Cox Communications has integrated YouTube Kids and NPR One into Contour TV, the white label version of Comcast’s X1 video platform.

Comcast had already integrated these apps into its flagship X1 product. Contour already offers Netflix, YouTube and iHeart Radio apps, allowing subscribers to access these services without toggling HDMI inputs.

“Now, with YouTube Kids and NPR One, Contour brings even more age-appropriate content to the TV screen for younger members of the family, and the informative, quality audio programming of NPR One for those who want to stay abreast of current events —particularly as election day gets close,” read a Cox advertisement that ran Thursday in a number of the operator’s markets.

Related: Cox: 1M Subs Now on X1-Powered ‘Contour’ TV Product

The programming is available in the “apps” section of the Contour guide.

Privately held Cox doesn’t often release figures on the number of Contour users, although it did say a year ago that it had 1 million subscribers on the platform. Estimates peg the Atlanta-based operator’s total video base to be around 4.065 million.

Canada’s Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and Videotron also license X1 from Comcast. 

DENVER – The early reviews of DOCSIS 3.1 are in, with engineers with some of the top MSOs in North America reporting that the technology is performing better than expected.

But if there’s one near-term issue they are all grappling with is getting access to integrated DOCSIS 3.1-based gateways that enable the in-home network to match the speeds that are entering the home from the network and eliminating those potential bottlenecks.

The availability of DOCSIS 3.1 gateways is a “little behind” where Mediacom Communications would like it to be, JR Walden, SVP of technology and CTO of Mediacom, said here at Light Reading’s Cable Next-Gen Technologies & Strategies conference.

In fact, in-home WiFi testing is becoming a major focus for DOCSIS 3.1 rollouts, added Cyrille Morelle, president and CEO of test and measurement firm VeEX.

“Having a very powerful WiFi device is critical” for DOCSIS 3.1, agreed Damian Poltz, VP of technology strategy and networks at Shaw Communications.

Comcast is trying to address this with the XB6, a full-featured DOCSIS 3.1 gateway that will also integrate speedy WiFi, ZigBee and other connectivity technologies.

For its initial D3.1 deployments, Comcast has been pairing stand-alone modems with a separate gateway to serve “thousands of customers.”

While acknowledging that such a set-up is not ideal, Jorge Salinger, VP of access architecture at Comcast, confirmed that Comcast is building versions of the XB6 that use Broadcom and Intel chipsets. He said Comcast is completing employee trials shifting toward customer trials and on to commercial deployments, which are expected to begin in the next month or so.

RELATED: Comcast Taps Arris, Technicolor for ‘XB6’ Gateways: Sources

Vendors such as Hitron Technologies are building and developing DOCSIS 3.1-based gateways and network extenders to help bridge that gap. Hitron, said company CTO Greg Fisher, has about 30 D3.1 gateway trials underway around the world.

RELATED: Rogers Rolling Out Hitron’s DOCSIS 3.1 Gateway

Short-term gateway issues aside, MSOs are pleased with the performance they’ve seen from DOCSIS 3.1 in the early going.

DOCSIS 3.1 is working “really well” regardless of now clean the HFC plant is or the size of the node sizes that are serving customers. “It [DOCSIS 3.1] works better than 3.0 in noisy plant,” said Walden. Mediacom has already upgraded its entire HFC network to support DOCSIS 3.1 and is in the process of deploying D3.1-based broadband services.

RELATED: Mediacom Goes Big With DOCSIS 3.1

Walden said the economics of D3.1 has been a major driver for Mediacom after it analyzed assumed broadband capacity demand and how much it would cost to stay with DOCSIS 3.0 to keep up with it, or start to shift to D3.1. (DOCSIS 3.1 modems are hybrids in the sense that they can support both D3.0 and D3.1-based traffic.)

He said Mediacom expects to get better economics for all tiers of service, not just billboard 1-Gig services.

Mediacom isn’t pinpointing how many subscribers are taking the MSO’s fastest offered speed tier, but Walden offered a range that 3% to 10% of new subs are taking 1-Gig.

Salinger said DOCSIS 3.1’s ability to support multiple modulation profiles is a “significant benefit” as Comcast continues to expand its reach.

RELATED: Comcast Sets DOCSIS 3.1 Expansion, Launches 1-Gig in Detroit

“It’s in full swing of execution,” he said of that deployment. “The idea is to have gigabit service everywhere.”

Salinger also talked about the importance of an MSO having its own speed test tools to show or demonstrate that D3.1 is performing at the right levels as some subscribers don’t have in-home equipment that can support 1-Gig.

beIN SPORTS has reached a distribution deal with direct-to-home satellite-TV service Shaw Direct that makes the sports programmer available on Channel 118 (Classic) and 618 (Advanced). The network is being carried to all Shaw Direct customers now during a free preview until March 15.

Shaw Direct, owned by cable provider Shaw Communications, has more than 900,000 subscribers across Canada, according to its web site.

beIN SPORTS live-game programming includes such top soccer leagues as Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1, England’s Football Championship and the 2015 Copa America tournament.

“We are excited to bring Canadian sports fans the best live sporting action from around the globe along with all the highlights and expert analysis,” Yousef Al-Obaidliy, Deputy CEO of beIN Media Group, said in a release. “With beIN SPORTS’ premium international sporting content, Shaw Direct customers can rely on us to deliver the highest quality coverage presented in a dynamic and relevant manner.”

beIN SPORTS is also carried in Canada by Bell TV, Eastlink, MTS, Rogers, Telus and Videotron.

thePlatform, the Comcast-owned white-label video publishing firm, has hired Michael Kurtzman as vice president of sales for the Americas; and has tapped Jouari Santiago as director of sales for Latin America.

Kurtzman previously was general manager of projekt202, a technology consulting company, where he expanded the company’s presence, and oversaw sales and delivery efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to projekt202, he served as vice president and GM at iLoop Mobile. Kurtzman reports to thePlatform’s co-CEO, Marty Roberts.

Prior to joining thePlatform, Santiago, who reports to Kurtzman, was the head of product development at Shaw Communications, where he oversaw the company’s broadband video strategies across its portfolio of digital entertainment properties, including Shaw Go, Shaw VOD and Shaw Media. Previously, he served as product development manager at Canwest Publishing, where he spearheaded the development of company-wide mobile strategies, video strategies, IPTV, and digital signage initiatives.

“Michael has an impressive track record building and expanding sales channels for new technologies across the digital media industry, and his expertise will benefit our customers and sales organization as we expand our efforts around the globe,” said Roberts, in a statement. “We are also excited to have Jouari Santiago join thePlatform to strengthen our ability to meet the needs of our customers in Latin America. We are confident that both Michael and Jouari will make significant contributions to the company’s success going forward.”

With one in three English Canadians subscribing to Netflix Canada – according to a Media Technology Monitor telephone survey of 2,002 Canadians – Rogers and Shaw have banded together on their own video streaming platform. Called ‘shomi’ (pronounced ‘show-me’) and due to a beta rollout in November 2014, the video streaming service will sell for $8.99/month; the same price as Netflix Canada’s charge to its new Canadian signups.

shomi, which is nearing its debut even as Comcast shifts its strategy for Streampix and Verizon and Outerwall shut-down their own multiscreen SVOD joint venture, will feature 11,000 hours of TV shows from previous seasons, such as Modern Family, Sons of Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow, Shameless, 2 Broke Girls, Vikings,New Girl, 24: Live Another Day, Chicago Fire, The Strain, and American Horror Story. The service will also offer 1,200 movies, and some first-window premieres. Custom picks will be provided to individual subscribers by programming experts as well as by "algorithmic technology." shomi’s content will be viewable on tablet, mobile, online, Xbox 360 and set-top boxes.

The only catch: shomi will only be available to Rogers and Shaw subscribers; at least initially. As a result, the service will not target cord-cutters who have flocked to Netflix Canada; only hopefully stem the tide of cable subs considering making the move to Netflix.

“At beta launch in November, Rogers and Shaw customers will be able to subscribe to the service in the same way that they currently do to all of the services they receive from these companies – and use the same username and password to access shomi as they currently use to access their online services with Rogers and Shaw,” said Marc Dinsdale, shomi’s GM and senior director. “Subscribers will see the service added to their monthly statement in the same way they currently see their cable, Internet, wireless or other services.”

This gap in shomi’s marketing strategy is glossed over during the service’s public unveiling in Toronto and Calgary on August 26. "We've taken the time to talk with Canadians to find out what they want and to create an unbelievable user experience," said Keith Pelley, President of Rogers Media. "They told us loud and clear – they want all the past seasons of the most popular, current TV shows and they want it to be easy.”

"We keenly understand the media landscape is rapidly changing and that viewers are looking for greater flexibility when it comes to what they watch and how they watch it," added Barbara Williams, Shaw Media’s SVP of content. "shomi is our first step into the new world of content streaming and we're so pleased to be able to bring this made in Canada service to the market."

One of shomi’s biggest selling features is its extremely easy-to-operate user interface. It was created by Ottawa software company You.i Labs, maker of the Kobo Arc tablet interface. You.i’s interactive interface uses "tap-and-hold" submenus, which reduces the number of steps required to select movies. Users can also watch content in a "player window while searching through shomi’s library.

“A great amount of attention and effort was placed on creating a user experience that is more personal and human to our members,” said Dinsdale. “This is reflected in the brand, in the tone of voice throughout the experience, in the content that we have specifically selected for our members, in the user experience that we have created across all devices, and in the selection of technology platforms – all intended to make shomi a simple, understandable and, above all else, pleasurable experience for our members.”

It is impossible to predict just how well shomi will perform against Netflix Canada, and whether Canada two largest cable companies will eventually open up their video streaming service to all Canadians whether they subscribe to cable or not. Nevertheless, shomi’s Marc Dinsdale is optimistic that the new service will catch on. “While we are not in a position to share our membership goals at this time, we have planned for a steady growth in members, content and devices through which shomi will be available, and similarly a growth in the underlying technology platforms and infrastructure to support this growth,” he said.

--Multichannel News technology editor Jeff Baumgartner contributed to this report