#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER HOW TO#
#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER MOVIE#
#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER UPDATE#
#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER ANDROID#
#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER BLUETOOTH#

#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER BLUETOOTH#

Since the Co-Star has an IR receiver as well as a Bluetooth receiver, and is always listening for both IR and Bluetooth, Vizio says it can be used with an existing universal IR remote at any time-though at the sacrifice of the touchpad, which will reduce usability of web browsing and other apps. A ridged area on the right side of the touchpad is used to scroll up and down a Web page or grid guide. The touchpad works similarly to a laptop computer touchpad. It can also be set up as a universal remote, using IR to control the rest of your home theater system.

The remote uses Bluetooth to control the Co-Star. If you’ve used a Boxee media streamer remote, you’ve experienced the importance of this little feature. The remote control has gyroscopic technology to determine which side of the remote is up, automatically shutting down the opposite side so you can't inadvertently press buttons. The Vizio Co-Star has a two-sided remote with a QWERTY keyboard on one side, and a touchpad, navigation, playback, and other controls on the other side. If you want to open an app while watching TV, you can use the Picture-in-Picture feature to display the TV programming in a corner while you look up information on the Internet or on IMDB. You can also close apps here if the system seems to be running erratically or slow. Here, you can scroll through a carousel of the open apps that are running in the background. To switch between apps, you can press and hold the “V” button to bring up the Co-Star’s Multi-Tasking Headquarters. Pressing the 'V' button on the remote brings up the App Launcher as a sidebar overlay that shows all of the installed and downloaded apps.Īpps icons can be copied to the top of the App Launcher so you don’t have to scroll through all of your apps to open those you use most. Overall, Vizio's approach to the app home screen (the App Launcher) is better than those on earlier Google TV devices I’ve seen. Google TV has come a long way from the initial multitude of confusing screens on the Logitech Revue. To enable the Google TV to include live TV programs in search results and grid displays, it's important not to skip out of the setup before this step is completed. After I did so, easy, illustrated onscreen instructions guided me through the process of setting up the remote and Google TV to control my Dish Hopper set-top box and A/V receiver.

#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER HOW TO#

The Co-Star setup began with instructions on how to pair its Bluetooth remote control to the box. The sticker indicates that you should connect the Co-Star to a cable/satellite/telco receiver and to a TV using HDMI cables before you connect the power cord. You can’t miss the setup instructions, as they are printed on a sticker covering the Co-Star's inputs. However, Vizio has created unique, user-friendly menus and added Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and M-Go buttons to help out those family members who are intimidated by technology. I find competitors such as Roku or MovieNite easier to use. Google TV is not the simplest way to stream media to your TV.

#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER ANDROID#

Google TV apps not only add games and entertainment content, but some apps add device features like the ability to stream from iPhones, iPads, or Android devices to the TV. As with all Android devices, the Android Market (Google Play) offers apps to download to Google TV. The Co-Star is a standalone Google TV device that uses an Android-for-TV (Google TV) operating system.

#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER MOVIE#

The idea is to be able to search seamlessly for a TV show or movie title without concern about whether it is streaming from the Internet, a streaming app, or your TV provider. Vizio's Co-Star media streamer is among a couple of products (along with Sony’s NSG-GS7) now taking the lead as the Google TV platform inches closer to Google's goal of pulling together content from online, home media libraries, and live TV in a single device. I was excited to try out the first of the new generation of Google TV devices, but found them plagued by a preponderance of blocked content and haphazard navigation. Two years ago, the initial launch of Google TV on the Sony TV and Logitech Revue media streamers was a real disappointment. The review below reflects our assessment of the product as of December 6, 2012.

#VIZIO CO STAR LT STREAM PLAYER UPDATE#

Universal remote with touchpad mouse and QWERTY keyboardĮditor's note: Home Theater's ratings for the Vizio Co-Star media streamer were upgraded following a firmware update that addressed some initial concerns with the user interface and the unit's compatibility with some TV brands.Access live TV and streaming sources in one place.Price: $100 At A Glance: Bluetooth-enabled for pairing with remote control and headphones

Vizio co star lt stream player