Get Started with the Xfinity Stream Portal

Learn how to access the Xfinity Stream portal, register your computer and use the portal's main features. Understand the differences between programs you can watch while connected to your home Xfinity Internet network vs. another network.

What You'll Need to Stream Programs

Be an Xfinity customer.
- If you just ordered Xfinity TV service and are waiting for equipment to be installed in your home, you can stream a popular selection of live sports, news and On Demand shows and movies included with your Xfinity TV service.
A compatible cable modem or Wireless Gateway.
A computer and web browser that meet the system requirements for the Xfinity Stream portal.
Your Xfinity ID and password.

In addition to the above, you’ll need:

To watch live TV Go channels in or out of your home:
- Xfinity TV service with any Internet connection.
- Note: TV Go channels are delivered over an Internet or mobile connection and will count towards any usage thresholds that may apply.
To watch live TV streaming of networks not labeled as “TV Go” that are included in your channel lineup:
- Xfinity TV service connected to your in-home Xfinity network.
- Note: The program you want to access must be on a channel included in your channel lineup. For example, your channel lineup must include HBO for you to view HBO programs.
To watch your completed cloud-based DVR recordings in or out of your home:
- Xfinity TV service and cloud DVR service.
To watch select Xfinity On Demand in or out of your home:
- Xfinity TV service.
- Note: Your full Xfinity On Demand library content is available while connected to your in-home network. Learn more about Xfinity On Demand restrictions.
Notes:
- Remember, some Xfinity Stream portal features may vary by subscription type. For example, Cloud DVR customers can watch completed recordings anytime, anywhere.
- Paid content (such as a pay per view events or some X1 On Demand subscription services) is not available on the portal.

Difficulty
Easy

What Do You Want to Learn About?

Using the Portal for the First Time
Navigating the Portal
Using the TV Listings
Viewing Program Details
Watching DVR Recordings
Watching Xfinity On Demand Programs
Making and Watching Xfinity On Demand Purchases
Using Accessibility Options
Using Parental Controls

Using the Portal for the First Time

Visit the Xfinity Stream portal at xfinity.com/stream. Click Sign In.
- Unauthenticated users can take a quick tour of the Xfinity Stream portal by browsing its offerings or scrolling down and clicking "Watch as a Guest."
The first time you access the portal on a specific computer, you'll need to register the computer on your account. Enter your Xfinity ID and password, then click Sign In.
- If your Xfinity ID is linked to multiple accounts, you’ll be prompted to select your account when signing in. Select the account you’d like to access and click Continue to view that account. If you’d like to switch accounts later, you can sign out and then sign back in to pick another account.
  
  Note: For linked accounts, the channel lineup you can view in the Xfinity Stream portal will correspond with the account associated with the location in which you access it.
- If you are a student with Xfinity On Campus service, click the separate sign-in link shown on the page, then select your school from the drop-down list and sign in using your school's login credentials.
- You only need to register this computer once. On future visits, the Xfinity Stream portal will recognize this computer if you select Stay signed in to this app.
Click Yes to accept the terms of activation, if applicable.

That's it! You're ready to start watching your favorite programs.

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Navigating the Portal

When you access the Xfinity Stream portal, you start on the For You page, which gives you quick access to recently watched and recorded programs. If you have no recent activity, you'll see popular shows and movies.

At the top of every page is the main menu bar.

For You: View popular On Demand and Live content, as well as recently viewed channels and more.
Saved: View completed recordings saved to your Cloud DVR, scheduled recordings, favorites (including favorite TV shows, movies and sports teams) and purchases, which will show movies and other paid On Demand content that you own. (Note: For information on renting and purchasing content from Xfinity Stream, see Rent or Purchase Stream Content; you can also refer to For You separately).
Live TV: View the TV listings for all of your channels or your favorite channels. You can also view listings by TV Go Channels, which only show you the channels that can be watched while you're away from home.
Browse: Browse Xfinity On Demand programs by TV, Movies, Networks, Sports Zone, Kids, News, Latino and Black Film & TV.
Settings: Access portal settings such as Language, Accessibility, Parental Controls, Manage Devices, Playback Preferences, Help, and Terms and Policies.
Search: Search for a program or network by its title.

Using the TV Listings

When you're connected to your in-home Xfinity network, you can stream your full channel lineup and Xfinity On Demand library to your computer. If you're not connected to your in-home Xfinity network, you can still watch a large selection of your channel lineup and On Demand by selecting the Available Out of Home filter (TV GO icon). Xfinity TV Go streams represent up to 200+ channels, and are available for networks where Comcast and the programmer have an agreement which includes TV Go rights.
Program note signifying a show is available to stream out of the home

In the menu bar, select Live TV. Using the Find option, you can search for a channel by name or number, then either tune to that channel or view it in the guide listings.

Click the date to adjust for listings that occur on a specific date and time. This enables you to look at listings up to two weeks in the future.
Click Filters in the upper-right corner to filter the guide to show only content that is Available Out of Home (TV GO) in High Definition (HD), or includes Closed Captioning (CC), Secondary Audio Program (SAP), or Video Description (D). Select one or more filers, and then click Apply.
Click a channel on the left to watch that channel live.
Click a program to see its description and links to watch the channel or get more information on the program, including upcoming airings. Programs currently airing will have a link to Watch, while programs airing in the future will have a link to Watch Channel. Note that you will be notified if the channel is Available to watch in home only.

Viewing Program Details

Click a program in the TV listings, then click Episodes (for TV series), Movie Info (for movies) or Info (for single-episode TV shows); or search for the program, and then click the program name in the search results.

On the Series Info page for a TV series, you can:

Add to Favorites. The Related tab also shows the People Also Watched row with programs similar to the current one.
See all the episodes that are available On Demand and select one to watch.
Click the Upcoming tab to see a list of future episodes.

On the Movie Info page for a movie or a single-episode TV show (such as a special event), you can:

See program details and Watch the program if it's available On Demand.
Rent or purchase the program if it's available On Demand.
Add to Favorites.
See programs People Also Watched under the Related tab.
Click the Upcoming tab to see a list of future airings.

Watching DVR Recordings

Xfinity TV customers with cloud DVR can watch completed recordings anytime, anywhere.

Completed Recordings

In the menu bar, select Saved > Recordings to view a list of your DVR recordings.
In the Recordings list, click the recording you want to watch.
- Tip: To quickly delete a recording, scroll over the recording title, then click the minus sign that appears at the right.
On the recording details page:
- Click Watch to play a recording.
- Click Record Options to change the recording options or delete the recording.
  
  Note: Smart Resume lets you easily resume watching your program after fast-forwarding through commercial breaks in DVR recordings, and is available on select top shows recorded on the Stream Portal. See Smart Resume for Fast-Forwarding Commercial Breaks in DVR Recordings for more information.

Scheduled Recordings

In the menu bar, select Saved > Scheduled to view a list of scheduled recordings.

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Watching Xfinity On Demand Programs

In addition to watching live TV, you can also use the Xfinity Stream portal to watch your full Xfinity On Demand program library when connected to your in-home Xfinity network. Many Xfinity On Demand titles can also be viewed on the go. You can easily toggle the Filters to show programs available out of home, and also, if you pull up something that is only available in home, you will see a note on screen indicating this.

In the menu bar, select Browse to search for popular On Demand categories such as TV, Movies, Kids and Latino:

In the program list, you can click the Filters button to only display the following content:

Available Out of Home (TV GO)
High Definition (HD)
Closed Captioning (CC)
Secondary Audio Program (SAP)
Use the Sort By drop-down list to sort the programs by Popular, A-Z (alphabetically) and Most Recent. Additional sorting categories exist for Movies, such as Critic Score and Audience Score.
Click the list icon to view the programs in a list instead of in a grid. Click the grid icon to change back to the grid view.

Making and Watching Xfinity On Demand Purchases

In addition to watching live TV and Xfinity On Demand programs, you can also rent or purchase On Demand content and watch it via the Xfinity Stream portal.

To view your purchases or rentals:

Click the Saved tab, and then click Purchases from the drop-down menu.
Click the program or movie you would like to watch.

Note: Only rentals that are within their rental period will appear on this page. If all of your rentals are expired, you will not see a Rentals row on this page.

Want to Know More? Learn how to make purchases on the Xfinity Stream portal.

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Using Accessibility Options

The Xfinity Stream portal provides the following accessibility options to accommodate a variety of viewers:

Closed Captioning (CC): See an on-screen text version of the program audio while the program is playing.
Secondary Audio Program (SAP): Hear program audio in another language.
Video Description: Hear program audio that includes descriptions of the key visual elements of the program.

To set up accessibility options, click the Settings icon at the right end of the menu bar. On the Settings page, click Accessibility (for Closed Captioning and Video Description) or Language (for SAP).

Want to Know More? Learn how to use the Xfinity Stream Portal to:

Using Parental Controls

Parental Controls allow you to limit what your child can see when browsing the Xfinity Stream portal, as well as restrict the programs they can view.

Safe Browse Settings: Limit the program titles and descriptions that display when browsing programs.
Movie Ratings: Block movies based on movie ratings.
TV Ratings: Block TV shows based on TV ratings.
Networks and Channels: Block programs shown on a selected network or channel.
Titles: Manage programs you have individually blocked.

To set up Parental Controls, click the Settings icon at the right end of the menu bar. On the Settings page, click Parental Controls.

Want to Know More? Read how to use the Xfinity Stream Portal to set Parental Controls.

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