Vizio Launches SmartCast on Tablet Remote Included With P-Series TVs

Vizio announced SmartCast, a smart entertainment ecosystem covering displays, soundbars and stand-alone speakers. The P-Series TVs are the first Ultra HD and HDR TVs to fully integrate Google Cast technology, said Vizio Tuesday, and are controlled by the Vizio SmartCast app that comes preinstalled on the included 6-inch Android tablet remote. Prices start at $999 for the 50-inch model, it said. The SmartCast app turns mobile device screens into a remote control, allowing users to search and browse content by genre across multiple apps at once and then select the app or source to play the content, Vizio said. The app also simplifies on-screen navigation by allowing users to see and adjust settings, navigate apps from across the room and gain access to all menus and playback controls via the app, said the company. The SmartCast app will solve the problem of lost remote controls for consumers, it said. Through Google Cast, consumers can access thousands of mobile apps, and by tapping the Cast button they can watch content jump from their mobile screen to a Vizio SmartCast or Cast-enabled device on the home network, it said.