Comcast's Internet TV service has all kinds of potential, but a limited amount of cable network and premium-channel content is holding it back. I spent a few days checking out Fancast Xfinity TV, which launched last December, and found that while the service does a number of things right, the content offering isn't yet rich enough to keep me coming back.
The idea behind Comcast's Fancast Xfinity TV service is to enable subscribers to watch their cable-channel shows on their home PC and mobile devices. Once you've logged in, the service checks to see what is included in your cable package, and then allows you to see some of that programming online.
While trying Fancast Xfinity TV, I couldn't help using as a benchmark, since it's arguably the gold standard for delivering a large amount of TV and movie video online for free. Like Hulu, the Comcast service features a lot of free content (broadcast TV shows, clips, and some movies)--but unlike Hulu, Fancast Xfinity TV offers premium movies and series such as HBO's Big Love and The Sopranos legally online without imposing a rental fee.
says that a total of 19,000 TV shows and movies are now available on Fancast Xfinity TV.
You can watch the free content on Fancast Xfinity TV without logging in; but to watch the cable network and premium-channel content, you must download and install a program called Comcast Access (including Adobe AIR and the Move Networks player). Comcast Access talks to the Comcast servers and verifies that you are both a Comcast digital cable subscriber and a Comcast broadband subscriber, and then it determines which cable TV package you have. Afterward, the service shows you programming from channels to which you have access in your package.
I had no difficulty downloading the Access program bundle to my PC, and the authentication process was quick and painless. (Some earlier reviewers had problems in these areas.)
