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Xfinity is the first TV provider to connect to Disney's Movies Anywhere
Movies Anywhere now has its first pay TV partnership. Starting today, Comcast Xfinity TV customers can sync their accounts with the Disney-led movie service. Movies purchased through the Xfinity Digital Store will appear in Movies Anywhere alongside other digital retailers. Xfinity TV subscribers will also be able to watch Movies Anywhere content on its many platforms including Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app.
Comcast brings personalized TV notifications to X1 users
Comcast isn't done improving its X1 cable box. Over the past few months, the company has added a variety of new features to the device, including the ability to record extra-long events and more. Today, Comcast is keeping that trend going by adding notifications support to X1, which will let users receive personalized alerts directly on their TV. Those can be from Evernote, Gmail, Instagram, Jawbone, LinkedIn and "many" others, according to Comcast.But since you definitely don't want notifications to get out of control as you're watching a show, Comcast teamed up with IFTTT, the recipe-based, if-this-then-that web service. This means there's an option to control when you want your screen to be alerted, simply add the Comcast Labs Channel on IFTTT and you're all set. Or, you know, you could choose not to use the feature altogether -- those Instagram "likes" aren't going anywhere.
Comcast app lets Xfinity customers share live streams on TV
It's no secret that people love live-streaming content to anyone who's willing to watch, whatever it may be. So, with this in mind, Comcast is introducing an app that will let its X1 subscribers record and push video streams from their mobile device to a TV in real-time. But there's more to it. The Xfinity Share application, available for iOS and Android, will also allow users to do the same with photos and videos from the camera roll. Better yet, you can share those (plus the livestreams) with other Comcast customers, so long as both the sender and receiver have a DVR-ready X1 set-top box and are subscribed to the Xfinity Triple Play package.
Comcast's X1 remote app gains voice commands on iOS, Android update in the works
A little added interactiveness with living room essentials goes a long way. With that in mind, Comcast today announced it's boosting its iOS X1 remote control with newly minted voice commands, something the company's been working on since earlier this year. Xfinity TV subscribers using the X1 platform will now be able to search for content by (quietly) shouting different vocal orders at the application, including, but not limited to, things like "Record," "Watch Gossip Girl" or "Find the Yankees game." While the new feature is only available on iOS at the moment, Comcast says its devs and engineers are "also working on voice control features for Android phones and for traditional remote controls." The X1 app update doesn't appear to be live just yet, but be sure to keep an eye on the App Store as it should be arriving pretty soon.
Comcast reportedly prepping 305Mbps internet service, aims to put FiOS in its place
Sure, at 300Mbps Verizon's FiOS Quantum is lightning fast -- but reports say that Comcast is prepping a new tier that's just a little faster. According to Broadband Reports sources, Comcast's Neil Smit told employees that the company would be introducing a 305Mbps downstream tier in Verizon FiOS territories "soon," but neglected to mention a strict timetable. Details regarding pricing and data caps are similarly scarce, of course. Comcast has yet to comment on the rumor, but we'll let you know if we hear anything official.
Viewdini hits Play to help find video, if you're on Verizon
A week and change after it announced Viewdini, Verizon has it ensconced in the Google Play store. If you're on Android 2.2 or greater and have a 4G LTE plan, you can install the app at no charge, and start your search by typing in the name of a movie, actor or genre you want to see. The app will scurry off and check net-based providers like Hulu, mSpot and Netflix, along with cozy new chum Comcast's Xfinity, and bring back relevant titles along with their price and availability. Further pawing will reveal critic reviews and ratings, filmographies, related picks and other info -- just keep one eye on that data limit. [Thanks, Artem]
Verizon's Viewdini for Android hunts streaming video on Comcast Xfinity, Hulu and Netflix, strains our 4G
Verizon is clearly looking to make itself the front door for Internet video this year. Bolstering its tie-ins with Color and Redbox, it's now kicking off Viewdini, a carrier-specific Android app that will help you find video across multiple services: along with Internet-only providers like Hulu Plus, mSpot and Netflix, it will sift through the online component of Comcast's Xfinity brand, taking a little bit more advantage of that cross-sales deal coming out of the proposed spectrum handover. Even Verizon's own FiOS video will be late to its own party, coming "soon." Viewdini will only be available for 4G LTE-equipped Android phones and tablets later this month, with "other operating systems" and services due in the future -- given the currently very short list of non-Android 4G devices, we have a few ideas as to where the app might go next. Either way, get ready to collide with bandwidth caps faster than usual if you love what Verizon plans to offer. [Image credit: AllThingsD]
Comcast fires back over Xfinity TV on Xbox 360, says no way, no how it's violating net neutrality
Complaints by Netflix's Reed Hastings and a handful of politicians must have rankled Comcast CTO Tony Werner, as he just posted a particularly detailed explanation of why Comcast believes the Xfinity TV app on the Xbox 360 isn't violating net neutrality. We'd previously heard the argument that the Xfinity app's traffic is simply being routed through Comcast's internal network and isn't the same as the Internet data of Netflix, but Werner now contends that the Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) tags that some think are breaking FCC rules by favoring Xfinity video are really just necessary switches. They're not prioritizing traffic, they're setting it aside, the claim goes. Of course, Hastings and others believe that setting Xfinity video aside is prioritizing, and Comcast's point of view sidesteps the practical reality that watching Netflix, Amazon Instant Video or iTunes will lead you closer to that ever-present 250GB cap while Xfinity doesn't. The FCC during its rulemaking warned against special private services being used as end-runs around neutrality concerns; it's up to the agency to decide whether or not that's true here, or whether Comcast is just offering its usual service in a new way.
Xbox 360 apps now live for Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.tv
Anxiously awaiting the arrival of those brand spanking new apps for your Xbox 360 console? Well, the wait is over. Video apps for Comcast Xfinity TV, HBO Go and MLB.tv have arrived on a number of consoles here at Engadget HQ. Major Nelson dropped the official word a little while ago, leaving you mere moments away from live and on demand television and baseball just in time for the start of the season. Keep in mind all three of these high profile applications feature Kinect integration -- but don't worry, you won't be forced to swing any bats in your living room. If you're looking for more info, details on the HBO Go and MLB.tv offerings await in the PR below.
Comcast to launch Xfinity Streampix streaming video service, challenge Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon (update)
It was only a matter of time, right? The Wall Street Journal reports that Comcast is rolling out a VOD competitor for Amazon, Netflix and Hulu so it can grab a slice of the streaming video pie. Called Xfinity Streampix, it brings shows from NBC and ABC, along with movies from Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Scheduled to launch this Thursday, the service will be rolled in for free with some existing cable packages and available on its own for $4.99 a month. For your five bucks, you get access to a back catalog of shows and movies on any internet-capable device, though, naturally we don't know exactly how much content will be available when it goes live. What we do know is that price point puts Streampix well beneath the $7.99 asking price of its competition, so here's hoping a VOD price war ensues.Update: Check out the official PR after the break for more details, including a list of the content coming to Streampix and Comcast's plans to bring VOD to the Xbox 360 and Android.
Comcast's extra ads ruin NFC championship game conclusion in some areas
It wasn't just RIM that had designs on the limelight during the football action last night. Comcast commercials appeared over the NFC Championship game last night, thoughtfully playing over the climax of the match 'twixt the Giants and the 49ers. Frustrated fans who missed out on parts of the fourth quarter and overtime promptly began voicing dissent on the company's support forums. The Washington Post has a quote from spokesperson Amiee Metrick indicating the problems were due to a possible "equipment failure" at a local Fox affiliate, WTTG, resulting in the ill-timed ads reported in Washington D.C. We've heard that of customers receiving a $10 credit and an apology, but it seems unlikely to soothe the brow of those -- like the person who recorded video of the incident you can see after the break -- thinking of switching to FiOS. Update: We've received a response from Comcast (included after the break), and updated the post to clarify the apparent breakdown was at local Fox affiliate WTTG.[Thanks, John]
Comcast Xfinity remote for iPad does streaming video, we record some for you (video)
If you've got Comcast service and an iOS device, there's no reason you can't download the brand spanking new Xfinity TV DVR remote app right now, but it won't have the software's spiffiest feature -- direct-to-device streaming video. That's set to roll out in either "a couple of weeks" or "by the end of the year," depending on which Comcast representative you ask, and we got to try it for ourselves (along with the rest of the app) at the Web 2.0 Summit this week. Right now the featureset is fairly limited -- you just pick programs from a guide and either watch them, beam them to your TV, or tell your DVR to record -- but what is there was leagues more intuitive than a physical remote and about as responsive as we could hope for. Comcast tells us that Apple itself helped insure the user experience was polished, and it showed in every swipe and tap we made. Find out more and watch the app in action after the break!
