Back in September Comcast made their Flex streaming player free for Comcast Internet Customers (reduced from $5 a month). But as you would expect, there are catches. And as The Verge has pointed out, this free streaming player comes with a $13 a month hidden fee.
The issue here is if you’re a cord cutter wanting to use Comcast’s free Flex streaming player, you need to rent the xFi Gateway from Comcast. This router and modem costs $13 a month totaling $156 every year. For that cost, you could buy a Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV and save money. You could even buy 5 Roku Expresses and still save money compared to having to rent this modem and router from Comcast.
Comcast has said they plan to drop the requirement to rent their xFi Gateway but as of right now it is still required. This is especially expensive when you consider you could buy a modem that is compatible with Comcast for less than $100.
That is not the only reason Comcast’s Flex streaming player is a bad idea for cord cutters – many popular apps are missing from the device. If you are a cord cutter who wants to use PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and AT&T TV NOW, you will find yourself out of luck with the Flex. Comcast does offer some international streaming services like Sling TV’s international TV packages, but if you want to stream live TV you will be forced to use Comcast’s streaming Xfinity TV service.
Most cord cutters will find Comcast’s Flex streaming player lacking compared to Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV. As of right now, Comcast’s streaming player just doesn’t have the apps other devices like the Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV offer. Add in the hidden fee and you can see why many cord cutters may want to skip the free Flex.
Do you own a Comcast Flex streaming player? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of the device.
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