Cable provider Comcast has just issued a huge update to its Xfinity TV app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
The update, which brings the app to version 1.5, means users can now stream more than 4,500 hours of TV and movie content on-demand. However, it only works when connected through a Wi-Fi network.
Additionally, only those users with an existing Comcast cable subscription account are able to access the streaming videos.
Another feature added in the update is that Comcast customers can use the app to remotely program and manage recordings on their cable box at home.
All these features were previously available on the iPad version of the app, which has sparked a flurry of requests from users wanting the cable operator to bring the same functionality to the smaller device line.
The app will compete directly with Netflix and Hulu Plus. It’s more analogous to the latter since there’s a larger collection of recently aired TV content, as opposed to Netflix’s stronger focus on legacy content.
As far as cable provider apps, Comcast seems to be the trailblazer. Time Warner Cable, by comparison, only allows streaming of live TV content and only if you’re connected to your Time Warner Cable broadband Wi-Fi connection at home.
The moral of the story here – if you want to watch videos on your iOS devices, you certainly have a lot of options.
