Comcast Expands X1 Cloud DVR Service to Bay Area
Pointing the way to a future without physical DVRs, cable company Comcast is expanding its X1 network DVR cloud access to subscribers in the San Francisco Bay Area. The cloud DVR service allows customers to record four programs at once and watch another using a browser or iOS or Android device, and includes 500GB of online storage. Customers can also stream any of their live channels to a mobile device inside the home.
For X1 users, the cloud DVR will duplicate what's on the set-top box's hard drive, so all content will be stored twice. To stay legal, Comcast is storing each subscriber's cloud recordings separately and only allowing one device to access stored content outside the home at a time. Comcast will eventually transition to DVRs that only use cloud storage. iOS and Android device users will access content with an Xfinity TV app, while those on a computer will visit xfinitytv.comcast.net.
In addition to streaming cloud content, X1 users can sideload recorded shows or movies onto devices for later viewing, a helpful feature for plane trips.
Comcast cable subscribers in the Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, and Washington D.C. markets already have access to the cloud DVR and in-home streaming services. Comcast expects to expand cloud DVR access to most of its X1 customers by the end of 2014.
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