VIZIO Internet Apps – News and Review

VIZIO offers VIZIO Internet Apps – the marriage of high definition television and Internet online content.

VIZIO Class XVT 2 HDTVs with Internet Apps were first introduced a couple of years ago. Now the newer Series XVT 3SV HDTV with VIA™ is here, now! And VIA Plus™ is coming soon.

What VIZIO has done is amazing. The company developed a feature-rich, state-of-the-art HDTV with built-in Internet application functionality.

At the same time, it has nurtured partnerships with numerous online service and content providers – including movies on demand, Facebook, CNBC, NBC, radio, video and many more. Scroll to the end of this hub to see the range of content choices offered by VIZIO.

VIZIO Internet Apps will be dynamically updated to include new service and content providers as the company continues to add content partners.

VIZIO Internet Apps Reviews have been favorable. For example, CNET says of VIZIO apps: "Response times were quick, the Apps interface is well-designed and surprisingly easy to use, and integration and content selection surpasses that of any other Internet-enabled TV, regardless of manufacturer."

NEWS -- The VIZIO 3SV models with Internet Apps contain all the popular features of the earlier models with Internet Apps with added appearance and technology improvements. The new models are now available from Amazon.

Reviews -- Highly favorable reviews of the new VIZIO XVT553SV 55-Inch model are coming in at over two-thirds 5-star Amazon ratings.

In addition to VIZIO Internet Apps, each model comes with . . .

. . . a blazing speed refresh rate (240 Hz), 1080p razor sharp High Definition, Bluetooth remote with a keypad, 802.11n dual band wireless networking, two built-in 15-watt speakers, advanced sound technology, and multiple HDMI ports.

The 47-inch and 55-inch models come with advanced backlighting and Smart Dimming technologies.

All models are eco-friendly – they use 50 percent less energy than Energy Star 3.0 and LED backlights that use no mercury.

Press the VIA™ button on your remote. An Apps Dock will appear along the bottom of the screen. It will offer you a rich selection of different Apps that let you watch movies, TV shows, listen to music, or get weather and news information -- all on demand.

While some of these services are free, others come with subscription fees or other charges that vary by content provider.

VIZIO and its third party providers reserve the right to charge you for any support it provides, but will make a schedule of those charges available to you prior to your incurring any costs. Before you purchase a VIZIO with Internet Apps, you should read over the VIZIO Internet Applications (VIA™) Policy.

Some of the VIZIO Internet Apps may come pre-loaded on your HDTV XVT. For example, your HDTV with Internet Apps purchased from Amazon will come pre-loaded with Amazon Video on Demand, Flickr, Netflix, Rhapsody, Twitter, VUDU and Yahoo TV Widgets, ready to launch onscreen by touching a button on the remote.

In addition to pre-loaded apps, there are many other apps to choose from. Press the VIA™ button, select the Widget Gallery, and rotate through the additional apps. Select one you would like added to your VIA™ Dock and it will be downloaded and appear on your personal dock. Other family members can create their own set of favorite apps that will appear on their docks.

Here is my working list of VIZIO's Internet App third party content providers (source: vizio.com) either online or scheduled. VIZIO will dynamically update their app selections in VIA™ any time, so this list is always subject to change.

Accedo Broadband® – choose from IPTV and Connected TV applications such as games, quizzes, puzzles, video art, comics, karaoke, lifestyle, niche vod, weather, social media and communication services.

Amazon Instant Video® (formerly Amazon Video On Demand) -- choose from more than 90,000 commercial-free movies and television shows, including hit new releases and the latest episodes available in HD – with instant playback. Subscribers to Amazon Prime get free streaming service to 5000 movies and videos.

BigStar® --the social discovery and demand platform, gives access to thousands of unique movies and entertainment. Watch Indies (independent films), foreign films, festival award winners and more.

Blip.tv® -- an online television network that hosts the best original shows on the Web -- from scripted sitcoms and dramas to shows about fashion, technology, and politics.

BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand® -- choose from thousands of titles to rent or buy -- including new releases, cinema classics and TV shows -- with no monthly fee. Rentals and purchases are offered and payment is on a per transaction basis. Blockbuster On Demand offers all the latest new releases to stream instantly or download and watch later. News: Apparently as of January 3, 2012 Blockbuster is no longer offering this service through VIZIO.

CBS® --access to CBS schedule and program information, previews and clips, cast photos and cast bios.

CinemaNow® -- enables instant access via Roxeo CinemaNow® to a massive selection of premium video entertainment for rental or purchase, including new releases often on the same day the DVD is available in stores

CNBC® -- allows you to interact with CNBC's real-time stock quotes direct from the NYSE and NASDAQ, real-time watchlists to track your favorite stocks, and other key analytics.

CrazeTV® -- Craze TV Movies allows a quality selection of full-length movies for free, plus music documentaries and more,

eBay® – get real-time updates, place bids, and monitor your favorite items.

Facebook® -- connect and share with your friends. Over 200 million people use Facebook every month. Facebook Connect brings this audience into your VIA™-ready VIZIO making it even more social.

Fandango® -- all about movies -- fan ratings, reviews, trailers, new and upcoming movies, 10 ten box office favorites, movie blog and guide, find theaters. find movies.

Flickr® -- share photos with family and friends. Browse the latest photos posted by the worldwide Flickr community, or watch a slideshow -- all on your VIA™-ready VIZIO.

Free Stream Media® -- Free Stream Media’s FlingoTV service offers the best online video from major media companies, cable networks, and web video properties.

Hulu Plus® -- watch popular media from more than 100 leading content providers across hundreds of shows and thousands of episodes, on demand from the Internet right to your VIZIO HDTV for $7.99 a month. Includes all current season episodes of 45 popular TV shows; full series runs for over 90 shows; with content from ABC, FOX, NBC and others -- in HD (720p),

iMemories® --your old home movies, photos and slides can be watched directly on your VIA™-ready VIZIO with iMemories. iMemories digitally converts and preserves your favorite memories online, regardless of the original media format.

MediaBox™ -- media player which gives instant access to your high definition video, digital music, digital photos and DVD files no matter where they are stored.

MOG® -- on-demand digital music with unlimited access to over 10 million songs from over a million albums in CD quality. Includes a page for every artist, song, and album, playlists and more.

NBA Game Time® -- access highlights of every game, real-time access to game summaries, complete player statistics and more on your VIA™-ready VIZIO.

NBC® --view NBC's show schedule, full screen photo galleries and catch up on your favorite shows with up-to-date quick text recaps, and bios of cast members.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America® --provides top-notch interactive gaming.

NHL® -- Official National Hockey League web site -- includes news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, features, live game radio broadcasts and video clips.

NHL GameCenter Live® access to over 800 classic games plus condensed replays, stats, standing, news and more.

My-Cast® -- displays animated Nexrad radar, hourly to 7-day forecasts, StormWatch, clouds, and more. My-Cast by Garmin is intuitive, interactive and easy to use -- especially for severe weather events.

Netflix® -- watch unlimited TV episodes and movies streamed to your VIA™-ready VIZIO and receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to your home – no late fees, no due dates.

OnLive® --provides premium games on demand. OnLive is the pioneer of instant-play cloud gaming.

Pandora® -- Internet radio -- free and personalized. Enter the name of your favorite song, artist, or composer and enjoy radio stations created just for you. Rate songs as they play, because Pandora caters to your tastes and adapts stations to your feedback on the spot.

QVC® – Online shopping -- QVC live for beauty, jewelry, electronics, fashion, handbags, kitchen, home, food, sports, wellness, crafts, leisure, toys and much more.

Radiotime® – find local, national, or global radio programming airing on more than 60,000 AM/FM and Internet radio stations in 140 countries broadcasting in 55 languages.

Rallypoint Sports® -- delivers fantasy sports, social networking, and e-commerce services.

Revision 3® -- creates content for passionate communities who want to watch shows that entertain, educate and help to expand their life experiences.

Rhapsody® -- browse Rhapsody’s catalog of more than seven million songs. Listen on demand to new releases, top albums, artists and songs, celebrity playlists, and artist channels.

Roxio CinemaNow® -- instantly access a broad range of high-quality digital entertainment from your favorite consumer electronic devices.

Showtime® -- takes viewers inside Showtime with video extras, trailers, trivia, and select sample episodes of hit series such as "Dexter and Weeds."

Skype® --The Skype App in VIZIO Internet Apps HDTVs will work with the VIZIO Video Camera VCP100 that attaches to any VIZIO Internet Apps HDTV through a USB connection. When used together, viewers can enjoy HD-quality (720p) video chat at up to 30 frames per second.

SyncTV Kids® -- view thousands of kids' TV shows instantly.

The Weather Channel® -- get your weather forecast when you want it. Delivers current conditions, the 5-day forecast and more for your zip code and thousands more.

TuneIn Radio® -- Listen to online radio, find streaming music radio by genre and streaming talk radio. Top guide to every type of radio -- conservative, progressive, public, sports -- local and global,

Twitter® -- share and discover what's happening right now, anywhere in the world -- and your program is never interrupted.

vimeo® -- watch your videos in high quality along with videos from thousands of other talented creators.

VUDU® -- leading digital entertainment service that delivers tens of thousands of movies and more, including the largest HD collection available anywhere, superior AV quality, including 5.1 surround sound, HDX -- VUDU’s exclusive ultra-high quality HD format. VUDU offers the largest streaming collection of HD movies, and 1080p available on-demand the same day as DVD. And VUDU offers 3D movies for 3D-enabled HDTVs.

Wiki TV® -- The television and movie Wiki. features TV, celebrities, shows and and movies, lists of novels, movies and shows by city settings, genre, nationality, broadcast source.-- with Wikipedia-type details about each work.

Yahoo!® -- get the latest news,sports, lifestyle and entertainment information and videos from Yahoo! News, Sports, Weather, Finance and Video.

Yahoo! Fantasy Football® -- get real-time fantasy team and league info while watching the NFL games. Check out entire Yahoo! Fantasy Football League info while watching the game. View your team roster (starters and bench players) and real-time scoring, your league and match-ups to see how you are doing against the rest of the league, and detailed in-game and post-game player stats.

VUDU® -- 3D content from VUDU became available in January 2011. With 3D streaming for 3D-enabled HDTVs and Blu-ray players, VUDU adds to its already rich cinematic experience providing HD, HDX, 1080p and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound.

VIZIO on Demand -- (coming soon) The new VIZIO on Demand app will enable users to watch movies in Cinamascope aspect ratio for an ultimate move experience on VIZIO's new Cinema HDTV displays. The new VIZIO Cinema HDTV displays 4k by 2k content that can be viewed on Ultra HD TVs that can display up to 4 times the resolution of 1080p. VIZIO on Demand will offer a deep catalog of movie favorites, all available to stream direct to VIZIO Internet Apps-enabled TVs.

A recent article in Technology Review reported that Yahoo's users' most popular apps so far are video-on-demand and Facebook.