Streampix, a subscription-based multiscreen video service from Comcast that counts Netflix among its competitors, has quietly introduced an option that lets customers download a select number of movies and TV shows and play them back later on mobile devices.
Launched in February 2012, Streampix started out as a streaming-only multiscreen service focused on older movies and past-season TV shows. The recently added download piece allows customers to view a growing batch of titles on smartphones and tablets when they are not within reach of a broadband connection that will support direct streaming.
Although the download option appears on the Streampix app for the iPad as one that will be “available soon,” the capability appears to be active. According to the app, users can already download and playback 126 movie titles from the Streampix catalog, including Syriana, Before Sunset, A Mighty Wind, Disclosure, Roger & Me,One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Doctor Zhivago, Ben Hur, and Casablanca.
Episodic TV titles eligible for downloading via Streampix early on is much more limited, with only six series available via that option: Mona The Vampire, Old MacDonald’s Sing-A-Long Farm, Paranormal Challenge, The Legend of Zelda, The Super Mario Bros Super Show!, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
