Vizio owners can now control their TVs and sound bars with the Google Home voice assistant, browsing content, adjusting volume, and more with "OK, Google" voice commands.
The Vizio integration marks the latest addition of third-party device support to what is a growing, but still quite limited Google Home ecosystem. To take advantage of it, in addition to a Vizio SmartCast TV or speaker set, you'll need to also be watching or listening to content from a Google Home-supported service. Those currently include YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, Google Play, TuneIn, and Netflix.
It's not a very deep bench, but it's a start, and the integration should work with trademark Google simplicity: you say "OK, Google," followed by a song or movie request from one of the services to have it play on your SmartCast device. Vizio's SmartCast lineup includes P-, M-, and E-Series TVs and displays, as well as home theater sound bars and standalone wireless speakers.
Of course, since Google Home also supports sending audio and video via Chromecast, you can add the same functionality to any TV, even if it's not a Vizio, by simply buying a Chromecast or owning a TV set with Chromecast built in. Still, the Vizio integration comes with one handy feature that you won't get from Chromecast: the ability to ask Google Home to power on your TV using the "Quick Start Power Mode." That means truly hands-free operation, assuming you're willing to have the TV use up a bit more power when it's idle.
In addition to native Vizio support, Google Home is also compatible with speakers and displays from Toshiba, Sony, Bang & Olufsen, Polk, Grundig, and Raumfeld.