Vizio is giving its TV homescreen a makeover

Vizio is rolling out a redesigned homescreen for its SmartCast TV models with obtrusive ads but also some user customization options.

'SmartCast' is now 'Vizio Home Screen' and it is designed to provide a more intuitive and personalized experience, the company said, plus a new sidebar menu for easier navigation.

In consumer technology lingo "personalized" means targeted ads as can be seen in the first-look photo. There are large ads for new shows and movies in the carousel at the top as well as ads for partner content in the 'Trending now' bar. You can find your installed apps in the third row (App Row).

 Also read: EU: Large TV platforms must clearly declare ads and 'recommendations'


 Vizio's new homescreen. Photo: Company

- "The Vizio Home Screen is the next step in our evolution to bring our consumers the best entertainment experience. Our goal is to make it easy for our consumers to experience our latest innovations as soon as they are available, even on older Vizio Smart TVs," said Kaitlyn Collins, VP of Product Marketing, Vizio. "The rollout and availability of the new Vizio Home Screen is another manifestation of the idea that, even after consumers purchase a TV from us, we’ll continue to offer value, support, and innovation to their viewing experience."


User customization
The company explained that users can customize the App Row to include the apps they use, and bookmark specific movies and shows from supported apps on the 'My Watchlist'.

This seems to be all that is possible in terms of user customization as the new homescreen is seemingly designed to first and foremost advance Vizio's ad business which has brought in more money than selling hardware since 2021.

Roku, Google TV, LG webOS and Samsung Tizen have also embraced personalized ads – recommendations – on Smart TVs in an effort to increase revenue.

Vizio has used the SmartCast platform in all of its TVs models since it ended its experiment with Chromecast-only TVs in 2017. It is unclear if all SmartCast generations will get the redesigned homescreen.

Vizio Home Screen – what's new
In Vizio's own words:



Intuitive & navigable design
We revamped the menu and settings structures with a new left-side navigation and hierarchy that make browsing a breeze. New genre pages and an easier-to-use grid keyboard allow you to quickly search for content you’ll love.

Seamless Content Discovery
With new places to discover entertainment, plus rows of recommended shows, you can find and access more relevant content quickly. Hover over featured titles to show helpful information, including Rotten Tomatoes scores and reviews, making your Vizio Home Screen the perfect starting point for your entertainment viewing experience.

Customization
Make the Vizio Home Screen your own. Start customizing the App Row to sort your favorite apps with a single click. The easy-to-browse app catalog now includes comprehensive details and recommended programming so you can see the best of every app. Plus, add movies and shows from different apps to My Watchlist to see all your content in one place. 
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