XfinityInstantTV
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Comcast quietly introduces Xfinity Instant TV streaming beta
Cord cutters can already choose from a variety of internet TV companies for skinny bundles, including Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, Hulu, DirecTV Now and any we may have forgotten. Soon some of them will have an option from an unexpected challenger: Comcast. Predictably, its IPTV effort is only available to Comcast internet customers "in select areas," but the Xfinity Instant TV Beta will allow viewing on PCs, tablets, phones or via Roku. Variety highlighted the rollout, although Comcast isn't saying exactly where it's available so far -- there have been tests running for a couple of years around Boston and Chicago -- just that customers can sign in and watch via the Stream app.
Comcast could chase cord-cutters with 'Xfinity Instant TV'
For years we've seen Comcast preparing to distribute video like an internet service instead of traditional cable methods, and now there's word it will roll the project out widely. While recent rumors indicated Comcast has signed deals preparing to compete with other video services nationwide, Reuters says that "Xfinity Instant TV" will only be available for Comcast internet customers when it launches later this year. It's an expanded version of what we already know as Comcast Stream, the $15 per month cloud DVR-equipped package it's been testing in a few areas since 2015. In something that's probably not a coincidence, it launched the same month Comcast announced that for the first time ever it had more customers subscribing to internet service than TV.
