Comcast On Demand Help
By Matt Koble
Comcast subscribers with XFINITY TV service enjoy hundreds of programs and films whenever they want through the company's On Demand service. On Demand lets you choose a program from a list of titles, storing your choices for 24 hours. During that time, you can pause, fast forward, rewind and stop the programs as if they were recorded onto a DVR.
Accessing On Demand
All XFINITY TV subscribers have access to On Demand programming in areas where the service is available, according to Comcast. Your remote may have an "On Demand" button to access the content quickly. If not, go to channel 1 to bring up On Demand's main menu. You can also access the main menu by pressing "Menu" on your remote and choosing "On Demand." If you have XFINITY but not On Demand, it may not yet be available in your area.
Browsing Titles
Use the arrow keys and "Select" on your Comcast remote to navigate the On Demand menus. The main menu breaks down into categories such as "Premium Channels," "Movies & Events," "TV Entertainment" and "Kids." Highlight the category you'd like to browse and press "Select." Each category includes sub-categories that you navigate in the same fashion. When you find a specific title you want to watch, highlight it and press "Select" to bring up a program description. Press "Select" again to start the program. You can fast forward and rewind with the left and right arrows, pausing with the "Select" button.
Availability and Cost
The programs available to you depend on the XFINITY TV subscription package you have. For example, if you can watch HBO, Showtime and Starz channels on your TV, you also have access to their On Demand content. If you try to access On Demand content for a channel you don't already receive, you'll see a message informing you that you'll need a subscription to that channel to view the content. The On Demand service itself doesn't cost XFINITY subscribers any additional money. Within On Demand, however, there are premium movies and pay-per-view programs that you do have to pay additional charges to watch.
Paid-For Content
When you want to watch one of the movies or programs that cost money, you purchase it through the On Demand menu. You'll have access to it for 24 hours, just like the free On Demand content. Don't worry about accidentally purchasing a program you thought was free; the program's description screen will either list "Free" or a specific price. Instead of asking for a credit card number and billing you when you order, you'll see the charges on your next cable bill.
Writer Bio
Matt Koble has been writing professionally since 2008. He has been published on websites such as DoItYourself. Koble mostly writes about technology, electronics and computer topics.