Comcast Unveils New XiOne Wireless Streaming Boxes
Comcast today announced a wireless streaming device — the XiOne — that will be available to Xfinity Flex customers in the United States, as well as on Sky Q in Italy and Germany.
Comcast didn’t go too deep into the specs on the XiOne hardware, but notes that it’s “a plug-and-play device that features faster processing and increased memory, enabling swift switching and navigation in and out of apps.” Comcast says it supports Wi-Fi 6 (that’s 802.11ax, for those who refuse to use the new nomenclature) for networking, 4K UHD resolution, Dolby Vision for HDR, and Dolby Atmos for audio.
You’ll get a different sort of setup depending on where you live. The XiOne that’s coming to Xfinity Flex has a sleeker box with rounded corners and edges, but a pared-down remote that’s oddly triangular (and not in the cool sort of way that NVIDIA did with the latest Shield remote). The The Sky Q version headed to Italy and Germany has a more squared-off box that’s akin to a Mac Mini, and a more traditional-looking remote control that’s a little more stylish and includes a numeric keypad.
“When Sky joined the Comcast family, we brought together our engineers to share insights, road maps, talent, and technology to support our global customers. The launch of our new XiOne device is a direct result of these efforts and underscores how our collaborative development approach can bring new and innovative streaming products to markets faster and more efficiently,” Charlie Herrin, president of technology for Comcast, said in a press release.
No word on how much either will cost in any of the locales. But if you compare it to the likes of the new Amazon Fire TV 4K Max, which has similar high-level specs, chances are it’s not too expensive. At least, it shouldn’t be.
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