ROKU, HBO GO

Why does Comcast not support HBO Go on Roku? I pay a ridiculous amount to have HBO but I can't watch old shows on my TV? Why?

Incompetance or malevolence? You decide.

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@RingOfStones wrote:

Why does Comcast not support HBO Go on Roku? I pay a ridiculous amount to have HBO but I can't watch old shows on my TV? Why?

 

Incompetance or malevolence? You decide.

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There's no possible way for this to be incompetance.  This has been an issue for more than half a decade.  If you can't get something done in half a decade that every other provider can do it's for a reason.

I hate cable boxes, I put a ton of effort into having all of my media available through one device, my Rokus.  I pay for HBO.  Can't watch it live with the HDHomeRun Prime because of the copy once flag, can't watch it delayed because Comcast wont authorize the Roku for HBO Go.  If I had literally any other cable provider in the US I would have one of these two options available to me.

Good article in the WSJ today (actually I think it was an editorial) outlining the issue of fast internet access in the usa, and how companies like comcast and att are keeping slow internet speeds as long as possible..throwing up all sorts of roadblocks to google and others who want to provide gigabit speeds via fiber. Another reason not to like this merger which will tend to perpetuate the status quo--which is exactly what this merger is about.

I can only speak to Direct TV, but you will have access to hbo go if you subscribe to hbo via DTV.

Just posted this to their customer service feedback page:

Still cannot access HBO GO through my Roku streaming player. Comcast is about the sole remaining service that blocks this. Time Warner, Cox, and just about all other cable companies now support it, as do Dish Network and DirecTV. There is absolutely no reason for Comcast not to. If the Comcast situation does not soon change, I will possibly keep my Comcast internet, but will definitely be dropping the phone service, and switching my TV service to Dish, or DTV.

Also noticed today that they have been billing me 5 months for a DVR that was lost in a house fire back in September.  I told them of the loss less than a week after the fire. Now they're telling me that I am going to have to pay for the DVR!  If I'm renting a house and it burns down, I don't have to pay for the house - it's the owner's responsibility to carry fire insurance.

Also asked about swapping out my pathetic current DVR for an X1 box, and was told I would have to pay an installation fee.  Sheesh.  

Does anyone know if I keep my Comcast internet, but switch to Dish or DTV, will I then be able to access HBO GO through my Roku?  The verification process asks for your TV provider, not your internet provider....

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@94heritage wrote:

Just posted this to their customer service feedback page:

 

Still cannot access HBO GO through my Roku streaming player. Comcast is about the sole remaining service that blocks this. Time Warner,...

 

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Time Warner probably won't for long, Comcast just acquired them pending Fed approval.

Comcast does not block HBO GO, they just refuse to authenticate if they are your TV provider.  You will have no issue with HBO Go if you switch to Dish or DTV and keep Comcast internet.

A bit of good news for HBO subscribers at Comcast, who seek the extensive content available on HBO GO with ROKU and other devices, restricted by Comcast:  The primary reason to want HBO GO is the broad range of HBO programs that are not available on Comcast VOD.  Currently, all seasons of every HBO original series as well as HBO-produced films and documentaries are available with set-top box through Comcast VOD, in standard and high definition.  My guess is the probability that HBO made the content because just as frustrated as we are by Comcast's limited offering and unwillingness to authorize access through many popular devices, such as ROKU.

Also help to explain the Comcast/Xfinity double branding.  A couple of years prior to selling the cable giant to NBC Universal, Comcast ran extensive market research; and learned just how unfavorably their network was viewed.  Rather than correct any reasons for the low favorables, Comcast developed a stategy to "rebrand" themselves with an extremely cumbersome name change to give the appearance of modernizing the tired old service.  Apparently, the project was abandoned while both names, which had caused tremendous consumer confusion, were in play; and they were left with no choice but to keep them both.  It would have been an excellent move for NBC to elect a final brand identity at the time of the well-publicized purchase, such as they did with success when adopting the "NBC Universal" moniker. Perhaps they feared damaging the parent-company's reputation by publicizing a version of NBC/Comcast?