Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Comcast Xfinity Stream App With Live Channels and On-Demand Shows Now Available on Apple TV

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,627
31,012


Comcast today released its long-awaited Xfinity Stream app on the Apple TV, allowing Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K owners who subscribe to Xfinity TV to access live TV shows and on-demand content on their set-top boxes.

comcast-xfinity-app.jpg

According to Comcast, the app supports more than 250 live TV channels and DVR recordings that can be accessed from any device. There are also thousands of movies and shows that can be streamed on demand.

The Apple TV app provides access to the same content that is available through the iPhone and iPad apps, which in turn is identical to what's accessible through the Xfinity box.

Xfinity TV customers can log in with their credentials to access content through the new Apple TV app.

Article Link: Comcast Xfinity Stream App With Live Channels and On-Demand Shows Now Available on Apple TV
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/06/30/apple-tv-comcast-xfinity-stream-app/
HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
Feb 8, 2004
12,275
15,753
Hobe Sound, FL (20 miles north of Palm Beach)
Posted this in the other (Realityck's) thread but it is probably helpful here too...

Some early insights for those interested:
  • unlike several different smart TV app versions of this app, this one DOES include HD channels.
  • those with channels that have become DRM'd such as certain movie channels and select others like Bally Sun and Bally Florida for me will be happy to know that those will play through this app.
  • the app UI seems to be several steps above versions for smart TVs I own from Samsung and TCL. Fast, crisp, seemingly intuitive (so far).
  • certain channels that won't show up in cablecard scans in HDHomeRun Prime do show up here. For example, through this I get Smithsonian Channel HD (channel 1477 where I am).
  • it appears videos that have a DD5.1 soundtrack use it, not downing the audio to stereo only... but still investigating this one. Down in post #68, user enricoclaudio seems to have put this one to bed: NOT 5.1 unfortunately.
  • On demand has a LOT of "free" content. I spot checked a few videos and they look and sound good.
Continuing to test and will add more if I notice anything else interesting relative to TV app versions or things lacking via cablecard alternatives.

Anyone paying for the box lease and not really needing a big DVR might look into this. I don't recall what else the leased box offers but an AppleTV might scratch the itch for basic watching and some level of DVR storage (unclear what it is). Anyone who also owns an AppleTV may want to do some side-by-side comparisons of features to identify what the Xfinity box retains as exclusive vs. this app on AppleTV.

I'm still a big fan of Channels (app) with HDHomeRun devices to own my own gigantic-and-scalable DVR and solid integration of locals and cable channels (and doesn't count against the data cap)... BUT that doesn't deliver:
  • Xfinity on demand (been using Peacock app for that),
  • a few channels I should get but aren't available via cablecard, and
  • any DRM'd channels that I'd have if I leased a box from Xfinity (been using individual apps like Bally Sports for that).
So this does deliver a few nice bonuses and can definitely be a great backup for my own purposes. At the price of free, what's not to like?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Rob1547, bobcomer, anthonymoody and 11 others
T

tmmacops

macrumors regular
Jan 15, 2019
155
249
Realityck said:
I first reported this news in Xfinity Stream app for Apple TV available

I laughed at "Made with love in Philadelphia"

Like all internet traffic on Comcast/Xfinity, it all goes against your data cap unlike the cable modem box receiving TV channels.
Click to expand...
One of the reasons I'm not as excited about it as some. It's cool, but unless Xfinity says, oh as long has you have our Internet and a subscription to cable we'll waive it, it's pretty much useless...
 
P

Pirate!

macrumors regular
Jan 17, 2017
211
369
Good to have the options when traveling with Apple TV. And when I’m too lazy to switch inputs ;)

One reason for the box is 4k content… if there were any :(
 
  • Like
Reactions: Realityck
F

Freeangel1

Suspended
Jan 13, 2020
1,191
1,753
they keep removing channels from our service.

So I suspect I want get any more channels then I have now.

But almost every time a new firmware update is run on our box we lose channels.

Its why I like ROKU
 
Realityck

Realityck

macrumors G4
Nov 9, 2015
10,221
15,326
Silicon Valley, CA
Pirate! said:
Good to have the options when traveling with Apple TV. And when I’m too lazy to switch inputs ;)

One reason for the box is 4k content… if there were any :(
Click to expand...
Comcast/Xfinity doesn't even distribute the 4K boxes usually, it's like a special request. Still this long awaited Xfinity streaming app for tvOS will be very useful for a lot of subscribers. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: anthonymoody, Pirate! and HobeSoundDarryl
HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
Feb 8, 2004
12,275
15,753
Hobe Sound, FL (20 miles north of Palm Beach)
I'm using the latest version of AppleOS available to the public... not the beta... and it seems to be working fine here. I did manage to crash it once since I started testing it. But generally, it seems pretty solid to me. I'm certainly no big fan of Comcast at all... more like necessary evil where the choices for broadband (here) are either Comcast or AT&T. But I mostly see this as a positive for anyone who deals with them. I suspect at least a segment is going to not just get a new AppleTV app for free but basically save the lease fee going forward when they return the Xfinity box and use this instead. Multi-TV households with leased boxes on each TV have an opportunity to save a lot here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pirate!
X

xfusejc

macrumors 6502
Dec 29, 2006
442
467
Never thought I’d see the day. Won’t have to use my cable box anymore if I can access my DVR recordings on the big screen now.
 
S

starman111

macrumors member
Dec 22, 2017
69
153
HobeSoundDarryl said:
Posted this in the other (Realityck's) thread but it is probably helpful here too...

Some early insights for those interested:
  • unlike several different smart TV app versions of this app, this one DOES include HD channels.
  • those with channels that have become DRM'd such as certain movie channels and select others like Bally Sun and Bally Florida for me will be happy to know that those will play through this app.
  • the app UI seems to be several steps above versions for smart TVs I own from Samsung and TCL. Fast, crisp, seemingly intuitive (so far).
  • certain channels that won't show up in cablecard scans in HDHomeRun Prime do show up here. For example, through this I get Smithsonian Channel HD (channel 1477 where I am).
  • it appears videos that have a DD5.1 soundtrack use it, not downing the audio to stereo only... but still investigating this one.
  • On demand has a LOT of "free" content. I spot checked a few videos and they look and sound good.
Continuing to test and will add more if I notice anything else interesting relative to TV app versions or things lacking via cablecard alternatives.

Anyone paying for the box lease and not really needing a big DVR might look into this. I don't recall what else the leased box offers but an AppleTV might scratch the itch for basic watching and some level of DVR storage (unclear what it is). Anyone who also owns an AppleTV may want to do some side-by-side comparisons of features to identify what the Xfinity box retains as exclusive vs. this app on AppleTV.

I'm still a big fan of Channels (app) with HDHomeRun devices to own my own gigantic-and-scalable DVR and solid integration of locals and cable channels (and doesn't count against the data cap)... BUT that doesn't deliver:
  • Xfinity on demand (been using Peacock app for that),
  • a few channels I should get but aren't available via cablecard, and
  • any DRM'd channels that I'd have if I leased a box from Xfinity (been using individual apps like Bally Sports for that).
So this does deliver a few nice bonuses and can definitely be a great backup for my own purposes. At the price of free, what's not to like?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the review. Right now I'm using the Channels app with HD Home Run Prime. It sounds like Xfinity app might be worth trying. I'll give it a shot!
 
Realityck

Realityck

macrumors G4
Nov 9, 2015
10,221
15,326
Silicon Valley, CA
al256 said:
I never thought this would happen. They've had so many years to make this app but chose not to.
Click to expand...
I’m still interested how long the sign in authorization lasts. I added a bookmark in safari for URL authentication with code. Similar apps with limited time permitted before having to resubmit has always been a issue.
 
T

tmmacops

macrumors regular
Jan 15, 2019
155
249
HobeSoundDarryl said:
If you want to identify a very specific, repeatable issue I can replicate on my AppleTV 4K w/15.5.1, I'll see if I have the same problem as you. Just describe it step by step and I'll do the same.
Click to expand...
I open the app, select Live TV, Pick am my channel, select Live or Watch Now, the wheel spins like 5 seconds, and the error pops up stating to “Try Again”. No matter what channel I pick, std, HD, local or national channel.
 
lazyrighteye

lazyrighteye

Contributor
Jan 16, 2002
4,102
6,322
Denver, CO
I happily kicked Xfinity to the curb a few years back.
But I'm confused by why an Xfinity subscriber would also want this app. Better UI?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom