Google Home users can now control VIZIO SmartCast devices

VIZIO is probably best known for its affordable TVs and sound bars, and now they’re bringing Google Home support to their SmartCast devices. So if you are a Google Home user who owns any of VIZIO’s SmartCast devices – ranging from TVs to speakers – now you’ll be able to adjust your device’s volume, play or skip music tracks, and more just by asking Google Assistant.

The US company popular for its TV product line was bought out by the notorious Chinese start-up LeEco last year. LeEco has since released a few TV models in the US, but it looks like existing VIZIO devices aren’t forgotten just yet. Today VIZIO announced that its SmartCast devices are now compatible with Google’s voice-activated home assistant speaker. If you have any of VIZIO’s SmartCast devices, “spanning P-, M-, and E-Series TVs as well as home theater sound bars and wireless speakers, you can use your voice to adjust the volume, control music tracks, and even power on your TV.

For music, you can simply say the wake-up command and ask for a song from music streaming services like Spotify, Google Play Music, or Pandora. For video, you can even ask your Google Home device to play a movie while the TV screen is off. The TV will power on and automatically begin loading the requested content from apps like Netflix or YouTube. Pretty neat, eh?

Matt McRae, Chief Technology Officer at VIZIO, explains that “controlling VIZIO SmartCast devices from Google Home is a significant milestone for consumers and their ability to manage their entertainment experience.”

VIZIO’s SmartCast devices come with Chromecast built in, so you can always use Google’s Home app to control them on your Android or iOS device. But the addition of Google Home support is definitely nice to see.