VIZIO Reveals SmartCast™ 3.0 at CES 2019, Adding Support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit (PRNewsfoto/VIZIO, Inc.)

No sooner had we gotten used to Apple’s decision to make nice with Samsung for smart TV, than Vizio confirms the latest iteration of SmartCast 3.0 will support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.

(Incidentally, these moves mean Apple’s services will be available across 57 percent of all the televisions sold in the US.)

Apple gets smart

“By adding support for Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, users can play content from their iPhone, iPad and Mac directly to SmartCast TVs, and enable TV controls through the Home app and Siri,” said Bill Baxter, Chief Technology Officer, VIZIO

Support will be made available to Vizio beta testers in th U.S. and Canada starting in Q1 2019, the company said.

Once complete, SmartCast 3.0 will roll out via free cloud-based updates to new and existing SmartCast TVs and displays in Q2 20191. The software also supports Google Assistant and Alexa.

What this means

These features mean Vizio television customerswill be able to stream 4K and Dolby Vision HDR movies and TV shows from iTunes and other video apps as well as music, photos and more directly from their iPhone, iPad and Mac to their SmartCast TVs.

They will also be able to mirror content and listen to Apple Music via AirPlay 2.

HomeKit support means Vizio customers will be able to add their TVs and control smart home products using the Home app or by asking Siri on their Apple devices.

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Customers can also use iPhone and iPad to turn their SmartCast TV on or off from the Home app, change volume and switch inputs, and ask Siri from iPhone and iPad to play movies, TV shows or music with AirPlay 2.

One thing that’s not mentioned in the release is the likelihood Apple’s movies services will be made available via these systems, but it seems pretty likely given Vizio already supports services from Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Vudu, iHeartRadio, CBS All Access, NBC and more3.