MUMBAI: America’s largest cable operator Comcast has launched its new streaming service, Fancast Xfinity TV. With this, its customers can now watch thousands of television episodes online.

The new service is a major step toward what the company calls “anytime, anywhere media.”

With a growing number of people bypassing their cable subscriptions and watching movies and television online, Comcast and other operators have set up streaming video sites.
 
Comcast is the first major cable operator to introduce its streaming site. Initially, the service will be available to customers who pay Comcast for both broadband Internet and digital cable.

Comcast customers will log in to the Xfinity service via Comcast.net or Fancast.com and will have to install a programme before using the service for the first time. The sites rely on an authentication system to block non-subscribers. 
 
Because Xfinity is available only to Comcast cable subscribers, the service will include premium shows that aren’t on Hulu. Comcast’s partners in the service include cable channels A&E, AMC, Discovery Channel, History, TLC and TNT that have been generally reluctant to place their shows online for fear of cannibalizing their traditional audience.

Comcast has been testing the service since last summer.