Walmart Buying Vizio Sealed the Fate of Your Smart TV
Walmart just bought TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion. Now, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you just scrolled right on past that headline the other day. You might be surprised to learn I am not here to try to convince you that you should care. But I think that you’re gonna want to know what’s about to happen to your smart TV, no matter what brand it is.
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The Downfall of Streaming TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq_XeZyp1QY
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Vizio Quantum Pro Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smu_q_dATcs
Walmart buys Vizio — and its ad and data business — for $2.3 billion: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/walmart-purchases-vizio/
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For new Vizio TVs …. as long as they make it very clear in plain language that your new TV will be a platform for forced advertising ….. that is somewhat fair.
But what about the 18 million people who already own Vizio smart TVs …. Will Walmart retroactively force an update and change the deal?
Chances are Vizio has already written the agreement so they can unilaterally change the agreement in ANY way they see fit at any time.
Chance are there will be a new terms of service issued in the very near future and a new "feature update" specifically to entrench that Walmart owns your TV not you.
I’ve had a Vizio for years and the ‘Watch free+’ streams like dial-up from Australia.
I have 3 vizio TVs. 10+ years old with 0 issues. Great product. I cut the cable over 10 years ago. Free Antenna TV.
In a related story Walmart also bought ‘Trailer Trash News Inc. 🤓
This makes sense from Walmarts sense. I think that owning Vizio will lower the cost a bit for Walmart and they will carry the full line of Vizio TV’s and drop a few others making the money as the seller and the manufacturer. They can also manufacture a host of other productes under the Vizio brand as they’d have the manufacturing base at their hand. So it should be a win winf for walmart and the customer and a few other brands might get squeezed out of Walmart
Walmart had the cash to buy VIZIO, incredible.
There needs to be laws protecting this type of constant ads….but since government officials are probably already paid off by AD lobbyists….good luck….sounds like another reason to not get streaming services.
Vizio was Good, had one till 2022 Hurricane in Ft.Myers, Vizio and LG are Close to Same Remotes..Stay Informed, it’s a Concept that Americans never do..
I’m Going Plex. We need a software to wipe the smart T.V’s user interface.
i use a mini pc with linux on it directly to hdmi input….no need to even hook tv to internet
I value my time so I pay to be ad free. I never watch an ad. At 82 years old I don’t have time to waste on ads. Yes, it costs a few bucks to do this but well worth it.
Let’s get back to non streaming TV’s, Vizo had a dam good product before the streaming crap… I want a TV not another computer in the house… if I want that type of device I’ll add it As a side device… that’s the way it should be…less problems
it took you five minutes to say WalMart bought Vizio in large part to take advantage of an established audience for advertisement. Jesus Harald Christ.
You would not have any of these problems if you would just shut off the TV and do something much more productive and important like reading your Bible.
Have you thought about doing an update on this? I believe the deal hasn’t finalized yet.
This is wqhy I don’t care if my TV is "smart". Just buy an apple TV, or a chromecast, or whatever stick/box you want.
Vizio has DISABLED the ability to use the free OTA (Over The Air) channel guide info in its latest firmware update to force buyers to use their internet-based "WatchFree+" guide, so they can push their ads and monetize user’s viewing data. I wonder if it’s not an FCC violation to disable such a basic feature as knowing what channel you’re viewing?
I don’t pay attention to advertising. I can’t think of a single time I bought something because I saw it in an ad. When I need something I research it. Unfortunately, even if only 5 percent of people pay attention its worth it to the advertisers.
I don’t have a television. No ads, no problem. Don’t miss that social afterbirth that television is a bit. I came here for the business knowledge, what’s going on in the world.
I watched this segment on Walmart’s purchase when it first streamed. Now I am able to report back on what has come of it.
I purchased a Vizio tv in 2020. I use it with an Apple TV. Everything was fine but a few months ago (3? 4? 5?) I started noticing that when I would turn on the TV (as I normally do with the Apple TV remote) it would turn on, go to the Apple TV interface (as normal) but then some sort of Vizio TV overlay would pop up, loud and intrusive add running in a small window included!!! That interface has now started to pop up even long after I have been watching the TV. I thought I was safe but it seems that I will be forced to be shown things even if I don’t want that.
I have a Raspberry Pi as a TV, fight me
Microsoft is doing it in power point when you link to youtube even when you have a subscription to both services
Didn’t they get sued for remote camera access?
I bought one last year. Thus thing constantly resets, losing internet after 10 minutes…..everytime I turn it on. Pain in the butt. Not worth it.
Get to the point. Babble babble babble
thanks for blathering for two solid minutes right out of the gate. holy shiite.
Just give me an antenna and a really stupid TV.
Turn off the Wi-Fi on your Vizio. Use a VPN on your Fire Stick. Works great.
i have 4 vizios in my house and backyard, i’ve never had a single issue with any of them and one is 14 years old! still kicking and picture still looks great 👍🏼
Samsung is already doing this even on older tvs
*laughs in projectivy*
YouTube is doing it now too! Pause a video and they’ll show you an ad, still image 😔
The answer to all this is simple, I watch no TV at all, I use my TV as a monitor for my PC and have it attached to YouTube only. I use Ublock on YouTube to block all YouTube ads, and Sponsor Block to block all in-video Sponsor ads. No ads are allowed in my house and if YouTube ever finds a way of preventing the blocking of ads I will turn YouTube off also, and find other things to do. If I want to listen to professional liar’s and the twisting of the truth I will move to DC and attend Congress and the Senate hearings live.
I bought a 70 inch Vizio 3d tv not long ago. As for 3d, forget it nothing really is on to watch in 3d. As for the smart TV part Vizio is nothing special just another smart TV./ No outstanding features I can think of. The Vizio made it to the basement where we watch it when doing exercises. Upstairs we have a Samsung, a Google, and an LG all of which are much easier to use.. I really do not recomend for anyone to buy a smart TV anymore, the interface is generally cumbersome and ad’s everywhere. In stead getting an android TV box with any TV, smart or dumb, is a much better idea.
You will be assimilated ….. We are Walmart 😂
Stupid Best buy they don’t have Vizio’s TVs and Sony TVs anymore, well they lose a lot of clients because a lot of people including me and my entire family and friends use to buy our Vizio’s TVS and Sony TVs in Best Buy now We need to buy this TVs at Walmart stores that most of people that I know can’t trust in Walmart when is about to buy TVS or any kind of electronics.
Vizio is junk.
I have a Google TV …..but I connect it directly to my PC and rarely use the Google SmartTV platform. But I do use it sometimes because Youtube cripples output from a PC.
Will these big TV companies invade your "Personal" computer via your Smart TV?
They already have and originally it was a very sloppy hacking. About s year ago, after I built the PC I am using currently I thought there was something horribly wrong with it. It would hang with a black screen randomly sometime for a minute at the time. I ran every single diagnostic but there was nothing wrong with my PC
It was my Google TV trying to hijack my PC to serve ads, failing, and then hanging my computer for the duration of the ad.
Eventually Google got better and the black screens still happen but they are only for a second and confined to when I use Chrome.
Imagine a smart TV that hijacks your computer while you are working to show ads. Imagine your PC being forced to show ads when it is idle.
My Google TV still has the ability to automatically switch to my PC HDMI when turned on …. but this will probably be the first to go with a forced update.
Note when your TV has an issue that requires an update ….. TV companies don’t update the firmware but they will force an update so they can force ads.
If and when my smart TV starts forcing intrusive ads by hacking my HDMI connection ….. I will damage it irreparably and send it for recycling …. and then go back my old PC monitor that has an unpolluted HDMI connection.
I’ve had 2 Vizio televisions. Both started having issues around year 4. Error codes, changing channels by itself, failure to connect with the Internet and other bugs.
Someone needs to develop a custom firmware to override brand name is and optimise the OS for the minimalist RAM AND ROM storage.. unless there is a mod kit someone could develop to add ram and storage internally.
My 12yr old Smart TV made me so smart I never connected it to anything that would force me to watch an add. Maybe they’ll add a skip feature
Hi everyone! Vizio has requested that I clarify that while Vizio’s smart TV experience is now referred to as Vizio Home or Vizio Home Screen, the platform itself, at least internally at a corporate level, is still referred to as SmartCast, therefore Walmart’s reference to SmartCast in its press release is neither comical nor out-of-touch as I suggested it to be in the video.
how depressing
Wearing out lots of batteries muting ads. Staying off fbook more for same reason. This political season was the worst ever as well.
I purchased a Vizio TV a few years ago. It was crap. Costco extended warranty came into play within two years. That was fantastic. Hardly every use the set and the remote buttons are unreadable. Never again.
I always thought Vizio tvs. were cheap crap. I bought one that lasted 10 months. My neighbor bought one that only lasted 4 months.
I’m waiting for X-TV, X-E-mail, X-Antivirus. X-TV will advertise rides on SpaceX to ?? destinations. 😜
I know one thing their return policy is A One all you need is your receipt and the only question they will ask you is “Do you want another tv or your money returned “ Best Buy or any other stores don’t compared
I only buy Sony TV and watch dvds! Hahahahahahahhah
I have a 4K Vizio 43inch V4K43M-0804 Vizio sells better last longer