I have a Comcast Xfinity X1 cable setup with the DVR and I’m wondering if I can see what’s on my DVR remotely. Better, can I watch the shows I’ve recorded via the Web?
Let’s start with the bad news: while other video services let you record your favorite programs on your digital video recorder (DVR) Comcast’s new Xfinity X1 system doesn’t have that capability. Yet. Well, to be more accurate, Comcast has announced what they call the Xfinity X1 with Cloud Technology that’s available in a limited area, and with that system all your recordings actually exist “in the cloud” which means that you will have access to those recordings anywhere rather than just on your home TV.
But… it’s not yet available to most customers. Here’s more info on X1 DVR with Cloud Technology to get you interested, including how to request it for your own coverage area.
There’s lots to like about the X1 system from Xfinity even without the remote access, however, and it does give you some ability to interact with your DVR remotely. The easiest way to get started is to go to the Xfinity.TV listings page, which looks like this:
In this case, I’ve specified HD Only and Sports. Look closely at the top tabs:
“Watch Online” is useful, but it’s not your DVR content (unless you have X1 DVR with Cloud Technology, of course) so we’ll skip it. “Watch on TV” is the program listing that hopefully you’re already using (as it makes it tons easier to work with the TV remote now that there are so darn many channels) and “Saved” is the option you want to access your DVR.
Click on “Saved” and after a few moments, it shows everything you currently have on your DVR:
You can sort by title, channel, viewing status and date & time, as shown. You can also see which shows we watch at AskDaveTaylor HQ: Bates Motel, Game of Thrones, Turn, and Believe (among others).
Click on a program and you’ll see a bit more about the episode recorded, program or movie:
From this point you can delete recordings if you need to free up space (note on the previous screen my DVR is 69% full, for example) but, as of yet, you can’t click “watch now”, though you can easily have it start up on your TV, which could be a bit weird if someone’s at home at the time!
Wondering how to add new programs? Back on the TV listing, just find something you want to record and click on it. Here’s a good soccer match:
A click on “Record” and…
That’s it. Click “Record Program” (or click on “More Options” if you want to fine tune the configuration) and you’re good to go.
Now about that cloud technology…