Xfinity Smart Resume

@XfinityFrank​ Thank you for your suggestion.  Smart Resume was virtually flawless in the past, starting at the beginning of a commercial and ending, almost exactly, when the program resumed. I assumed that this was a change in Xfinity policy and was deliberate to pacify advertising customers of Xfinity. 

I tried your suggestion to toggle Smart Resume on/off to see if it changes the behavior. There was no change in behavior after on/off/on and Smart Resume continued to end before the commercials were completed by approximately 30 seconds. 

@XfinityFrank: Can you investigate and report if Xfinity made this change deliberately, and when it was implemented? 

Thanks for giving that a try @jmurlowski . I have no information that this behavior of Smart Resume is deliberate. We do have a known issue that is being worked on, but what you are describing is not it. That known issue is some customers Smart Resume stopping 30-40 seconds INTO the show, not with 30 seconds left of commercials to go. We can get an investigation going on your particular issue though. Please send a direct message to us by clicking the chat icon in the upper right corner of the page, click on the pen and paper icon, then enter “Xfinity Support” in the “To” section. Please include your full name and complete street address. Also, for investigation, we would need :

The program information, including the:
-Program name.
-Date and time the program aired.
-Season number.
-Episode number.

If you have multiple examples, include them in your direct message. Thanks!

Xfinity Frank:

I was unable to send a direct message to you since I could not find the chat icon in the upper right corner of the page. I was able to locate the Xfinity Assistant but that was no help. I did perform the toggle Smart Resume on/off task but that resulted in no change in behavior.

Please provide me a way to send a direct message to you to provide you with my full name and complete street address. 

I was finally able to record examples of my problems with Xfinity Smart Resume. I had to wait for NEW programming to complete these examples. I now have four examples of this problem with Xfinity Smart Resume saved on my DVR. 

1. Magnum PI, S5 Ep13, Appetite for Danger, 10/18/23
2. Magnum PI, S5 Ep14, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, 10/25/23
3. Quantum Leap, S2 Ep3, Closure Encounters, 10/18/23
4. Quantum Leap, S2 Ep4, The Loney Hearts Club, 10/25/23

For years, Smart Resume was delightful and allowed the Xfinity customer to automatically fast-forward through the commercials.  While Smart Resume is still a service with Xfinity, the automatic fast-forward now stops when there are about 30 seconds left on the last commercial.  Very annoying!

We pay over $275 a month to Xfinity and they have now reduced their value to us without a corresponding price reduction. If this is not a system glitch then this decision by Xfinity was to increase their profits at the expense of customer service.

Please let me know what you find out.

Thanks for letting us know and for trying to send us a message. Here is a bit more detail on how you can reach us:

(Full credit to @BruceW for this excellent explanation!) 

"Search for Xfinity Support" won't work. To send a "Direct Messaging" message to Xfinity Support:

 • Click "Sign In" if necessary

 • Click the "Direct Messaging" icon or https://forums.xfinity.com/direct-messaging

 • Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon

 • The "To:" line prompts you to "Type the name of a person". Instead, type "Xfinity Support" there

 •  - As you are typing a drop-down list appears. Select "Xfinity Support" from that list

 •  - An "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line

 • Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window

 • Press Enter to send it

See https://forums.xfinity.com/conversations/email/cant-create-a-new-email-address/605e52b726aa974d63032d02?commentId=606107ea738c7f46a02b830e for an example.

@XfinityFrank​ seriously? It’s not a glitch it’s intentional. We are not stupid. 

Agreed. Their only motivation to do so would be for customer satisfaction which given the length of time it took for you to get a reply obviously is not their priority. 

Hello, @user_divbm8! Thank you for coming back and taking the time to share these details. I'm very sorry to hear how this experience has left you feeling, and I would love to see what we can do to help! Reviewing previous responses from the community and official employees, I see that someone mentioned a different known issue where after fast-forwarding through commercials, customers are returned to the program 30 - 40 seconds into the show, instead of being returned to the last 5 - 10 seconds of the commercial break as intended.

I'm not seeing a previous Direct Message between you and our Digital Care Team, but I would love to jump in and see what we can do! It's possible that some troubleshooting will lead to reporting your concerns to our engineering team (the more customers that do this, the more likely we are to narrow down and fix the cause of the issue). And you may have already taken steps like this, so I thank you in advance for your willingness to give us the opportunity to help once more. Could you please send our team a direct message to get started?

To send a direct message: 

• Ensure you are first signed in, then you will see a chat box icon at the top right of your page. Click that or follow this link here: https://forums.xfinity.com/direct-messaging 
• From there, click the 'New Message' icon. In the 'To' field, type 'Xfinity Support'. 
• Type your message in the text area that appears at the bottom of the window and hit enter to send. An official employee, such as myself or whoever is first available, will respond. 

To expedite your request, we ask that you please include your name and the service address alongside a detailed summary of your request/question. Thank you!

How flipping typical! Comcast/Xfinity could solve this if they cared anything about their paying customers. They just let it drag out instead of solving it, or telling us what is really going on.

@user_f07ff1 Smart Resume isn't available for all programs and networks, and we definitely would not be intentionally stopping at a certain point. Please review this article to learn more about Smart Resume, and it's when it can be used. Smart Resume for Fast-Forwarding Commercial Breaks in Select DVR Recordings

Hello, @Revengejr! Thanks for reaching out to us on the forums! I apologize to hear that you are encountering this issue with the smart resume. I know how frustrating it can be to run into commercials while trying to watch your favorite programs! I would like to have a look into this and if we need to, get a ticket open. Can you please click the Direct Message icon at the top right of the page, click on the pen and pad icon, enter Xfinity Support in the "To" section of the chat, and provide us with your first/last name and full address so we may further assist you?

Still angry.   While Smart Resume remains a service provided by Xfinity, there's a notable change where the fast-forward halts with approximately 30 seconds remaining on the final commercial. This alteration is quite frustrating. Considering our monthly payment of over $275 to Xfinity and our loyal customer status since 1999, it's disappointing that Xfinity has decreased the service's value without a corresponding reduction in cost. It seems evident that this decision by Xfinity serves to boost their profits by maintaining advertiser satisfaction.

Having been a loyal Xfinity customer for over two decades, I find myself deeply dissatisfied with their customer service. Additionally, it is frustrating to encounter misinformation, as opposed to the promised dedication of resources from Xfinity employees. Contrary to their assurances, I do not anticipate any meaningful effort from Xfinity to address this issue.

@jmurlowski Good morning! Thank you for taking the time to reach out to our Community Forums Team to bring your service concerns to our attention. I can see how it would be frustrating when your services aren't working properly, I would be frustrated as well. Our engineers are aware of the issue, and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. I would like to be able to attach your issue to the concern. Can you please send a DM with your name, the service address, and the programming you are noticing the issue on? 

Click "Sign In" if necessary
Click the "Direct Messaging" icon at the top of the page (looks like a text bubble)
Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon
Type "Xfinity Support" in the "To:" line and select "Xfinity Support" from the drop-down list which appears. The "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line
Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window
Press Enter to send it

@jmurlowski Thank you for keeping us posted so we can work together towards a resolution. I see you've sent a Direct Message so I'll continue helping from there. 

@XfinityEmilyB: I appreciate your prompt response eight days ago. I understand that resolving certain issues can be challenging, and I'm hopeful that we can work together to address the Smart Resume problem.

It seems like there might be a disconnect between customer expectations and the current situation. I believe a resolution would not only benefit me but also contribute to an enhanced customer experience for all Xfinity users.

I kindly request your assistance in escalating this matter or connecting me with someone who can take ownership and guide the resolution process. It's crucial for Xfinity to prioritize transparency, honesty, and customer service.

I understand that mistakes happen, and I trust that Xfinity is committed to rectifying them promptly. Your clarification on the situation would be greatly appreciated. Can you confirm whether this issue is indeed an oversight or if there has been a recent change in policy regarding Smart Resume?

Your efforts in resolving this matter are crucial for maintaining a positive customer-provider relationship. I look forward to your assistance and clarification on this matter.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Someone at Xfinity really needs to own this problem.

Possible reply #1:  "This is a mistake and Xfinity will fix it now since it has been a problem since August 30, 2023."

Possible reply #2:  "Xfinity made a business decision to reduce the value of Smart Resume for consumers, still allowing some fast forward through commercials will will begin to charge advertisers a premium by forcing consumers to watch the last 30 seconds of the commercial break.

Hopefully,

jmurlowski

@user_qvdmug Good morning! Thank you for sharing your experiecing with our Community Forums Team, with your DVR and recordings. It's okay if you don't have a physical DVR box, or subscription. Most of our newer plans include 20 hours of cloud DVR storage. This way you can still record some programming without having a full subscription for the DVR services at 150 hours and 6 tuners. 

https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/x1-dvr-cloud-technology-general-faqs

Thank you so much for reaching out to us, @user_wqiw95! I do apologize for the inconvience with the Smart Resume concerns. At this time, our engineer partners are aware of the issue, and they are working as quickly as possible to resolve the Smart Resume feature. At this time, there is no time for having it fully resolved. Please let us know if you have any further questions/concerns.