AnyPlay Brings Live TV to the Tablet
With the proliferation of handheld devices, especially tablets, Comcast continues to develop more ways Xfinity TV customers can watch their favorite shows and movies on their terms. Today, Comcast is offering customers yet another choice as we begin to roll out AnyPlay™, a device which enables live TV on a variety of Internet-enabled displays in the home.
With AnyPlay, you can watch the channels that are included in your linear channel subscription through the Xfinity TV app on the iPad®, and very soon the Motorola Xoom™ tablet. This means that while someone else watches a program in the living room, for example, you can watch another show on your iPad from the backyard deck, kitchen or other places around the home.
Here's how it works...the AnyPlay device works the same as any other set top box in the home, but instead of delivering the incoming channel lineup to a television, AnyPlay delivers the lineup to the Wi-Fi router on the home network. The router then distributes the secure video signal to the iPad or Xoom over your home's wireless network. So as long as your tablet is within range of the home wireless router, you can turn it into another television screen.
Currently, we're making AnyPlay available to Xfinity HD Triple Play customers in areas of Denver and Nashville at no additional charge. If you don't live in Nashville or Denver, don't worry, as we plan to add more markets in the coming months. And while AnyPlay is for around-the-home viewing, the Xfinity TV app offers 8,000 hours of On Demand movies and TV shows that can be watched for free, both inside and outside of the home. Soon, we'll be bringing On Demand content to even more devices, such as the Xbox 360 and Samsung connected TVs. Together with AnyPlay , these are all examples of how we're adding more value to your Xfinity TV experience and giving you more ways to discover and watch the content you love in more places, on more devices.
More information on AnyPlay can be found here.
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Comments (39)
UPDATED NOTICE: The AnyPlay feature is currently unavailable for Apple iPad users. Comcast is working to resolve the issue in the next few days with a fix available in the 1.10.3 version of the XFINITY TV App. This notice will be updated when the new app is available in the Apple iTunes App Store. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our AnyPlay customers.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: XFINITY TV App upgrade required:
If you use AnyPlay to watch live TV on your Apple iPad, you need to upgrade to XFINITY TV App version 1.10.2 now available in the Apple iTunes App Store. If you don't upgrade by May 15, 2012, you will not be able to watch live TV on your iPad. Upgrading the XFINITY TV App is easy and is at no cost. AnyPlay customers with Android devices do not need to take any action.
@wryker, sorry to hear of the issues you reported. First, if you could make sure that you have the latest version of the XFINITY TV app from the Apple Apps Store - the current version is 1.10.2.
Please give us a call at 1-800-XFINITY or 1-888-581-6452 where our specialized team can review your information and start the troubleshooting process.
I have anyplay (in Nashville) however it won't let me access most of our stations nor any "premium" stations and I constantly get this error: "Channel not available; This channel may be part of a Premium package to which you do not subscribe, or it may be airing a Pay-Per-View Program (Error 405)". The stations I'm trying to access (ESPN HD, HBO East digital, HBOHD, etc) and we have all these stations as part of our package!
@Jerad, Our Denver and Nashville customers are providing us great feedback and opportunities for improvements and enhancements as we prepare to go wider with AnyPlay this year.
We should have some public announcements around the 2012 reach of AnyPlay in the next 30 days (including planned locations). Some of those conversations, locations and business plans are still in the process of being finalized. AnyPlay is scheduled to be available in additional markets over the summer. Apologies to all that sometimes the responses here may be a bit vague but I think that many customers will be happy with our roll-out plan and availability of AnyPlay in 2012.
Thanks for your patience and understanding as we work through finalizing our 2012 plans for this product.
@Harvey, If you live in the Nashville or Denver areas and have a supported tablet device running the XFINITY TV app (version 1.10 or later for Apple devices and 1.4 or later for Android devices) plus the required Comcast supplied equipment, AnyPlay will work. Most all Android tablets are now supported.
The required app version can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store or Android Market. You can check the version number of your XFINITY TV app from the app on the app Settings screen.
Additional markets will be announced very soon. If you are in the Denver or Nashville area, give us a call at 888-581-6452 where our specialized team can confirm availability and go over the details. Thanks!
Omg when is this coming to California, I can't wait!!! Please please bring this to Cali soon because I would love to watch our home tv on the iPad, it would solve all the viewing problems in my household.
What is the time frame for AnyPlay functioning on Android devices.
Hello Steve A and thanks for stopping by Comcast Voices. AnyPlay is only available in Nashville and Denver right now. Our Denver and Nashville customers are providing us great feedback and opportunities for improvements and enhancements as we prepare to go wider with AnyPlay this year.
We should have some public announcements around the 2012 reach of AnyPlay in the next 30-45 days (including planned locations). Some of those conversations, locations and business plans are still in the process of being finalized. AnyPlay is scheduled to be available in additional markets over the summer. Apologies to all that sometimes the responses here may be a bit vague but I think that many customers will be happy with our roll-out plan and availability of AnyPlay in 2012.
Thanks for your patience and understanding as we work through finalizing our 2012 plans for this product.
is anyplay available in swansea, ma?
Hello Dave and thanks for your comments and feedback on AnyPlay. Our Denver and Nashville customers are providing us great feedback and opportunities for improvements and enhancements as we prepare to go wider with AnyPlay this year and work to add more of the right features.
PC support for AnyPlay is on our roadmap but we do not have firm deployment plans at this time.
While not live TV, the existing XFINITY TV application supports the "Play Now" feature for On Demand. This allows our customers to watch On Demand content from select networks directly on their iPad. All iPad customers with the XFINITY TV App can access Play Now as well as search for their favorite shows in the TV listings with no restriction on the type of cable box that you may have. More details here from an earlier Comcast Voices post: http://blog.comcast.com/2011/02/xfinity-tv-news-streaming-now-available-on-ipad-app.html
Having multiple users within a household able view different channels simultaneously on different wireless devices is also a roadmap feature. This requires a second generation hardware platform; that is currently planned for next year.
Our current programming rights for AnyPlay only extend to content delivered and viewed within the home. We continue to explore options with our programming providers around rights for streaming video outside of the home on wireless devices.
I'm in the Denver area and currently have AnyPlay and love it. Are there any plans for allowing AnyPlay to work with a Windows 7 PC, or does Comcast offer any other product that allows someone to view digital cable on a PC, even if it needs to be a wired connection? Third-party TV Tuners connected to Comcast digital converters still do not decrypt the encrypted signal, so what you end up getting is just your major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.), some shopping channels, and religious stations (no ESPN, Nick, Disney, HGTV, etc.).
Also, will AnyPlay allow a user to access live TV outside the home through wi-fi anytime in the near future, and also allow multiple users within a household to view different channels simultaneously?
@Dana Adams, thanks for your feedback and questions. Our Denver and Nashville customers are providing us great feedback and opportunities for improvements and enhancements as we prepare to go wider with AnyPlay this year.
We should have some public announcements around the 2012 reach of AnyPlay in the next 30-45 days (including planned locations). Some of those conversations, locations and business plans are still in the process of being finalized. AnyPlay is scheduled to be available in additional markets over the summer. Apologies to all that sometimes the responses here may be a bit vague but I think that many customers will be happy with our roll-out plan and availability of AnyPlay in 2012.
As you mentioned, we often need to change dates and locations to accommodate other projects, specific customer service training and other activities specific to each area. Thanks for your patience and understanding as we work through finalizing our 2012 plans for this product.
I live in Shelburne, Vermont - the tail end of the information super cow path. When people in this forum ask about "when" AnyPlay will be available in their area we're not asking for a promise, just a little hope. We all understand that "plans" change, but you're not even telling us your plans - just saying "additional locations this year".
To put it bluntly, what are the plans for the AnyPlay rollout? Even rough numbers and regions would be a terrific improvement over "additional locations this year."
@Adam, Apologies that our team in the Castle Rock, CO service center was not able to provide more information to you.
More information on AnyPlay can be found here. http://www.xfinity.com/anyplay
Your zip code (80108) is in an area of Colorado where AnyPlay is available now. Give us a call at 888-581-6452 where our specialized team can confirm availability and go over the details. Thanks!
We spent time at a comcast service center in Castle Rock (Denver) today and they had no information on AnyPlay. How do I get a couple of these?
Yes, you probably already do know the answer, but I did enjoy your sense of humor... we do have plans to deliver AnyPlay to additional locations this year. I don't have a date that I can provide just yet for your area of Massachusetts.
While I'm guessing I know the answer, do you have an ETA for Springfield, MA?
@Eddie, we do have plans to deliver AnyPlay to additional locations this year. I don't have a date that I can provide just yet for your area of California.
Hi I was just wondering if you guys have an ETA of when you plan to have AnyPlay service available in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks
@Sean, We do have plans to deliver AnyPlay to additional locations this year. I don't have a date that I can provide just yet for Philadelphia.
Currently available in Nashville and Denver, AnyPlay is offered at no additional charge to customers that have any of our our HD Triple Play packages.
Hello Mr. Clark. We do have plans to deliver AnyPlay to additional locations this year. I don't have a date that I can provide just yet for your area of Florida.
Hello Louie, we do have plans to deliver AnyPlay to additional locations this year. I don't have a date that I can provide just yet for your area of California.
Live in St Augustine, Florida. Zip Code 32086. Anxious to try AnyPlay.
Timeline for availabilty / trial in this area?
Thanks
When will this be avail to test in phila pa? When will it be for people who just have cable and Internet with Comcast?
Hello Darrin and thanks for stopping by Comcast Voices.
Yes, your zip code is in an area of Colorado where AnyPlay is available now.
Give us a call at 888-581-6452 and we can go over the details. Thanks!
Is this service available in Colorado in zipcode 80026?
Just ordered the new iPad and will be sure to put the Xfinity TV app on it Day 1. Look forward to hearing more details on AnyPlay deployment. I'm in Alexandria, Virginia (22305.)
JJ - thanks for your enthusiasm. I don't have a specific date yet for your area, We do plan to add more markets in the coming months.
Can't wait for this in Pittsburgh PA, any idea when??
Hello John and thanks for your question. At this point we have qualified the Motorola XOOM tablet but we will be adding additional tablets soon. Thanks!
Hi,
Do you specifically have to have a Zoom tablet? I have a Toshiba Thrive Tablet with the latest Honeycomb 2.1 Android operating system? Will this tablet be compatible with the anyplay device?
Hello Dan and thanks for stopping by Comcast Voices.
Your zip code is in an area of Colorado where AnyPlay is available now.
Give us a call at 888-581-6452 and we can go over the details. Thanks!
I live in SE Aurora (zip code 80016). Is AnyPlay available here? If not, when do you expect it? Thanks.
Do we have any idea on when Anyplay will be rolled out in California?
Hello Jeff and thanks for your question.
We do have the AnyPlay service currently available to customers in certain areas of Denver and Nashville. If you are in either of those areas, please give us a call at 1-800-COMCAST or let me know...You can contact me here: http://blog.comcast.com/contact_author.html?mailTo=Ted%20Hodgins
Please include your name address and phone number and I can have someone reach out to you. Thanks! We plan to deliver this product to additional areas this year.
More information on AnyPlay can be found here. http://www.xfinity.com/anyplay
Can Comcast provide some direction on how to sign up for this service? I can't find anything on the Comcast Website. Thanks
It doesn't. XFINITY Video services including AnyPlay are not delivered over the public Internet and are not received using XFINITY Internet service.
Does the use of the live video go towards your 250GB Limit?