Q. I was hearing about Peacock on the news yesterday. When does it start and where can I watch it? And how much is it? — Bonnie, Reno, Nevada.
Bonnie, Peacock launched today. The new streaming service from NBC Universal, which is owned by Comcast, features more than 15,000 hours of current and classic TV shows as Law & Order: SVU, 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation (pictured above) and Friday Night Lights as well as movies such as Jurassic Park, Psycho, E.T. and Ray.
There’s also kids shows such as Curious George, Where’s Waldo? and Cleopatra in Space, and Comcast is also promising live sports (when they return), original programming, a Today show channel, early access to NBC late night shows such as Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, and news updates, too.
The cost is $4.99 a month for the no-ad edition while one without those pesky commercials will cost $9.99 a month. (There’s also a 7-day free trial.)
But hold on. There is also a free version featuring more than 7,500 hours of movies and shows. Yes, free. (Comcast says it will be supported with ads.)
Now where can you watch it?
Peacock’s premium plan has been available for several weeks at no extra cost to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers. But now everyone can watch it on certain streaming devices, mobile phones and tablets, and computers. Here’s the complete list:
Web Browsers:
Chrome 70+ (Windows/Mac)
Firefox 65+ (Windows/Mac)
MS Edge 40+ (Windows 10 or above)
Safari 12+ (Mac)
Mobile and Tablet Devices:
Android: 6.0 or above
iOS: 11 or above
Connected TVs, Game Consoles and Streaming Devices:
Android TV: Android 5.1
Apple TV: Apple TV HD (4th Generation or above) with tvOS 11 or above
Chromecast: 2nd Generation or above
LG Smart TV: LG WebOS 3.5 or above
Vizio TV: SmartCast 2.0 or 3.0 (from 2015 and newer)
Xbox One
(Note: Sony will add Peacock to the PS4 on July 20.)
Cable Provider Set Top Boxes:
Cox:
Contour Box with Voice Remote
Contour Stream Player
Xfinity:
XG1v1 (Arris)
XG1v3
XG1v4
XG2v2
XiD
Xi3
Xi5
Xi6
Flex
If you notice, Roku and Fire TV are not on the list. Comcast have yet to secure carriage agreements for Peacock with the nation’s two leading streaming devices. It remains to be seen if that will diminish enthusiasm for the new service.
Update: Peacock and Roku sign carriage deal.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@swanniontv
The Peacock Channel or better known in the in industry as the “Poppy Cock” channel initially will do just “Ok” in the short term however this as other competition continues to grow the Peacock will will be plucked feather by feather until it dies a very slow death. There is nothing worth paying for with this new offering.
I was watching an episode of King of Queens on the “Free” version. It cut off right in the middle, stating I had to sign up for the premium version. BS!
Opps….sorry can’t load your selection…..crap channel