Comcast Launching A New $15 Internet TV Service Called Stream

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What do you guys think about forking over $15 a month for Comcast's streaming TV service?

Comcast is launching a new streaming cable TV service, called Stream, that will let Xfinity internet customers pay $15 a month on top of their internet bill to watch shows from around a dozen networks on tablet, laptop, and smartphone. Stream is launching in beta form first in Boston at the end of the summer, before moving to Chicago and Seattle before the end of the year.
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Sounds like they're finally coming to a realization. It'll be a bold move Cotton, let's see if they can pull it off.
 
I think the fact that it will only allow you to watch stuff while on your home wifi network makes it stupid and pointless, exactly what I would expect from Comcast.

If you were wondering why hell hadn't frozen over with this news, now you know.
 
Kueller said:
I think the fact that it will only allow you to watch stuff while on your home wifi network makes it stupid and pointless, exactly what I would expect from Comcast.

If you were wondering why hell hadn't frozen over with this news, now you know.
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It allows access to mobile devices... More and more people are using tablets as media consumption devices. I can totally see kids getting a laptop or tablet instead of a TV for their room...

Could be a first step, the next would be to implement the data caps they have been toying with for a few years... then 3rd is to proudly announce all their streaming options don't count against said caps.
 
Honestly I've been wondering who was going to be the first to do this. Let the race to bring pure digital / streaming tv to the internet begin.
 
Toss in local channels and DVR and I'd be in.

Psuedo DVR systems work well from what I can tell.
 
Jf this "service" would finally allow ala carte viewing for a set price, I'd be in it.:D
 
You can always use a VPN to get around it.. I am sure they will have some place-cards to allow to detect but I am sure they will be some ways around it :)
 
to charge extra when you already have cable with them is absurd imo.. but on the other hand if comcast allows us to cancel cable and just use streaming then id go for that. give me basic cable over streaming id take it..
 
TechLarry said:
Toss in local channels and DVR and I'd be in.

Psuedo DVR systems work well from what I can tell.
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We rarely watch TV live, so unless there is some type of built in DVR functionality and the ability to fast forward through the commercials, this would be worthless to me.
 
dandirk said:
It allows access to mobile devices... More and more people are using tablets as media consumption devices. I can totally see kids getting a laptop or tablet instead of a TV for their room...

Could be a first step, the next would be to implement the data caps they have been toying with for a few years... then 3rd is to proudly announce all their streaming options don't count against said caps.
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For free? Great new feature.
For $15 a month? I'll just buy a TV and a tablet.
 
Comcast still isnt comfortable with the idea of 100% OnDemand programming and being able to watch it anywhere, but they're learning.
 
Kueller said:
For free? Great new feature.
For $15 a month? I'll just buy a TV and a tablet.
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If you already have cable, this isn't for you. they're trying to grab $15 from regretful or newly transitioned cord cutters. If they offered networks that show popular sporting events, I would bet this pays off.
 
It's called Stream because it belongs in the toilet. I don't doubt they will slowly raise the price of the service like they do for everything else. So far the selection is pretty bad. On demand with no commercials and I'd be all in. As it is now their On Demand system forces you to sit through commercials so I just don't use it.
 
Awesome, I love comcast they are being so nice by giving me an additional service for just the low price of $15 on top of my grossly overpriced broadband. Oh comcast your just so generous and kind.
 
kingsleytim said:
Awesome, I love comcast they are being so nice by giving me an additional service for just the low price of $15 on top of my grossly overpriced broadband. Oh comcast your just so generous and kind.
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I may cry tears of unbridled joy when Google Fiber is finally available in my building, later this year. Will be a tough call whether the joy will be more for GF or canceling Comcast.
 
Cool story Comcast. Not like if I'm subscribed to HBO that I get hbogo included or anything like that... why not sell access to shit I already paid for?
 
Skripka said:
And note how it is only very select markets, otherwise you're locked out. Typical cable carrier jackassery.
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It's a trial program. They start in one place, roll out to a couple of more...work out the bugs and move on from there. Comcast sucks, but that's a responsible way to handle this.

Personally, I don't get the point of paying 5 bucks for locals (when I was with Comcast, HBO Go was 10 bucks), but it's not a horrible deal. The biggest problem is that it only works on their network...it's also not clear if the HBO is HBO Go/Now or if it's just some Comcast version. If it's the latter, then the entire thing sucks.
 
Sounds like they really put a lot of thought into naming this streaming service. :rolleyes:
 
TechLarry said:
Toss in local channels and DVR and I'd be in.

Psuedo DVR systems work well from what I can tell.
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There point in this, but give them a option to watch it later should solve the problem after show has been air kind like on OnD works
 
Kueller said:
I think the fact that it will only allow you to watch stuff while on your home wifi network makes it stupid and pointless, exactly what I would expect from Comcast.

If you were wondering why hell hadn't frozen over with this news, now you know.
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You could always setup a VPN server on your LAN.
 
They basically had this functionality for almost all their first tier content but I noticed a while ago they drained content out of that system.

So they are going to may you pay for an inferior version of something that they use to offer as part of the base service. I am not surprised.
 
There is only 2 things I want comcasts and every other ISP to do

1. raise speeds while lowering the cost

2. Pick either being a content provider or a service provider and stick with that one thing.

Tired of them having their cake and eating it to while serving shit to everyone else. Anything else is just trying to find a way to get us to pay for something we have already been getting for free for years.
 
Those of us in the south will still have a 300GB monthly cap no matter tier we are on.
 
As more and more content becomes available online, there is less and less reason for paying cable companies for content. What they still can provide however, is access to live network television (because most people can't get decent digital OTA signals) and an expansion of their in demand capabilities into cheap a la carte TV. Sadly they continue to offer neither. Oh you want local only basic channels? Sorry, we only offer super duper TV bundles 1 through three. The cheapest bundle starts at $80 a month.

Good start, but they still aren't knocking it out of the park (just like play station vue, sling box, etc.)
 
nilepez said:
I doubt that. If they offer it, you'll get AT LEAST 1TB, and for this plan it might be 2TB.
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Nope. It will still be 300. It looks like they are treating it like they did Xbox 360 users who used it as a cable box, not counted against your cap as it's on a 'managed' network. In other words, it will be on it's own VLAN, and will probably require you to use their router for it to work, so using a VPN is likely out too.
 
Ryokurin said:
Nope. It will still be 300. It looks like they are treating it like they did Xbox 360 users who used it as a cable box, not counted against your cap as it's on a 'managed' network. In other words, it will be on it's own VLAN, and will probably require you to use their router for it to work, so using a VPN is likely out too.
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I'm not familiar with the Xbox. Are you saying that they're caching most of the web and that part doesn't count against your cap?

Unless it's all on their network, you're never going to get much from this...and frankly, if it's all on their network, I suspect this is even cheaper for them to provide, since everything will be cached internally.
 
nilepez said:
I'm not familiar with the Xbox. Are you saying that they're caching most of the web and that part doesn't count against your cap?

Unless it's all on their network, you're never going to get much from this...and frankly, if it's all on their network, I suspect this is even cheaper for them to provide, since everything will be cached internally.
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Bah...just realized this is the video thread. That makes total since now. It's not a bad deal, if you can't get locals using a hanger or some other UHF antenna.
 
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