I now have the solution to the problem in my question, if not the actual “why” part. See the same-day response I received from Vizio support. I admit I would never have related this problem to the network! I had recently removed the ethernet line from the TV and switched it to wireless. All I did was disconnect from the network altogether and then reconnect to the wireless.
From Vizio support:
If your TV is connected to the internet you may, over time, experience the TV locking up and both the remote and side buttons becoming unresponsive. One possible reason for this is the in home network or another device setup for sharing is trying to access the TV's files and it doesn't know how to respond therefore it locks up.
This would only apply, if the TV is connected to the internet in your home. If it is, please try the following steps:
Troubleshooting Steps:
Disconnect from the internet. There are a few ways to do this.
- Try connecting to a different network with the wrong password. When it fails, you'll no longer be connected.
- Unplug the ethernet cable.
- Factory Reset the TV.
If the TV is working correctly when not connected to a network, there may have been a device that was connected to the network with Network Sharing that was attempting to view the files in the TV memory. This can cause the TV to freeze.
- You can contact your router manufacturer for help turning off network sharing.
- Once the network sharing has been turned off reconnect the TV to the network.
If these steps not not resolve the issue, or you don't have the TV connected to the internet. We do not have the schematics to properly determine the issue. We would suggest contacting a technician to inspect the TV to diagnose the issue and what parts would be needed.
Parts may be available through our partner company VizParts and Encompass Parts.
VizParts - 888-260-7765 - www.vizparts.com.
Encompass Parts - 800-432-8542 - www.encompassparts.com.
In order to ensure you order the correct part, we recommend that you call to order, as after market part numbers may be used on these sites.
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