XfinityTV Website

[BryanQuigley]

I would like to see the XfinityTV Website support common browsers (Firefox, Chrome) on Linux.  I don't mind if it's using Adobe Flash.. but a HTML5 powered site would be the best (and would also work on ARM, so the raspberry pi, etc).  Bonus points if you release your own app for the likes of XBMC, etc.

Currently, some videos do work in Flash, while others require Silverlight..

If you would also like to see this please reply with a +1 and a brief story on how this would help you in your TV viewing experience.  I'll go first:

+1

This would complete my Ubuntu/XBMC media center setup with much more high quality Comcast content.

[RobV]

+1

Windows machine may take a break but Ubuntu is always there.

[khc]

+1

[bkerensa]

Support Ubuntu Linux

[crmurphey]

+1 please support linux

[dnwnichols]

+1 on the support for Linux.  It is now a mainstream OS.

[mattcm]

+1 for Linux support!

[Adam_M]

Please support viewing from a linux computer.

[5r]

Please support linux. It actually will be no extra work if you do it through Flash. Flash runs the same and has the same functionality on Windows and Linux.

[picgla2]

+1 for linux.

[gekker]

+1 for Ubuntu support.

[RickRichardson]

+1 for linux!

[M-E-D_]

I have 3 computers at home and all them had Linux, so I would like to ask Comcast to support not just me but everybody in this list and the million of Linux user out there.

[leftyfb]

All of my computers run linux. In 2 different locations. Please support linux.

[JohnQViewer]

+1 for HTML5 support in Linux.

Between Flash vulnerabilities and problems supporting it in some distros (I distro hop and some 64 bit distros have problems with Flash) I would rather they use HTML5.

[baggy]

+1 for linux!

[k_kraft]

+1 for open standards.  If you're scared of 'Linux Support', Comcast, don't worry about supporting the platform, most Linux users are more then comfortable doing this themselves, just make your content available via open standards.  We can handle the rest...

I'd prefer NOT using Flash; HTML5 or something similar would be great.  Have you looked at dvb.org?

Thanks for listening,

 -Kevin

[choochoo7]

SUPPORT VIDEO STREAMING ON LINUX!!!!

[choochoo7]

I am a linux user and I have been trying and trying to get the on demand vids to stream to no avail.   I use Ubutu with Firefox browser and I was under the impression that Xfinity FINALLY began support, however, when viewing a video, I am prompted to upgrade silverlight which then redirectes me to the moonlight download page.  It is definitely downloaded and installed on my browser but I still keep getting the same message over and over.  What am I doing wrong?

[UHFhd]

 thread moved post out of context now (edit delete)

[UHFhd]

edit delete

[choochoo7]

OK I ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION...

I am 100% convinced that Xfinity will NEVER support Linux. For instance, this thread (one of many) was started in 2009, it is now halfway through 2012 and they haven't changed a thing. I spoke with a representative and it took nearly an hour for him to realize i was using linux (it was the very first thing I said to him) and "promised" to bring this up to his superiors; a claim i have seen other reps make in the past. If they aren't going to support Linux then they need to take the Moonlight plugin down from their redirect because it is blatantly a false claim. If Xfinity does not support Linux/Moonlight then the page should say just that, it should not take me to a download that claims it will work and give me false hopes. Apparently the only thing they've done to tackle this issue over the past 5 years is to make it look like they are trying to support Linux without actually doing anything. Very sad. I am willing to bet Microsoft has a stake in this company *CRINGE*.



LINUX USERS SHOULD PAY LESS SINCE THEY ARE RECIEVING LESS SERVICES!!!!!!!!!!!



HTML 5 FTW!  

[jharadie]

Not gonna happen.  Talked to tech support today who explained that Comcast & Microsoft are very connected to each other, & Microsoft doesn't want Linux supported.  Asked if this violated their advertising & thus worthy of reporting to Federal Trade Commission (deceptive advertising) and was told "go ahead" in a tone of voice that implied Been There Done That.

What's annoying is I was talking to tech support because I couldn't logon to customer.comcast.com, & had run a traceroute showing a problem in Denver.  Gave the IP info, tech person put me on hold while talking to supervisor, came back & said it was impossible for that to be.  Asked them if they knew how to run a traceroute.  "Huh?"

Maybe part of the reason they don't support Linux is because the average Linux user is smarter than the average tech support person?

[cpe111]

+1

[5r]

Well, they're never going to support Linux desktop, but they do actually support a Linux OS: Android.

[k_kraft]

Unless I'm missing something, the Android app only allows you to program your DVR and change channels.  Is there another app to view content?

I don't think that it's important for Comcast to explicitly support Linux as a platform; generally, its users are more than capable of supporting themselves.  I think what's more important here is that Comcast change to support open standards; formats that can easily be viewed on _any_ platform, not just Linux, not just Windows, but any platform.

That way, instead of supporting the platform, they can do what their suppose to do and support the content itself.

Just my $0.02

[5r]

Yes, there is another app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xfinity.playnow If you look it up in Google Play I believe it's called Xfinity TV PLayer, but on your phone it shows up just as "Player"

[leftyfb]

Their web app to watch content does not work in Linux ... as a platform. So yes, they need to support Linux as a platform.

One solution to that would be to go with open standards as you mentioned. But that almost never happens.

[baggy]

Has anyone tried to  use window's version of firefox thru WINE?. 

[k_kraft]

---

leftyfb wrote:

Their web app to watch content does not work in Linux ... as a platform. So yes, they need to support Linux as a platform.

One solution to that would be to go with open standards as you mentioned. But that almost never happens.

---

"But that almost never happens"

What?!

 YouTube, SkyDrive, Adobe Captivate, Vimeo... Just to name a few...

 With Adobe cutting the strings on Flash and Microsoft killing Silverlight, there's really no where else to go but open at this point!

[splashd]

+1

[jivedude]

+1 HTML5 should be the way to go.

new user and allready disappointed.

[meganlongo]

+1, & as k_kraft says: you just need to make it open standard, html5 the best, and we'll do the rest

[liljetw]

Unfortunately they stopped moonlight in Linux, so xfinity needs to switch to flash

[two4two]

+1

I understand that some content providers require use of DRM technology, and that you've chosen Silverlight for this content because of this concern.  But there is other content for which the providers have not required this DRM and so Flash can be used.  Apparently you already use Flash for some of the content. 

All I'm asking is that you do a better job of determining the requirement to use the DRM, and spend the effort to assign DRM to only that content that requires it, and use Flash for the rest, and thus make more content available to us non-Windows users. There is public-domain content on your site that you send with Silverlight, but that you could send with Flash.  Please do a better job of distinguishing between those that require it and those that don't.

[Kyle_XYZ]

+1

   I'm running Ubuntu alongside Windows on my laptop and the only thing keeping Windows on here is Xfinity. My laptop hates me for it!

[khogsed]

Just switched to Comcast and didn't realize I would run into this problem. Disappointing not to be able to access all the content of Xfinity due to the the Silverlight limitation. Still in my 30-day satisfaction guarantee window...will have to think hard about keeping service...

[k_kraft]

Just throwing this out there:  NetFlix is ditching SilverLight for HTML5:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/16/netflix_planning_html5_switch/

It's not ready yet, they still need to implement the DRM in some way, but it's a start. They already have a version of this running in ChromeOS which is Linux-based.

It's progress.  I hope you're seeing this, Comcast. Don't let NetFlix get ahead of you!