Xfinity Flex review
Our Verdict
Xfinity's Flex streaming box is free for Xfinity's Cyberspace customers, but it needs more than streaming apps before it can actually compete with Roku and Amazon.
For
- It'southward free!
- Good vocalisation search
- Cross-app searches
- Lets you control xFi products
Against
- Stiff buttons on remote
- Limited apps
Tom's Guide Verdict
Xfinity's Flex streaming box is free for Xfinity'southward Internet customers, merely it needs more streaming apps earlier information technology can really compete with Roku and Amazon.
Pros
- +
It's free!
- +
Proficient voice search
- +
Cross-app searches
- +
Lets yous control xFi products
Cons
- -
Potent buttons on remote
- -
Limited apps
The Xfinity Flex streaming device is free because we're paying for too many streaming subscriptions as information technology is already. Or to put it another manner: every bit the old business organization adage says: "go to where your customers are," ... and these days they're non looking to spend more money.
Comcast, realizing that it'south shedding cable subscribers merely gaining broadband users by the thousands, is pivoting toward streaming. That's one reason why information technology'south giving the Xfinity Flex streaming box to its Internet-only customers for complimentary.
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But while the Flex has a number of good features, such as voice search and integrated smart abode controls, it needs a lot more. As you'll encounter in this Xfinity Flex review, its incomplete option of apps (something information technology continues to bit abroad at) will be a problem before it tin compete with the likes of Roku and the Amazon Fire Stick as one of the best streaming devices.
Xfinity Flex specs
Ports: USB-C (ability), HDMI (video out), Ethernet
Resolution: Upward to 4K
Measurements: 5 x 5 x 1 inches
Storage: none (no DVR)
Xfinity Flex review: Price and availability
The Xfinity Flex became available in the fall of 2019. Comcast Internet customers who exercise non get cable Idiot box service tin can receive one Flex for free. Additional boxes cost $5 each, and a household tin can take up to three.
Xfinity Flex review: Design
The Xfinity Flex is a pocket-size, squarish box that measures 5 x 5 x i inches; it'southward well-nigh the aforementioned height as the Apple TV but with nearly twice the footprint. On the back, you'll discover an HDMI port, USB-C for ability and an Ethernet jack if you choose to hard-wire the device to your router rather than apply Wi-Fi.
The top of this greyness box has a subtle design made of small, indented triangles, and the sides of the Flex are beveled. While not as flashy as the glossy, black Apple Television or Amazon Burn down TV Cube, the Flex'south blueprint lends a modicum of visual involvement to something you're probably not going to look at all that much.
Xfinity Flex review: Remote
The Flex uses the same X1 remote equally Xfinity'south current cable boxes. It'due south non every bit minimalist as something you'd get from Roku or Apple Telly — this remote has a number pad, for case — only information technology's probably more cost-effective for Comcast to employ the same remote.
At that place are volume and channel rockers upwards top, media playback buttons below them, a D-pad in the middle and a number pad at the bottom. There's even a Record button, but it doesn't do anything.
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I don't mind the extra buttons; what I do mind is how stiff they are. Information technology took a lot more than endeavor to press the membrane buttons on the X1 remote than on whatever other remote I've used.
Xfinity Flex review: Setup
Getting the Flex upwardly and running was easier than starting up other streaming devices I've used. Afterwards I plugged it in, the Flex automatically found and connected to my home Wi-Fi network, with no input required from me. I was expecting to at least take to blazon in my password. After that, it was simply a matter of logging in to my respective streaming apps.
Xfinity Flex review: Interface
Pressing the Xfinity push button on the remote brings up the Flex'southward main home page. The top ii-thirds take thumbnail images of shows or movies that are currently playing, and on which channels. For case, one day, when I turned on the box, MovieMax HD was playing Quantum of Solace, HBO HD was showing Les Misérables and Epix 2 Hard disk drive had No Strings Attached (hard pass on all 3).
Below these rows, in that location's a row of icons: Free to Me, Alive TV, New, Music and Today. Most of these are pretty self-explanatory, simply Today is a unique addition to a streaming box. Select it, and you're presented with a number of short video clips of the twenty-four hour period's events, divided by category: News, Sports, Entertainment, Late Nighttime Highlights, and New & Trending on YouTube.
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Farther downward the homepage, you'll find content sorted by additional categories (Genres, Popular Apps and more). At the very bottom are icons for Search, Account, Settings and Help. I experience that, of these options, Search and Help should be at the very top of the page.
Xfinity Flex review: Search
For those who don't want to whorl through lists of shows, Xfinity's voice search volition prove very handy. Press and hold the mic button on the remote, and you can search by title, thespian, genre and more, and the Flex will search across all of your installed apps. Within the results screen, y'all tin besides filter results past video quality (SD or HD), whether or not it's gratis, and if at that place'south a video description or SAP. Vocalization search worked well but the results were not without their quirks. For example, "Westerns" is not listed as a genre, and for some reason, Fifty Shades of Grayness is listed as a romantic comedy.
Xfinity Flex review: Apps and content
While it has Netflix, Amazon Prime and the premium cable channels (HBO, Kickoff, Epix), the biggest failing of the Flex is its extremely limited number of apps and content partners. For instance, there's no Disney Plus and no AT&T Television Now, but the service added Sling TV and Spotify in the months that followed its release. CBS All Admission won't exist available until later in 2020. Hulu also took a piffling extra time to become to the Flex, only it'due south in that location at present.
Flex also has both of the new streaming services on the cake: HBO Max (which Roku and Fire Goggle box nonetheless don't have) and Peacock, which it got months earlier anybody else.
While the Flex is a new device, the lack of some of the largest streaming services puts it at a definite disadvantage compared to Roku'due south and Amazon's streaming boxes.
Xfinity's Flex hasn't totally shed its cable roots. Printing the Guide button on the remote, and yous're treated to a traditional aqueduct grid, which shows premium cablevision services (HBO, Showtime, Epix, Cinemax, Starz) as well every bit a few other channels, such as ESPN3, Cheddar, and the Home Shopping Network. The grid shows the channels whether you subscribe to them or non. I wish that the guide (and the Flex) could comprise local over-the-air channels likewise, like to what yous tin practice with the Amazon Fire TV and the Amazon Fire Television set Recast.
The Flex supports 4K, besides equally HDR ten from all streaming services and Dolby Vision when streaming from Netflix.
Xfinity Flex review: Smart home controls
Xfinity'south xFi app has some pretty expert controls for those who utilise its cable modems. These features allow you monitor and control who's on your network and helps protect against Internet threats.
Through the Flex interface, you lot can access some of these features, and if you have an Xfinity dwelling house security system, you can receive alerts through your TV and view feeds from Xfinity security cameras. It's an attractive extra feature for those who accept or want a home security system. Withal, Amazon's Fire devices let you view feeds from a much wider range of dwelling house security cameras and video doorbells.
Xfinity Flex review: Bottom line
The Xfinity Flex is off to a adept start. It is easy to set upward, has a neat vocalisation search, and lets you lot monitor your smart habitation devices and home security organization. Just ultimately, a streaming box is only equally good as the content y'all tin can stream through information technology.
As this Xfinity Flex review has shown, while this device has Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, that's not exactly enough when you consider the thousands of apps bachelor on Roku and Amazon's devices. Yes, those cost as fiddling as $thirty, but by comparison the Flex is far, far backside. Only you can't argue with free.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/xfinity-flex
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