Comcast launches Xfinity Instant TV streaming service

[Polycount]

Comcast is looking to break into the Internet-based live TV streaming market with a service of its own.

Xfinity Instant TV will attempt to appeal to the growing cord-cutting audience, individuals who have forsaken their cable boxes (and the pricey contracts that go with them) in favor of flexible streaming television packages.

Comcast's new offering is functionally similar to services like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue in that subscribers will be able to choose from tiered programming packages.

Despite their similarities, Comcast isn't looking to compete directly with these other services -- at least not right now. That's because Instant TV is only available to existing Xfinity Internet customers in certain markets (see the official FAQ for more details on eligibility) whereas Sling TV and PS Vue are available to anyone, regardless of service provider affiliation.

As is the case with traditional cable, Xfinity Instant TV customers will mostly be watching live content as it airs meaning they'll still be subject to commercials. There is an on-demand library but it's limited in comparison to Netflix or Hulu.

The service will also include cloud DVR functionality, allowing subscribers to record up to 20 hours of HD programming.

Xfinity Instant TV's cheapest package -- "Limited Basic" -- will run you about $18 per month. True to its name, the package's channel line-up consists of about a dozen channels including ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS and other popular broadband channels.

If broadband channels aren't to your liking, Xfinity Instant TV also has a few add-on packages to choose from:

• Kids and Family ($10 per month) - Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, MTV, National Geographic Channel, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, NickToons, Universal Kids, TeenNick and TLC.
• Entertainment ($15 per month) - A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, E!, Food Network, FX, FXX, Hallmark Channel, HISTORY, HGTV, Lifetime, OWN, Syfy, TBS, TNT, TV One, USA and VH1.
• Sports and News ($30 per month) - CNBC, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPNU, Fox Business, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, Golf Channel, MSNBC, NBC Sports, NFL Network and Regional Sports Networks based on markets.

Comcast is offering a free 30-day trial for those interested in sampling the service.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/71161-comcast-launches-xfinity-instant-tv-streaming-service.html

 

[dirtyferret]

Comcast....can go to hell. Former Comcast customer.

 

[Polycount]

Comcast....can go to hell. Former Comcast customer.

I think even non Comcast customers might agree with you on this one..

 

[matrix86]

Comcast....can go to hell. Former Comcast customer.

Current Comcast customer......what is everyone talking about with these complaints? I've had them for 2 years now and have had not had a negative experience. When I first got them, my wife left the apartment thinking she would be back before the tech arrived to hook us up (despite me telling her not to leave, lol). He was already leaving when she arrived. He had to move on to his next appointment since he already marked us as not home and marked that he was on his way to another location. He gave her a number to call to get us straight through to customer service. I explained the situation to the lady and she immediately jumped on trying to get another tech out to us. Instead of putting me on hold, she stayed on the phone with me the whole time, making regular chit chat (talking about our holoday plans and christmas shopping) while she attempted to find techs to reroute to our location. Couldn't find one that day but got one out to me the next day......Thanksgiving day. Whenever I moved to a new unit, my connection was moved over flawlessly. I thought I didn't have a hookup so they sent out a tech. Turns out I did have one and it was hidden behind a shelf. I had already set my computer up in another area, so the tech gave me 12ft cable at no cost and used some tape so that the wires ran along the floorboards instead of sticking out into the floor. Any downtime we do have (which has been 2 times) was only down for MAYBE an hour. To me, Comcast has been a great company that has given me great speeds. Maybe I'm just lucky?

 

[penn919]

These guys lied to me about my current plan. They first told me that I could upgrade to their Performance Internet Plan which would total only $5 more than the existing Internet Blast plan I had. The only difference was that I would get basic cable+HBO and access to stream pix. Turns out I was paying over $10 more each month once they added all their garbage fees. I complained, and they explained their was nothing they could do about the added fees, but they agreed to give me a one time $15 credit. I suppose its better than nothing, right?....On the next payment cycle they added exactly $15 to my bill and claimed that it was a pro-rated charge for the previous cycle which made no sense since I was switched to the new plan just ONE DAY before the cycle had ended. Bunch of liars. I can't even switch because there's literally no competing service. Centurylink handles land line telephone service, but they don't offer broadband speeds. Just a 1Mb/s plan for $39.95. No thanks.

***Update***
It turns out Centurylink updated their service plan. I can now get 1.5Mb/s all for an incredible monthly payment of $45....

 

[dirtyferret]

Comcast....can go to hell. Former Comcast customer.

Current Comcast customer......what is everyone talking about with these complaints? I've had them for 2 years now and have had not had a negative experience....

I had them for one year, I've also had Time Warner, DirecTV and Cablevision (aka Optimum).

We have two TV's, one in the bedroom and one in the family room. I called Comcast to set us up upon move in and they send out a tech who sets up our two TVs with Comcast boxes using RCA component cables...barely OK for 2003...unacceptable for 2013 when HDMI cables are cheap and everyone provides free ones. I tell the tech (the installers are all contractors regardless of your cable provider, they don't use employees on single family installs) to set up the cable box with the HDMI cable since my 5.1 dolby set up will only work in stereo with his current set up plus I now have five wires running to my TV instead of just one. He tells me the HDMI ports don't work on these Comcast boxes...

I call comcast to complain and the phone rep tells me they have this new thing with Xfinity boxes that will allow me to have mult room DVR and they will send over a new tech with new boxes. Tech arrives and set ups the new Xfinity boxes...multi-room DVR function never works. I call Comcast to complain and the phone tech tries fixing the issue by re-booting the devices. Doesn't work so now they send out a third guy, an actual comcast employee tech. He flashes the firmware in both Xfinity boxes to finally make them work. He then tells me Comcast is turning into a software company with all these great new features, I reply the software industry has nothing to fear from Comcast.

Then....Comcast ISP

We sign up for 30mbps down 6mbps up and according to speedtest Comcast is delivering those speeds unless it's Friday or Saturday night and you want to watch a movie on Netflix or Amazon. Comcast was throttling them so bad that your stream would buffer every 5-10 minutes. So imagine trying to watch a two hour movie with my in-laws when the movie buffers over a dozen times. Amazon refunded me movie rental fees on several separate occasions without me even contacting them to complain because the stream was so bad. Called Comcast to complain...it's not us it's them...untli Netflix pays off Comcast and then my streaming issues magically go away.

https://www.cnet.com/news/netflix-reaches-streaming-traffic-agreement-with-comcast/