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Xfinity customers will get a ton of Winter Olympics content next month
The Olympics offer a unique technical challenge for TV broadcasters and cable companies every few years. With the 2018 Winter Olympics just a few weeks away, Comcast has announced its plans to offer a pretty huge variety of coverage for its Xfinity TV subscribers. While other cable providers get access to the same content from NBC that Comcast does, the company is enabling some solid features and packaging it in ways that are exclusive to Xfinity subscribers.
Comcast brings Jackbox's Party Packs to X1 set-top boxes
Comcast is rolling out some new gaming options for its X1 set-top box users. Multichannel News reports that Jackbox Games has begun to show up on X1 this month with two gaming packages being offered. Jackbox Party Packs 3 and 4 are available for $25 each and include games like Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Fibbage and Monster Seeking Monster.
NBC brings two Winter Olympics preview shows to Netflix
You won't have to stay glued to NBC to watch all of its Winter Olympics coverage -- although it won't necessarily be the coverage you want. The network is offering a two-part PyeongChang preview series, Go For the Gold and Meet Team USA, that will be available on Netflix between January 15th and the end of the Olympics on February 25th. The episodes will explore the American team's athletes and their stories, including well-known competitors like Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White.
TiVo sues Comcast again over alleged patent infringement
Though TiVo and Comcast just wrapped up a round of patent infringement litigation, TiVo's looking for another go. Yesterday, it filed lawsuits in California and Massachusetts alleging that Comcast's X1 set-top boxes are infringing on no less than eight of its patents. "Through decades-long investment in research and development, Rovi has created innovations that delight consumers in their day-to-day entertainment experience. Our commitment to our customers and stockholders compels us to protect these valuable inventions from unlicensed use," TiVo CEO Enrique Rodriguez said in a statement. TiVo was acquired by Rovi in 2016. The merged companies took the more recognizable name TiVo and at joining, they together held over 6,000 patents.
Xfinity's Gigabit router will soon double as a smart home hub
Comcast's Xfinity division has made some forays into the smart home world already: Xfinity Home started out as a home security product, but it now handles a number of common devices like locks, thermostats, lightbulbs and so on. However, the millions of people who subscribe just to Xfinity Internet haven't been able to take advantage of these features; you need to also have an Xfinity Home subscription. That's going to change this year: Comcast just announced that millions of its internet customers will be able to use their Xfinity Gateway routers as smart home automation hubs, free of charge.
Comcast accused of enrolling customers in programs without consent
Subscribe to cable service for long enough and you'll probably run into lousy customer service at some point, whether it's technicians who don't show up on time or phone reps that won't let you cancel. However, Comcast's behavior in Washington might take the cake. The state's Attorney General has filed an amended complaint alleging that Comcast subscribed more than half of its Service Protection Plan customers without consent since the option was first available in 2011. It frequently enrolled customers without even mentioning the plan, according to the lawsuit, but the worst was when it did -- employees reportedly claimed the $6 monthly service was free, and would even sign people up after they'd explicitly refused it.
Pandora's on-demand music service works over your Xfinity cable box
Xfinity X1 users have been able to access the free version of Pandora, but now they're also getting support for both Pandora Premium and Pandora Plus. In an update available now, users will be able to get Pandora music going on X1 just by saying "Pandora" into the X1 voice remote and Premium subscribers can search and play any song, album, station or playlist they wish. To get to a specific song, they'll just have to say something like, "Play 'Santa's Coming for Us' by Sia on Pandora." X1 also now supports Pandora Plus, which lets subscribers listen to stations ad-free with additional skips and replays. The update also includes a simpler sign-in experience and a new display design.
Net neutrality is a double-edged sword for small ISPs
"I have a love-hate relationship with Title II," Tyler Booth told Engadget. Booth is the president of Portland, Oregon-based ISP Stephouse Networks. His company serves more than 1,000 people in a 500 square-mile area, many who wouldn't have broadband access because Comcast often doesn't offer service in rural communities. DSL is available from CenturyLink, but many get unusable speeds because of their distance from the central office. For Booth, classifying broadband as a utility under Title II means he can compete with established providers and his customers get better service as a result. But it also means the government can dictate how he earns a living. "I'm, in principle, for net neutrality and everything it stands for. But when somebody creates regulations that have a direct impact on the costs and finances of my business, I don't really support that."
T-Mobile will launch a TV service in 2018
You'd think that telecoms would want to bail on conventional TV services given how many people are cutting the cord, but don't tell that to T-Mobile. The carrier has revealed that it's launching a TV service in 2018, and that it has acquired Layer3 TV (a company that integrates TV, streaming and social networking) to make this happen. It claims that it can "uncarrier" TV the way it did with wireless service, and has already targeted a few areas it thinks it can fix: it doesn't like the years-long contracts, bloated bundles, outdated tech and poor customer service that are staples of TV service in the US.
Destroying net neutrality will hurt artists and small businesses the most
The internet as we know it could change come December 14th. FCC chairman and former Verizon attorney Ajit Pai is expected to undo net neutrality, and with it the Title II regulations that prevent the likes of Comcast and Verizon from giving certain websites and services priority over others and moving their data faster. The worry is that repealing net neutrality will create an uneven playing field. For you and me, it could mean paying Verizon extra to access Netflix. But, for artists, small-business owners and musicians, it could lead to their work being disadvantaged, silenced or hidden behind a paywall. That type of barricade may stifle creativity and drive more cultural homogeneity. FM radio isn't a viable way to discover new music anymore because many stations have set playlists dictated by a few corporate overlords like iHeartRadio and Townsquare Media. Which is why the internet it is such a powerful tool for discovery. All someone needs is a cellphone and a YouTube account to get their name out there — not years of touring or approval from a panel of celebrity judges on America's Got Talent. It's that type of freedom many critics fear will vanish with Title II.
Comcast’s xFi Advanced Gateway modem is now available nationwide
It's no secret that modems provided by your ISP can leave a lot to be desired. While we generally recommend you use your own hardware when it comes to your internet connection, plenty of people just go with the standard default modem and router. Comcast is making that process just a little bit easier thanks to the xFi Advanced Gateway modem and router. The modem, which the company is billing as the most advanced device it's ever made, made its debut back in May, but starting today it's available in every market that Comcast offers gigabit internet.
Comcast is also interested in buying most of Fox's assets
It's not just Disney interested in snapping up a large chunk of 21st Century Fox. Wall Street Journal tipsters claim not just that Disney has resumed "active talks" to buy most of Fox's movie and TV assets, but that Comcast has entered discussions as well. Apparently, the initial leak of Disney-Fox negotiations prompted a frenzy of interest. Sony and Verizon have reportedly shown interest at the same time, but it's not certain that they're as deeply involved as Comcast and Disney.
What you need to know about net neutrality (before it gets taken away)
You've probably heard of "net neutrality" by now. It's been in the news again as the FCC introduced a proposal last week to reverse regulations put in place in 2015. Yes, we just went over this two years ago, but in two weeks, those regulations could be undone. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to roll back the FCC's current regulations that classify broadband internet as a utility-like tool for communication (like the telephone), categorizing it instead as an information service. This change would lift bans on throttling, blocking and paid prioritization, as well as reduce the amount of data companies would have to report.
The FCC is peddling its net neutrality spin as facts
Last week, the FCC released the final draft of its proposal to roll back net neutrality protections, a plan that the agency will vote on next month. Removing these protections has been a targeted goal of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai since he took the position, and even in the face of immense pushback from both the public and hundreds of companies and organizations, the FCC has moved forward with the plan and is fully expected to approve it in just a couple of weeks. Since its release, the draft proposal has continued to draw intense opposition and now the FCC has released a list of myths vs. facts in regards to the plan. But this list, which poses as an explanatory breakdown of the FCC proposal and is most definitely the agency's attempt at damage control, is nearly as ill-conceived as the plan itself.
TiVo wins one of its patent fights with Comcast
TiVo has good news going into the holiday season: The International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Comcast's X1 set-top boxes violate two of TiVo's patents related to setting recordings from a mobile device. As a result, there's now an import ban on "certain" X1 boxes that violate the patents, but older models won't be affected, Reuters reports. An import ban would mean that offending gadgets that've already been brought into the country can't be sold. This ban could be overturned by the Trump administration during the presidential review period. Bloomberg writes that that sort of thing happening is a pretty rare occurrence.
What to expect from the FCC's net neutrality proposal
Today, senior FCC officials outlined the net neutrality draft proposal that will be released by the commission tomorrow. As has been discussed for months, if the new proposal is accepted by the FCC, broadband internet service will cease being subjected to Title II regulations and will return to an information service classification rather than a telecommunications one. Additionally, the order would fully repeal the FCC regulations allowed by the internet conduct standard put in place in 2015, which let the commission investigate practices like zero-rating schemes -- AT&T's Sponsored Data and Verizon's FreeBee Data 360 setups, for example -- and would get rid of the bright-line rules that prevented internet service providers (ISP) from blocking, throttling or fast-laning certain content.
FCC chairman reveals plan to kill net neutrality
As expected, tomorrow, the FCC will release its plan to undo the net neutrality protections put in place during the Obama administration. Despite plenty of opposition, the FCC and Chairman Ajit Pai will go forward with the proposal, which will be voted on by the commission on December 14th. In a statement released today, Pai said, "Today, I have shared with my colleagues a draft order that would abandon this failed approach and return to the longstanding consensus that served consumers well for decades. Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet."
Comcast, Verizon, and Sony are also after Fox's film and TV units
Talk of Disney eyeing Fox's assets has ignited the interest of more media juggernauts. The new batch of contenders includes Comcast, Verizon, and Sony's entertainment arm, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Comcast's Xfinity app will be available on Sony smart TVs in 2018
It's a strange time in the world of cable television, with more people cutting the cord these days and an ever-increasing amount of internet-enabled devices (like Apple TV and Roku) and smart TVs. Venerable cable companies like Viacom have to to find ways to get their content out to where the viewers actually are. Comcast is in the same boat, which is why it makes sense that the cable business is partnering with Sony to get its Xfinity app on the television-maker's Android-based sets.
Colorado voters really want city-run broadband service
Internet access and quality varies widely depending on where you live in the US. There's a huge rural broadband gap that the FCC, companies like Microsoft and the Trump administration have said they'd like to close in the coming years and as Cleveland's situation shows, service can be drastically different even within the same city. One solution that has been proposed as a fix for spotty or inadequate broadband service is city-run internet, and it's one that Colorado communities are continuing to back.
