Best VIZIO Internet Apps for VIZIO HDTVs

Several VIZIO HDTV models come with VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA) which allow you to access online content from your TV. These apps may also be available on certain Internet connected VIZIO Blu-ray players. The apps include several free Yahoo! TV widgets. The quality and usefulness of the Internet apps varies considerably. The best apps connect to cheap and free content on the Web, including TV shows, movies, pictures, music and social networking. Some of these apps provide content in HD. However, in order to view them in HD, you must have a high-speed Internet connection of 4 to 5 Mbps. To stream standard definition movies, TV and videos, you will need an Internet speed of 1 to 1.5 Mbps.

Netflix

The Netflix app allows you to watch instant streaming Netflix movies and TV on your VIZIO Internet connected HDTV. To use this app, you must have a Netflix unlimited subscription. You have access to a virtually unlimited Instant Queue, as well as to movie and TV categories such as recently watched, your top picks, new arrivals in movies, new arrivals in TV, television, action and adventure, children and family, comedy, documentary, drama, foreign, horror, independent, romance, sci-fi and fantasy and thrillers. There is no search function, but you can add movies and TV shows to your Netflix Instant Queue from the categories or from your computer. Many movies and TV shows on the VIZIO Netflix app are in HD.

Amazon Video on Demand

With an Amazon Video on Demand account, you can access Amazon.com movies and TV on your VIZIO HDTV. Amazon VOD offers a wide range of movies and TV shows. Using this VIZIO app, you can either rent or buy movies and TV shows in standard definition or in HD. The Amazon VOD app also has a search function that allows you to search by keyword. You can also connect to your Amazon VOD Library to view movies and TV shows you have already purchased or rented. There are many movies, TV episodes and featurettes available for free on Amazon VOD. The best way to find free and cheap movies and TV episodes on Amazon VOD is to search and add them to your library on your computer for later viewing.

VUDU

VUDU is a service that provides instant streaming movies, many in full HD. You can sign up for a free VUDU account when you install the app. Simply provide your email address when prompted. VUDU categories include "Most Watched," "New on VUDU," "Explore Catalog," "My VUDU" and "$2 for 2 Nights." You can watch VUDU movie trailers for free using this VIZIO Internet app. You can either buy or rent movies on VUDU. The prices are on a sliding scale, depending on whether the movie is in HDX (full 1080p HD), HD (720p) or standard definition (DVD-quality 480p).

Pandora Internet Radio

The Pandora Internet Radio VIZIO app connects to your Pandora account to stream free music to your HDTV. You can create a new radio station, create a QuickMix station, and listen to any station in My Stations using this VIZIO app. The app shows album art and information while the music plays. There is no browse function, but if you want to listen to preset Pandora radio stations, you can add them to your account from your computer. They will appear immediately on your VIZIO HDTV.

Tune In Radio

The Tune In Radio VIZIO app includes a variety of different free music and talk radio stations. You do not need a Tune In Radio account to use the app. You can listen to many of your local radio stations with Tune In Radio. Music radio genres include children's, classical, country, electronic, jazz, oldies, rock and top 40. The talk radio stations include topics such as business, conservative, entertainment, new, progressive, religious, sports and technology. Tune In radio stations are also organized by continent and country. You can also listen to podcasts and search by keyword in this VIZIO app.

AccuWeather.com

The AccuWeather.com VIZIO app shows your local weather information, such as temperature, sunrise, sunset, visibility, humidity, wind speed, wind gusts and wind direction. The app and the content are free and do not require registration to use. It also provides a 5 day forecast, satellite imagery and weather alarms. The AccuWeather app is better than many other weather apps for the VIZIO HDTV, since it supports more locations and shows your local temperature and weather conditions in the preview at the bottom of the HDTV screen.

CrazeTV Movies on Demand

The CrazeTV VIZIO app provides a variety of full-length low budget, oldie, foreign, public domain and independent films on demand. All of the movies are completely free to watch. The movies available to watch on the CrazeTV app include "Planet of the Apes" starring Charlton Heston, "The Shaolin Temple" starring Jet Li, "The Legend of Bruce Lee" and music documentary films about bands and artists such as U2, Kurt Cobain, Led Zeppelin, Eminem, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.

Yahoo! Video

The Yahoo! Video app for the VIZIO HDTV provides a wide variety of free video clips from many different websites. You can watch previews and clips from your favorite primetime and daytime TV shows, news videos, cooking videos, sports videos and more. The video categories include AP US News, AP Entertainment, Y! Finance Tech Ticker, Access Hollywood, News Bytes, Movies, Sports, MLB, NBA, NFL, NCAA Men's Basketball, NASCAR and Wolfgang Puck.

Web Videos

The Web Videos VIZIO app contains a dazzling array of free videos from all over the Internet. There are videos from the major networks, such as CBS, FOX, the WB, Showtime and PBS. There are comedy videos from Atom.tv, College Humor Originals and Funny or Die. Technology videos are available from The Engadget Show and GeekBrief.tv. You can watch Japanese and other Asian TV shows and movies on Crunchyroll. Fashion videos stream on Nylon TV, The Fashion Network and Ford Models. You can find information about the latest music on Noisevox and Volcast. You can watch motorsports and automotive videos on GT and Live Sockets. You can also watch Internet TV webisodes on KoldCast, Revision 3 and Blip.tv.

VIZIO Internet Apps also include free games and apps that you can use to access your Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts. However, there's a limit to how many apps you can install on your VIZIO Internet connected HDTV. There are so many great apps, you'll run out of room very quickly. Unless you're a gaming or social networking addict, you might want to skip these apps. Most VIZIO HDTVs also come with HDMI, RGA and S-Video inputs so that you can easily connect your computer to your TV for gaming and social networking. Hulu Plus and Blockbuster on Demand do not have apps for VIZIO HDTVs as yet, but they are coming soon.

For more information on this topic, read How to Change the Aspect Ratio on a VIZIO HDTV and Best Private Channels for the Roku Digital Video Player.

Sources:

"Discover VIZIO Internet Apps." VIZIO.com