Though you won’t need to use it nearly as much, don’t plan on throwing your cable box away. Just as with the Roku TVs that joined the Xfinity TV Partner Program early this year, you still need your Xfinity cable box in order for the app to work. All of the features you’re used to — including local programming and viewing Cloud DVR recordings — will work on your TV via the Xfinity TV Partner app.
You won’t need to worry about a lower quality picture when using the app instead of your cable box either. “We look forward to working closely with Comcast to deliver consistently high — quality programming to our best in class smart TVs, combining Android TV streaming with the immersion of 4K HDR experiences via their advanced managed network,” Sony Director of Product Marketing for TV and Projectors Kevin Brinkman said in a statement.
Comcast launched the Xfinity TV Partner Program in April 2016, with Samsung as the first manufacturer to join. The service was slow to start, with only a handful of manufacturers including Roku and more recently LG joining, but with Sony jumping on board, the service seems poised to pick up steam.
“We remain focused on providing our customers with more choice and flexibility in how, when and where they access the content included with their Xfinity TV subscription,” Comcast Cable Vice President of Video Subscription Services Mike Gatzke said in the announcement. “Providing our customers with the highest quality entertainment experiences across devices remains a top priority, so we are thrilled to partner with Sony to give our customer s access to the Xfinity TV app directly on Sony Smart TVs.”
There is no specific launch date for when the app will become available to Sony Android TV owners, but Comcast says it expects to the app will be available at some point in 2018.
