Google and Comcast have reached a deal which will make it easier for you to watch YouTube straight on your big screen via an app on the X1 set-top box.
According to the terms of the deal, Comcast users will get full access to the YouTube app, which means all content from the video platform will be integrated alongside other on-demand content present on the X1 box.
It seems that voice commands will work just fine for YouTube, which means you’ll be able to launch the app and search for specific shows, artists and personalities without going to too much trouble. The company suggests you simply tell the set-top box to search for “Adam Levine clips from ‘The Voice’ on YouTube” to get the answers you need.
YouTube isn’t the only video source for Comcast’s set-top box. In fact, Netflix is already integrated, for those who enjoy watching some shows or movies after work. Netflix content was mixed in with Xfinity on Demand programming into a single library to make switching between services easier, turning it into a seamless experience.
Comcast plans to integrate YouTube into the X1 in a similar way, standing out from the crowd made of Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku, for instance. YouTube content will be showcased directly in the X1 user interface, alongside the shows the cable service provides. So, if you’re looking for cooking shows, for instance, you’ll get some similar videos from YouTube recommended to you.
Not the first, nor the last
It is quite likely that YouTube won’t be the last addition to Comcast’s set-top box, but they might want to speed up the process a bit if they want to be remotely competitive.
About half of its 22.5 million Xfinity customers have the new X1 set-top box system which comes with a DVR and 500 GB of storage space, as well as voice remote, real-time sports scores and other cool features.
Although the announcement was made today, the actual integration will take a bit to implement and it will only come “later this year” with no exact timeframe provided.
