Comcast Xfinity Stream App With Live Channels and On-Demand Shows Now Available on Apple TV
Comcast today released its long-awaited Xfinity Stream app on the Apple TV, allowing Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K owners who subscribe to Xfinity TV to access live TV shows and on-demand content on their set-top boxes.
According to Comcast, the app supports more than 250 live TV channels and DVR recordings that can be accessed from any device. There are also thousands of movies and shows that can be streamed on demand.
The Apple TV app provides access to the same content that is available through the iPhone and iPad apps, which in turn is identical to what's accessible through the Xfinity box.
Xfinity TV customers can log in with their credentials to access content through the new Apple TV app.
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Top Rated Comments
Some early insights for those interested:
* unlike several different smart TV app versions of this app, this one DOES include HD channels.
* those with channels that have become DRM'd such as certain movie channels and select others like Bally Sun and Bally Florida for me will be happy to know that those will play through this app.
* the app UI seems to be several steps above versions for smart TVs I own from Samsung and TCL. Fast, crisp, seemingly intuitive (so far).
* certain channels that won't show up in cablecard scans in HDHomeRun Prime do show up here. For example, through this I get Smithsonian Channel HD (channel 1477 where I am).
* it appears videos that have a DD5.1 soundtrack use it, not downing the audio to stereo only... but still investigating this one. Down in post #68, user enricoclaudio seems to have put this one to bed: NOT 5.1 unfortunately.
* On demand has a LOT of "free" content. I spot checked a few videos and they look and sound good.
Continuing to test and will add more if I notice anything else interesting relative to TV app versions or things lacking via cablecard alternatives.
Anyone paying for the box lease and not really needing a big DVR might look into this. I don't recall what else the leased box offers but an AppleTV might scratch the itch for basic watching and some level of DVR storage (unclear what it is). Anyone who also owns an AppleTV may want to do some side-by-side comparisons of features to identify what the Xfinity box retains as exclusive vs. this app on AppleTV.
I'm still a big fan of Channels (app) with HDHomeRun devices to own my own gigantic-and-scalable DVR and solid integration of locals and cable channels (and doesn't count against the data cap)... BUT that doesn't deliver:
* Xfinity on demand (been using Peacock app for that),
* a few channels I should get but aren't available via cablecard, and
* any DRM'd channels that I'd have if I leased a box from Xfinity (been using individual apps like Bally Sports for that).
So this does deliver a few nice bonuses and can definitely be a great backup for my own purposes. At the price of free, what's not to like?
I laughed at "Made with love in Philadelphia"
Like all internet traffic on Comcast/Xfinity, it all goes against your data cap unlike the cable modem box receiving TV channels.