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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 09/25/2016

DENVER, COLORADO -- I've had service with Comcast for a couple of years and have been after them to fix this problem since day 1. The DVR occasionally does what it's supposed to do, but sometimes does things I didn't tell it to do and sometimes simply doesn't do things I did tell it to do.

When I attempt to record two successive half-hour sitcoms that occur every weekday at a specific time-of-day (reruns for sure!), it sometimes records the first, sometimes the second, but very seldom gets them both. When those same sitcoms are on a different network, it does just fine, AFAIK. However, it's annoying when I attempt to schedule a recording and find it doesn't even appear in the "schedule" listing.

Occasionally, I'll find programs I didn't even know of were recorded. More often, I'll find that programs I intended to record, and saw they were scheduled, were not recorded and were dropped from the schedule. Also extremely annoying is that it records before the beginning, or after the beginning, and correspondingly, truncates the program or records beyond its end.

Posted on 07/15/2013

CHESWICK PA, PENNSYLVANIA -- The repairman came to my home because my DVR lost 2 and 1/2 pages of history and a previous phone call to correct this issue did not work, also phone was cutting out in the middle of a conversation. My health is not well and it is important that I have a working phone at all times. The repairman came into my home and told me that I didn't know what I was talking about.

He said that there was no way that I had 4 1/2 pages of recorded shows, but I did and I do know what I am talking about! My health is bad. I had a stroke 2 weeks ago and my phone cut out while I was trying to talk to the hospital and I just needed to get both my DVR and my home phone fixed. I didn't need this man to argue with me. All that I needed was for him to fix the 2 issues that I scheduled with Comcast! AND NO ARGUMENTS!!!

Posted on 10/03/2011

We were scheduled for service between 12 pm and 2 pm and they said we rescheduled the app. for Tuesday which we did not. We rearranged our schedule so we would be here to have them come to fix the problem. We called and they said there was nothing they could do about it until Tuesday. This is very poor customer service.

Posted on 06/10/2011

Wanted to thank ** for her professional and courteous assistance. She resolved my issue quickly. It was a pleasure dealing with her. Would like to suggest to companies that when you have someone of note that inspires a person to take time to tell you of their great experience with the company, that they somehow recognize that person.

Posted on 03/02/2011

Woe unto Comcast customers whose Scientific DVRs bite the dust. You will be given a substandard piece of equipment as a replacement--the Cisco RNG which will not work with any DVR expanders, won't cache the live shows longer than 5 minutes without returning to live TV with no hope of rewinding, won't record complete shows without stopping suddenly saying program is unavailable and several minutes later resume recording leaving you with several minutes missing--never during a commercial mind you.

On top of that you have to endure the HORRIBLE customer service that repeatedly tells you there's nothing wrong with the box or signal. So, as usual, buyer beware. I asked about getting one of the Scientific's back but--this is the unbelievable part--there are no phone numbers to call the service centers. You have to physically drive to all the service centers to search for one of the Scientific DVR boxes. How insanely absurd is that? It's not really.

Comcast has never really cared about customer service because they know you either have to use Dish or not have cable service at all. I guess we'll be just as unhappy with Dish and suffer through the poor service during bad weather. Either way it's just crappy customer service because there is no competition.

Posted on 10/31/2009

Comcast came to my house to install service. The guy saw an HD DVR box in my house and asked what's that. My wife told him that it was a box from another account and that we own it so it stays here (it's my son's, who got charged for it after they sent his account to collections; he since then paid it off).

Throughout the install which took like 2 hours he somehow got his grubby little hands on the box and took it out to his truck (STOLE IT). He never mentioned anything or gave a receipt for taking it and on top of that he didn't even do a good job because they had to send out another technician to fix it the next day.

We called numerous times to customer service who just keep on saying he probably took it because he thought we were exchanging it or that we wanted to return it. That is not the case especially since we told him not to touch it in the first place. They just keep on giving me the runaround saying a field supervisor will come out.

I have wasted 3 different days trying to wait for their supervisor. No luck. I am ready to just file a police report and have the police handle it but there is one big problem, we have no paperwork on that box because my son is not very good at record keeping for himself.

I asked Comcast if they could just track it down by finding the technician who took it and see what boxes he brought back that day because there would be an extra one that is mine. His reply was that "yes we can do that but you would need to provide a serial number and all this other crap", which is really stupid since they could just connect the extra box with my address in their system easily. I guess I should have never trusted COMCAST to come into my home. I learned my lesson now.

Added: The thing with this situation is I paid my son's bills for everything that went into collections the last two years (I know I shouldn't pay my kids bills bc he should learn on his own but he went through a lot which I won't get into.). So really they stole it from me but to them it is owned by my son. We paid $560 for the box and like $400 on top of that due to it going into collections.

So it doesn't matter if it says Comcast or not; it is our box that we bought fair and square. They could have given me a receipt at least showing that they took it so I have proof to get my money back or a credit. I wouldn't expect Apple to come into my house and steal their computer back if they are servicing something else just because it says Apple. And yes that was just a made up scenario, I know they don't service houses. Bottom line is COMCAST stole from me and my family.

Posted on 12/15/2008

QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS -- I had an appointment for between two and five. I was in a jam because I had to pick my kids up at school at two-thirty. I got a call at one thirty from my Comcast tech. I told him my issue, and he waited for me to get home at three. He found out that the outside line was full of water. Fifteen minutes later my son was watching Sponge Bob!!! Thank You.

Posted on 07/21/2008

COOL, CALIFORNIA -- We have been subscribers to Comcast Cable since they took over in our area, about 8 years now having problems intermittently until last fall when the service was spotty at best, poor or no reception and always some lame excuse. Comcast is the only cable service offered here. We have TV and internet with a bill that runs approximately $150.00/mo. 5 TV's, 2 on straight cable with no box (the only ones we are able to receive programming on at this time). One HD box, one HD/DVR box, and one DVR box.

None of the TV's with boxes have worked in almost a week. When calling for problem-solving, nice little lady says "unplug the boxes, plug in again, I'll send you a new signal". We did this several times and nothing. Best she could do was to schedule an appointment 6 days from this time.

The night previous to this we had had problems and I called their recorded message that stated "we are experiencing degraded service in your area and our technicians are working on it." I mentioned this to the little lady and she says "there is nothing being reported now, so it is not an emergency for Comcast." My husband is a very patient man but even he has reached his limit. We are going satellite and Comcast can go suck eggs. Cool, California, 35 miles NE of Sacramento.

Posted on 06/26/2007

SOUTH RIVER, NEW JERSEY -- Once again the great customer service at Comcast strikes. Got a call last week, Comcast wanted to install a free DVR for me. Made the appointment for 6/25 1300 - 1700 per CR. Monday comes and no installer at 1530 hrs. Called to check when he would be here and was told appointment was for 6/26 from 1300 to 1500 hrs. I told them I wrote date and time in 2 separate places and it was for 6/25 not 6/26. I then made the BIG mistake of saying "OK, I will wait until Tues, 6/26 at 1300."

Tuesday comes. At 1500 call Comcast Customer service to ask where installer is. ** says "Installers are running late". He then asked if I could give the installer until 1530, another 1/2 hr or so. I asked him how installer can be at my house in 1/2 hr when you told me he was running late. ** said "I never told you that". I then blew my top. I waited 4 hrs on Monday and now 3 hrs today and he calls me a liar? What crummy service.

I asked for a manager. Of course I get put on hold. Someone picks up phone and I can hear activity, but no one is on the other end. My other line rings and it is the installer. It is now 1515 or 0315 pm. He says he cannot find my house and ask what # it is? I ask him if he can read English because he sure can't speak it as I could just about understand him.

I asked him if he had my # on the order and he says he can't find house. "There are 2 houses on one side of the street and 8 house on my side. I have a large house # on the door in bright brass. There is a large rock next to driveway with house # painted on it." And this jerk can't find the house? So much for Comcast installers, about a step up from rocks as far as intelligence goes. I get a supervisor, ** who listens to my problem and then has the nerve to ask me what day they can come and install DVR. I tell her 6/27 at 1300. She says that time is not available.

WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP! Without a doubt the worst customer service I have ever run into. I waste 7+ hrs waiting for them, they can't find the house on a street that is 1 city block long and has a total of 9 or so houses on both sides on the street and they tell me they can't do it when I can be there? I will be going to Verizon and Fios as soon as I can. I will never again put up with the crappy customer service which Comcast is so famous for.

Posted on 11/21/2006

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- I just wanted to post a quick review about my Comcast DVR. Overall I think the device is great. It is easy to program and has the disk space to record my shows for weeks before I need to start deleting and cleaning things off it. My main gripe is regarding a bug in the recording/programming software. It consistently stops recording a few minutes before the end of the shows. Everyone knows the last few minutes of a show usually has some nail-biting information revealed that leads you into the next week's episode (like Lost for instance).

Well my wife and I have now taken to trying to time when we start watching the shows so we can watch the end of the show live when the DVR would normally cut it off. This allows us to fast-forward through the commercials, and then catch the end of the show instead of missing out. Same thing happens for any sporting events we record. If they go over their scheduled time by a few minutes (for an overtime for instance!), it stops recording!

It is one of those annoyances that I think people should know about before making the choice between a Tivo or a Comcast DVR. Tivo's apparently have the ability to be set to record X minutes over the scheduled time, allowing you to avoid this problem. Quite smart if you ask me. I'm wishing we went with a Tivo now.

UPDATE: Thanks to all your advice. I figured out that my Comcast DVR DOES indeed have an option to customize the start and stop time beyond the scheduled program time. So I was able to pad my recordings by 5 min! Thanks everyone!

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