It doesn’t seem like much of a story, at first: a giant tech conglomerate has quietly acquired a smaller, newer company that does things kind of like what the big company already does. It’s basically the story of the entire 21st century world of tech in a nutshell. But with every new set of players comes a new set of concerns. [More]
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Why Is Comcast Putting Dish’s Sling TV On Its Cable Box?
By 11.23.16
Comcast’s X1 platform is basically a fancy, cloud-based, internet-connected cable box. It may be able to run all kinds of apps, but at its core, it is the set-top device that Comcast pay-TV subscribers get to watch the TV channels that they pay Comcast for. So if your reaction to the news that it’s going to host a streaming pay-TV competitor directly is, “wait, what?!,” you are not alone. [More]
Why Comcast Is Letting Other Cable Companies Use Its X1 Platform
By 11.11.16
The modern media landscape is a little tricky. Viewers are watching more video than ever, but they’re also watching less TV. In fact, the meaning of “TV” itself, as well as “cable,” is changing constantly. But remarks from a Comcast Cable executive at a conference on Thursday show that the nation’s largest cable company is ready to make money off of you no matter what the future holds. [More]
You Can (Finally) Use The Netflix App On Your Comcast Cable Box
By 11.4.16
The years of enmity, it seems, are well and truly behind us. Comcast and Netflix have decided that from here on out, they are two great tastes that taste great together, and they’re (finally) taking the deal that puts Netflix content on your Comcast cable box nationwide. [More]
You Can (Eventually) Use The Netflix App On Your Comcast Cable Box
By 7.5.16
At long last, Comcast has finally realized what consumers have known for years: Netflix — and its increasing focus on original series, not the cable and broadcast library — isn’t competition. It’s complementary. And so two of the biggest companies in media are about to lay down their metaphorical arms and start working together. [More]
Got A Burning Need To Stream Old Video Games Though Your Cable Box? Comcast And EA Have A Service For You
By 7.14.15
The only two companies ever to win Consumerist’s Worst Company In America award more than once are now teaming up for realsies. Comcast and EA are unveiling a new set-top streaming gaming service together, and it looks like a resounding “meh.” [More]
Comcast’s X1 Platform Might Have “National Known Issue” Stopping It From Actually Working
By 1.7.15
Comcast is really pleased with their Xfinity X1 platform, the set-top app-running digital-tuning computer that is their latest interpretation on the cable box. And it does indeed do some nifty things! But it’s also had some pretty bad, extremely widespread issues. And if what one customer service rep told a customer is true, it seems that far from being something sporadic and unpredictable, the problems with the X1 may instead be known issues that Comcast has yet to fix. [More]
Comcast Introduces Talking TV Guide For Visually Impaired
By 11.12.14
Fifteen months ago, we told you that Comcast was developing a talking version of its TV listings for use by visually impaired subscribers. Today, the company announced that it will be introducing the feature to users on its X1 platform. [More]
Source: Comcast X1 Upgrades Only Being Made Available To New Triple-Play Customers
By 10.10.13
If you’re a paying, longtime Comcast customer who has been thinking of upgrading to the much-touted cloud-based X1 platform, you may have to get in line behind new customers — more precisely, only those new customers who want to subscribe to a Triple-Play cable/Internet/phone bundle. [More]
Worst Company Champs Comcast & EA Team Up To Let You Play Games Through Set-Top Box
By 8.28.13
Two of the most-reviled companies in America — cable colossus Comcast and gaming Goliath Electronic Arts — appear to be working together, presumably to figure out a way to nickel-and-dime customers and then provide them horrible customer service, via a new gaming system that serves up “console-quality” games through Comcast’s set-top boxes. [More]
I Pay $250/Month, Get Useless DVRs, And Comcast Doesn’t Care
By 4.4.13
Adam has Comcast’s fantastic new X1 DVR, but isn’t enjoying it very much. He keeps having to swap out his boxes, and the ones he has don’t work. Our usual stable of contacts, the Comcast Cares team, aren’t able to help him, either. [More]
