Cable giant Comcast has released its free Xfinity TV app for both the iPhone and the iPad (we first saw a prototype demo back in May). The app allows you to browse TV listings, including the massive Comcast On Demand library. You can filter shows by genre, network, resolution (SD vs. HD) and more.
It also turns your iPhone or iPad into a remote. The main advantage here is having an on-screen keyboard, because as all cable and satellite users know, typing with a cursor is about as painful as it gets. You can change channels, and even notify friends with Comcast to watch a program at the same time.
There are DVR controls and the ability to program your DVR when you are away from home, which is great. The glaring omission is the inability to stream content directly to the device. Comcast says that will happen in later updates.
Comments on the app store are pretty negative. Some people are having setup problems while others didn’t realize that the app requires digital cable and only works with some of the Comcast set top boxes. Also, for some functions, you still need your Comcast remote. It all seems a bit half-baked but it will probably improve.
The app works on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and requires iOS 3.2 or later. If you’re using it share your experiences in our comments section.
Comcast turns your iPad and iPhone into a sophisticated remote originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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