Comcast has a new streaming box with a name you can’t pronounce

Cable companies are doing their best to keep up with the move to media streaming. Since most traditional TV subscriptions also function as ISPs, the transition has been fairly smooth. As services like YouTube TV flourish, companies like Comcast are not ignoring modern ways of watching TV. He wants users to continue consuming media through his own branded devices, and that effort begins with a whole new streaming box.

The Comcast XiOne is a new gadget designed for services like Netflix, Hulu, and of course Peacock (via The Philadelphia Inquirer). It is now available in Italy and Germany for subscribers of Sky, which Comcast acquired in 2018, and its rollout begins today in the United States. With a fairly minimal remote control (with voice commands included) and a simple, understated look, it won’t be winning a design award anytime soon. That said, it does support Wi-Fi 6, 4K UHD, HDR, and Dolby Vision and Atmos, all signs of a decent home entertainment gadget in 2021.

As for the real name, we don’t know how to pronounce it. Guesses among Android police personnel include “jee-one” (like Xiaomi) and “eleven-one” (okay, that was mine, and I was kidding), but frankly, it could be anything. what. Vulture requested a comment from a Comcast spokesperson, who replied that it was “xi-one”, but frankly, that doesn’t seem right either.

While only Xfinity Flex members have access to the XiOne to begin with, it will eventually be available to all Xfinity X1 customers in the future. We don’t have a full list of officially supported apps yet, although presumably this will cover all major players to some extent. Only one box is included at no additional cost, although additional XiOne units will set you back $ 5 per month. If you’re looking for another streaming device that doesn’t require an upfront payment, this might be the perfect fit for you.