Comcast Beefs Up Online Video with Streampix

Comcast has today (Feb. 23) launched Streampix, an add-on to its Xfinity TV video streaming service. By adding older movies and complete seasons of TV shows à la Netflix and Hulu Plus, the company hopes to give customers a reason to stick with cable.

 

Cord cutters  have become a growing problem for cable TV and satellite providers. Households without cable TV rose 22.8 percent last year, according to recent figures from Nielsen. They stream video twice as much as the general population and watch half as much TV — a scary trend for Comcast.

 

Streampix offers the same type of programming as its media streaming competitors such as full seasons of "30 Rock," "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy," and older movies such as "When Harry Met Sally" and "Easy Rider." But unlike Netflix , you'll have to have an Infinity TV cable subscription to get it. And if you aren't a "triple play" customer — subscribed to Xfinity's TV, Internet and phone service — you'll pay an extra $5 a month. Compared to adding Netflix or Hulu Plus at $8, Streampix is a bargain.

 

For now, Streampix is available through cable boxes, computers and iOS devices including iPhone and iPad. Comcast says it will launch Streampix on the Xbox 360 and Android-powered devices later this year.