Vizio SmartCast TV owners now have the option of directly accessing the Movies Anywhere app on their TV. This change will make it easier for users to access their digital movie locker contents without having to access on a phone first, and cast to the living room device.
Due to its unique one-stop shop approach, the Movies Anywhere app has proved popular with users, as it provides direct access to more of a user’s digital library without having to surf from one app to another. However, not all devices offer direct support for the app and this can make accessing the content reliant on other devices to bridge the support gap, such as a smartphone. Up until recently, this included owners of a Vizio TV running on the SmartCast platform.
However, Vizio has now confirmed that Movies Anywhere app support has finally arrived. In a press release announcing the move, the company explains that the app is now in the process of being added to its line of SmartCast TVs. Unlike other operating systems, users won’t have to do too much other than signing in, considering Vizio says the app will be automatically installed on compatible sets via an over-the-air update that’s now rolling out.
As this automatic app rolling out specifically applies to SmartCast-enabled TVs, only owners of 2016 or newer models should expect the change.
Movies Anywhere a useful Vizio addition
Movies Anywhere is a fairly unique app in the sense that it is not from one company or brand, but is the result of a partnership between multiple studios, content owners and digital retailers. While users can actually buy movies directly through the app, any movie that comes with Movies Anywhere support can be accessed through the single app, and on a variety of different devices, irrespective of which studio the movie is from, or even which of the partnered digital retailers it was purchased through.
While Movies Anywhere app support is now arriving for Vizio SmartCast TV owners, those new to the service will need to go through an initial sign up process that requires them to link their digital retailer accounts. Doing this allows for the app to bring all the available movies together into the one interface. As present, supported digital retailers are limited to the main options, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango Now, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, Vudu, and YouTube.
In addition, just because a digital retailer is supported, it does not mean all movies purchased through it are automatically compatible with Movies Anywhere. Instead, the movie must come from a partnered studio. Right now, that studio list is largely limited to 20th Century Fox, Disney, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Warner Bros. When purchasing a movie from a digital retailer, or to check existing Movies Anywhere eligibility, all of the major digital retailers tend to provide an icon on the movie’s page listing denoting that it is ‘eligible for Movies Anywhere.’
Due to these limitations, Vizio SmartCast TV owners might find that not all of their current digital library can be accessed through the new Movies Anywhere app.
Source: Vizio/Press Release
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