Vizio Smart TV ... Not That "Smart"

[Klueless]

Spectrum/Charter is steering me towards "shrinking" Cable and I'm fine with that. I "halved" my costs when I switched to Spectrum for phone, TV and Internet (60 x 5 Mbps) services.

We have five TVs. Two are on HD converter boxes, the other three get "basic TV" by simply connecting them to the provided coax cables (one of the cost savings of switching; no longer needed a converter box for every TV).

Recently Spectrum has been advertising that they are eliminating "basic TV" to free up bandwidth for more HD channels and faster Internet. I assume this claim to be true since they recently increased my service to 100 x 10 Mbps at no charge. But it also means I will have to rent more converter boxes or convert to "IPTV" and use the "Spectrum App" for viewing.

(I also think it's a clear indicator that Spectrum is transitioning towards IPTV. Vizio? Not so much.)

We already had a "smart" Samsung so I "connected" it, loaded the Spectrum App and it works great. Buoyed by my success I bought two Roku sticks, loaded the Spectrum Apps and they also work great.

The other two TVs are relics (due for replacement anyway) so I replaced one with a Vizio Smart TV. Didn't "work". Yeah, it's a smart TV but Vizio does it different. They provide some apps but haven't seen fit to provide a Spectrum (nor DirectTV, etc.) App. I asked the Vizio support desk if that would be happening? They had no idea.

I have one more TV to replace and it won't be with a Vizo. I'm probably not the only one. Spectrum has something like 25 million subscribers, many with multiple TVs. Vizio has something like 20% market share in the US. This change could have been a windfall for Vizio; instead it's going translate into something like 5 million TVs (assuming 20% of 25 million) in lost opportunity for Vizio.

 

[sfx2000]

Recently Spectrum has been advertising that they are eliminating "basic TV" to free up bandwidth for more HD channels and faster Internet. I assume this claim to be true since they recently increased my service to 100 x 10 Mbps at no charge. But it also means I will have to rent more converter boxes or convert to "IPTV" and use the "Spectrum App" for viewing.

(I also think it's a clear indicator that Spectrum is transitioning towards IPTV. Vizio? Not so much.)

Sounds like they're moving to Switched Digital Video - Cox did that a couple of years back in my area once the clearQAM restrictions expired...

SDV is not IPTV, it's a different technology - but yes, it requires a mini-box for each set. Overall, it's a better solution, IMHO, compared to IPTV from a bandwidth perspective - these days however, it's moot in my case, as I switched over to DirecTV - cable was just getting too expensive (over $200/month with only a couple of premium channels)...

The Vizio smart TV stuff - yeah, it's their own thing - looks like it's written in Java - there's netflix and hulu along with some other apps - I don't use any of the SmartTV stuff on the Vizio, as they've had privacy concerns in the past. It's not connected to the network at all...

 

[Klueless]

Sounds like they're moving to Switched Digital Video - Cox did that a couple of years back in my area once the clearQAM restrictions expired...

I think you're right. I also think they're hedging their bets with their support of IPTV; e.g. availability and active promotion of their Spectrum App accompanied by a correspondent increase in Internet bandwidth.

Which is what I think I'll do ... for now; one TV on "cable" (until they start jacking up prices : -) with the rest on the Internet.

it's moot in my case, as I switched over to DirecTV - cable was just getting too expensive

<LOL> and I did the opposite. As a long time customer of DirectTV they kept jacking up my rates until I "had" to switch.

 

[sfx2000]

<LOL> and I did the opposite. As a long time customer of DirectTV they kept jacking up my rates until I "had" to switch.

indeed... and the other side counts on that.

 

[Klueless]

indeed... and the other side counts on that.

Yes and it's a "game" I no longer wish to play; having to switch services every couple of years to save rather significant sums of money.

Now that I have finally have bandwidth (I came from an almost 6 Mbps service : -) to throw at the problem of rising costs I have options. Rising converter box rentals? Replace them with Rokus. Telephone services? Transition to VoIP. DVR? I'm working on "building" one.

My wife likes teasing me; by the time I learn all this stuff I'll be in an old age home where it's all included anyway. On the plus side she renewed our marriage vows as I'm the only one who can turn on the TVs now ;-)