Vizio now testing SmartCast 3.0 with AirPlay 2, final release coming in the spring
Vizio has launched a sign up for the beta of SmartCast 3.0, its upcoming TV interface -- which also weaves in support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.
Anyone in the U.S. or Canada with a compatible SmartCast TV can sign up via vizio.com/apple, according to an announcement. That should include all D-, E-, M-, and P-Series sets shipped since 2017, and 2018 and 2019 P-Series Quantum models.
The company also announced down the timeframe for the beta release of SmartCast 3.0, promising it will be a free download in the second quarter of 2019 after the beta later in Q1.
Vizio was one of the first TV makers to reveal AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support during this month's Consumer Electronics Show. People will be able to push audio, photos, and video, ask Siri to play specific content, and use Apple's Home app to control power, volume, and inputs. By extension HomeKit will let people integrate their TV into automations, for instance powering it on and dimming the lights for a "movie night" scene.
Samsung was the first to debut compatiblity, surprising the industry with not just that but a native iTunes app. The software lets people access any movie or TV show in their iTunes library without having to use an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. So far it's the only third-party company with such an app, even though LG and Sony are also rolling out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.
Anyone in the U.S. or Canada with a compatible SmartCast TV can sign up via vizio.com/apple, according to an announcement. That should include all D-, E-, M-, and P-Series sets shipped since 2017, and 2018 and 2019 P-Series Quantum models.
The company also announced down the timeframe for the beta release of SmartCast 3.0, promising it will be a free download in the second quarter of 2019 after the beta later in Q1.
Vizio was one of the first TV makers to reveal AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support during this month's Consumer Electronics Show. People will be able to push audio, photos, and video, ask Siri to play specific content, and use Apple's Home app to control power, volume, and inputs. By extension HomeKit will let people integrate their TV into automations, for instance powering it on and dimming the lights for a "movie night" scene.
Samsung was the first to debut compatiblity, surprising the industry with not just that but a native iTunes app. The software lets people access any movie or TV show in their iTunes library without having to use an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. So far it's the only third-party company with such an app, even though LG and Sony are also rolling out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.
Comments
The interface software is basically spyware, because you have to agree to share everything you do on the TV with Vizio. The TV was dog slow when navigating the menu system and It must have updated 10 times (rebooted) before we could even use it, and even then it was still dog slow. The picture was good but the beachball of death in-between navigating the menu was annoying and the blacks looked bad. The OTA HDTV tuner channel guide was crap with no channel overview. Limited apps, not that there was an easy or obvious way to add them. Should I go on?... We returned it after one day.
Buyer beware!
I have to say though, the fact Vizio is planning to offer AirPlay back to 2016 models makes me jealous with my Sony, which doesn’t even seem to be offering any backward compatibility at all. Fortunately I don’t really need it with my AppleTV 4K, but it would be nice.
Vizio: The spy in your TV
The FTC and New Jersey Attorney General collected $2.2 million from Vizio for spying on consumers from their smart TVs and a promise to stop snooping on your viewing habits.https://www.zdnet.com/article/vizio-the-spy-in-your-tv/