How can I set my TV so that it's mute whenever I turn it on?

February 25, 2009 6:52 AM

How can I set my TV so that it's mute whenever I turn it on?

I have a Vizio EcoTV and a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD cable box. I've looked in the settings for both and I can't find anything. There's a "Power-on Channel" but not a Power on Volume. Is there any way to hack this?

posted by scazza to technology (10 answers total)

I've got my TV audio out to a stereo, so I turned the sound on the TV off by simply turning the volume all the way down to zero (doesn't affect audio out to my stereo at all, we adjust that separately if necessary). Not sure if that will help in your case, though...
posted by Grither at 6:54 AM on February 25, 2009

I use a Harmony remote, so I imagine I could do this by muting it (or zeroing the volume) before it turns off the tv. Maybe you've got a remote that can do the same?
posted by backwards guitar at 7:13 AM on February 25, 2009

If you have a cable box, leave it on and set to mute.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 7:23 AM on February 25, 2009

Mute it before you turn it off, and it will be mute when you turn it on.
posted by Dec One at 7:25 AM on February 25, 2009

Sorry, didn't see the brand of cable box you have.
On your 8300HD remote, press the button labeled SETTINGS make sure you press it just once.
You will then see a menu that says "Quick Settings".
Press the down arrow on your remote six times. The TV will now display " CAPTION ON/OFF/ON WITH MUTE" .
Select ON WITH MUTE.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 7:28 AM on February 25, 2009

Most TVs normally turn on at the same volume as before, or at a volume marked NORMAL or similar where you hold down a button to set the volume. So try turning your tv volume right down, and then off. Is it the same volume when on again? If not, do you have a normal button or similar?
posted by devnull at 7:28 AM on February 25, 2009

>Mute it before you turn it off, and it will be mute when you turn it on.

Unless you're speaking of this particular model, I can report that this is not generically true. None of the TVs in my house do this. They turn on unmuted regardless of the mute state when powered off.

I've just developed the habit of hitting power-then-mute on each remote when I turn on the TV.
posted by chazlarson at 9:14 AM on February 25, 2009

I second Devull. Most TVs in my experience 'remember' the volume you had it set to before turning it off. Just turn the volume all the way down...no fancy magics needed.

Other than that you're best bet is probably a remote with macro functions. You can kind of set up a list of commands for the remote to execute with a single button push.
posted by Gainesvillain at 10:07 AM on February 25, 2009

@BerntPancreas: That setting will turn Captions on when you hit mute, and nothing to do with muting when you turn the device on. Most likely, the cable box never turns off.

Best bet would be to get a programmable remote like the Harmony and have it mute your TV after turning it on, or muting the cable box before you turn the TV on.
posted by wongcorgi at 10:56 AM on February 25, 2009

Ok, so I don't have a Harmony remote (though fascinating) or a stereo connected to it so no on that.

Bernt Pancreas, I don't have those settings. I looked and nothing there.

The cable box does come back on mute if I turn it off on mute! So that's one possibility. (But not the TV. It came back on unmuted.) It at least shows that the box can remember such a setting. Maybe I'll make it a habit to set mute and then turn it off.

Thanks all.
posted by scazza at 2:07 PM on February 25, 2009