HispanicBusiness

Comcast, one of several TV channel providers that lets subscribers stream TV shows on their mobile devices via WI-FI, has begun offering an app to download shows from four of its pay channels, so subscribers can take the shows and movies with them to watch later.

The Xfinity TV Player app allows many offerings of Showtime, Starz, Encore and Movieplex to be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet for viewing, for example, while heading "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house," says Laura Brubaker Crisco of Comcast in Connecticut.

The catch is you need to be a pay subscriber of those channels as part of your Comcast package.

The company's other Xfinity TV app helps customers manage the TV viewing experience including scheduling their DVR and remote tuning through their phones. Both apps can be downloaded free on Google Play and Apple iTunes, the Comcast official said.

The online-to-offline transfer app will be expanded to other "programming partners" in the coming months, Comcast said.

Smartphone and tablet users are watching more video on the devices, points out Charlie Herrin, senior vice president of product design and development at Comcast.

"Today's Xfinity TV Player enhancement underscores that commitment to our customers by adding more flexibility for them to watch entertainment on their terms -- now without having to rely on an Internet connection to watch their favorite programming while on the go," he said.