Comcast To Stream Netflix On Cable Set-Tops

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You have to wonder exactly how much it took for these two to decide to finally work together. For the past few years both companies have been at each other's throats, so I am a little more than curious as to what it took to make this deal happen.

Comcast and Netflix have reached an agreement to incorporate Netflix into X1, providing seamless access to the great content offered by both companies. We have much work to do before the service will be available to consumers later this year. We'll provide more details at that time
 
Steve said:
You have to wonder exactly how much it took for these two to decide to finally work together. For the past few years both companies have been at each other's throats, so I am a little more than curious as to what it took to make this deal happen.
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Bomber said:
But does this count toward your monthly data allotment?
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anything through the X1 should not be counted for data usage if you happen to live in the few area's comcast still enforces data usage. but who knows, if they do then it'll create public outcry about data usage and those area's will get it lifted. to be honest i didn't know they still enforced that shit still, the caps never been enforced on the west coast as far as i know, they only have a soft cap at 1TB usage per month and usually don't say anything anyways.

DukenukemX said:
Comcast trying to find a use for set-top boxes.
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pretty much, at least now i have an excuse to get it. seemed useless otherwise except the fact that i can't watch spiketv and TNT without it and neither channel i cared about anyways.
 
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Better question is why are people still using set top boxes?

Not only is the Comcast style of delivering content IMO obsolete (tuning in to the middle of the show, and being force to watch commercials even after paying $200 a month), but what happened to cable cards?

We were supposed to see TVs with cable card readers built in, so you wouldn't need a set top box of any kind, along with having built in apps of course for Netflix making that moot as well.
 
Net Neutrality cementing the ISP/Cable Companies to have control over the lion's share of the bandwidth over the hardware infrastructure.
 
Ducman69 said:
Better question is why are people still using set top boxes?

Not only is the Comcast style of delivering content IMO obsolete (tuning in to the middle of the show, and being force to watch commercials even after paying $200 a month), but what happened to cable cards?

We were supposed to see TVs with cable card readers built in, so you wouldn't need a set top box of any kind, along with having built in apps of course for Netflix making that moot as well.
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Look on the back of your cable set-top box and you will see a small little metal flap that may or may not stick out with two screws securing it. There is your cable card. All set-top boxes use cable cards to access the cable networks now days. You can still get cable cards by themselves from all cable providers since it is the law and they have to provide them. (whether you can get them to work is another question)

Unfortunately, the amount of device (Windows Media Center RIP) are almost non-existent anymore that can stream encrypted and premium channels thanks to the strict DRM requirements imposed by CableLabs group to be certified to use a cable card and the fact that you also loose the ability for on-demand and pay-per-view when using a cable card device other than the one provided by your cable provider were two huge nails in their coffin.

But the fact is, now days with streaming media being what it is. The need for a cable cards is just non-existent and that also is the same for set-top boxes as well. The only reasons they are still around is because 1. They get to charge you a rental fee on them and make money. 2. Lock down their cable channels so you can't watch it anywhere but from their provided hardware which goes back to reason 1.
 
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Cool netflix joins the premium stations crowd. Its nearly there already with the pricing.
 
Ducman69 said:
Better question is why are people still using set top boxes?

Not only is the Comcast style of delivering content IMO obsolete (tuning in to the middle of the show, and being force to watch commercials even after paying $200 a month), but what happened to cable cards?

We were supposed to see TVs with cable card readers built in, so you wouldn't need a set top box of any kind, along with having built in apps of course for Netflix making that moot as well.
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Licensing killed cable cards. Aside from a few several year old boxes, you have TIVO and your carriers box as options nowadays. It's fucking pathetic. Fuck cable labs, the FCC tried to break things up and got ignored by the cable lobbyists.

All my channels with Frontier are marked copy once so without an approved decryption software/box (I use WMC still sadly), I can't watch anything with most of the open source softwares.
 
Congratulations, Comcast. Your set top boxes can now do what everything from the free Android phones, to every game console since the Wii, and every other device on the market for the best part of ten years has been doing. So, given that everyone and their dog has a DVD/BR player with Netflix functionality built in, along with all of those other devices, I'm not sure where this fits in? Unless they prioritize the signal unlike everything that uses that Comcast connection. That would be shady as hell but, hey, it IS Comcast.
 
Netflix is notoriously difficult to work with when it comes to integration. In the past they much avoided working with MSOs video platforms.

Hopefully this is a change of things to come. Doubt it though
 
I cancelled Netflix after 4 years. There's nothing worth watching anymore. Amazon Prime is better!
 
Netflix is great for old stuff. I can't believe I am going to admit it here but, the wife and I have been watching Murder She Wrote to relax after the 3 year old goes down.
 
SGTGimpy said:
Look on the back of your cable set-top box and you will see a small little metal flap that may or may not stick out with two screws securing it. There is your cable card.
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I am pleased to say that I have been cable free since I think 2003. However, Comcast still gets $60 a month from me just for internet, so they get the last laugh. :(
 
Not worth it to go cable free unless you can get OTA channels. You can almost get there with Hulu, amazon and Netflix, but not quite. Start adding premiums, maybe sling TV, etc. And you bill is as high as before, no dvr/guide functions, and it's all disjointed.

I tried recently and couldn't justify the difference between internet only at about $100 after fees, to $150 package with ALL channels, 6 tuner DVR, AND all 4 premium channels. So $50 more, when I would have had to add a $15 HBO sub to the $100 just to get started with cord cutting.
 
Getting some calls from Comcast. They want me to sign up for the X1. It's $99 for 2 years. They say there are no equipment monthly fees, but I don't fuckin believe it no matter what they say.
 
Fairly brilliant for the "cord cutters" out there, they think now I can get Netflix, just use the basic cable package that is practically "free" with this level of internet speed, then not realize they'll pay a rental fee on the equipment, a regional sports fee ... just because professional sports are fucking assholes, probably a regional broadcast fee because you know they're losing so much money in commercial revenue, and damnit if you get that DVR you'll end up paying a monthly fee on that too, so for just $38.95 a month* you can watch Netflix through your comcast setup! (*price does not include cost of Netflix membership)
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
anything through the X1 should not be counted for data usage if you happen to live in the few area's comcast still enforces data usage. but who knows, if they do then it'll create public outcry about data usage and those area's will get it lifted.
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No, Comcast has said that THEIR services aren't counted against data caps because it's served through their private network. Internet based apps do count against your data limit. The EA games available through X1 is a good example, or the SlingTV like service they are testing in a few locations, where DSCP (TV) flagged IP content isn't counted, but normal data is.
 
Ryokurin said:
No, Comcast has said that THEIR services aren't counted against data caps because it's served through their private network. Internet based apps do count against your data limit. The EA games available through X1 is a good example, or the SlingTV like service they are testing in a few locations, where DSCP (TV) flagged IP content isn't counted, but normal data is.
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ahh ok, welp that's lame just glad i live in an area that doesn't have data caps then.


sfsuphysics said:
Fairly brilliant for the "cord cutters" out there, they think now I can get Netflix, just use the basic cable package that is practically "free" with this level of internet speed, then not realize they'll pay a rental fee on the equipment, a regional sports fee ... just because professional sports are fucking assholes, probably a regional broadcast fee because you know they're losing so much money in commercial revenue, and damnit if you get that DVR you'll end up paying a monthly fee on that too, so for just $38.95 a month* you can watch Netflix through your comcast setup! (*price does not include cost of Netflix membership)
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meh it's cheaper for me to keep the tv service even though i don't use it than to get rid of it.. would cost me 20 bucks extra a month for not having tv service with comcast vs paying 10 bucks a month for their basic cable service. all this means is now i can get the X1 box for free(i don't need the dvr version, lol) and watch netflix on my tv instead :p win win for me.
 
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sirmonkey1985 said:
meh it's cheaper for me to keep the tv service even though i don't use it than to get rid of it.. would cost me 20 bucks extra a month for not having tv service with comcast vs paying 10 bucks a month for their basic cable service. all this means is now i can get the X1 box for free(i don't need the dvr version, lol) and watch netflix on my tv instead :p win win for me.
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Eh, that's you. For me it would cost $10 extra on the surface for 150Mbps w/ basic cable, plus as I mentioned a rental fee for the box, a regional broadcast fee, a regional sports fee, although the Turing test failed online tech support "guy" told me I could get a free cable box.
 
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