Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Comcast adds Hulu to Xfinity Flex and X1 as social distancing ramps up

By

Comcast has some welcome news for its customers facing weeks of self-isolation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic: Xfinity customers can now access Hulu content directly from their set-top boxes. Xfinity Flex users can access Hulu right now, while X1 users will be getting similar access in the coming weeks.

Recommended Videos

Before this move, Comcast customers who wanted to watch Hulu needed to use another streaming device or rely on a native Hulu app on their smart TV. To be clear: Comcast is not providing Hulu content as part of its subscription service — you still need to use an existing Hulu account or sign up for a new one — but you no longer need to reach for a different remote or switch TV inputs to get to Hulu.

Related

The addition of Hulu to these Comcast platforms means that many of the built-in features like voice commands and curated show lists will be updated to work with Hulu:

Soon Hulu will be easily integrated into Flex and X1 customers’ TV experience with the Xfinity Voice Remote — making it really easy to find Hulu content. Customers will be able to say “Hulu” into the Xfinity Voice Remote to launch the app or “Little Fires Everywhere,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” or “Ramy” to find and enjoy these highly anticipated and award-winning Hulu Originals instantly — without toggling or switching inputs. Flex and X1 customers will also be able to find Hulu programming throughout the Flex and X1 guide featured in collections curated by our Xfinity TV editors by saying, for example, “New on Hulu,” or check out our editors’ Hulu favorites by saying “Best of Hulu” into the voice remote. — Comcast press release

For now, it looks like Comcast will not be making Hulu’s live TV offering, Hulu + Live TV. available on its set-top boxes. This makes sense on the Xfinity X1 as it’s the platform Comcast uses for its own live TV and DVR services, however, the Xfinity Flex is a streaming-only device that can’t receive Comcast’s live TV channels.

In 2019, Comcast announced that it would offer its internet-only users a free Xfinity Flex set-top box, instead of charging the usual $5 per month rental fee.

Earlier in March, Comcast executives expressed optimism that the 2020 Olympics, the U.S. broadcast rights of which belong to Comcast-owned NBC, would not be canceled despite fears over the spread of coronavirus. This optimism may be misplaced: Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso recently referred to the upcoming summer games as “cursed.”

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
There’s a rare deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones today
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in black.

The massively popular Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones rarely appear in headphone deals, so if you've had your eye on them for quite a while, you're in luck because they're currently $51 off on Walmart. From their original price of $400, you'll only have to pay $349, but only if you hurry because we don't expect stocks to last long. You're going to miss out on the offer if you take too long, so don't hesitate -- add the wireless headphones to your cart and check out as fast as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-1000XM5
The best headphones that you can buy right now are the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, and it's not even close. At the heart is their outstanding wireless sound, supported by top-quality active noise cancellation that uses two processors and eight microphones to block all unwanted sound, as well as crystal-clear hands-free calling using four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. The wireless headphones also offer Bluetooth multipoint connection so that you can quickly switch between different devices, touch controls for functions like adjusting volume and calling your digital assistant, and Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention features to stop your music and let ambient sound in without having to take them off.

Read more
Sony’s premium soundbars will finally get support for VRR, ALLM
Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar close-up of top panel.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is almost over. Sony's premium home theater soundbars are set to receive a software update that will add support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), two HDMI 2.1 gaming features that have been absent since these products launched.

The soundbars in question are the Sony HT-A5000, HT-A7000, and the multi-wireless speaker HT-A9 system. All three are scheduled to receive the update this fall, but Sony has declined to share specific timing, saying only that there will be more information closer to the rollout date.

Read more
What is Roku? The streaming platform explained
A roku powered TV hanging on a wall running Roku OS 12.

How do you get your Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, or Prime Video fix? Chances are it's through a streaming device or smart TV, and there's a good chance that it's through a Roku device or one running its pioneering streaming operating system. At this point, cord-cutting is old news, and Roku was one of the earliest companies to drive the adoption of web-based streaming with its self-contained, app-driven devices.

Today, watching something "on Roku" is standard parlance and the company's popular platform can be found baked into some of the biggest TV brands in the world as well as in its own lineup of streaming devices sticks, and set-top boxes. Even so, that doesn't mean you totally get what a Roku actually is. What is Roku? How does Roku work? Do you need a subscription to use it? Is it just a device you buy, or is it software?

Read more