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Cheaper Vizio 4K TVs With Built-in Google Cast Are Here (mashable.com) 81

Posted by msmash from the Xiaomi-range-prices dept.
An anonymous reader cites a Mashable report: Cutting-edge technology always comes at a premium for early adopters, but it never stays premium for long. After launching its new P-Series 4K TVs with built-in Google Cast last month, Vizio is bringing the feature to its lower-priced TVs. The 2016 M-Series 4K TVs start at $849.99 for a 50-inch and rocket up to $3,999.99 for an 80-inch. They support high dynamic range (HDR) with Dolby Vision. The E-Series 4K TVs are much cheaper. They start at $469.99 for a 43-inch and go up to $1,699.99 for a 70-inch. Vizio's also selling non-4K full HD E-series TVs with SmartCast starting at $229.99 for a 32-inch and going up to $369.99 for a 43-inch.
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Cheaper Vizio 4K TVs With Built-in Google Cast Are Here More

Cheaper Vizio 4K TVs With Built-in Google Cast Are Here

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  • I'll think about it (Score:4, Insightful)

    by PinkyGigglebrain ( 730753 ) on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @05:53PM (#51943345)

    When they come out with a 4K display that is JUST a 4K display, not some super integrated multi-media hub with shit loads of built in software that will invade my privacy, a remote that has more buttons than NASA's mission control and almost requiring a network connection to just turn on.

    I want a 4K display that has ONE input, that I will then connect to whatever multimedia system I choose.

    When that happens I will get a new display, for now I'll stick with my plain HD TV till it burns out and I can't repair is anymore.

    (Yeah, I know that is never going to happen but I can still dream.)

    • You can just not connect it to the network, and not use the apps. Personally, I prefer the apps on my TV to the ones on the Roku box I used to use, but that's certainly a matter of preference.

      • Not connecting it is an option, for now. My friend has a "smart" TV and loves all the built in apps. Though he is starting to get freaked out by the privacy issues that he's heard about.

        I actually have more of a multimedia setup than he does with 3 game consoles, 2 computers, and a dedicated HTPC connected to my display. I only use one HDMI input on the TV/display, all the input switching and needed display functions (set has RS232 port for on/off/etc. control) are handled by an external HDMI switch and

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by batkiwi ( 137781 )

          So you want a monitor, not a TV?

          • OK, yeah, technically, I want a monitor.

            Not much of a difference anymore. "Smart TVs" are just monitors with built in computers running one OS or another and a bunch of pre-installed run-on-start-up applications with the option of switching to an external input. Just like a dual input monitor.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by ooshna ( 1654125 )

              Umm there is a big difference between a monitor and TV. Monitors almost always have at least a displayport or DVI port as well as HDMI, better DPI, faster response time, and they always have the worst speakers available (think speakers from the reject box from the speak-n-spell factory)

              • they always have the worst speakers available (think speakers from the reject box from the speak-n-spell factory)

                Manufacturers can thus charge a premium for a "gaming" monitor.

                Remember that desktops are purchased for cubicle drones who, if they are listening to stuff during work hours, should plug in a headset so as not to alert their boss/disturb co-workers.

                • Re: (Score:2)

                  by ooshna ( 1654125 )

                  "gaming" monitors have nothing to do with speakers. Its all about that sweet sweet refresh rate.

              • Monitors rarely have a composite or component input. They also rarely have more than one HDMI input. If you play older console games or have both cable/satellite and a media box or a BluRay player, you're already SOL unless you buy a switchbox or have a media receiver.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

              Not much of a difference anymore. "Smart TVs" are just monitors with built in computers running one OS or another and a bunch of pre-installed run-on-start-up applications with the option of switching to an external input. Just like a dual input monitor.

              Actually, even general TVs always had a OS on them. Even the dumbest of the dumb displays often had firmware updates even without "smart" features (usually labelled as "service" USB port). The only reason we have a proliferation of smart TVs is because the

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by slaker ( 53818 )

        I gave my TV an IP only because it supports Miracast. I can use that feature without agreeing to the TOS for the other Smart features. I've never agreed to LG's terms and conditions and in fact I've never used it for anything but a huge computer monitor and/or Miracast destination. If it wants to report to LG that there's some DLNA servers and a bunch of mobile devices, set top boxes and PCs so be it, 'cause it's not going to have the credentials to access anything important.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward

          Then you block the TV's MAC address on your router from receiving or sending packets to the internet.

      • Re:I'll think about it (Score:4)

        by IMightB ( 533307 ) on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @07:08PM (#51943823) Journal

        Don't worry, based on my experience, the tv based apps will be unsupported in 12-24 months and you'll go back to the roku. ie many of the apps on my smart tv do not work anymore.

        • Agreed, bought a super shiny Sony TV to go with the super shiny psx and we used to watch youtube vids on it. A couple months later that stopped working and now we are back to using the Rpi for youtube. No updates available, it just stopped working (for whatever reason). Eventually I gave it away and bought a super shiny monitor so that I don't have to pay for a TV license (where I live you have to pay for a TV license if you own a TV, even if you don't watch any of the drivel on public broadcast)

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by rfengr ( 910026 )
      I'd need one with 3 HDMI inputs; sons XBox, Apple TV, FireTV running XMBC.

      • I can relate. As seen in my reply to another post on this thread.

        https://entertainment.slashdot... [slashdot.org]

        XBMC for the win :)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by adolf ( 21054 )

        I can only imagine needing 1 HDMI and 1 component input, because I cannot imagine ever listening to the sound that flat-panel TVs produce and the best solution for that is an AV receiver.

        The HDMI input is obvious. The component input is to handle everything analog, in particular video game systems that predate HDMI, because the conversion from analog component to digital HDMI (which most AVRs can do) can add noticeable latency, while most analog-analog conversions can be handled by an AVR in the analog dom

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by dbraden ( 214956 )

          I would agree with you about the audio based on other people's flat-panels, but I must admit I've been very happy with mine. It's a 6 year old 50" Panasonic Viera P50G20 (and, yes, it's a plasma!:), and its audio actually sounds really really good. Sure, it doesn't produce bass that you can feel in your bones, but that's what the surround sound receiver is for, though I rarely use it.

          I dread the day I need to replace it because of the good audio and the picture is still amazing (it's in a basement, so it

          • P50G25 owner here. Don't be surprised if it dies soon. My unit just popped its 2nd SC board and is sitting on the floor awaiting repair. Disassembly isn't too hard, but the board repair involves a ton of soldering (31 parts, some surface mount), so I sent it out to a re-builder (replacement boards are hard to come by).

            LCDs still aren't on par with plasma viewing angles and black levels. OLED should hopefully be better.

        • I can only imagine needing 1 HDMI and 1 component input, because I cannot imagine ever listening to the sound that flat-panel TVs produce and the best solution for that is an AV receiver.

          My receiver doesn't have HDMI inputs, you insensitive clod! But my TV does have a digital audio output and it passes audio through to my receiver... and it has multiple HDMI inputs.

          • That's what I've done. The answer is to replace my cheap old LG home-theater-in-a-box system with a real receiver, but MONEY.

            I used to have a nice Technics, but that was pre-HDMI and when I went HD the receivers were prohibitively expensive for me.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by phorm ( 591458 )

      Actually, casting is probably one of the uses I *would* like to see in a smart TV. Screw a bunch of built-in apps that are poorly maintained and don't support future functionality, whatever is on your device should work.

      Still, this seems more like ChromeCast, which is usually a type of buffered casting. I'd like to see something that is more like Mirroring etc, and better support for non-mobile devices. Being able to cast my laptop to the TV/etc as a second display wirelessly would be great (code on one, re

      • It already exists, it's called Miracast. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

        Having used both Miracast and Google Cast, I can tell you that Google Cast is much better for 99% of the use cases. It doesn't drain your phone battery, is much less buggy and continue to works even if your phone is out of range / powered off. Also with cast instead of mirroring, you can use the TV remote to play/pause which is a lot more intuitive. It's often the best of both worlds: use the cellphone/pc/tablet to search and start th

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by phorm ( 591458 )

          Sorry, what I meant to say is that I wish more TVs etc supported Miracast (and as mentioned, it would mainly be for non-phone purposes).

          Google Cast is good but limited to supported apps. No reason they can't support both though.

          • win10 (and 8?) has built-in support for Miracast, even on non-phone.

            • Re: (Score:1)

              by phorm ( 591458 )

              According to Google, there's also "MiracleCast" in the Linux realm which should work, but one still needs a supported TV (or a dongle, I suppose, but built-in would be nice).

    • 55 inch 4k and a 4k roku cost me less than these at xmas. I've yet to figure out why I want any smarts in the TV. A TV should last 15+ years my 4k replaced a massive 1080 flat tube from 2000 ish who frankly the only issue was the lack of HDCP on it's DVI input. The roku is mostly because 4k hardware decoding it's a bit in it's infancy x265 is coming out so I figure a rpi or similar will be able to hang in a year or two to run plex.

      • Just stick a Chromecast in and you are good to go. I just don't like using a phone or tablet as a remote. I prefer buttons I can feel and don't have to look at. That's the downside of Chromecast, which is otherwise pretty cool. I do sometimes find that queuing up youtube music videos via a phone is a nice way to explore, as you can choose another while one is still playing.

        • Um do chromecast support 4k yet? 2nd gen came out last fall with no support for 4k. You can soft decode x265 on a rpi at 1080p 4k not so much.

          Tablets and phones are fine casting from a PC can get interesting with chrome extensions etc. You can use CEC for remote functionality it tends to be a bit clunky.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wbr1 ( 2538558 )
      Google for commercial displays. Many are smart but there are also many with just display and inputs.

    • Generally speaking, you don't need to wait for a TV with minimal features. It's not like a TV without those extras would likely reduce the cost much anyhow. Just buy the TV with the display you want, and ignore everything else (and don't give it your wi-fi passcode). Third-party media set-top devices appear to be more popular than ever, so it seems unlikely that you'll be forced to using any of those "smarts" anytime soon.

      I'm quite pleased with my current Visio (a normal HD model), and will certainly con

    • I want a 4K display that has ONE input, that I will then connect to whatever multimedia system I choose

      Why one? Unless you don't have any consoles and are willing to drop all legacy support, they almost can't give me enough inputs.

      But I agree the built in stuff is trash that can't be trusted.

      • Only need one input because i only use one, external HDMI switch handles the 6 signal sources. But yeah, for most people they are going to need more than one input, unless they have something like my setup. https://entertainment.slashdot... [slashdot.org]

        • Why do you want an external HDMI switch, rather than have that built into the TV? (Yes, I realize most TVs don't have 6 HDMI in..) Though I admit I use an old hard drive/DVD recorder as a 'switcher' for some analog sources mostly (and watch DVDs through it as it has the best play-faster-with-sound of anything I have.. good for commentary/documentares, etc).

          Though I admit I wish more devices would do daisy-chaining like Xbox One tried (and AFAIK has mostly failed at, but I've personally never used it), and

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by cdrudge ( 68377 )

            Why do you want an external HDMI switch, rather than have that built into the TV?

            Because my TV is mounted on a wall while all my AV equipment is not. I want 2 cables running to my TV: a HDMI cable and a power cable. My receiver serves as the HDMI switch since all my audio has to go through it anyways.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      As a public service, if you have it on the net, email VIZIO to remove your product ID from (part of) their data collection.
      privacy@vizio.com

      Also, this:
      Thank you for your recent inquiry with VIZIO. I would be more than happy to help you. Here at VIZIO we do offer best in class support.
      Your request to remove your personal information is being processed. Please follow these steps to turn off the Smart Interactivity feature within your TV:
      For VIA TVs:
      1. Press the MENU button on your TV''s remote.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Holi ( 250190 )
      This one is basically a small android computer with a big display, they even dropped the tuner.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by guruevi ( 827432 )

      I want a 4K display that accepts DVI/DisplayPort and actually does 60 or 120Hz. I haven't seen any of these displays do anything beyond 30fps (measured, not reported back to the computer).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Lumpy ( 12016 )

      Already exists. I install them all the time.

      it's called a commercial set. but you will refuse to buy one.

      Because the 80" is $11,500. and actually comes with NO inputs. you have to buy an input card for each input. we order them with a single DVI as that is far better than HDMI for places like courtrooms.

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Dahamma ( 304068 )

      When they come out with a 4K display that is JUST a 4K display, not some super integrated multi-media hub with shit loads of built in software that will invade my privacy, a remote that has more buttons than NASA's mission control and almost requiring a network connection to just turn on.

      How is this post Insightful? Poster clearly didn't even RTFA, since his complaint is basically the whole point of this TV! The TV has almost no software on it other than Google Cast (think of it as a dumb TV + a Chromecast embedded in it).

      Most of the software is on the (Android) remote control - or you can use any Android device with the Vizio software installed.

      That said, IMO Google Cast is a horrible way for most people to interact with their televisions. They will gain a few millennial customers, but

  • Only if it's airgapped (Score:5, Informative)

    by Just Some Guy ( 3352 ) <kirk+slashdot@strauser.com> on Tuesday April 19, 2016 @06:10PM (#51943441) Homepage Journal
    Vizio smart TVs sell your viewing habits to advertisers [ieee.org]. The day I learned that is the day I yanked my Vizio's ethernet cable, hardcoded it's Wi-Fi network address to 169.254.something, and added its MAC addr to my router's banlist. There's no way in hell I'd ever, ever connect a Vizio TV to my home network, because the corporation has a demonstrated and recent history of treating its paid customers like trash.

    • Re: Only if it's airgapped (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I don't get it. I'm supposed to be upset that Vizio or Yahoo know that I watch Daredevil, Arrow, and Jessica Jones? Allowing them access to such benign information is worth it to have one button access to Netfliix, Amazon, and others.

    • yanked my Vizio's ethernet cable...

      You could have stopped right there.

      ... hardcoded it's Wi-Fi network address to 169.254.something, and added its MAC addr to my router's banlist.

      • You could have stopped right there.

        I'd configured it for Wi-Fi before I learned that it was malware, and there's not a way to unconfigure it.

        • Sure there is. Delete the wifi password, and turn off the network connection.

          Or do a reset.

          • You can't delete its password or turn off the network. It's always on, and the best you can do is reassociate it. Rather than all that, I just gave it an unrouteable network.

            • I double checked our Vizio E400i-B2 and you're right, you can't turn off the network. Though I wonder if it will turn off wireless if you plug in a network cable. The only solutions I could see were using an invalid/unroutable address and/or invalid password and/or playing around with MAC filtering or other router features..or going with a full factory reset.

              For my sake, switching the thing to DHCP would also work since our setup uses static addresses and DHCP is not enabled on the router.

              • I've toyed with temporarily configuring my router with a weirdly named guest network, associating my TV to that, then removing the guest network so that it's trying to associate to something that no longer exists. I should probably get around to trying that.

    • Wait till they cut a deal with the cable company's so it registers to their wifi roaming to phone home. Not that hard to have them look for CableWIFI or similar.

    • 169.254.x.x is not a private network IP space. You're using someone else's allocated IP space, and leave yourself theoretically vulnerable to network failures by using it.

        • Well, I learn something new every day. But 169.254.x.x is still not private network IP space.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

            Again, what are you talking about? [wikipedia.org]

            Link local addresses are a specialized type of private network address space. In contrast to ranges specifically called out for private networks, the addresses are both non-global and non-fowardable. You are not supposed to manually configure an interface with a link local address because that configuration may not respect certain rules regarding duplicate detection and automatic configuration, but if you want to guarantee that the traffic will not be forwarded it's a hac

            • I'm talking about this [wikipedia.org]

              169.254.x.x are not defined as private network IPs (RFC1918), and it operates on different rules than a private network IP. You cannot directly route out packets from a private network IP to a legitimate internet IP and vice versa, period.

              I'm not sure why link-local addresses (169.254.x.x) needed to come about, but its appears network engineers wanted a fallback towards IP assignment if the DHCP server failed. Even though 169.254.x.x is not supposed to be directly routable to the int

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by DRJlaw ( 946416 )

                Even though 169.254.x.x is not supposed to be directly routable to the internet, it appears that it can be routed anywhere within a domain of internet-valid IPs, which could make it vulnerable to an unintended routing configuration error. ...

                If I wished to "guarantee" there would not be a way to hack a direct connection from the internet to a machine in a private network, I would be using RFC1918 defined IPs, not link-local addresses.

                Link local addresses cannot be routed. RFC6890 [ietf.org] specifically states this.

  • I could almost see a 43" 4k computer monitor on my desk. It would be physically big enough to use without display scaling.

    • Many people do this. The key is to get a TV/monitor of high enough quality to support a 4:4:4 chroma values (big difference in text clarity), HDMI 2.0+ ports (or displayport), can support 60hz at 2160p, and the response time/input lag has to be quick enough to not spoil lower end gaming. Unfortunately, they're still too expensive, and there are still too many gotchas.

    • Not sure if these specific TVs have DisplayPort, but some do. You could also get a video card that supports HDMI out at 4k. Or a DisplayPort to HDMI active adapter (though that might add some lag).

    • I do this and something I've changed my mind about is monitors with a curve. I thought the curve was a gimmick, but after using a 43" 4k samsung for a few months, I'm wishing I would have spent the extra $ on the curve. Even at 43" (I sit about 3' away), stuff in the corners is noticeable "far away" from stuff in the middle of the monitor.

      Refresh rates on the monitors and video cards that support them are the other part of the equation. No use plugging the monitor into a video card that can't support a d

  • What make these Vizio TV any different from the many Android TV devices that have had Google Cast for a while now?

    My Sony 65x810C has had Google Cast since I bought it for $1200 at Black Friday. Same price range as the Vizio e-series.

  • ... is to disable all of its smarts. If you value your privacy, don't let it connect to the internet!

    I'll take a regular 4K monitor without any bells and whistles thank you very much. And if it has a microphone or camera built into it that will be the first thing I stick my soldering iron into before I begin using it for real. Gouge out its eyes and ears, and we're good.

    -Matt

    • All the candidates stink and there's no way you can agree with everything they say. Just get over it and move on with your damn lives.

      You people do realize that you can't have cable service either, since the settop boxes are all capable of snooping.

      • Which is why I run the cable box into a dedicated ethernet port on the server and run a point-to-point VPN to a colo. Comcast aint gonna be snooping much :-) Nor will Verizon, since I drill an openvpn link to the colo from my phone as well.

        -Matt

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Dahamma ( 304068 )

          That makes no sense. If you are watching cable or streaming video, the provider knows what you are watching, VPNs won't change that.

          • That makes no sense. If you are watching cable or streaming video, the provider knows what you are watching, VPNs won't change that.

            Nobody but extreme paranoids cares if the cable co knows what they are watching on cable. This is about not having the box snooping your network, especially if it is compromised.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by Dahamma ( 304068 )

              It was for the poster I responded to...

              Which is why I run the cable box into a dedicated ethernet port on the server and run a point-to-point VPN to a colo. Comcast aint gonna be snooping much

              cable box = Comcast. Do as much as you want to encrypt a cable box's network access, it's pointless if they own the software on the box itself!

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