VIZIO Unveils SmartCast™ 4.0 and the All-New VIZIO Voice Remote
"As the opportunities for a connected home grow rapidly, we've doubled down on our commitment to making VIZIO SmartCast TVs the center of the smart home," said Bill Baxter, Chief Technology Officer, VIZIO. "With our expanded U.S.-based engineering teams and collaboration with industry leaders, including Apple, Google, and Amazon, we've developed best-in-class streaming capabilities and IoT integrations."
Evolved Voice Control
VIZIO is introducing its first ever Voice Remote, delivering the latest in voice capabilities. The push-to-talk functionality allows users to click and speak directly into the remote to control their TV. A dedicated voice button also means users won't experience false wakeups that unnecessarily activate a microphone. Not only can users launch apps and switch picture modes using the push-to-talk Voice Remote, but they can also more quickly search for content by posing complex queries with multiple search terms in a single request. Beyond TV control & content discovery, the Voice Remote will also include smart features that allow users to search Wikipedia, check the weather, and more. This is just another way VIZIO is offering users more control over their entertainment experience in 2020.
The VIZIO Voice Remote expands on VIZIO's already-robust voice capabilities. VIZIO SmartCast TVs are already compatible with Siri, the Google Assistant, and Alexa-enabled devices. With upcoming SmartCast Mobile updates, users can also more easily set up and pair the Google Assistant and Alexa-enabled devices to their VIZIO SmartCast TV. VIZIO's continued support for voice assistants, paired with the all-new push-to-talk Voice Remote, demonstrates VIZIO's commitment to providing users control over their entertainment experience.
Faster, More Personalized Experiences
The 2020 SmartCast platform is now faster than ever with quicker startup and load times, easier input switching, and more remote-control responsiveness. A redesigned search experience and expanded catalog of features also helps users discover more of the TV shows and movies they love.
The SmartCast 4.0 update will also bring a new level of personalization to VIZIO SmartCast TVs by curating content based on the user's interests. This personalized experience is just another way VIZIO is making it easier for users to find the entertainment they love.
Thanks to VIZIO's ability to provide software updates over-the-air and across product lines, millions of VIZIO SmartCast TV owners with models dating back to 2016 will benefit from the performance and personalization updates2, further evidence that users can rest assured their smart TV will continue to add features and improvements after purchase.
Industry-Leading Value for Consumers
Not only are VIZIO SmartCast TVs faster and more personalized, but they also come with the latest streaming technology. Users can continue to launch the most popular apps from SmartCast Home, or stream their favorite movies, TV shows, music, and photos from their phone thanks to Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in.
In addition to these rich integrations, VIZIO provides even more value through its free-to-use streaming service, WatchFree™. With WatchFree, consumers have access to more than 150 channels, powered by Pluto TV, featuring news, sports, movies, TV shows, music and more. In 2020, users will be able to select favorite channels and genres in WatchFree for easier access to their entertainment. Users will also be able to utilize the Google Assistant to launch shows or channels in WatchFree using just their voice. These updates are all designed around getting users to the content they love faster.
With SmartCast 4.0, VIZIO is delivering the latest in streaming technology. The advanced smart home features, paired with award-winning picture quality and affordable pricing, provide users with unmatched value in 2020.
Availability
VIZIO SmartCast 4.0 will begin to roll out to SmartCast TVs in 2020. For more information about SmartCast, visit www.vizio.com/smartcast.
For more information visit, VIZIO.com/CESTV.
SOURCE VIZIO
