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Comcast Xfinity Review

, Editor | Updated November 6, 2018
My3cents Rating: 3.9/5.0

Few names are more recognizable in the telecommunications industry than Comcast. Xfinity, the brand name for Comcast’s video, internet, phone and wireless offerings since 2010, operates in 39 U.S. states and Washington D.C., and has been around since 1963.

Close to 29 million people across the country use Comcast. They subscribe to a Comcast service like Xfinity TV or Xfinity Internet, or even both with one of Comcast’s bundles, which allow consumers to group multiple products in exchange for a discount. As of the beginning of 2017 there were 22.5 million Xfinity TV customers and nearly 25 million Xfinity Internet customers.

In a climate where more consumers of televised entertainment are choosing to end their relationships with cable TV companies, Comcast retains a loyal base of subscribers who appreciate that the company is at the leading edge of technology. Those who do “cut the cord” often stay on as Xfinity Internet customers, benefiting from some of the fastest speeds available.

In this article, we give an in-depth look at the TV and internet services from Comcast and offers advantages, disadvantages and bottom-line views of Comcast service.

We maintain strict standards of editorial integrity when writing our guides & reviews to help you make decisions with confidence. To help support our site, some of the products we highlight are from our partners and we may receive compensation when you visit their sites.

Comcast Services, Plans, Bundles and Cost

Comcast offers its Xfinity TV and Xfinity Internet services in a variety of formats, allowing customers to customize their subscriptions based on preferences and needs. Television and internet can each be purchased separately or as part of a Comcast bundle.

Xfinity TV

What Xfinity TV packages are available?

The options for Xfinity TV packages may vary depending on where you live. But generally you will have several different options, mainly differing by the number of channels you get.

Xfinity TV Packages

Choice TV Limited Basic Digital Starter Digital Preferred Digital Premier
Cost per month (first year) $30 $46.95 $59.99 $69.99 $84.99
# of Channels 10+ 10+ 140+ 220+ 260+
Premium channels None None ESPN/ESPN2/NBCSN STARZENCORE/Nat Geo WILD/NFL Network HBO/SHOWTIME/STARZ
Based on availability near Philadelphia, near Comcast headquarters

Which Xfinity TV package should I buy?

To determine which package you should buy, think about which channels matter most to you. Keep in mind that if you cancel and decide to rejoin, or you downgrade, you may lose the promotional rate that is typically given to new customers. Therefore it may make sense to start conservatively and add channels as necessary.

Xfinity Internet

What Xfinity Internet packages are available?

Although Comcast’s cable video revenue is decreasing, a trend due to cord-cutting and fewer residential Xfinity TV customers, its latest financial results, from Q3 2018, show a substantial increase in revenues from Xfinity Internet subscribers.

Xfinity offers a range of internet speeds, each of which is designed to accommodate a specific number of devices. Plans may include an Xfinity data plan that caps users at one terabyte of data per month, which more than 99 percent of customers do not exceed, according to Comcast. Overages are calculated in 50-gigabyte blocks at $10 each. An unlimited data plan is available.

Xfinity Internet Packages

Performance Performance Starter Extreme Pro Performance Pro Gigabit Blast! Gigabit Pro
Cost per month (first year) $39.99 $49.95 $79.99 $89.95 $89.99 $92.95 $299.95
Download speed 60 Mbps 15 Mbps 400 Mbps 150 Mbps 1,000 Mbps 250 Mbps 2,000 Mbps
Number of devices 5 1 12+ 6-8 Unlimited 8+ Unlimited
Based on availability near Philadelphia, near Comcast headquarters

Which Xfinity Internet package should I buy?

The decision will depend on how you (and others in your household) use the internet. If you stream on multiple devices, at least 100 Mbps is usually recommended, but if it’s only light streaming that matters, you can get away with less. Higher speeds are ideal for multiplayer gaming and heavy usage.

With Xfinity Internet, customers can purchase their own compatible modem or rent an xFi Gateway, Xfinity’s modem/router combo device. With an xFi gateway and the free xFi app, you can pause Wi-Fi access, see who is using your connection, protect your network from malware and more. Purchasing xFi Pods can help expand connectivity throughout your home.

Xfinity Bundles

What Xfinity bundles are available?

Comcast bundles together internet and television and calls it the Xfinity Double Play. A bundle that adds a third Comcast service is a Triple Play, and a fourth, a Quad Play. Customers have over 10 options for the internet/television Double Play.

Xfinity Bundles

Choice Double Play Standard Double Play Select Double Play Signature Double Play Super Double Play
Cost per month (first year) $49.99-$64.99 $79.99 $89.99 $109.99 $139.99
# channels 10+ 125+ 210+ 219+ 250+
Download speed 100 Mbps 150 Mbps 150 Mbps 150 Mbps 250 Mbps
Based on availability near Philadelphia, near Comcast headquarters

Which Xfinity Double Play should I buy?

Even if you are considering joining the millions of Americans who have sworn off multichannel television from a cable or satellite company, it’s worth checking the math to figure out how much you’ll actually save. In some cases, for example, an Xfinity Double Play can cost less money than buying internet and paying for a live TV streaming service.

With a Comcast bundle, also consider that if you combine at least Performance Internet service with Digital Starter TV, you can use X1. An X1 TV box integrates your television and internet to offer 4K UHD and 4K UDH/HDR viewing, voice control and more.

Our Review: The Deep Dive

When it comes to availability, reliability and technological capability, few in the industry can stand shoulder to shoulder with Comcast. Xfinity TV is personalizing the television-viewing experience, giving consumers choices of over 300 channels (including over 100 in HD), Xfinity On Demand with more than 90,000 TV series and movies, mobile streaming, anytime-access of DVR recordings and the X1 Voice Remote.

Xfinity Internet comes in numerous tiers and is delivered through one of the largest fiber networks in the U.S. According to the FCC’s latest measures of consumer broadband performance, internet from Comcast delivered at least 95 percent of advertised speeds for at least 80 percent of customers, second among 13 internet service providers. And the Netflix ISP Speed Index, which measures the service’s prime-time performance, ranks Comcast first overall.

Despite its A- rating from the Better Business Bureau, Comcast reviews among customers are mixed. Those who give Xfinity low ratings most often cite poor customer service. This is not uncommon in the industry; ISPs and subscription television providers are the worst-performing business types for customer satisfaction, data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows. In 2018, Xfinity scored a 60 out of 100 in the ISP category and a 57 in television. The average in both categories was 62.

How does Comcast Xfinity rate?

Comcast Xfinity is a leader in the telecommunications industry. The company may not be the most affordable or have the best customer service. But Comcast's internet and television are dependable, available and at the front line of technological advancement, a fact that explains why Xfinity products are in millions of Americans' homes.

Benefits:

Available in a large part of the country; fast internet; wide choice of TV and internet plans; 30-day cancellation policy; services available without time commitments.

Drawbacks:

Prices can rise after promotional terms end; poor customer service; cheaper alternatives.

Bottom Line:

Always start by checking which providers are in your area, comparing plans and pricing. Comcast should be on the list. Xfinity is a safe, if not perfect, choice, likely to meet your TV and internet needs — and do it well.

Consumer Reviews

Posted on 10/12/2017

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA -- Comcast is by far the worst company I've ever had to deal with. I would not recommend them to anyone. When your cable or Internet go out the average wait time to call and report it is 6 hours and in that time you will never actually talk to a person. I have been told several different times I would be receiving a credit for issues with my services but never actually have. My bill goes up a few dollars every month yet every month I lose a few channels. Comcast is a company full of liars who have no business skills and no customer loyalty. Joke of a company. Horrible, rude customer service.

Posted on 08/23/2017

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON -- I was trying to purchase Comcast for my house. I had to wait in one of their stores for two hours for help. Then when they helped me they put all the wrong information on my account. I then called the next day to set up cable for my TV and it went well I thought and the install showed up at the wrong address and they had all my account information still wrong.

I talk to three different people to fix the problem. Then after 30 minutes on the phone she acted like she did me a favor by fixing the problem and want to schedule the install to be there three days later to install the TV cable. I told them that I had made plan and had already moved things around for the installer to be there on the scheduled time that he showed up at the wrong address. What ever happen to customer service?

Posted on 05/16/2017

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO -- I was a loyal customer with Comcast for 19 years. I had continued many years after my initial 24 month contract ended. Two years ago they began shifting programs from my purchased plan and billing me incorrectly for services. I called to discontinue service. The "Loyalty" dept. made me incredible offers at a reduced price if I would stay on, with no addition contract requirements. I accepted. The bills that followed were nowhere near what was offered and kept increasing. I called and requested the service be disconnected immediately. I also requested my final pay-off and was quoted a price which I paid. All done, right??

Well, now one year later (this month), I get a notice from a collection agency demanding $230.00 in delinquent payments. I called Comcast and spent 2 hours on the phone being transferred to 4 different people. Luckily I keep my bills and notes filed for a couple of years, so I had the names and dates of my conversations. They finally agreed that they had wrongfully charged me an early termination fee which would only have applied if a customer drops out while under the initial contract.

When I contacted the Collection Agency the young man told me this is not unusual, that he has seen this happen many times with Comcast. They wait, probably assuming most people don't have the docs to back their complaint, then bill them for disconnect or termination fees. After 19 years I'm free of that mess and enjoy satellite services. JUST A WARNING, WATCH THE BILLS CLOSELY AND KEEP YOUR RECORDS. You may need them later.

Posted on 03/09/2017

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA -- I ordered Comcast for a newly purchased home. Paid close to $400. Later found out the Comcast did not offer service in my area. They refunded all but $95 of my money and have continued to bill me for the $95. Three different times now I have had to spend long times on the telephone trying to sort out the confusion with customer service and collections agencies. The last two times I was promised the situation was corrected, but now for a third time this derogatory account has hit my credit report, creating serious issues for my available interest rates and banking credit relationships.

Once again I am in limbo awaiting a return dispute call sometime in the next 48 hours. I get wrong phone numbers to call where they have no idea how to contact the correct "region" to deal with my problem. Worst customer service ever! I cannot believe they are in business! As another reviewer noted "Calls to customer service are to people all over the country and NO one knows what the other is doing." This is absolutely true. Stay away from this company if you have any options!

Posted on 12/26/2016

DENVER, COLORADO -- Moved to a new apartment. Have had 4 different people out here and my services still don't work. The supervisor told me "I'll give you HBO for free." Stupid ass, my services don't work and the last service call was cancelled. They have no clue what they are doing nor do they care that my services don't work.

Posted on 12/14/2016

WILLOW GROVE, PENNSYLVANIA -- Where to begin? The fact that Comcast can force us to pay for airwaves, or the fact that we pay exorbitant fees to be chattel in its dog and pony show? "Customer Service" is an oxymoron. Speak, wait, transfer, repeat, wait, transfer, and repeat again. Absolutely no evidence of communication or record keeping. After being passed from one script to another, we are told nothing can be addressed, unless we take off work, reschedule our days, and wait for more sleight of hand to delay its poor outdoor cut-and-paste work. Shame on Comcast, and more shame on the government that has turned its back on our anti-trust and monopoly laws.

Posted on 09/15/2016

Complaints: Inability of Comcast to keep accurate account records, Over Charging/Price Gouging, Packaging for Fraud and theft because of packaging, Raising prices without permission and acceptance, Inability of Comcast employees to be able to recite monthly prices to customers.

I have been with Comcast for 30 years and as of two years ago, I have had nothing but trouble over your billing and unorthodox package program that is nothing but a huge rip off to customers; i.e. packaging and pricing. I watch very little TV. Primarily, my TV consists of Fox News, the weather channel and six months of football. There is very little else that interests me and of what little I do watch the pricing is totally out of bounds and out of reason.

There is one other person who has the TV on when I am not watching, but most of the time she gets her information and TV off of her cell phone. Therefore I, and probably many others are being billed for packaged TV programming that has no real value to us. All packaging is for profiteering and not customer satisfaction.

When I started with Comcast I wanted nothing but the basic TV and Internet (high-speed) package and was disappointed because I had to upgrade just to get what should already be available on basic TV, i.e. National News and weather, but years later I upgraded because I wanted to watch some national news; primarily FOX News and I had no interest in the Communist News Network (CNN) and their sister companies like MSNBC. I hate prefabricators of the truth.

The simple fact is, there is no real news in this controlled information world of criminals and a major part of the population understands this of which most refer to the news media as a circus. Still, citizens have a right to know and understand what is happening in our country and in the world around us. Do we get real news? No! Most of your programming is so packed full of advertisements, I find no reason to attempt to watch the movies and other programs I may otherwise, have an interest in. Thus, after the second advertising session, I usually turn it off and put in a DVD if I want to watch something.

In other words, your total packaging program is nothing but a scam and a very overpriced and overrated scam to say the very least. I am sure you don't want to know my real feelings about your greed, graft and downright thievery of the general public just because of monopolization of which at one time was illegal in this country.

Now, I spent 20 years in the United States Army and of that I spent 18 months in Vietnam, from 1966 until 1968. I served a country that has ripped the people off big time since after the Kennedy Assassination – thanks to David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger, Lyndon B. Johnson and a bunch of other self anointed – so-called “Elites”, all over the control of the illegal and unconstitutional currency system put into place by the bankers who wrote the laws rather than Congress who had the only authority to write laws. However, I will not go into the corruption of our so-called government, as that is not the reason for this letter.

Aside from just raising prices anytime Comcast decides to do so, which screws with my auto pay plan through my bank, I have been billed several months now for a bill that was paid and you received but for some reason, my account is still screwed up. Why? Incompetence or is this the general attitude of Comcast?

How many complaints against Comcast and how many have left to sign on with other providers? I have been to the Xfinity office several times this year over this and the first time I was told the accounting probably did not catch up to the billing and it would show on my next bill. The next bill came in and I returned to the Xfinity office again and was told there is no payment showing as received for the beginning month problem. Since I did not have the banking information with me, I departed a very unhappy customer.

The next time I went in, I showed the reference numbers for each payment made and received by Comcast and when the customer service representative looked up the information, the account showed ‘No payment due!” Amazing, yet and still my bill showed a delinquent payment! Now again I get a monthly statement and the amount due is well over the previous charges as well as my price has risen again when I was told there would be no price increase back in (the end) April for one full year.

All I want and any other customer should expect is a reasonable base price for TV Service that includes basic TV of which should include all TV news and general (local) TV expectations of which is FREE in the first place, not including all your pay to play movies and other bull crap you package. I don't want all that crap and I am sure when people wake up and realize they can no longer afford your over charges for what should be considered basic TV, you will see many more leave Comcast.

Given the fact my payment is to be less than $113.00 per month until May of next year (and I will never pay more) for what little TV I watch, and my internet fee of which is way overpriced should be adjusted down to within reason, you need to consider what is fair and reasonable for what you market. Moreover, you need to look at how you have and are treating your customers. Comcast wreaks of PPM, as well as a bad case of greed. (PPM: Piss Poor Management.) All I have ever asked for was a set price so I can set my payment to the exact amount each month and never have a problem. Impossible with Comcast!

Because you have a policy of raising prices without notification it is impossible to plan payments and NO ONE GETS access to my banking account unless for specific purposes and if I feel they can be trusted. You do not fit in that category because your corporation can't be trusted and has been the reason for problems with my account over the past two years of which also cost me a late fee when there was no payment ever late other than a problem based on your billing procedures, which caused a blip in payments. (One time in 30 years.)

As for this month's payment, you have raised my price again and my price (again) was to be fixed until May of next year at just under $113, but I set the payment at $113 just to see if your people would do the proper accounting. You have failed to respond with a proper accounting procedure and shows you could care less about customers or customer satisfaction, when in fact, you owe me!

Since my payment was made in the proper amount (plus a little more) and the payments will not change until next year, you have been paid the proper amount again and it is your responsibility to correct my account and keep the proper accounting to ensure customers are cared for properly. Monopolization should once again be made illegal and open/free market should be allowed for fair competition. This goes for phone companies, to include cell and home phone, TV providers, Internet providers and any other service to the general public.

I expect you to readjust my account and bill me properly in the future and never to increase my costs again without my written permission. Likewise, I demand a monthly quote, to the penny, that will not change for basic TV and High Speed Internet, to include all taxes and fees. That is not an unreasonable expectation. It should be law when dealing with providers like Comcast.

Posted on 08/08/2015

WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT -- Told them they only have seven premium channels - HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Encore and Starz out of 50 plus in HD. There are over 10 HBO channels. They give you 3 - 1 is in Spanish, all the others they give you 1 of each, no east or west of any of the above. I called, they looked off their competition and they noticed that your version, DirecTV, Dish gives you 107. If anyone has to choose between Comcast, ATT or DirecTV and if you watch TV, don't take Comcast.

Posted on 09/30/2014

MINNESOTA -- Every phone call to Comcast has the same familiar tone.
1. No matter the issue I am told the same response. "Do not worry. I can help you."
2. The truth is they don't help me. I have never had an issue resolved in less then three phone calls.
3. The reps do not understand what I say. Their responses are totally inappropriate to the questions I have asked or to the issues I have explained.
4. I call 4 different times and get four different answers, even when supervisors are involved.

This is true whether it is a technical issue or a billing issue. The problem is as far as cable TV, Comcast is a monopoly in this area of the US. Comcast needs competition for them to improve their services. If customer service is important to Comcast they might consider getting some real customer service training for their employees.

Customer service at Marriott, Discover, Chase, Delta Airlines, etc. is solution oriented, efficient. They listen well and understand the issues that can and do arise. Comcast would be well served to incorporate a training program similar to theirs. However, as long as Comcast can continue with poor customer service and still make a profit, what is their motivation to serve the public better?

Posted on 08/26/2014

WINCHENDON, MASSACHUSETTS -- I looked at a bill and noticed that Comcast had charged me for multiple anime episodes that when you looked at them in the On Demand menu showed as being free. I called and complained to customer service about this and was told that after speaking to a supervisor that the charges would be removed. I suspect this is not the first time they have billed me for "free" episodes. I will be paying very close attention to my bill from now on, and if I see them charge me for on-demand services that they list as free, I will be contacting the mass attorney general over this.

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