Comcast has highlighted another batch of updates and enhancements to its IP-capable X1 platform, led off by a Movie Bundles option that ties into the MSO’s electronic sell-through (EST) service for set-tops and mobile devices.
Launched this month and mentioned last year as an EST feature that was in-the-works, Movie Bundles groups multiple movies together that are offered for sale for one price. Film series such as Despicable Me, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and The Hunger Games are some of the examples outlined in this blog post from Peter Nush, Comcast Cable’s executive director, product management.
“We know our customers often add all films in a series to their personal libraries, and this feature makes the process for finding and owning these favorite titles much simpler,” he wrote.
Among other new features, Common Sense Media ratings are now always visible on the X1 guide, and no longer an element that needs to be set up manually through the X1 Preferences. Comcast launched Common Sense Media ratings on X1 last fall, adding information designed to help parents determine what content is appropriate for different age groups.
On the sports programming front, Comcast has also updated the “Last 9” view (which shows the last nine linear channels, VOD titles or DVR recordings a customer last viewed) to include the “sports subtitle” – a listing of the two teams that are playing each other, making it easier for customers to navigate back and forth between multiple games.
Update: X1 has also added Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) indicators on all the programs listed in the standard guide view as well as the "mini info" view. .
Those X1 enhancements follow last month’s batch, which included a “Browse By Sport” row that provides viewers with a quick look at upcoming live programming arranged by sport.
Comcast has deployed more than 5 million X1 boxes. The company might provide more updated X1 figures when it reports fourth quarter and full year 2014 results on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
