Comcast brings 'frenemy' Netflix into the fold
Comcast aims to keep Netflix customers in the neighborhood by integrating the streaming service into the X1 platform.
What do you call the integration of the leading streaming service into the programming guide of Comcast's X1 cable boxes?
A good strategy. And good beginning.
Starting next week, Comcast's X1 customers here and nationwide will be able to dive into the entire catalogue of Netflix originals, movies and TV shows without leaving the comfortable domain of their cable box home screen. No longer will they have to switch inputs and connect to another device – like a Roku box, a DVD/Blu-ray disc player or a separate "app" on their smart TV – all eyeball whisk-aways that get some users thinking "Who needs that pricey cable service, anyway?"
While not the first pay TV provider to bring Netflix into the fold (DISH Network blended the service into its guide and search engine in December 2014), the X1-Netflix integration has been polished like a fine diamond by the technologists on JFK Blvd, to "give our customers access to all the content they love in a way that has never been done before," said Neil Smit, chief executive officer, Comcast Cable. "Our incredible teams of engineers and designers have come together to create an experience that is not only seamless and intuitive, but also lets viewers search and watch tens of thousands of movies, shows, specials and documentaries with the sound of their voice."
Or if you're sore of throat, by tapping away on the remote – first by going to "On Demand" or "Apps" on the Xfinity home page – then opening the Netflix home screen and menu.
Current X1 and Netflix customers will be prompted to sign in when accessing the service for the first time. New Netflix customers can sign up for membership directly on their cable box. Netflix charges will then show up on their monthly Comcast bill.
As recently demonstrated at the Comcast Lab, serious bucks and time can be saved by the mash-up of Netflix with other Comcast channels and services. A kids flick like "Zootopia" or action movie like "The Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift" that's currently free with a Netflix subscription might cost you lots to rent or buy through Comcast's on-demand/pay-per-view service – an option that also comes up (along with future screenings on pay and basic TV channels) in the availabilities list after you speak or enter the name of the movie. (Voice searching works in Spanish, too, for Comcast's 2.5 million Hispanic customers.) The smart and speedy Comcast search engine also suggests a slew of other "if you like this, you might like that" options – other films and TV shows with the same stars, director, cartoony style or attitude.
Cable cutters and cable-maybes who've migrated to internet-streaming set top boxes from Roku and Amazon Fire also get to search efficiently across services to find the best deal on a movie or TV series. Roku's guide and search engine bring up an especially broad range of options – tapping not only Netflix but also the libraries of Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, Google Play, HBO Go, Vudu, Fandango, Cinema Now, See So and more. While the Apple TV box has a new app called "TV" that searches across its "1600 content providers," the leading subscription services - Netflix and Amazon - are not among its options, oddly. (Netflix is still available on the box, just not integrated in "TV.")
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts is on record as saying that Netflix integration is only the beginning; other streaming services will be brought into the fold of searchables on the X1 guide and platform, which the company expects will be in 50 percent of customer's homes by the end of 2016.