Vizio 8 owners get three free months of Hulu Plus via software update

Vizio’s 8-inch tablet is a bit of a tough sell in a sea of similar competitors, despite its relatively low retail price of $299. But today it’s a little more attractive: a new software update is rolling out that includes three free months of access to Hulu’s premium streaming app, Hulu Plus. That’s in addition to a free month of Netflix, making the Vizio tablet a suddenly attractive alternative for video-hungry Android users.

The 8-inch tablet is a solid piece of tech, but it’s got more than one thing going against it. First, for a little more dough you could get an Asus Transformer or Acer Iconia Tab, both of which run Honeycomb instead of the Vizio’s skinned Gingerbread. And Honeycomb tablets have access to Google apps and the Android Market, which the Vizio tablet sorely lacks. The Vizio tablet still gets access to a wide collection of included apps like the Nook bookstore and any side-loaded apps that users can fit on its 4GB internal storage.
The addition of some free video streaming makes the Vizio tablet about $40-50 higher in a value proposition, assuming that you intend to use the Hulu Plus and Netflix apps. You’ll need to sign up for an account with both services, including a credit card number, before getting access to the trial period. Once the trial is over you’ll be automatically renewed, assuming you don’t cancel your subscriptions. So what do you think – does some free video streaming service change your opinion on Vizio’s Wifi tablet?

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Vizio tablet gets its first OTA update

The Vizio tablet has an OTA upgrade rolling out, and while it's not a version upgrade to Honeycomb it does look to address a few nags we have with the software -- namely the application launch speed and scrolling between screens.  If you have a look at our review, you'll see that the VIA software on the tablet seems slower than we liked, and full of shiny animations that look good but don't really add to the experience that much.  Better scrolling and faster app loading will go a long way towards making the software more tolerable.  Toss in better touchscreen response and even more devices in the IR remote control database (both of which we already found working quite well), and QVGA video support and we won't complain.  If you haven't already got your notice to upgrade, you should see it soon as long as you're connected to Wifi.

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Vizio 8 Inch Android Tablet First of its Kind to Get Hulu Plus

While we’re a bit disappointed that Hulu has yet to bring their services to tablets and Android devices other than phones, we can’t be mad that they’re at least trying. Today, we can scratch the “first tablet with Hulu Plus” milestone off the list as The Vizio 8 inch Android tablet has been added to the list of supported devices. It’s no Honeycomb tablet, but there it is anyway. If you’ve already gotten one of these to go along with your Vizio internet-connected TV (which should also have Hulu Plus) go ahead and grab from the Android market. (Market listing not yet updated to reflect the change.)

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