Home BudgetingCable-Satellite

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 10/02/2018

NAPLES, FLORIDA -- Having Comcast as a service provider is not a good idea, unless you're into wasting time, money, energy and love long B.S. laden calls to customer service. They are experts in standing you up, not following through and straight taking advantage of their customers. Beware if you have an open discussion with them about service challenges and or the bill. They will turn you into collections for no reason as the right hand does not know what the left is doing there. Just please stay away.

Posted on 02/06/2018

CHICAGO -- 8771101310803289 Account number, I got a call from them offering me internet plus and hbo channels, and offered it to me for about $39, I said ok cool I will try it and trusted them, so the mailed me the TV box and tried to install it and it didn't work, I called them twice and they didn't fix it, third time the said they are going to send someone with a new TV box to see if the box I had was bad, the technician came out and fixed my TV and said the box they mail me wasn't working and changed with the one he brought with him and apologized he offered me to fix the wires without mention anything about any fees or charges, I appreciated his help and gave him $20tips, he apologized about the inconvenience and said he is going to take the defected box and make a note to Comcast not to charge me anything since it's their mistake, the technician asked me to use my bathroom which was a little awkward and left, so the problem started when I got the first bill which was $131 and not $39 as I was promised, I called them and they said my package is $53 and not $39, and I was charged for the technician not like what he told me there is no charge, and the said the first box I had it missing and they are going to charge me monthly as long as I don't bring it back, but as I said the technician took the box with him, I keeped calling them every time they tell me different story and the don't wanna fix the problem, and some of the agent were very rude and very unprofessional, so I told the to go check my recorded call who sold me this terrible package that he said I have a month money back guaranteed if I don't like the service, so I said to the agent cancel everything I don't anything anymore my experience with you was awful and unpleasant and apply that term one month money back and take me back to my original package that was $19,99/month, they didn't honor their first promise and end up charging me $42,63, to sum up Comcast is a very misleading company you can see lack of communication within their departments, their not on same page and they don't keep their promises when they call first to make you sign for any deal, o was cheated and deceived, and they wasted too much of my time, if I could I will rate thema big 0

Posted on 11/06/2017

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND -- I've been without consistent cable, internet and phone services for the last 45 days beginning 9/27/17. There is a feeder problem on Bel Air road that causes a weak signal and my modem, cable boxes and phones will power themselves down all day every 4-20 minutes and they power themselves back up. I've spoken to customer service and technical support. I was told it will take 14 days to correct.

In the meantime my wife works remotely and cannot do her job and has to explain to her manager that her provider has unreliable services. Oh, before I forget to mention I just received my bill (for services I am not getting) and it increased by $30.00 I guess to pay for the feeder repairs. Stay away from Comcast, changed name (Xfinity) same shoddy service.

Posted on 07/30/2017

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CALIFORNIA -- I pay way too much a month for my internet and cable not to work all the time. I go to school online so I need to be able to access my classes. They have to send a technician out every 2 weeks to work on it. I would recommend getting another service provider.

Posted on 07/14/2017

MIAMI, FLORIDA -- I had to move, I canceled my Internet service with Comcast, and they are charging me $100 for early termination of contract. A so called contract that I didn't know anything because I always considered a month to month service. The salesperson I talked when I asked for the connection of service, never talked me about a 1 year contract. Beside the internet service was not the best. Be careful when dealing with Comcast.

Posted on 05/02/2017

DANBURY, CONNECTICUT -- I recently decided to try Comcast internet service, they have a 30 day guarantee so I couldn't lose right? Within hours of installing their service I entered a wifi nightmare. I spent hours and hours on the phone with customer support, made a trip to our local store which is 30 minutes away and even when it was working it was slower than the Frontier service I had previously used. Eventually I gave up and canceled after 27 days - 3 days within their 30 day guarantee.

Now, it's 3 months later and I'm being hounded for the $90.10 they claim I owe them. I have now spoken to 4 different customer service reps who all look at my account and assure me they will take care of the problem. No one has succeeded yet and now I've received a notice from a collection agency. A COLLECTION AGENCY!!! I've filed a dispute with them, but I'm now convinced that Comcast will continue to hound me and screw up my credit as well. Worst decision I ever made was deciding to try Comcast

Posted on 10/08/2016

NEWARK, DELAWARE -- Because they even do not deserve a single one. I was using Comcast and moved to somewhere else. Then I transferred my service. One year later, my service was disconnected for no reason. Then they charged me disconnection and reconnection fee for $190. I fight with them for at least 3-4 days. Then they waived these fees. But later, my dissatisfaction with them made me move to Verizon.

Now, they claim that I have a contract with them and they ask for early termination, although I did not sign up with any contract. I realized that they sign me up without my permission and put those waived fees on my early termination penalty. Now they want me pay those fees. I would never recommend Comcast to my friends. STAY AWAY!!!

Posted on 08/06/2016

RICHMOND -- I moved to Redmond & unfortunately there seems to be only Comcast that can provide both internet & cable at my apartment. After several hours of being on hold, etc with Verizon, they somehow cannot provide internet services despite the tenant on the 3rd floor having it. So great, that leaves Comcast.

Problems started as soon as service started. First, let me say that I have a very new expensive modem & router that I bought when I moved here. So, Comcast tech came on a Friday morning to hook up a wire (really I could likely have done it myself). All is well, so I thought. The following week I keep getting messages that service wasn't connected. I finally talk to someone that Wed & advise yes indeed services started, BUT that I wasn't getting the 45 channels I had agreed on over the phone with Comcast sales representative & instead was getting only 10 channels. Nothing she could do of course but was glad service was indeed started.

Then it got worse as just 2 days later, service was shut off. Why oh why? I called on Saturday & told they were too busy to deal with my call. WHAT? Advised to call back the next day. Called on Sunday, again on hold & switched to multiple people only to be told to call back on Monday to talk to a technician. Called on Monday & told service stopped because it was never completed despite THEM having a log of phone call with a representative previous week saying yes service was started. Also told I signed up for only 10 channels. Really? How about going back to the "phone recording" of the call to sales representative because we did say 45 channels.

Things got only worse... Ready for this... If I want to continue service it will now cost $30 more per month because the "special" I signed up for is only available online to first-time customers. Are you freaking kidding me? COMCAST makes the mistake and even admits they made the mistake of cutting off the service but now you're going to pull a stunt like this? Comcast representative didn't even care to make it right & wouldn't let me talk to her supervisor.

Couple of weeks go by & I get a call from a Comcast representative who wants to know if I'm happy with the service. ARE YOU KIDDING? I don't have the damn service. Tell him the story & the BS of being put on hold for countless hours & then only to be told I have to talk to someone else... He wants to make it right. Ah but I still can't get the same package for the price I signed up for because that "special" is over. Seriously people.

I need to have internet at the apartment for work purposes. I can't rely on walking over to the library every time I need to be on it. So, he's going to make it right by telling me I can have such & such package which is way more channels (I don't watch a lot of TV but of course the 3 channels I do enjoy are on the higher package) & I will have internet at the Blast level (which means 150 mbps). Ah but it's going to cost $30 more per month than what I originally signed up for.

So all that is needed is for Comcast to send a cable box. A SIMPLE cable box. But no, they can't even get that correct. They send the wrong box & then are going to charge a rental fee for a box that is incorrect. I already have a modem & router, don't need the unit you've sent AND I heard Joe (the rep) tell the person this on the phone since Joe was standing there next to me. He repeatedly told whoever at Comcast that I only need the cable box for such and such TV package. The guy on the other end sounded (yes I could hear him) like an idiot. He just couldn't get it through his head what Joe was saying. Why surprised I'd get the wrong thing?

So, now have to wait for the correct cable box to show up (yet again more delays & errors on Comcast's part). Find out that not getting 150mbps but only 25. Another 2 hour call to Comcast. Rep says "Yes I see that on the bill that you were upgraded to 150 at no cost to you. However, on the bill is the error of being charged for a combo modem/router that you aren't using (don't even have it because Joe took it with him when he left)." So she's going to correct that (yeah haven't gotten the new bill yet so we'll see). But there's nothing she can do about not receiving the 150 mbps. A technician will have to come over (yet again).

He shows up & calls in to Comcast. They tell him I'm signed up for only 25mbps. I show him the bill. He tells them that, & they tell him he's wrong. Are you ** kidding me? It says it on the bill. Another call into Joe. He's going to get it corrected. That was over a week ago. Guess what? Do you think it's running at 150? Hell no.

I will never do business with this company again. In fact, as soon as an alternative comes around, I will rather pay termination fees than to continue dealing with Comcast. Clearly they do not care about customers. They do not care about making things right or heaven forbid offering some kind of real compensation for THEIR errors.

And I have been telling everyone and anyone about what's happened. Absolute BS & to have to go through the phone system only to be put on hold for hours on end & told "you need to talk to such & such a dept" only to have go through the phone prompt system all over & re-explain all over is just crap. NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH COMCAST!

Posted on 07/13/2016

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE -- Comcast is the WORST company I have EVER dealt with. I have been trying for 3 weeks now to get service with them because unfortunately they are the ONLY internet providers in our new neighborhood! Unless we want DSL which is impossible since I need the Internet for my work. I keep getting the runaround with this company and no one is properly trained with the correct information. Then their agents you contact who are in other states such as Illinois or Mississippi who tell you they are going to follow-up on how service is coming along, NEVER DO.

Training of staff needs to be updated so that they are all on the same page instead of having techs who come to the house and tell you they cannot install inside because the cable hasn't been buried outside the new home and then contacting an agent on the phone who says yes they can install inside without the cable being buried, or another agent who says "Oh, even if that tech had been on time he couldn't have done the work inside because the cable isn't buried yet".

All of this may have been avoided to begin with if the second agent I spoke with on the phone on June 24th had not dismissed my call telling her the house was a new construction to begin with and I was told may need to have line buried outside. To top it off, when a tech came out to bury the line two weeks later we are told that who installed the fire hydrant crushed the cable pipe so now Comcast needs to contact 811 so they can mark where Comcast can bury the line as to not bust any pipes themselves. They tell us it will take 24-48 hours to do so, which would have been July 7th or July 8th and then he (the tech to bury the line) would be back that weekend, July 9th or 10th.

Here we are a week from July 6th and 811 STILL had not been contacted to come out. I know this because I called them on July 10th myself as well as just now. Comcast is the WORST company I have dealt with! So if you have ANY other choice in your area, take it! I know I would.

Posted on 07/13/2016

RINGGOLD, VIRGINIA -- My internet went down due to storm, after I put in ticket. Agent stated tech will be there tomorrow between this and that time. He never showed up next day. I called again, agent stated, "Tech will be there tomorrow." Tech never showed up. I called the next day again, agent stated, "There is no ticket." I put in another ticket - same thing happened. I called again to follow up the ticket, agent stated, "There is no ticket." No one called. I called again and again for 8 days after yelling and cursing, finally on the 10th day someone showed up, but issue still not resolved. This is not my first-time service with them. Where I live only Comcast provides service.

Advertiser Disclosure:

The information we provide and the analysis we share is always free. So, how do we survive? We get compensated by our partners, which may sometimes influence the products or services we review and the order in which they appear. Our suggestions and guidance are unbiased and are based only on our thorough research.