Comcast's New $20 Streaming Service Won't Count Against Caps Comcast has finally taken the wraps off of Instant TV, the company's new streaming video skinny bundle. According to the company's website, the service includes a lineup of local broadcast networks, a video on demand library and a cloud DVR with 20 hours of storage for $20 per month (plus taxes and fees, which vary by region). Technically a paid beta launch, Comcast says the service will be rolling out to the company's internet-only customers over the next two weeks. Users can check out a free thirty-day trial if they're looking to kick the wheels of the new service.

According to the Instant TV FAQ , users can also add the following channel packages on to their lineup: • Kids and Family ($10 per month) - Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, MTV, National Geographic Channel, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, NickToons, Universal Kids, TeenNick and TLC. • Entertainment ($15 per month) - A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, E!, Food Network, FX, FXX, Hallmark Channel, HISTORY, HGTV, Lifetime, OWN, Syfy, TBS, TNT, TV One, USA and VH1. • Sports and News ($30 per month) - CNBC, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPNU, Fox Business, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, Golf Channel, MSNBC, NBC Sports, NFL Network and Regional Sports Networks based on markets. Traditionally, companies like Comcast haven't tried very hard to provide or promote these cheaper, less expensive alternatives, for fear of cannibalizing higher-priced legacy cable customers looking to downgrade to save money. But as cord cutting has accelerated, many cable providers realize they don't have much of a choice -- and actually need to respond to the customer demand for less expensive, more flexible programming options. Still, it's likely there's some hidden caveats included to try and prevent customers from downgrading to this less expensive option. If you're able to sign up for this service, let us know what they are in the comment section below. The service won't count against Comcast usage caps, giving it a notable market advantage over competing services. Comcast insists this isn't a net neutrality violation because the service runs over a managed IP network -- and not the open internet (albeit with net neutrality rules on the chopping block, even disengenuous distinctions like this may soon be irrelevant). Comcast's Comcast's FAQ has additional detail for those interested.







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Most recommended from 38 comments



Packeteers

Premium Member

join:2005-06-18

Forest Hills, NY 27 recommendations Packeteers Premium Member news with SPORTS ???



it should have been news $5 and sports $15 not both for $30... damn cabletv fossils. who's the moron at comcast who assumed news'aholics have any interest in sportsit should have been news $5 and sports $15 not both for $30... damn cabletv fossils.

TIGERON

join:2008-03-11

Boston, MA 8 recommendations TIGERON Member NO Apple TV, NO Amazon Fire Screw that. Sling and HULU offers better and available on both.

srtdodge05

Premium Member

join:2011-10-16

Ypsilanti, MI 6 recommendations srtdodge05 Premium Member Streams Is that right only 2 Streams? ChefJoe

join:2015-06-08

Seattle, WA 6 recommendations ChefJoe Member Slightly Cheaper than Limited Basic (in Seattle) FWIW, my limited basic package in Seattle is $16.80 but when you add in $7 in rebroadcast fees and some taxes that limited basic plan balloons 66% higher to $27.90 . This sounds like it would be $18 and the line about "inclusive of broadcast fees" sounds like it would be cheaper and provide some DVR/stream capabilities to boot.



That said, I've already dropped Comcast internet and am under Centurylink contract for several more months, so requiring my internet be from Comcast isn't going to work. Also, I'm one of the folks who uses a CableCard. mikev

Premium Member

join:2002-05-04

Leesburg, VA 945.8 938.4

·Verizon FiOS

(Software) pfSense

Panasonic KX-TGP600

6 recommendations mikev Premium Member "Managed IP network"... The service won't count against Comcast usage caps, giving it a notable market advantage over competing services. Comcast insists this isn't a net neutrality violation because the service runs over a managed IP network -- and not the open internet...



And if I can't watch it over the internet, why would I pick this over Sling or any other streaming TV service that I can watch anywhere with my phone, instead of just being limited to watching at home? Which means that you can't watch it on your phone when you're not at your home or the home of another Comcast customer, right? Because if I can watch it over the internet, then it's not "run over a managed IP network".And if I can't watch it over the internet, why would I pick this over Sling or any other streaming TV service that I can watch anywhere with my phone, instead of just being limited to watching at home?

tshirt

Premium Member

join:2004-07-11

Snohomish, WA 4 recommendations tshirt Premium Member Confirmation needed, KARL "Comcast says the service will be rolling out to the company's internet-only customers over the next two weeks."

this implies I MUST discontinue my current TV service to even TRY this?

Doesn't that seem self destructive on Comcast's part?

forcing people to cut the CATV cord, dump and overpriced STB, to buy a lesser priced, best choices with virtual DVR service?

" lineup of local broadcast networks, a video on demand library and a cloud DVR with 20 hours of storage for $20 per month '

AND free bandwidth?

If true I can get everything I want at a fraction of the price I pay NOW. amungus

Premium Member

join:2004-11-26

America 4 recommendations amungus Premium Member bandwidth? While it may not count against a cap, does it still use standard bandwidth available to you?



Looks like an interesting option, but it's really disappointing that one cannot get such a package over standard digital cable. Especially when one owns an HDHomerun Prime. One should be able to own their own "box" of whatever type and not rely on a Roku that may or may not handle interlaced video properly.



Video quality should be identical, but in so many cases, what we end up with is crap. Whether it's re-compressed in a bad way to a digital cable channel, or a streaming box, it's just sad. It's truly a shame to have "HD" video treated badly in so many cases. Papageno

join:2011-01-26

Portland, OR 2 recommendations Papageno Member It's a step in the right direction, but... the entertainment bundle is still missing a couple of channels: off the top of my head WGN (for Underground), and where's Cartoon Network (Rick and Morty)? Dump Bravo and give us those.

buzz_4_20

join:2003-09-20

Biddeford, ME 2 recommendations buzz_4_20 Member Ads still included? Just wondering, as no ads would be a great selling point.