Xfinity TV Streaming Services Review

Xfinity is one of the many, many offshoots of Comcast Corporation, one of the oldest and largest names in telecommunications and media. Comcast markets a wide range of products under the Xfinity brand and, within the past few years, added TV streaming to the list. Today Xfinity services are available in 40 states. As Comcast has expanded its network, access to Xfinity has grown concomitantly. 

Xfinity offers two different TV streaming services. The first, Xfinity x1, is available to all subscribers in the company's coverage area. It combines streaming of hundreds of basic channels with access to a wide library of on-demand titles. Customers can add premium movie, sports, and entertainment channels and DVR capabilities to suit their viewing preferences, but these will add to your subscription price. However, to access all programming and features available with Xfinity x1 and be able to stream on the go, you must be an Xfinity internet service subscriber. Xfinity is all about bundling.

Xfinity x1 offers you a choice of three plans: Limited Basic Choice, which has just 10+ channels included; Preferred, with 220+ channels included; and Premier, with $260+ channels included. Prices vary depending on your location, but for service in the city of Boston, they ranged from $30 to $89 per month, with no long term contract required. Xfinity will sometimes sweeten the deal by offering a VISA card bonus, or something similar. And again, bundling can bring your cost down.

The second service Xfinity offers is Xfinity Flex. Xfinity Flex service is delivered through the Flex Box, a 4K streaming device. The box serves as a hub for other popular streaming services, including Netflix, Tubi, Hulu, and others, allowing you to access all of the channels, titles, and other TV services you already pay for in one convenient place. If you have a lot of apps and find switching between them all the time a nuisance, you may really appreciate how Xfinity Flex streamlines the TV viewing experience. In addition, Xfinity gives you access to Peacock Plus programming when you install the box. The good news is that if you choose Xfinity as your internet service provider, Xfinity Flex is free. The bad news is that if you're not an Xfinity internet service subscriber, you can't get Xfinity Flex. Each customer will have his or her opinion on whether the bundled way Xfinity serves up its features is a good value.

We do have a beef with Xfinity. They simply don't make shopping for a plan easy. It's difficult to find detailed plan comparisons, channel information, and prices on the company's site—particularly their unbundled prices. It's not clear what costs extra—for example DVR service, while available with Xfinity x1, is not included in the base price, and each box you want to install will also fetch its own fee. So if you shop the site, be sure you check the fine print with any deal you are considering.