Back in July, Comcast and Netflix – two companies that haven’t always played nice as the buddiest of buddies − announced they’d inked a deal to incorporate Netflix into X1. Then in September, the cable operator started rolling out a beta program to X1 users across the country. Details were a bit slim on how the whole shebang would work together, but Comcast promised specifics once the service officially launched. Some of that info came on Friday.
The Netflix service will launch on millions of X1 devices across the United States next week, and so X1 subscribers with Netflix passwords will be able to browse and access over the internet Netflix content alongside the live, on-demand, DVR, and web programming included with their Xfinity TV subscription. Of course, the two companies have had their run-ins in the past, including public spats over very sticky net neutrality issues and Netflix’s lobbying efforts aimed at keeping Comcast from acquiring Time Warner Cable – just to name a couple. But now the rhetoric is much more friendly.
“Netflix has been a terrific partner, and 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,” Neil Smit, CEO of Comcast writes in a blog.
For Comcast subscribers, the main benefit of the X1 integration is that it makes their Netflix binge of the likes of “Stranger Things” or “House of Cards” all that easier from the comfort of their couch.
“Our mutual customers will no longer need to change inputs or juggle remotes,” Reed Hastings, Netflix co-Founder and CEO, says. “Now they can seamlessly move between the Netflix app and their cable service, enjoying all the TV shows and movies they love without hassle.”
Fans of voice control will be happy to hear that all they have to say is “Netflix” into the X1 remote to launch the app, which given the growing consumer demand to rule devices simply by speaking to them seems like a good play for both Comcast and Netflix. (More about voice control’s role in driving smart home adoption is available in an article here.)
Additionally, Comcast X1 subs can browse Netflix content right beside the cable op’s other on-demand offerings, which plays in well with the fact that research indicates that consumers expect a far easier content discovery experience than in the past. More on that issue is available in an article here.
