Comcast/Xfinity TV 4K content
 

I recently bought a Samsung 4K UHD TV. I have a Roku box that can stream 4K content. My Xfinity box is the standard X1.

Has anyone upgraded their xfinity box to the 4K model? Were you able to just swap your old X1 at the store for the new 4K? I thought I read somewhere that Comcast has to install it...you can’t do it yourself.

Is it worth it?

Looking at streaming 4K content from Netflix, I can’t see much picture quality difference over the software-enhanced picture that my TV produces on Its own from regular xFinity HD channels. Don’t get me wrong, the picture on this TV is far superior to the 6 year old 1080P TV it replaced...I’m just trying to figure out if it’s the best it can be.

Just looking for 4K experiences from those who have already traveled this path.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You can exchange you regular X1 box for a 4K box at the Xfinity store. There is no charge except they may charge you 10 dollars for a self install kit. However, you really won't see much difference in picture quality for most shows. If you go to Youtube and search 4K, they have a few videos that will definitely show a higher quality picture. Or, if you buy a 4K dvd player for about $175, you can buy some excellent 4K videos on dvd, and also movies. Your TV should have a demonstration 4K video built in to it that will show you the difference. Make sure that your TV, cable box, and streaming devices are set to the highest resolution. Also, your TV may only have one or two hdmi inputs that will support HDR, which is supposed to provide a better quality picture than 4K alone. I would recommend that you plug your cable box and other devices directly into the TV hdmi inputs, and not route them through a receiver. And, Samsung would tell you that you now need to buy an 8K TV for the best picture. Good luck.

One other thing. When you exchange the box, they only want the box, not the cables and remote. I would keep the remote. The new remote will be smaller and you may like the old one better. Anyway, you will have a spare.