TV Japan requires upgrade to X1 box but is "Comcast" internet required too?

Thank you!  I just wanted confirmation of that because I had orginally just ordered the upgrade to the new equipment and then the service person I spoke to mentioned that I had to have Comcast internet service, ATT Uverse would not work.  Fortunately I canceled the upgrade equipment mailing or I whould have gotten a piece of equipment that doesn't work.  Okay, now I know I'm going to have to switch from ATT Uverse to Comcast internet.  I've done that switching before at a vacation house i.e. from ATT Uverse to the local cable TV company (Spectrum in Kentucky).  It's a hassle but I've done it before.  So I'll have to sign up for a double play. 

Now what is interesting is that I have to decide if I can use my Tivo with the new X1 set top box.  But that's a different question. 🙂

Again, many thanks for the confirmation.

Or, you can purchase a Roku device and install the Xfinity Stream App and stream TV Japan without needing an Xfinity X 1 TV box. At least that is the way it is supposed to be. In reality, if an Xfinity CableCard customer wants to add TV Japan to their plan they cannot because, ... well, just because. Comcast's billing system won't allow it. Comcast only allows customers with X 1 TV boxes or streaming only plans to subscribe to TV Japan. There's no technical reason that prevents using a CableCard tuner for the linear QAM channels working independently along side a Roku media streaming device for the IP-based channels. In fact, Comcast allows their customers to do that for non-international streaming channels. TV Japan doesn't prohibit it, - they leave it up to the "service provider" to determine how TV Japan content may be delivered to their customers (link for TV Japan's position  FAQ - Answers - How to Watch TV Japan). Would it make sense for Comcast to ban use of Xfinity X 1 TV boxes for international channels because they provide both linear QAM channel and IP-channel programming?

47 CFR §76.1201
Rights of subscribers to use or attach navigation devices.
No multichannel video programming distributor shall prevent the 
connection or use of navigation devices [equipment used by 
consumers to access multichannel video programming and other
services offered over multichannel video programming systems]
to or with its multichannel video programming system, except in
those circumstances where electronic or physical harm would be
caused by the attachment or operation of such devices or 
such devices may be used to assist or are intended or designed 
to assist in the unauthorized receipt of service.

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@MrReis wrote:
Or, you can purchase a Roku device and install the Xfinity Stream App and stream TV Japan without needing an Xfinity X 1 TV box. At least that is the way it is supposed to be. In reality, if an Xfinity CableCard customer wants to add TV Japan to their plan they cannot because, ... well, just because. Comcast's billing system won't allow it. It only allows customers with an X 1 TV box to subscribe to TV Japan or customers with streaming only plans. There's no technical reason that prevents a CableCard tuner working independently along side a Roku media streaming device. In fact, Comcast allows their customers to do that for non-international channels. TV Japan doesn't prohibit it, - they leave it up to the "service provider" to determine how TV Japan content may be delivered (see FAQ - Answers - How to Watch TV Japan ). Would it make sense for Comcast to ban use of the Xfinity X 1 TV boxes for international channels because they provide both linear QAM channel and IP-channel programming?

47 CRF § 76.1201
Rights of subscibers to use or attach navigation devices.
No multichannel video programming distributor shall prevent the
connection or use of navigation devices [equipment used by
consumers to access multichannel video programming and other
services offered over multichannel video programming systems]
to or with its multichannel video programming system, except in
those circumstances where electronic or physical harm would be
caused by the attachment or operation of such devices or such
devices may be used to assist or are intended or designed to
assist in the unauthorized receipt of service.

---

cablecard requirements have expired. Cable systems are moving toward an all TV over IP technology.  A cable card device will not be able to tune TVIP channels.

Subscriber CableCard equipment (Navigation Device) rights have not "expired." Providers' equipment requirements to use CableCards in their own rental eqipment has "expired." As long as a cable system still delivers any content as a linear QAM channel to subscibers, then they still have to support CableCards and subscriber owned CableCard equipment .

When cable systems (multichannel video programming systems) no longer use linear QAM channels to deliver content cable providers (multichannel video programming distributors) will then be off the hook for supporting subscriber owned CableCard equipment. However, the way the statutes are written today (e.g., 47 CFR § 76.1201) multichannel video programming distributors (aka cable providers) will still be on the hook for supporting subscriber owned Navigation Devices used to access the video programming systems' content. Perhaps the reason Comcast supports Roku devices today for their IP-based channels as well as providing the level of conditional access needed for program copyright protection that direct internet streaming  may not provide. 

Update

Since September 4, 2020 everything above about CableCard requirements is incorrect. On September 4, 2020, FCC 20-124 Report and Order eliminated CableCard requriements from 47 CFR by ordering that § 76.1205 paragraphs (b) and (c) be removed allowing cable providers to pull the plug on one half million CableCards installed in subscriber owned equipment currently on the four largest cable provider networks. 

Everything above about Navigagtion Devices requirements is still correct. The FCC believes that cable providers have been and will contine to provide their subscribers the means to use subscriber owned IP-based streaming Navigation Devices. The FCC also believes that cable providers have a competive incentive to continue to support the half million subscriber owned CableCard devices currently in use. They also need to support the "tens of millions" of their own old CableCard devices still in use.