Vizio upped the cool factory of its 4K TVs, by launching them with tablets as remote controls. Basically you’re getting a 6 inch SmartCast Android remote and Google Cast support. Such items were reserved to the higher end P Series till now, but it appears they’ve gone into the lower end of the spectrum now.
Ultra HD, Dolby Vision HDR and Google Cast are all on the specs list, within the 2016 M Series, that was announced in April and it’s selling right now via Vizio.com and other retailers. CTO and head of marketing Matthew McRae claims that larger 70 and 80 inch versions are coming, but the easiest to find is the $850 50 inch unit.
With Smartcast you can enjoy apps, control the playback queue and more via the 6 inch tablet that looks a lot like an Xperia Ultra device. There’s also a Vizio SmartCast app that lets you cast, control TV shows, movies, music and more on the display, sound bar and WiFi speakers. Keep in mind that the tablet doesn’t have infrared control, but what it does have is a ton of apps, including the likes of Pandora, YouTube and more.
