Vizio releases TVs in America with Google Cast without Android TV

In America, television manufacturer Vizio has released its P-series. The TVs are not equipped with Android TV, but do have Google Cast support. At the same time, Google announces that it will change the name of the Chromecast app to Google Cast.

At the end of February, there were already indications that televisions would not run on Android TV, but would be equipped with Google Cast support. That has now become a reality with the introduction of the Vizio P-series. These models don’t have an extensive interface like many smart TVs have, but come with a 6″ tablet that runs on Android and acts as a remote control.

The Vizio SmartCast P-series UHDTVs come in sizes from 50″ to 75″. All models offer HDR playback and prices range from $999.99 for the smallest model to $3799.99 for the largest UHDTV. The supplied tablet has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, 16GB of storage and an unspecified octacore soc. In addition to the TVs with Google Cast, Vizio also comes with speakers and soundbars that support the protocol.

Vizio doesn’t sell its TVs in Europe, but according to previous indications, Google is said to be in talks with another manufacturer about adding Google Cast to TVs that don’t run on Android TV. It is not clear which manufacturer that is and whether such TVs will also be sold in Europe.

Simultaneously with Vizio’s announcement, Google announced that the Chromecast app will be rebranded. This will be called Google Cast after the next update. The name change is probably due to the fact that the Cast protocol is increasingly being used in combination with devices without the use of a Chromecast.