Comcast CEO Brian Roberts just hit the stage at The Cable Show and displayed the company's prototype iPad app, the Xfinity Remote. At least so far it doesn't appear to let you stream television programs directly to Apple's media consumption device, but it does let you turn it into a TV guide browser and remote for your set-top box that outpaces even its already released iPhone prog. They pulled in G4's Kevin Pereira for the quick video demo (embedded after the break) highlighting not only the remote DVR scheduling but also a social feature that lets you invite friends to watch live TV with you -- as long as they have Comcast, and the app, and an iPad. Of course, the innovation we'd like to see is a new UI for our cable boxes like the one shown on the iPad... or the one we saw a few years ago. So far the reaction to Facebook and Twitter chat on the screen via widgets has been mild at best, but social tie-ins to another screen could be just what our Real Housewives of New York viewing parties need.
@IshimaruKenta Actually, I tend to believe he knows what he's talking about for the most part (and I am often a harsh critic). Regardless of the format of G4, he does seem to have some credibility as a technology analyst.
@horizontaleight Kevin (as well as AOTS) may still be awesome, but it's nonetheless overshadowed by the many stupid, irrelevant shows that air on that channel.
@IshimaruKenta I watch aots and x-play, and effin science looks pretty cool which should start up in June. Better question is who doesn't watch G4 during E3?
@IshimaruKenta I watch AOTS all the time, and follow Kevin on twitter and he seems genuinely smart and interested in technology. Something you have yet to demonstrate. Stop trolling.
@aschettler i know, i have it on my iPhone. i just wish that it would let you know how much space is left and offer streaming like the AT&T U-Verse App
Are any other Scientific Atlanta/Cisco SARA users extremely pissed about the lack of support for all these new wizbang features? I am going to be even more pissed to find out that my area (Moorestown in southern New Jersery a mere 14 miles from the Comcast HQ in Philadelphia) is the only area that has not be ported over to the Motorola iGuide.
and yes, I realize that wishing for iGuide is like asking nicely for a junk punch, but SARA is that bad.
@jaradFromSubway I'm in NH, and I think we're still using the cable boxes with the sliding widget. These asshats will never get around to upgrading our area.
Yes they need an Android app but first they need to redo there box interfaces. The GUI interface on my first digital cable box from att back in 1999 looked better!!!
This is what I imagined more for a device like the iPad... a home remote control device. Control the tv, stereo, appliances, burglar alarm, lighting, etc.... it damn sure isn't something you'd sit in your lap and watch a 2 hour movie.
This app is a cool concept, btw. I hope it gets legs.
The Comcast guide is frequently wrong where I live. To Comcast corporate I say congratulations! After many long years and overworked employees this is the kind of company created by endless customer service surveys and totally nonexistent interdepartmental communication. Great job Brian Roberts, great job!
Brian Roberts, CEO Comcast Corporate Office 1500 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-286-8960 brian_roberts@comcast.com
Nah, just that everytime there is a service problem out here we have to call corporate to get it fixed correctly. Thought I would pass on that info to random passersby's. Also other stuff which I can't say on a forum or I will get sued by Comcast.
@dicobalt I have a season pass for The Daily Show and Colbert Report, and every Monday afternoon, they have 2 replays from the previous week with no description, so it always records them both twice. You'd think they'd notice since it happens every freakin week, but no. I'm pretty sure it's Comcasts fault and not TiVos though, because Comcast is the one that supplies the listing info. I don't usually see any errors besides that, though I do wish shows would start and end exactly at the time they're supposed to. Sure I can have the recording start or end a minute or two late, but then it won't let me record two shows at once because the recordings from the previous hour overlaps, which is why we need more than 2 tuners!
@engadgetcomexcludeengadget Actually, Comcast doesn't supply the guide data. That comes from Rovi, formerly TV Guide, who actually produces the guide application that runs on the Motorola boxes. Rovi has a server in each head end that streams the guide data to the boxes.
Yea this is part of my problem with Comcast. They don't actually DO anything themselves. It is outsourcing gone mad combined with franchising. It's a business model recipe for severely bad service. Hence the reason why Comcast was voted worst company in America by The Consumerist.
@dicobalt I think part of the reason that they don't move to a new guide interface is partially because then they WOULD have to start doing a lot of stuff themselves. New interface means not supported by TV Guide, means guide info stream goes away, means a whole new system to collect and aggregate that data, means a ton of new employees to design/manage such a system. I definitely agree, the current iGuide is completely outdated compared to what we COULD have. I understand Comcast's reasons for remaining with such a platform (support for old STB models, especially) and can't really fault them for not moving away from it right now, given how many customers are bleeding away. It's logistically extremely difficult to do, not to mention insanely expensive.
Though that doesn't stop me from wanting a newer, higher-res, more functional guide application on my box.
@d0mth0ma5 Yeah, but you can't use any of those other apps when you're using it as a remote.
"Hey honey, I know you're trying to read a book, but I need to turn the channel." "Oh, I think I left the iPad upstairs in the bedroom". "Hey Junior, can you stop playing your game on the iPad so I can set up this movie to record."
People are just trying way too hard to make this thing magical. I've got a buddy who has a brand new 55-inch tv in his bedroom and he was bragging about how he lays in bed and watches movies on his iPad.
@soooted You're right, dude; an 8- by 10-inch, one and a half pound tv remote control is absolutely brilliant. I'm just jealous that my stupid ass didn't think of it.
im glad comcast is spending their time making ipad apps and so many other non helpful things. its not like they need to work on their crappy dvrs that are light years behind all of the other providers.
This might sound like a really small niche feature to request, but how awesome would it be if smartphones started getting IR LED's in the top portion of them? So that apps could use the native hardware to send IR messages to any household device that uses an IR remote? The idea of using a capacitive touchscreen phone as a universal remote is kinda neat, especially when an app shouldn't cost much without the need for additional hardware, which defeats the purpose IMO anyway. It would also beat dedicated universal remotes, because they cost way more than a friggin remote ever should.
This is actually kind of interesting. Everyone was all geeked out over the samsung c9000 touchscreen remote from CES show, but this could be so much better. Too bad I'm stuck with Time Warner.
So... maybe we don't need the new FCC AllVid gateway?
If they can do this on an iPad, can I use it with my Tivo (or my Windows Media Center PC, or anything with a cable card)? Supposedly you can browse through the VOD library and start watching something by selecting it with the iPad. So... can I do that and then watch that VOD show on my Tivo?
As I understand it this app talks over the internet to the Comcast head end equipment. Then from there to an EBIF application on the STB. Now the Tivo has the downstream modem to receive such things right? Right? It just doesn't have the upstream?
Similarly, if you can pick an SDV channel off the screen using this, couldn't a Tivo just send the same IP message to the Comcast head end equipment over the internet and change the channel without needing a tuning adapter? Could it?
@Fanfoot BTW Glenn Britt of Time Warner says that "all the big cable companies" are working on this, with Apple, and will all have this within a few months:
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
posted May 12th 2010 3:24PM
Why do people still watch G4? And Kevin Pereira is a gigantic tool.
@IshimaruKenta Actually, I tend to believe he knows what he's talking about for the most part (and I am often a harsh critic). Regardless of the format of G4, he does seem to have some credibility as a technology analyst.
@IshimaruKenta
Do they still have Kat?
She was hawt.
@DoctarPeppar
they have Olivia Munn still... shes pretty hot
@horizontaleight Kevin (as well as AOTS) may still be awesome, but it's nonetheless overshadowed by the many stupid, irrelevant shows that air on that channel.
@IshimaruKenta I watch aots and x-play, and effin science looks pretty cool which should start up in June. Better question is who doesn't watch G4 during E3?
@engadgetcomexcludeengadget AOTS is a lame excuse of an attempt at the screensavers of yore. And it doesn't help that Kevin is a gigantic tool.
@IshimaruKenta I watch AOTS all the time, and follow Kevin on twitter and he seems genuinely smart and interested in technology. Something you have yet to demonstrate. Stop trolling.
Now all we need is a new DirecTV iPad/ iPhone app
@Stevenk Fuck yes.
@Stevenk They DO exist. (Maybe not "Made for iPad" yet, but they do exist).
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/mobile_apps
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/directv/dvr_scheduler
@aschettler i know, i have it on my iPhone. i just wish that it would let you know how much space is left and offer streaming like the AT&T U-Verse App
Knowing Comcast this will never be released. ugh..
Are any other Scientific Atlanta/Cisco SARA users extremely pissed about the lack of support for all these new wizbang features? I am going to be even more pissed to find out that my area (Moorestown in southern New Jersery a mere 14 miles from the Comcast HQ in Philadelphia) is the only area that has not be ported over to the Motorola iGuide.
and yes, I realize that wishing for iGuide is like asking nicely for a junk punch, but SARA is that bad.
@jaradFromSubway I'm in NH, and I think we're still using the cable boxes with the sliding widget. These asshats will never get around to upgrading our area.
I just wish they would start working on an android app
Yes they need an Android app but first they need to redo there box interfaces. The GUI interface on my first digital cable box from att back in 1999 looked better!!!
@crazy8tes
I totally agree. They should work on GUI that displays correctly on a HDTV
This is what I imagined more for a device like the iPad... a home remote control device. Control the tv, stereo, appliances, burglar alarm, lighting, etc.... it damn sure isn't something you'd sit in your lap and watch a 2 hour movie.
This app is a cool concept, btw. I hope it gets legs.
The Comcast guide is frequently wrong where I live. To Comcast corporate I say congratulations! After many long years and overworked employees this is the kind of company created by endless customer service surveys and totally nonexistent interdepartmental communication. Great job Brian Roberts, great job!
Brian Roberts, CEO
Comcast Corporate Office
1500 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-286-8960
brian_roberts@comcast.com
@dicobalt
Useless stalker is useless, what is his house address and license plate number?
@dicobalt
that's no longer their address, since their new HQ was built at 17th & JFK Blvd. Nice try though.
@Professor Hubert J Farnsworth
Nah, just that everytime there is a service problem out here we have to call corporate to get it fixed correctly. Thought I would pass on that info to random passersby's. Also other stuff which I can't say on a forum or I will get sued by Comcast.
@dicobalt I have a season pass for The Daily Show and Colbert Report, and every Monday afternoon, they have 2 replays from the previous week with no description, so it always records them both twice. You'd think they'd notice since it happens every freakin week, but no. I'm pretty sure it's Comcasts fault and not TiVos though, because Comcast is the one that supplies the listing info. I don't usually see any errors besides that, though I do wish shows would start and end exactly at the time they're supposed to. Sure I can have the recording start or end a minute or two late, but then it won't let me record two shows at once because the recordings from the previous hour overlaps, which is why we need more than 2 tuners!
@engadgetcomexcludeengadget Actually, Comcast doesn't supply the guide data. That comes from Rovi, formerly TV Guide, who actually produces the guide application that runs on the Motorola boxes. Rovi has a server in each head end that streams the guide data to the boxes.
@Ignem
Yea this is part of my problem with Comcast. They don't actually DO anything themselves. It is outsourcing gone mad combined with franchising. It's a business model recipe for severely bad service. Hence the reason why Comcast was voted worst company in America by The Consumerist.
http://consumerist.com/2010/04/congratulations-comcast-youre-the-worst-company-in-america.html
@dicobalt I think part of the reason that they don't move to a new guide interface is partially because then they WOULD have to start doing a lot of stuff themselves. New interface means not supported by TV Guide, means guide info stream goes away, means a whole new system to collect and aggregate that data, means a ton of new employees to design/manage such a system. I definitely agree, the current iGuide is completely outdated compared to what we COULD have. I understand Comcast's reasons for remaining with such a platform (support for old STB models, especially) and can't really fault them for not moving away from it right now, given how many customers are bleeding away. It's logistically extremely difficult to do, not to mention insanely expensive.
Though that doesn't stop me from wanting a newer, higher-res, more functional guide application on my box.
Comcast: bringing you features you won't/can't use while ignoring features you need@want (e.g. new UI...
Ummm...yeah, a $600 remote control that requires 2 hands to operate. Seriously?
@GMoney749 You're right, because once this is downloaded it doesn't let you use any of the other apps.
@d0mth0ma5 Yeah, but you can't use any of those other apps when you're using it as a remote.
"Hey honey, I know you're trying to read a book, but I need to turn the channel." "Oh, I think I left the iPad upstairs in the bedroom". "Hey Junior, can you stop playing your game on the iPad so I can set up this movie to record."
People are just trying way too hard to make this thing magical. I've got a buddy who has a brand new 55-inch tv in his bedroom and he was bragging about how he lays in bed and watches movies on his iPad.
@GMoney749
Dumbest argument ever. Every time a new app comes out you hear the same "great, a $600 (insert app function)"...Show some creativity.
@soooted You're right, dude; an 8- by 10-inch, one and a half pound tv remote control is absolutely brilliant. I'm just jealous that my stupid ass didn't think of it.
Awesome, so to make watching cable a remotely user-centric activity, all I have to do is buy a $500 remote. Thanks Comcast!
I'm still waiting for the G.D. remote DVR scheduling to "roll out" to my area. Seriously, WTF already.
yet again another apple story on exclude apple feed...this is hilarious.
@pappla Or a Comcast story, or a DVR story, or a remote story. Thanks for the heads up though, I'll add the apple tag.
@RichardLawler
Comcast Xfinity iPad remote
comcast xfail. No streaming no dice man!!!
im glad comcast is spending their time making ipad apps and so many other non helpful things. its not like they need to work on their crappy dvrs that are light years behind all of the other providers.
Hey Kevin if you're reading this, you owe me some freaken swag still from when you were a PA.
This might sound like a really small niche feature to request, but how awesome would it be if smartphones started getting IR LED's in the top portion of them? So that apps could use the native hardware to send IR messages to any household device that uses an IR remote? The idea of using a capacitive touchscreen phone as a universal remote is kinda neat, especially when an app shouldn't cost much without the need for additional hardware, which defeats the purpose IMO anyway. It would also beat dedicated universal remotes, because they cost way more than a friggin remote ever should.
This is actually kind of interesting. Everyone was all geeked out over the samsung c9000 touchscreen remote from CES show, but this could be so much better. Too bad I'm stuck with Time Warner.
@Bamboo
It's just because it's demoed on an ipad. If this was done on an Android driven slate most of these people would be singing praises.
So... maybe we don't need the new FCC AllVid gateway?
If they can do this on an iPad, can I use it with my Tivo (or my Windows Media Center PC, or anything with a cable card)? Supposedly you can browse through the VOD library and start watching something by selecting it with the iPad. So... can I do that and then watch that VOD show on my Tivo?
As I understand it this app talks over the internet to the Comcast head end equipment. Then from there to an EBIF application on the STB. Now the Tivo has the downstream modem to receive such things right? Right? It just doesn't have the upstream?
Similarly, if you can pick an SDV channel off the screen using this, couldn't a Tivo just send the same IP message to the Comcast head end equipment over the internet and change the channel without needing a tuning adapter? Could it?
@Fanfoot BTW Glenn Britt of Time Warner says that "all the big cable companies" are working on this, with Apple, and will all have this within a few months:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEamVTEY7ik
Now all we need is a new DirecTV iPad/ iPhone app
yeah, there are so many ipad apps online, but seems are too gerneral, such this: http://www.ifunia.com/ipad-column/top-10-best-free-ipad-apps.html
all we need is more practical or interesting!
Very cool. I wish there was something like this for Media Center or if Comcast had a good UI for a DVR.
UPDATE:
Comcast want's to try to get this working with their low cost DTA's as well.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/452616-Cable_Show_2010_Comcast_Wants_To_Bring_Xfinity_Remote_To_DTAs.php
Okay ATT. We are a little behind. Now, just roll out FTTP for all U-Verse customers, enable 3D broadcasts, and make the iPhone app ACTUALLY USEFUL!!
At least the latest incarnation will have the ability to watch recorded shows on our iPhone. If they EVER release it!