Comcast has recently fired back at the Federal Communications Commission for its set-top-box proposal by making its entire TV lineup on Samsung smart TV and Roku devices available for the first time without the need for customers to rent or lease its proprietary box.
In this regard, the cable company unveiled on Wednesday its program that is compatible with any and all device makers to provide the app for a wider audience.
"We remain committed to giving our customers more choice in how, when and where they access their subscription," said Mark Hess, Comcast Cable senior vice president in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
This move of the cable company comes at a time when a heated debate is raging in Washington, D.C. over the merits of a recent initiative from the White House and the FCC that forces cable operators to disconnect their cable TV service from proprietary set-top-boxes which were leased to their customers.
This cable owner-customer arrangement was a necessary evil for subscribers. But with this recent Comcast move, this set up will be a thing of the past. The cable giant will bring its Xfinity app to Samsung TVs and Roku devices as an integral part of this service.
This means Xfinity cable subscribers can take advantage of the cable service without the added cost of renting a Comcast set-top-box. Additionally, if they are still using the Xfinity TV guide, they can enjoy live and on demand TV programming, and may be cloud DVR recording as well.
But the FCC said its "Unlock the Box" program will give customers more choice, with the goal of reducing prices and providing better access to internet video choices. FCC's plan requires open standards to enable device makers to easily get access to pay-TV content and channel listings.
