The following sponsored post is guest authored by Patric Welch, affectionately known by his clients whom he helps with their tech needs as “Mr. Noobie.” This post originally appeared on noobie.com.
When I sit down to watch television, I have a sort of pecking order on what I choose to watch. If one of my favorite sports teams has a game about to start, I’ll fire up my XFINITY X1 box to watch the game live.
When there’s no game on, I hit the list of recorded shows on my DVR and begin the process of choosing which show I want to watch.
But sometimes I’m in the mood for a little binge watching. That’s when I switch over to my Roku box and launch the Netflix app.
A slight inconvenience
Of course, as any good television junkie knows, when I switch back and forth between XFINITY and my Roku box, I need to switch television inputs and switch remotes. For some of you reading this, your go-to-Netflix process may include switching to your television’s smart apps or perhaps powering on a Blu-ray player with built-in smart apps or a game console like the Xbox One. This isn’t an overwhelming process but it is a slight inconvenience.
The bigger inconvenience is when I want to search for a specific movie or a specific actor or actress in a movie. Both XFINITY and Netflix allow me to do voice searches (or go old school and type my search with an on-screen keyboard) but I have to do them separately on each specific device.
Not any more
Well, I used to have to do them separately. With XFINITY’s recent integration of Netflix (separate Netflix subscription required) right into their X1 platform, I now have one seamless experience.
I can still use my X1 exactly as before to watch live sports or recorded shows. But now I can also access all my Netflix shows right on my XFINITY X1.
Viewing Netflix content on XFINITY
I can do this in a couple of different ways. The first is to go to the Apps section on my XFINITY X1 and select the Netflix app (see step-by-step instructions on how to do this below). From there I can navigate the same exact Netflix interface I’m used to on my Roku but right from my XFINITY X1. This means no more switching inputs and no more switching remotes!
But the better (make that more fun) way to access Netflix on my XFINITY X1 is through a voice search. That’s because Netflix search results are now integrated with the existing XFINITY search results (look for the Netflix logo at the top of any movie or television show thumbnail).
So, when I do a voice search on my XFINITY remote for the name of a movie, the search results let me know if it is appearing soon on live television, if I have it in my list of recorded shows, if it is available on demand or if it is available for streaming in Netflix. Same goes for searches for a given actor or actress. The search results display both XFINITY and Netflix results. You can even go as far as to do generic voice searches like, “Show me comedies” and Netflix comedies will appear right alongside the XFINITY results.
How to get started
To get started with Netflix on XFINITY, you’ll need to open the Netflix app. Press the XFINITY button on your X1 remote. Use the arrow keys to highlight “Apps” and press the select button. A list of available apps will appear on your screen.
Next, find and select the Netflix app. When you do this for the first time, you will be asked to either log in to your Netflix account or to start a free Netflix trial. Subsequent visits to the Netflix app will take you directly into your home screen for the Netflix app.
Note: I received compensation in exchange for writing this blog post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.
