Comcast has introduced some new features and improvements for X1 that will help customers find content faster and help them pair remote controls to set-tops that run the MSO's IP-capable platform, which features a cloud-based guide.  

On the content end, Comcast has updated music video pages with two gallery rows featuring “More Like This,” which suggests new content the viewer might like, and “Artists,” which lists all artists featured in a just-watched video, according to this blog post by Peter Nush, Comcast Cable’s vice president, product management.

Comcast, Nush added, has also enhanced X1’s Recommendations feature to expand the number of suggested programs a customer can see. For example, clicking the “OK” button while on the “Show Me Another” tile will refresh the viewer’s recommendations and present new programs based on titles that have been previously watched.

Nush also reiterated that Kids Zone, a kid-friendly version of X1 introduced in May that features content that is rated and reviewed by Common Sense Media is “officially moving out of Comcast Labs.”

X1 has also added on-screen instructions showing how customers can pair their remote controls to the system, accessible by pressing the Setup button for three seconds, then pressing the Xfinity button. Those instructions complement paper-based instructions that come with all X1 remotes, including the new voice-enabled XR11 model.

Comcast hasn’t said how many of its 22.3 million video customers are on X1, but chairman and CEO Brian Roberts noted on the company’s first quarter earnings call that about 25% of the operator’s triple-play subs now have the next-gen video service, meaning there are at least 2.49 million subs on X1. Last fall, Comcast said it had shipped 5 million X1 boxes. Based on the MSO's earlier estimation that it was shipping about 20,000 X1 boxes per day, Comcast should be approaching 10 million X1 devices deployed. 

Offering more evidence that it is nearing the commercial launch of a new voice-activated remote called the XR11, Comcast is offering a complimentary model ahead of its official release to select X1 customers.

A Comcast customer evidently based in Newtown, Pa., posted an image (see at left) of the promo on the DSL Reports message board.

Comcast has not announced a launch date or pricing on the XR11 or detailed the extent of its XR11 early access promotion, but the new voice remote will work in tandem with the operator's IP-capable, cloud-based X1 platform. Customers will activate the feature by pressing down the remote’s blue microphone button and speaking commands -- enabling them to tune to specific channels or search for TV shows and movies that are available live, in Comcast’s VOD library or on the customer’s DVR.

Comcast has released several details about the XR11 ahead of its commercial launch. This item posted to the MSO’s customer forum in February, for example, outlines features that extend beyond voice control, including a backlit keypad, an RF-based “Aim Anywhere” capability, and easy access to accessibility features such as closed captioning and the recently launched voice guidance component for the blind and visually impaired. The post also mentions that the XR11 is currently being offered in a “limited customer trial,” and that the product will be available to all X1 subs “later in 2015.” Comcast has also set up a fancier Web page where X1 subs can register to be alerted when the XR11 becomes available. 

The XR11 FAQ notes that the voice remote is currently compatible with the XG1, an HD-DVR model for X1, and the Xi3, a new IP-only HD client device. 

This video offers more details, noting that the XR11’s voice component not only helps customers find content more quickly but also makes it easier for people with severe arthritis to perform navigation functions.