To set full screen on Vizio TV, press the Menu button or Gear icon on your remote, then navigate to the aspect ratio settings. The correct setting will stretch or zoom the picture to fill your TV's 16:9 widescreen display and remove black bars.
Why your Vizio TV isn't showing a full screen
Black bars on your Vizio TV are usually caused by the aspect ratio of the video you are watching, as content may use a different picture shape than the TV's 16:9 widescreen display. Black bars at the top and bottom, known as letterboxing, occur when watching content filmed in a wider format than your TV screen. Black bars on the left and right sides, called pillarboxing, are common when watching older TV shows, classic movies, retro video games, or content created in a 4:3 aspect ratio. In many cases, black bars are normal and help preserve the original picture without stretching, cropping, or cutting off part of the image. If you specifically want to eliminate bars while streaming, you can make Netflix full screen on smart TV by adjusting its internal zoom settings. For system-wide changes, you can also adjust the picture size on my Vizio smart TV to apply a different zoom or wide mode across all inputs.
How to set full screen on Vizio TV using the aspect ratio menu
To change the picture size or aspect ratio, press the Menu button or Gear icon on your VIZIO remote. Depending on your VIZIO TV model, navigate to System > Aspect Ratio or All Settings > Picture > Aspect Ratio. Available aspect ratio options may vary by model and input source. Select the picture size option you prefer from the following common choices:
- Normal: Shows the content in its original shape; black bars may remain.
- Wide: Stretches some content to fill the wider TV screen. For a 4:3 image, it stretches to fill a 16:9 screen. If the signal is 16:9, black bars are added to the top and bottom.
- Zoom: Enlarges the picture, which may reduce black bars but can cut off the edges of the image. It expands the image horizontally and vertically by 14%. If you need to get a closer look at part of the picture, this is how you would zoom on smart TV.
- Panoramic: Expands the image to fill more of the screen, with availability varying by TV model. It stretches a 4:3 image to fill a 16:9 screen with an algorithm so the center does not look stretched. Panoramic mode is only available for standard definition TV (480i/480p).
- Stretch: Stretches a 16:9 signal that is a 4:3 image with black bars on the left and right to fill the screen. Stretch mode is only available for high definition TV (720p/1080i/1080p).
Adjust the picture size on your connected device
If the Aspect Ratio setting is missing or changing it does not remove black bars, the connected device (e.g., cable box, streaming device, DVD player, game console, computer) may control the picture size. In such cases, try changing the picture size setting on the connected device, looking for options like Aspect Ratio, Picture Size, Screen Format, Display, Wide, Zoom, Format, Screen Fit, or Resolution. This step is essential because the TV cannot override the output signal from the external device.
Adjust other picture settings for a better view
After fixing the screen size, you can further optimize your viewing experience. To adjust picture settings, press the Menu button, navigate to Picture (or All Settings then Picture), and then explore Picture Mode or individual settings like brightness and contrast. Fine-tuning these options ensures the image looks its best once you have eliminated the black bars.
