Despite not being at the show, and never having made a TV during its existence, Apple stole headlines among AV fans at CES 2019 when manufacturers announced they would finally be getting AirPlay 2, HomeKit and (in some cases) built-in iTunes support for their TVs.
If you're an owner of one of the soon-to-be-compatible Vizio TVs that were mentioned, you can make the first steps towards getting your TV ready for the purpose. It's announced that owners can now sign up for the SmartCast 3.0 beta – the software that will allow its owners to take advantage of AirPlay 2 and HomeKit features on its TV sets.
Vizio's beta sign up will eventually bloom into fully-fledged support come the spring time.
Apple attack
Apple's stealthy content take-over of the living room will be further bolstered by LG, Samsung and Sony, each of which will also be adding AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to their screens.
In addition, Samsung will be getting its own dedicated iTunes store app, letting viewers purchase shows, movies and music direct from their TV sets, rather than needing to beam it from a nearby compatible Apple device.
Previously, the Apple TV has been the Cupertino company's primary way of getting its digital store's wares into living rooms, but with only modest success. Opening the platform in this way is a sure-fire tactic for upping its digital content revenues at a time when the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video goes from strength to strength.
- Best TV: the screen to beam iTunes content to in 2019
