ROKU, HBO GO

[jhusosky]

Steven sorry to say, you did miss read that post. He was talking about seeing the Roku/HBOGO app running on someones system with out Comcast. 

Starting this summer Best Buy will be bundling the Roku on a Stick device with thier Insigna TVs, this alone will probally double the number of Roku's out there and of course the number of people that will be ticked that they can not watch thier HBOGO on it.

Please if anyone at comcast tells you they are working on getting us access, remind them the only thing it takes if for them to tell HBOGO to say yes to the Roku browser. Done, there is no working on there part!

[tlhInganHom]

Just throwing in my $.02 here - Come on, Comcast! If you want us to truly be able to use our services ANYWHERE, add Roku support both for HBO GO and Xfinity TV! If the Xfinity service is all about choice, let us choose how we access it.

[jhusosky]

Let me clearify HBOGO/ROKU is only a choice for them to activate the programming has already been done by Roku. XfinityTV would cause someone to program a channel to work with their XfinityTV site much like the phone apps do, this would be awesome but either Comcast would have to program it, or maybe Roku would to creat more uses for their box, a third party programmer could put one together I am sure. The question still remains the same would Comcast allow it or just sue who ever developed it. 

I know they want to rent me a DVR, but I do not have one nor do I want one, A Roku consumes 2watts of power while even at idle a DVR usually consumes 20-60 watts.

Comcast you have 23 million subscribers do you really thing that percentabe of the 2 million Roku owners that have your service will really make a dent in yor DVR/Reciever rentals. Happy customers are much better marketing then irate ones.

[Wellesley72]

Most of the current HBO programming is available "on demand", which doesn't require use of a DVR at all.  What Comcast is denying us Roku owners is the ability to view a more extensive list of movies  and all episodes of almost every HBO series (except, I note, John from Cincinnati), which is not available on demand and would be tough to find currently on HBO so you can't even DVR this programming.  As I have said on this forum many times, it is absolutely stupid for Comcast to allow you to view programming on an iPad, iTouch or Android device and not on Roku.  Comcast gets the same fee either way from HBO, so what is the problem here?

By denying us access to HBO Go, Comcast is slitting its own throat since at some point HBO Go will probably be available as a stand-alone system to "streaming only" customers in addition to cable subscribers so Comcast will lose any portion of the fee we are presently paying for HBO Go.  I also don't know why HBO isn't pressing Comcast to allow access to HBO Go on Rokus since my cable bill is getting close to $200/mo., and I may drop HBO completely if I can't get the extra programming they offer on HBO Go.  I have already dropped Starz.  I could see paying a dollar extra for Starz if their programming remained on Netflix but their content is mostly garbage, and I can't justify paying $15 to $20/mo. to watch one or two movies that I could rent for $1.25 each at Redbox.

[s_steven]

Thanks for all the great posts.  I will accept, grudgingly, that Comcast and HBO GO are about as partnered up as, say, congress.  This is a really good forum.

[Shar609]

Hello Comast, I WANT HBO GO ON MY ROKU!!!!!!

[jhusosky]

Well Said

[Shar609]

---

@sandyandy wrote:

I have HBO GO on the computer and on my iPad.  I really want it on Roku, too.  Any chance of that???

---

Hello Comast, I WANT HBO GO ON MY ROKU!!!!!!

[ds411]

When will Xfinity be supporting Roku? I'm really disappointed that I can not access HBO.GO with my Roku! I would consider switching to Verizon but we are held captives by Comcast in my area because Verizon is not yet available.

[cristen83cam]

When you try to activate the device it says xfinity does not allow for HBO GO on Roku.

[EileenWelch]

@ChasyChase

It's not your fault.  One would assume that since Comcast is listed as supporting HBO Go, they wouldn't block 1 avenue of access when they allow every other one.

IMO, this is false advertising on Comcast's part as they advertise that you can access HBO Go with your comcast account.  They do not disclaim the Roku.   

I very well may switch providers soon.  I despise Comcast.  They are not concerened with what their customers want.

[halboye]

I subscribe to HBO but cannot activate HBO GO, following directions ....

what's up?

Thanks in advance, hal 

[bmcaserta]

Comcast does not currently allow subscribers to sign up for HBO GO for Roku. People need to make some noise about it.

[halboye]

there's no excuse for that!!

thanks, hal

[shadowplay0918]

It's not supported:

http://support.roku.com/entries/20585347-does-my-television-provider-offer-hbo-go-on-roku-devices

Comcast doesn't want it available on the Roku boxes (there's another very long thread on it)

[PghBoy]

Looks like HBO is finally taking a stand on this (and they're on OUR side):

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/02/08/time-warner-ceo-sends-clear-signal-to-cable-operators/

[KENNYGO]

Well I would like a comcast app on roku  so i can access my comcast on demand when i am out of town, I carry my roku with me

[tw98056]

Hey PghBoy, thanks for posting this and it makes me feel good to see that HBO is pushing hard from the top-down to make this happen.  This was some great reading and as it mentions, total backward thinking from the providers to not allow this.  It's obvious that they don't have a friggen clue how much better the Roku experience is over On Demand.  The fact that they say one thing that it's okay for a smartphone or desktop to connect and not the Roku makes NO sense at all!  I've seen HBO GO work on a Roku and the experience is much better then browser based version.  DirecTV is absolutely crazy for not allowing this because I would cut the cable today and sign up for their service if they offered HBO GO on Ruku.  I have a funny feeling that Microsoft cut a deal with Comcast for the xBox  and part of it was NO other connected to TV devices.  I seriously wish the FCC would jump into this or a technology law firm would bring a lawsuit against Comcast.  Just hang in there, the fireworks will be coming!

[concerned3]

The only way this has been allowed to happen is there has to be a deal that no one can back out of.  Of course this is very shortsighted from the beginning and is a partnership that counts out the customers interest in place of their own.  This is a Netflix way of thinking and they haven't just tied there hands together they placed handcuffs on themselves.

[HBOGOforRoku]

Boo hiss, Comcast!

For $200 a month you'd think this would buy you a little bit of HBO/Roku integration...

[pcreeden]

Thanks for the link. Sounds like Time Warner's Customer Service is more astute than Comcast's. Big surprise. There are 272+ posts on this thread...You'd think that would be a wake-up call.

[valis1]

Don't forget to email, chat, and call Comcast on this issue.   Without contacting them directly we're hoping they monitor this thread.   We may be talking into the wind.   I previously posted contact links with responses that showed a lack of understanding. 

[valis1]

Comcast Terry;

Your response is typical of other Comcast employees.   The issue is not that Comcast does not support HBO Go.   They support it on puters and Droids.   The issue is that Comcast does not support HBO Go on a Roku so you can watch HBO Go on your HD television...   the preferred way to watch HBO.

I've already pasted the television providers HBO Go lists on their site.  Comcast is missing.

[BostonTodd]

Here, Here!!! I just bought a Roku Box for the primary purpose of watching HBO GO on my TV (without having the hook-up my laptop via HDMI) and now I find out Comcast is blocking it?!?!?! That really SUX!!! Come on Comcast...listen to your customers!!! We want Roku support for HBO GO!!! I can already watch it on my laptop, my phone and my TV (through my laptop)...why make things difficult???

[KENNYGO]

Maybe comcast is thinking they will loose money on second room set top box rentals.

[shadowplay0918]

I have a Samsung Smart TV and they are rolling out the HBO Go app...Comcast is not allowing it to be used there either.

Guess its not Roku they hate, its their customers....

[BostonTodd]

Here is the email I got from Comcast in response to my inquiry:

"Dear Todd,

Thank you for contacting Comcast Email Support. My name is Kristine and
I appreciate the time you took to email us regarding your online feature
inquiry. I hope you are having a great day.

I understand that you would like to verify when will Roku be compatible
for HBO Go application. I certainly know how important it is to utilize
all the services and features being offered by Comcast as this will help
you maximize your viewing pleasure. I will be happy to provide you with
all the relevant information about HBO Go application. Rest assured that
your service inquiry will be properly taken care of.

Todd, after checking my resources, I have verified that you Roku is
not yet a supported device for HBO Go application. You need not to worry
as Comcast agrees with you that this technology is something every
customer desires. Therefore, we can let you know that we are currently
testing and working to roll this out. Our roll-out dates are constantly
changing; however, we appreciate your patience and business. We want to
ensure good quality with all of our products and services. We look
forward to delivering this to you in the near future as we test out new
products and technology.

Please note that you may also send in your comments, suggestions or
feedback with Comcast services at the link provided below:

http://www.comcast.com/customers/feedback/default.cspx

We are unable to provide specific details regarding the launch of this
service at this time, please keep an eye on your monthly billing
statement as the announcement of any HBO Go application features will
appear on those statements."

Yeah right..."Roku is not yet a supported device for HBO Go application"... We all know that is NOT TRUE! It is Comcast that is not supporting Roku!!!

Come on folks!!! Let Comcast know that you are unhappy about this! Fight the power!!! 🙂

[s_steven]

Most egregious example of PR speak I have seen in awhile!  They failed to mention the horse you rode in on... 🙂

[TheJediGoddess]

Come on HBO, we need Roku. I was so excited when I bought my Roku only to have the doo-doo look on my face when comcast was not supported. As a subscriber who pays on time and in full every month, we should have access to this!!!!!

For what it's worth, I shot an email over to them. My thoughts are if we continue to bombard them with our concerns and complaints, maybe we'll get access soon.... 

[PghBoy]

You know what I suggest guys...instead of posting in this forum where NOBODY (even Comcast) sees it...post your complaints on Comcast and Xfinity's Facebook and Twitter pages, where a whole lot more eyes will notice it.  In fact, let's flood them with complaints.

[hongjodie]

Same problem with Roku fellows.

I want HBO.Go on my Smart TV.

Why, why, why on earth you are not participating???

Are you trying to play power game???

I am sorry, but live news and HBO.GO are only channels I am watching when I pay $100 per month.

Seriously, why not participating HOB.GO?

[Kelev]

I have a Samsung Smart Tv and in our bedroom we have the Roku why does Comcast not support HBO go when Charter,At+t,Dish network and a few more support these devices? I think the comcast co wants our $$ but does not care about the Customer themselves...we can speak with our $$ if that would help!!! I am thinking about taking my business >>> Its up to you comcast!!!!

[bgamman]

I posted on the XFinity Facebook page:

"When will Comcast allow us to watch HBO GO via our Roku devices? Comcast has signed off on HBO GO on our phones, pads and laptops, but for some reason has withheld permission for the Roku device. According to HBO, there is are no technical problems; Comcast has only to give its OK. 

Please see http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/02/08/time-warner-ceo-sends-clear-signal-to-cable-operators/"

They replied:

" Bill, we have been looking into this and dicussing possible negotiations with Roku. But, no decision has been made. In the meantime, I do want you to know all the ways you can watch your HBO TV shows and movies with XFINITY TV. You can watch EVERYTHING that is available via HBO GO via the XFINITY TV app on iOS devices and at xfinityTV.com. You can also watch the most popular HBO programs On Demand and via xbox"

I replied:

"That's a shame. As I stated earlier, I'm aware of the devices that Comcast currently allows for veiwing HBO GO; none of those choices affords the pleasure of viewing that content with a decent resolution on my TV screen. Unfortunately, the On Demand option offers too few HBO selections and is too seldom updated with new selections to be that useful."

[jhusosky]

I love how they keep saying they are looking to make it comparable like roku hasn't already done all the work

[TVdude]

I have a Samsung smart TV that now offers the HBOGO app. When I follow the instructions to activate the app to the television provider at www.hbogo/activate, I see that Xfinity/Comcast is not listed. I have HBOGO app on my Iphone and Ipad where Xfinity/Comcast is listed as a provider, Why isn't this app available from Xfinity for smart TVs? Something to consider when your major competitors Verizon and DirectTV show up as providers.

[tanjeffau]

Comcast please add HBOGO into ROKU........PELASE

[EugeneLynott]

The HBO APP was just added to my list of apps on my samsung smart tv.  It says to go to hbogo.com/activate, which I did.  But when I got to the site, it said that my web browser isn't supported.  Any ideas out there?

[shadowplay0918]

Comcast (at least to this point) is not allowing people to use HBO Go on Samsung tv's or Roku devices...

[Noahdg]

Same here...got really excited to see HBO Go on my new Samsung smart tv.   Then I found out that Xfinity users cannot get HBO Go.

Really disappointed.

My wife and I just had a baby and waited months to start watching the recent Boardwalk Empire season.  Went on HBO Xfinity on demand last night...and NO BOARDWALK EMPIRE!  They have dead series like the Sopranos, Entourage, the Wire...but no Boardwalk.

The season just ended in December....what's the use of On Demand.  I can watch it on HBO GO...but my wife and I are not going to huddle around an IPAD screen.

Ridiculous....and don't even get me started on the ESPN Watch app...no Xinfity either.

This better be fixed soon....

Darren

[breakingadam]

I now a Samsung 3D smart tv in the living room, a Roku box on my TV in the bedroom, AND subscribe to HBO via Comcast ... and do not have the ability to have HBO Go on my TV's. This is incredibly frustrating that this service is not supported by my (only choice of a) cable company. I really would like to be able to watch this content on my TV(s) without having to hook my laptop up every time I want to watch HBO Go. This is content that I ALREADY pay for.

PLEASE, Comcast, just let us access this content.  

[viachicago22]

Why are Comcast users not able to access the HBO GO app recently released for Samsung TVs? When will this be resolved? I know we can access it online or through the xfinity tv app but there isn't an xfinity tv app for Samsung tvs and I don't have a computer right now that I can hook up to my tv.

This is frustrating. Verizon and many other customers now have a feature that I don't simply because Comcast is being difficult. What is the deal???

[tw98056]

As many others here have suggested, nobody at a high level at Comcast reads these posts!  I guess it feels good to vent your frustrations here for the rest of us to read.  Social media such as Facebook and Twitter get's the point across as thousands viewers on those types of media get lot's of attention.  Remember a few months back how the banks tried to add fees and Netflix got hammered???  What Comcast is doing here is dead WRONG and this isn't the best forum to complain to get the most attention.  Has anyone started any threads on FB or Twitter yet about this?  If so, please post a link and I'm sure everyone here will join in!  Good to know that it's not only Roku users that are getting the same treatment!  

[tw98056]

Hey bgamman... I posted a detailed gripe on your FB page, now everyone else needs to do this same here!

[Kyoden_Okamura]

for how long this has been going on i wonder if this is more of a tech issue than an actual decision not to...

[jhusosky]

Sorry to say not a tech issue, Comcast, DirecTV and TWC only have to tell HBOGO to allow us to register Roku's and now Samsung Smart TV's and that would be it. The programming/Tech side has been done by Samsung, Roku and HBO these cable/sat companies only have to OK us to have access.

[Noahdg]

Posted on Xfinity's facebook page...here's the dialogue:

I think the response if flawed for these reasons...

1:  The Samsung 8000 is a smart TV with flash

2:  The IPAD is not flash and HBO Go and Xfinity apps work fine

• Xfinity:  HBO Go will only work with flash-enabled Samsung Smart TV's
  
  At CES 2012, Samsung and Comcast announced that the Xfinity TV app will launch on select 2012 model flash-enabled Samsung Smart TVs. At launch, the app will provide Xfinity TV customers access to a wide selection of On Demand movies and TV shows from top networks and studios, directly from their TV set.
• Me:  I believe the Samsung 8000 is flash enabled. The app works fine with Verizon and others...just not xfinity. Plus....the iPad is not flash and HBO go (and xfinity app) works fine.

[gconnery]

Still waiting Comcast!

Periodically somebody posts how its coming 'any minute now'.  The last time I read a post like this it was coming in December.  Checking again two months later I see a couple more posts like this.  I'd say ignore these posts, its not coming until it actually shows up.  Everything else is just an attempt to make you stop complaining.

It used to be they were just blocking HBO Go on my Roku.

Now they're also blocking it on my Samsung TVs.

Soon enough I expect they'll also be blocking the expected Showtime app on both those platforms.  Going forward I assume more and more of the ways we'd like to view the content WE PAY FOR will be blocked by Comcast.

If you think this is the way to keep us paying for your service Comcast, YOU'RE WRONG!  For one, I have cancelled HBO as a result of this. 

[Plummit]

Another call for Comcast/Xfinity to let HBOgo work on Roku. They already allow iOS devices, computers and XBOX/Playstation devices to use the app. I don't want a gaming console, don't want an iPad, I already own a Roku, and I'm an xfinity and HBO customer. Why is comcast trying to push me towards buying one of these other devices?

Comcast/Xfinity may soon learn that trying to stand in the way of what PAYING customers want at the intersection of technology and entertainment will start to hit their bottom line.

Interestingly, Verizon Fios in my area does allow HBOgo on the Roku. The $99/mo for two yrs they've been offering is starting to look more and more attractive.

[TJWTNR]

----SORRY. DUPLICATE POST---

[shadowplay0918]

this list will be deleted very quickly...