Xfinity Digital Cable TV Viewers to Get Imax Features, Starz, Syfy, and USA Series in UHD on Demand

Comcast said it will introduce a new 4K UHD set-top box later this year, allowing customers to view UHD content from the Xfinity in UHD library—which contains mainly television series and Imax films—on demand at no extra charge.

Comcast said it will beef up its UHD library with "hundreds" of new titles, including content from K2 Communications and Havoc TV such as The Ultimate Wave Tahiti, Antarctica, Rocky Mountain Express, and Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia along with full seasons of such TV shows as Defiance (Syfy), Suits (USA) and Outlander (Starz).

"With Xfinity in UHD, our customers can easily and seamlessly enjoy some of the best 4K programming available today as part of their subscription with no additional equipment or costs," said Comcast EVP and GM of Video Service in a prepared stataement.

Comcast's experiment with 4K began last year, when it launched its UHD content library. But that content could only be accessed by customers who downloaded a specific app using a Samsung smart 4K TV. By putting UHD capabilities in a set-top box that works with any 4K-capable TV set, Comcast is looking to dramatically increase the potential reach of 4K programming—and other cable providers may find themselves scrambling to play catch-up.

Then again, maybe not. It was just a few years ago that 3D TV offerings were de rigeur for cable providers. But those channels have been dropping like flies—ESPN 3D ceased broadcasting in 2013, 3net was shut down last August, and Comcast's own Xfinity 3D closed in December—the same week Comcast launched the Samsung UHD app. Like those 3D offerings, dedicated UHD services will likely have two to three years to prove themselves as the logical successors to HD or face relegation to niche status, serving mainly videophiles and other TV enthusiasts with big screens and a sharp eye for picture quality.

And Comcast already has its eye on the next big thing, promising an HDR set-top box in 2016.