Cox Communications today deployed a new version of its Contour video service, built around Comcast’s X1 video platform, to its customers in San Diego.
The official launch follows successful customer and employee trials of new Contour features including revised user interface, predictive search, mobile apps and the voice-activated remote control. The trials took place in Cox’s San Diego and middle Georgia markets.
Cox says it’s now the first in the United States to license the X1. Shaw Communications in Canada announced earlier this year that it would trial the X1.
Contour includes access to TV apps, second screen viewing for live TV channels and VOD; and a DVR with two terabytes of storages and the ability to record up to six shows at once.
Comcast and Cox confirmed talks about licensing the X1 platform all the way back in January 2014. The push for X1 licensing may have quieted down as Comcast pursued its ultimately failed attempt to acquire Time Warner Cable, but now the operator has signed up two significant licensing partners in 2015.
For its own customers, Comcast has been ramping up the deployment of its X1 customer premise equipment and now estimates the box is out to 25 percent of its subscribers.