Couch potatoes get their own Android 8-inch tablet with a built-in universal remote. We try out Vizio's VIA at the CEA Line Show in NY.
Scott Stein
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
The Vizio VIA's slightly curved rear and 8-inch screen give it an easy-to-hold one-hand feel, like a large universal remote.
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The Vizio VIA runs Android's Gingerbread OS, not Honeycomb. The tablet can be turned into either landscape or portrait orientation on one side each, with LED backlit touch buttons below activating in each orientation.
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A side profile. The tablet feels very solid to hold.
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A look at the Micro-HDMI and USB ports.
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The Vizio VIA's remote capabilities work via a built-in IR blaster. There's no ecosystem advantage to using a Vizio TV.
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The back's clean logo and matte-metal finish--very home theater-ish.
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A look at the virtual buttons that appear in the Universal Remote app. Because the tablet has an IR blaster, there's no need for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections to interact with a TV or Blu-ray player.
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The Vizio VIA, with a Vizio TV behind it running Google TV apps.
