don't know if the problem is with the TV, Spectrum, or me! Now when turning her TV on it comes up to the home screen with all the smart TV apps. There's no way she can navigate that home screen to get to the cable guide. We thought we had disabled the smart features, but they keep coming back. All we want is for her to turn on the TV and have the cable guide come up. She'll be able to scroll up and down for the channels. Is it because it's a smart TV? How can we get the TV to give her the Spectrum guide only and not all the other apps? I've asked the AL what other residents have done, and I didn't really get much of an answer. Should I contact Vizio or Spectrum? Try to buy a 'dumb' tv? I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

Asked Grok: An AI Bot, great with Tech. (On X)

Because it's a smart TV—Vizio pushes the SmartCast home screen on startup (especially after 2021+ firmware updates), making cable hard for elderly users.
Quick fixes (try in order; no model number limits exactness, but these work on most):
Set default to cable input:
Press Menu (gear) on remote.
Go to System > Input at Power On.
Change from "Automatic" or "SmartCast" to Previous Input (or "Last Used") or select "TV"/"Antenna"/"Cable" directly if listed.
Switch to cable input (press Input, choose "TV" or coaxial label).
Tune to a channel, power off fully, then back on. It should boot to cable guide now.
Scan channels if guide empty:
Menu > TV Channels > Find Channels > Select Cable > Auto scan.
Stop smart features returning:
Disconnect Wi-Fi: Menu > Network > Forget network (prevents updates forcing SmartCast).

Or factory reset: Menu > System > Reset & Admin > Reset TV — during setup, skip Wi-Fi/SmartCast/Google account.
If coaxial direct from wall (no box): Ensure plugged into TV's "Cable"/"Ant" port. Spectrum guide loads via TV tuner.
If Spectrum box used: Connect via HDMI, set default to that HDMI port instead.
Extra help for her:
Use a simple universal remote (~$10-20) with just power/volume/channel buttons.
Tape over confusing remote buttons.
Contacts:
Call Vizio (1-855-833-3221) with model # (on back) for exact steps.
Spectrum if no channels after scan.

Dumb TV swap? Only if above fails—many 2020+ Vizios resist fully. Try fixes first; a basic non-smart 32" (Insignia/TCL, ~$150) with tuner is easy fallback.
Helpful Answer (8)
Reply to QuiltedBear
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kans1220 Jan 21, 2026
Thank you for your post! I'm going to print it out and then try it. It all looks Greek to me now, but I'll give it a whirl. I appreciate your time. Thank you.
(3)
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Yes, it has to be on Cable. There should be an input button on the cable remote. You don't use the smart TV remote. The input button allows you to toggle to Cable or the Smart screen. For me, once I am on Cable, when I turn it on, the last channel that I watched comes up. I have to click the "Guide" button to see whats on the other channels and click on the channel I want.

If what I and Quilted bear posted does not help, you may need pay for a tech to set you up.

Oh for the days you just turned on the TV and just got NBC, CBS, ABC and the VHF stations.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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kans1220 Jan 21, 2026
I will have to try the suggestions. If we could get the tv to stay on cable I think we'll be okay. Thanks for posting.
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kans1220, I can understand your frustrations. We also have a smart TV and we need two remotes, one to turn on the TV and click down to Live TV. Then use the other remote to work our way through the guide and stations.


Oh how I wish the older TV's that were "plug and play". Nothing is simple any more. When my Dad was living in senior living, they had one guy who's only job was to set up and fix the TV sets (the residents all brought in their own TVs). There were constant calls of TV's going hay-wire due to pushing by accident the wrong button on the remote.
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Reply to freqflyer
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kans1220 Jan 21, 2026
I bet that guy was busy solving tv issues. All the channels these days, and still really nothing on to watch!
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Maybe this will work.

I have two remotes. One is for the TV (in my case, an LG). When I turn on the TV with the LG remote, I get exactly what you described, the home screen and all the apps.

BUT if I turn on the TV with the XFinity remote, it goes straight to HDMI 1, which is my cable input. Honestly, I never touch the LG remote, simply don't need it.
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Reply to graygrammie
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I don't have any suggestions, only empathy and sympathy. We had lots of problems with the TV when we moved our mom to an assisted-living facility.
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Reply to Rosered6
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Spectrum typically has quite good customer service. I would try them and see if they can help you or someone set up your mother's tv so it is easy for her to use.
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Reply to RedVanAnnie
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I would contact the local high school. Ask for the tech program counselor for a recommendation of a student to come help with your situation. A donation to the student will benefit both of you.
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Reply to AnnetteDe
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I recently solved a tech question as to why my printer wasn’t responding to my iPad’s “print” command. I used ChatGPT and it walked me through just a few steps to get it up and printing again!
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Reply to Kartyjb
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I just got a new Smart TV by LG, which starts up with all these LG Apps and stuff I do not want! They basically force you to "sign up" with an LG account? I was ready to tell them to come get their TV back!

The DISH Tech removed a bunch of Apps, and have the TV default to my DISH TV Guide. I still have to be quick on the remotes! You have to go into the TV's settings to remove all the unwanted stuff. It's like getting a new cell phone with "Bloatware." I had to delete about 20 items before even using my phone!
It's very frustrating and annoying how these vendors basically force APPS on you, when you just want to watch TV.
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Reply to Dawn88
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As Annette suggested, a high school student could help...or any tech savvy younger person. Maybe a young employee at the AL could help...or a younger visitor of a fellow resident...or even a grandchild. My town's senior center has a high school student (I believe for volunteer community service hours...and probably looks good on a college application too) help seniors with their devices (don't know if they make house calls though!). Good Luck!
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