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Comcast to show off new Xfinity TV guide with Facebook tie-ins, Intel CPU Thursday (video)


Thanks to one of our readers getting an early install, we've already dug deep into Comcast's next generation Xfinity TV DVR, but on Thursday Brian Roberts will show it off in full (along with "new broadband speeds") at the 2011 NCTA Cable Show . According to the press release the new guide that blends internet content with TV broadcasts will include customizations and sharing tied to Facebook along with hardware built by Pace around an Intel CPU -- if anyone needs a suggestion for a service to add after Skype, we're thinking OnLive could be a good fit. The detail we're waiting to hear is when it will be upgrading the pitiful boxes currently available in our neck of the woods, but until then we have another tipster to thank for pointing out a cache of demo videos posted on the portal for initial testers in Georgia. The 17-minute compilation of walkthrough videos is embedded above, just try not to drool too hard over the HD formatted UI.

[Thanks, Cypherstream]




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COMCAST CHAIRMAN AND CEO BRIAN L. ROBERTS TO UNVEIL
NEXT GENERATION TELEVISION EXPERIENCE AND NEW BROADBAND SPEEDS


Comcast Taps Industry Leaders Facebook, Intel Corporation, Pace plc and thePlatform

New Xfinity TV Experience Delivers Advanced Search, Personalization and Interactivity

Philadelphia, PA and Chicago, IL – June 14, 2011 – Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today announced that it is working with leading technology and content providers to deliver the company's next-generation Xfinity® TV experience. This new experience transforms the way consumers watch television with a new guide and user interface that makes the TV screen more interactive, personal and social. Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts will demonstrate this new service and new speeds at the 2011 NCTA show in Chicago on Thursday, June 16 during the General Session that begins at 9 am CT.

Now available in a market trial in Augusta, GA, Xfinity TV brings an entirely new user experience to television that makes it easier to search and select from tens of thousands of choices. Through this experience, customers enjoy:

Fast, intuitive search that lets users find what they want to watch in seconds from thousands of choices on TV, On Demand, on their DVR, or from a selection of additional content.
A more personalized TV experience called MyTV® where users can see and access all of their recordings, favorites and recommendations in one place that reflects their interests, favorite series, sports teams, movies and music.
Interactive apps that are easy to access and enhanced for TV, like traffic and weather, and social apps like Facebook® that let users share and discover what to watch with their friends.

"We've made great progress on providing better tools – first on the web, then on tablets and mobile devices – to make it easier to find what you want to watch, when you want it from thousands of choices. We're excited to bring those advanced capabilities to the TV set to enable a richer, more personalized experience," said Sam Schwartz, President of Comcast Converged Products. "This is a new platform for continuous innovation and new product development. We are just beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible and we look forward to working with industry leaders like these as we continue to evolve what it means to watch TV."

Xfinity TV integrates technology, content and applications from industry leaders including:

Integrating with Facebook to bring social apps to TV, making it easy for people to share their TV experience with friends, wherever they may be.
Intel Corporation provided the Intel® Architecture-based CE SoC for the new set-top boxes, delivering the CPU and graphics performance required for the service's advanced user interface, fast responsive performance and new interactive applications.
Pace plc, a leader in digital TV technology, developed the powerful hybrid set-top box with tru2way and IP capability that enables the new television experience.
thePlatform®, a leading video publishing company wholly owned by Comcast, is bringing its cloud-based video publishing system, mpx, as the content management infrastructure for the service.

This is the first of a series of products made possible by Xcalibur, an advanced application and video platform that uses cloud computing services in the Comcast network to bring new, more innovative television services to consumers, faster.

Mr. Roberts' demonstration will be live streamed on June 16 beginning at 9 am CT/10 am ET at http://2011.thecableshow.com/live and on http://blog.comcast.com/. Video replays will be available on both sites following the June 16th presentation. Demos of this next generation Xfinity TV experience will also be available in the Comcast Cable booth (Booth #1201) at The Cable Show 2011 at McCormick Place in Chicago on June 16th.


About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.
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