Vizio is looking to reinvent itself in the eyes of potential corporate partners, said Chief Executive William Wang. "Currently, people have known Vizio as a TV hardware device," Wang told the Business Journal. "It's our goal to make sure we cover not just TVs, but we also help TV content makers, to get their quality content into people's homes … we're helping them by using our SmartCast [TVs] as a distribution system. "So we need to understand media better," said Wang, explaining the new outpost in New York. Consumers who buy a Vizio SmartCast-enabled TV also have access to the company's WatchFree app, unlocking more than 150 channels for free, upon which Vizio then sells advertising. TV Leverage The idea behind the shift in focus is that Vizio has the experience in making TVs, and it's also got the brand recognition. It's No. 2 in the U.S. after Samsung for sales of flat-panel TVs. But Wang and team aren't stopping there.