Vizio says a fix for its Disney+ problems is coming in December

By Simon Cohen November 21, 2019

Not long after Disney+ made its epic debut on November 12, a significant number of its new customers found that they were unable to access the service. It turned out that if you owned a Vizio smart TV, there was no native Disney+ app for the SmartCast platform, and you couldn’t even resort to the usual plan B: Using Chromecast to flip Disney+ content from a mobile app to your big screen.

Instead, all Vizio customers could do was leverage AirPlay 2 — if their TV supported it and if they also owned an iOS device or a Mac. If they only had Android devices lying around, they were out of luck entirely. Outraged Vizio customers took to social media to let the company know what they thought of being left out of the Disney+ party, with most placing the blame on Vizio itself.

Recommended Videos

Clearly, if you’re Vizio, you want to get on top of this situation ASAP, which it now has. Kind of.

The company announced on November 20 that it was working hard on a fix for the Chromecast problem and promised that a software update would begin rolling out to Vizio SmartCast TVs in “early December.” There was no mention of when or if an actual Disney+ app would appear on the smart TV platform. That timeline sadly misses the Thanksgiving weekend, when most Vizio/Disney+ customers would rightfully expect to be able to watch the content they’ve paid for during their time off from work.

On the same day, Vizio also announced the rollout of its SmartCast 3.5 update. The new version of the software brings improved speed and responsiveness to the Vizio SmartCast platform, according to the company. Among the activities that get a speed increase are input switching, remote control responsiveness, scrolling, and overall app performance.

Faster software and a fix for the Disney+ casting problem are welcome news, especially for the many Vizio customers who are still stuck without a way to watch The Mandalorian on their big screen. But one question remains: How did this happen?

We’ve known that Disney+ was coming for years. The Mickey Mouse hype machine has been in overdrive mode for months. And Vizio is the number two seller of smart TVs in U.S., right behind Samsung. We’re not sure which company deserves more of the blame for this situation, but one thing’s for sure: If this doesn’t get fixed before Vizio owners want to gather around the TV over the holidays that land at the end of December, it won’t be a happy new year for Vizio.

Topics

Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…

Audio / Video

DTS Clear Dialogue brings AI to the ‘what did they say?’ problem

A frustrated-looking couple holds a TV remote.

Whether it's audio compression, poor recording quality, or directors who take an ambivalent attitude toward portions of their scripts, TV dialogue comprehension faces a lot of challenges these days. DTS, the company best known for its DTS:X theatrical and home digital surround sound, thinks it has the answer: an AI-based technology that it calls DTS Clear Dialogue. The company announced the new feature, which it plans to license to smart TV makers, at IFA Berlin.

Instead of specialized soundbar designs or dedicated wireless earbuds, DTS Clear Dialogue uses a machine learning algorithm to understand which parts of a soundtrack are made of voices and which parts are ambient sounds or effects like gunshots or squealing tires. It should work on any type of content, from live sports to Hollywood blockbusters.

Audio / Video

1More says its $90 SonoFlow Pro HQ51 headphones are better than Bose and Sony

1More SonoFlow Pro HQ51.

1More has released two new upgraded products in its wireless headphones and open-ear earbuds lineup with the SonoFlow Pro HQ51 ($90) and Open Ear S70 ($120). Both will be available mid-to-late August, with $20 discounts for those who order during the promotional launch window.

The SonoFlow Pro HQ51 picks up where the original SonoFlow leaves off -- the two models have a nearly identical shape and design. Comfort may be slightly enhanced -- the new cans now use leather ear cushions. 1More has given battery life (which was already outstanding at 50 hours with ANC) a bump to 65 hours, a number that jumps to 100 when you turn ANC off.

Audio / Video

Sonos says it’s fixed excessive battery drain on the iPhone

Sonos app on iPhone in front of a Sonos Move 2 speaker.

It's been about a week since Sonos CEO Patrick Spence apologized for the months-long issues with the Sonos platform and recommitted to biweekly app updates to try to work things out. And today we've received an interim app update that the company says should address "an issue where the app used excess phone battery on iOS."

The update — which is available now — also claims to "improve the stability when adding new products," according to the changelog. In addition to the update for the Sonos app itself, it's also worth digging into the app settings and checking to see if there's an update to your speaker system, too.