5 things you didn’t know Comcast offered

As I go to holiday parties this year and talk about what I do at work, I keep hearing from people that just aren’t aware of how much Comcast and its services have changed over the last year or two. So I put together a list of the top 5 things people often don’t know we offer…

1. A DVR that doesn’t suck

Comcast is rolling out an entirely new, cloud-based TV experience, called the X1 Platform. It’s built from the ground up to be a more intuitive, visual experience that’s connected to the web the way you’d expect your TV to be in 2012 (now available in the SF Bay Area).

It makes channel-surfing easier keeping track of your last 9 shows visually. Offers episode guides for your shows listing what’s on your DVR, OnDemand, and upcoming on air. Finally it offers a slew of apps (many built by my team) that enable you to do everything from seeing your Facebook photos on the big screen, to checking your commute’s traffic, to listening to Pandora.

2. Remote control using your phone

Whether you’re on your couch or at work, many don’t realize you can use your smartphone or tablet to tune your TV’s channel or record a show. One of these apps, built by my team, aims to solve the problem of thousands of channels but you still can’t find something good to watch.

The What’s On app, in a visual way, shows you what’s trending on TV right now that you might want to watch. Over time we’ll learn what types of shows and channels you like and then tailor the results to you. This week we also added to ability to share with your friends what you’re watching which eventually will improve your results as well.

Finally if you want to control your DVR or browse a grid-based guide, check out the XFINITY TV app for iOS or Android.

3. A Sports Experience built for Fans

Finding what games are on now is a whole lot easier with the Sports App offered for X1 or your iPhone/iPad. It shows you each match-up by league/conference, the current score, airing time, channel etc. From the app you can tune directly or set a recording on DVR.

While the game’s playing keep track of the other games you’re interested in, so you’ll always know when its time to switch channels.

4. Downloadable movies to take with you

Comcast’s already got thousands of TV shows and movies OnDemand (most free) but that doesn’t help you when you’re on the airplane without the Internet… until now.

With the new XFINITY TV Player app you now can download TV shows and movies directly to your iPad/iPhone or Android tablet to watch where ever you want—meaning you’ll no longer have to pay for that in-flight movie again.

And if you’re on WiFi for Verizon LTE you can stream an even larger selection of titles.

5. Access to a large list of direct streaming apps

With you TV subscription comes access to a growing number of mobile streaming apps offered directly by content providers—if you get the channel, you can use the app. My kids love the Disney Jr app to catch up on their Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but here’s just a sample of what’s out there…

       

Finally, gone are the days of waiting around all day for the cable guy to show up. Comcast’s uses a narrower 2 hour window now if the service technician doesn’t make it out the Comcast Guarantee will credit you $20 or a free premium channel for 3 months as a way of showing we messed up. But please let me know if this ever doesn’t work out as I’d hate to see one of my friends not taken care of. 🙂

To wrap up this is really just the start as there’s lots more in the works to make your TV experience even better. Since my team plays a role in the above please let me know what you think.