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There’s a new entrant in the already crowded connected TV landscape. Comcast has teamed up with smart TV manufacturer Hisense to create its own line of smart TVs, XClass, which will extend its Xfinity footprint beyond pay TV.
Top line
The first 4K UHD XClass TVs will be available at select Walmart stores and, in the coming weeks, on Walmart.com. The televisions will be available as 43” and 50” models, and come with a voice remote.
Between the lines
The TVs are built on the same technology that powers Comcast’s other entertainment and connectivity platforms, including X1, Xfinity Flex, Sky Glass and Sky Q. XClass TV integrates Comcast’s voice technology as well as hundreds of built-in apps.
Comcast’s smart TVs come with a 12-month subscription to Peacock Premium—NBCUniversal’s streaming service—and customers can access other streaming apps including Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video and more. In the coming months, streaming apps from Xfinity and Charter will launch on XClass TV as live TV options alongside Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling TV.
The move means that Comcast will now be able to cater to customers outside its U.S. cable footprint, without an Xfinity subscription.
“We’re thrilled to bring our award-winning entertainment experience to smart TVs nationwide and for the first time offer consumers inside and outside our service areas a simple way to navigate their live and on demand content, whether streaming or cable,” said Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer for Comcast, in a statement. “Hisense XClass TVs are the next products in a growing portfolio built on our flexible and scalable technology platform, bringing the best innovative products—whether that’s a streaming box or a smart TV—to each territory and customer segment.”
Bottom line
Comcast is the latest technology company branching out into the smart TV landscape. Amazon, already one of the dominant players in the space, launched its own lineup of Amazon-built Fire TVs this month, and LG Ads is set to roll out its new operating system, River OS, early next year.
