If the robotic droning narration of your Vizio television has been driving you up a wall, you have found the right article.
Audio alternatives to visual mediums have been popular for quite some time and can benefit those with eyesight issues. Contrarily, if you’ve accidentally toggled Vizio’s voice guidance without realizing it, the feature can be more of a pain in the neck than anything else.
Thankfully this is an optional feature and you are not condemned to a life of emotionless narrated descriptions of your favorite streaming titles. Contrary to what your initial assumptions may lead you to believe, the remedy to this talk-back option is incredibly simple and headache free.
Whether you want a quick and efficient solution to this distracting issue or simply want to know why the feature exists – this article has you comfortably covered!
Turning Off Talk Back Narration
The slow reciting of text can be jarring for anyone and very quickly become insufferable.
While additional options like Talk Back are excellent for those who require it – it is more of a nuisance to everyone else.
To rid yourself of the narration feature of your Vizio television, all it takes is a quick stop into your settings.
- Hit the Menu option on your remote control.
- With the arrows on the remote, Navigate to the System tab and press Enter.
- Similarly, go to Accessibility and select Enter.
- There will be a list of all the different accessibilities on your television, look for Talk Back.
- Toggle talk back off and select Exit to confirm your updated settings.
If you ever find Talkback speaking up again you can simply follow these easy steps to keep this feature on mute indefinitely.
If you have done the previous steps and are still hearing the Talk Back feature then you will need to reset your Vizio television back to its factory setting. This comes with the downside that you will lose your personalized settings after the process has finished.
- Hit the Menu button and navigate to the System tab.
- Select Enter on the Reset & Admin tab.
- Select Enter on Reset TV to Factory Settings.
- The television will require a few seconds to restart.
- Test the television to see if vocal guidance is still active.
Should you desire to flip the feature back on, you can follow these steps to do so. If you want to fine-tune the feature or learn more about it, we will go into customizable options and their uses further down.
If your television is still experiencing narration after you have completed the previous steps, it may be time to reach out to Vizio.
If your television can’t be fixed then you can speak about getting it replaced or serviced by a Vizio professional. This is admittedly pretty unlikely, however, as the Talkback feature is very easy to switch on and off for most Vizio products.
Customizing Talk Back Narration (Accessibility Options)
If your frustrations stem from the fact that your talk back recites words at a rate that is too slow or the words are simply too small for you to read from your couch, you are in luck! Not only has Vizio had the foresight to offer options for those with visual and hearing impairments, but they’ve also allowed a good amount of customization should the consumer choose to use it.
Talk Back
The one thing you will be hearing ad nauseam throughout this article is the ‘Talk Back’ feature, which relays the text descriptions and titles of shows and movies over audio. This feature can prove invaluable to those who struggle to read the fine print on their televisions.
Even for those with the eyes of a falcon sometimes the text size on your television is simply too small to reliably read. For those who want a narrated alternative to digesting brief summaries of their favorite shows, Talk Back is incredibly helpful. With the options below you can adjust this to speak quicker, show bigger text and even talk slower if the robot on your screen is reading at an advanced level.
Speech Rate
If you find that the rate at which your text is being recited back to you is not to your specifications, you can adjust the speed here. This is exclusively for Talk Back and does not translate to other parts of your television. You have three speech settings that range from slow, normal, and fast.
If you enjoy the talk-back feature but want it slowed or sped up a bit, this is an excellent way to adjust the feature to your liking.
Zoom Mode
If you feel like the text size on your television was made for people with telescopic retinas, zoom mode is an excellent option for you. Many televisions of all sizes utilize a very clean, user interface which typically utilizes smaller, thinner text.
If you want to bump up the size of the text on your television, you can do so by selecting Zoom Mode on your Vizio device. This feature does not work with streaming options like Netflix or Hulu and will only work with the television interface. Certain Vizio products can access this feature by simply selecting the Wide tab on their Vizio remote.
Closed Captions/Subtitles
While this feature is more than likely going to offer its own menu altogether, it is still one of the most widely recognized accessibility features televisions offer. As most likely know, closed captions are subtitles that play in tempo with the audio of a show. Typically the closed captions of a show are sent coded into the video which is translated to the screen through a decoder in your cable or satellite box.
This process of writing subtitles is typically done through automation because of the time-consuming nature of transcribing audio. This is not always the case however as several live productions have a stenographer that transcribes in real-time with a few-second delay. If you fail to find this feature in your accessibility options, chances are it is in your main menu options.
Why Does My Vizio Have Talk Back?
For those experiencing Talk Back for the first time, it can likely be confusing trying to understand why it was implemented into so many Vizio models in the first place. Originally a feature that was implemented on Android devices in 2009, Talk Back has since spread across all different forms of technology.
Vizio began implementing the technology into their televisions in 2017 as a way to offer alternatives to those with sensory impairments. To limit its usefulness to those who struggle to decipher the text does not offer the full story of this optional addition to your screen time.
Talkback was designed to give technology an option that allows your eyes to be focused elsewhere should other things need your immediate attention. While it was primarily used as a text-to-speech option on Android products, it more often works as a tool for those struggling to discern the text on their screen.
Depending on what channels you use, you may be able to get Talk Back to work with the closed captions or subtitles of a show. As stated previously, Talk Back narration does not work with streaming services and some select channels. Because of this, your experience with Talk Back may be limited to a very specific group of channels.
If you have accidentally activated Talk back and aren’t sure why, the culprit is more than likely your remote. Certain remotes offer access to ease-of-use features like Talk Back or Closed Captions without you even realizing it. If you have activated something like Talk Back it may be worth going through the different options on your remote to see how.
Understanding Vizio’s Voice Guidance (Talk Back) Technology
Voice Guidance, often referred to as Talk Back, is an innovative feature that was incorporated by Vizio into their smart televisions as a part of their commitment towards universal access to technology. It is primarily a text-to-speech output feature that provides spoken feedback, enhancing the TV viewing experience for individuals with visual impairments.
Talk Back narrates the on-screen menus and provides voice responses to certain remote control commands, enabling users to navigate through the settings and options even without looking at the screen. However, it’s not just for those with visual impairments. This feature can be useful in many other situations. For instance, if you’re multitasking and need audio prompts while navigating the menu, the voice guidance can assist you.
That being said, unintentional activation or unfamiliarity with the Talk Back feature can lead to frustration. It’s important to understand how the feature works and how to effectively control it to cater to your needs and preferences. Knowing how to deactivate it when not needed is also crucial.
Conclusion
Toggling talkback by accident is a tricky thing to remedy when you don’t know what to look for. Should you find your television offering other unwanted add-ons – check your settings and see if anything unusual is turned on.
Many people like to spend their evenings unwinding in front of their nearest big screen, so distractions and interruptions can get pretty annoying. With a quick visit to your accessibility settings, you never have to worry about Talk Back being one of them.
FAQs
How does Vizio’s Talk Back feature affect the television’s performance?
Talk Back does not significantly affect the overall performance of the television. It is designed to work seamlessly, only providing audio narration when navigating through the TV’s interface and settings. However, some users may find the narration distracting if they accidentally turn the feature on.
Can Talk Back be activated or deactivated using voice commands on Vizio TVs?
At the time of publish, Vizio TVs do not support activation or deactivation of Talk Back via voice commands. The feature can only be toggled on or off through the system settings as outlined in the article.
Is the Talk Back feature available on all models of Vizio TVs?
While Vizio has made strides in incorporating accessibility features like Talk Back into its televisions, it may not be available on all models, particularly older ones. It’s best to consult your TV’s user manual or contact Vizio’s customer support to confirm.