By Being able to control your set-top-box (with whatever cable provider and/or DVR service you’re using) away from home has become all the rage these days, so it doesn’t surprise me to hear that Comcast’s bringing their app to Android. Previously only available on iOS devices, their app will not only offer you full control over your DVR (being able to set up recordings, look at your list of recorded content, and manage season passes on the go), but you’ll also get a suite of VERY useful tools if you’re hooked up with their phone service.
One of the biggest features is the ability to have calls routed from your home phone to your cell phone when you step out. I can’t tell you how useful many people would find this to be. While it’s certainly possible to do this using a variety of methods already, Comcast’s solution will make it a quick and painless process for anyone subscribed to their service. It’ll also take advantage of Android’s notification features to send you push notifications whenever someone leaves a voicemail on your home phone.
For now, they’re saying they “hope” they can make the app work on as many different devices as possible (including Android), but we all know that anything iPhone can do, Android can definitely do better. Let’s hope they’re making some great progress in that regard!
[Comcast via TalkAndroid]
Yeah this is a great feature to add but one thing needs to be pointed out about the feature. You area has to allow the service. I’m in Brunswick, GA less than an hour from Jacksonville, FL. My area is a large one with a high population but Comcast doesn’t even support the service online. When I called to see if it was something in the works I was told there is no timeframe as to when it would be coming. With Google tv coming soon android is going to give everyone a run for their money. So when the app comes out make sure you’ll be able to use it before you waste your time installing and fighting with it to work.
Now if my local provider…Click Network of Tacoma can provide that service…that’d be great.
i wonder if dish network can do this yet. would be nice.
I currently use this app on my iphone (Yes i have an Iphone. I’m waiting for my contract to run out in 2 months) and it works great. I constaly am checking email and setting up recordings on multiple DVR’s. Yes I said multiple. It will let you switch between more then one dvr in your house. You can also set your home phone to forward to a diffrent number right from the app. I give comcast credit for making a great app. Now if there service was as good.
Nice idea. Sometimes I just dont want to work with comcast’s clunky dvr interface.
Cool, give me a release date and i’ll give a crap.
Come on TimeWarner! Step Up!
What? People still use Comcast?
Happy Fios subscriber (with DVR controls on my smartphones for the past 2 years)
People still use comcast when $65 (roughly 40%) of their bill is paid by their association :)
It’d be nice if Comcast would give me this feature to begin with!
The people who use comcast are the people who know how to break through the decoy plans that they offer, and talk their way into the good deals that are un-advertised.
@JoAnn:
If I could get fios, I would.
Wow nice, this will definitely come in handy.
I wouldn’t be so fast to jump on the Fios boat. We had itand ended up switching back to Comcast. From the freezing screens on the tv to the stations that where constantly unavailable it was ridiculous. Then there was the wireless router that was locked down so that you couldn’t secure it properly. This would be the same router that has a website devoted to giving wardrivers your wep key. The same wep key on your neighbors router no less. Ans thats right. I said wep. In two years of having it, my phone, provided by the phone company worked once. Never again. After the fourth service call I gave up. They finally sold the service in our area to some company called Frontier. They reduced the level of service within a month and wanted to charge the same. Ya right. I took a chance on Xfinity which we have in our area now and everything just seems to work. Our phone sounds food. TV never freezes and they gave us a router that can actually be secured. Customer service has been fine and the installer took the time needed to show my wife how everthing worked, unlike the Fios installer who obviously left without even doing a proper installation. Good on Comcast. I will be happy to see that app though. It was the one thing on Fios that seemed to work before we lost it in the Frontier sale.
A Slingbox with the SlingPlayer Mobile app will let you not only control your DVR remotely, but WATCH IT REMOTELY.
SlingMedia 1
Comcast 0
Release date = tomorrow.
I work for DISH Network and just got DISH’s TV Everywhere with the Sling Adaptor and now my Android phone not only allows me to set my DVR from anywhere, but I can watch both live and DVR recordings from anywhere. Comcast is hoping to have this ability near the end of 2011.