The accessibility options available on the new XFINITY X1 system are impressive. In fact, the ability to turn on subtitles at all times might be one of the top reasons why we love the new X1 system so much. XFINITY sponsored this post; all opinions are my own. See more disclosure details below.
Mike doesn’t hear that well. He was born with a congenital issue that has affected his hearing his whole life. Add on working with loud machinery for the past decade or so, and it’s only gotten worse. He can hear, but struggles with separating sounds to fully comprehend conversations. For this reason, we watch all movies and shows with the subtitles on. I am on the opposite side of the spectrum, with the hearing of an owl (I just googled that – owls hear really well, apparently), but I have gotten so used to the subtitles, I actually miss them when they aren’t there. With our old system, subtitles were not always available. In this case, we would wait for the movie to come out on DVD before watching it.
XFINITY X1 Accessibility Options
With the new X1 system, you can turn on the subtitles and leave them on. They are even there during the commercials. It’s completely changed Mike’s TV-watching life for the better. He is no longer limited to what he can watch. It’s awesome. The words completely match the sound, too. There’s no annoying delay that we have experienced in the past.
Mike’s issue is extremely minor compared to other disabilities. We don’t even refer to his as a disability. Did you know that there are 8 million people in America with visual disabilities? You may have seen the new commercial that was premiered during the Academy Awards with the precious little Emily. Emily’s Oz commercial shows how her own creative mind “sees” her favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz. This seven-year-old described her version of Oz while XFINITY recreated it. It’s so amazing, and you should really watch it if you missed it.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on Ty! Ty So Fast is consistently coming up with awesome life hacks, and tips to enjoy life!
Disclosure: XFINITY partnered with bloggers such as me for their Fast Life Program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. XFINITY believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. XFINITY’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
Do you know anyone who could benefit from these accessibility options?
Mami2jcn says
March 24, 2015 at 4:37 pmI like the voice guidance feature.
David Fultner says
March 24, 2015 at 4:54 pmI like the Activate Voice Guidance.
Lisa Brown says
March 24, 2015 at 5:01 pmVoice control can be used to control your On-Screen Guide using voice commands.
Jacob LaFountaine says
March 24, 2015 at 5:10 pmIt reads out what menu setting you are in.
Candice says
March 24, 2015 at 5:12 pmI like that it speaks what’s on the screen with details such as program descriptions.
Holly Kennedy says
March 24, 2015 at 5:30 pmI like the audio aspect as my husband has vision problems and asks me to read everything.
Kimberly Bauer says
March 24, 2015 at 5:39 pmI love the It “speaks” what’s on the screen and includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch feature.
Jill L says
March 24, 2015 at 5:42 pmWell I have hearing difficulty and the subtitles are definitely a plus for me. I can see how the large-button remote would be really good when I don’t have my glasses on either.
Lisa L. says
March 24, 2015 at 5:57 pmUse only when needed by swiping on the keypad. A cool invention.
Lisa Coomer Queen says
March 24, 2015 at 6:01 pmI like the activate voice guidance feature the best.
Amanda Sakovitz says
March 24, 2015 at 6:03 pmI love the voice guide!
Julie Wood says
March 24, 2015 at 6:08 pmThe Voice Guidance feature seems to be the best for me!
Stephanie Phelps says
March 24, 2015 at 6:27 pmI love the X1 Talking Guide it would be most useful to me! Such cool options they have now!
Patricia Mohl says
March 24, 2015 at 6:28 pmLove the voice guide with navigation instructions.
Natalie says
March 24, 2015 at 6:32 pmI love the Voice control which can be used to control your On-Screen Guide using voice commands.
nicole dziedzic says
March 24, 2015 at 6:39 pmI like that the Voice guidance support is available for the Main Menu, Guide, Saved, On Demand, Settings, Mini Guide, Channel Info and Channel Collection sections of the X1 on-screen menu. So cool!
ellen beck says
March 24, 2015 at 6:43 pmThe Voice Guidance system is fantastic! I like how it speaks all aspects like Main Menu, Guide, Saved, On Demand, Settings, Mini Guide, Channel Info and Channel Collection .
Selene M. says
March 24, 2015 at 6:44 pmThe remote control is a great option.
jennifer says
March 24, 2015 at 7:45 pmThe voice guidance option is awesome!
Sandra L Hying McFadden says
March 24, 2015 at 8:11 pmI love that I can use my voice to command my tv what to do.
Thomas Murphy says
March 24, 2015 at 8:13 pmI like that it tells you program descriptions
Jessie C. says
March 24, 2015 at 8:16 pmI like the Voice guidance support feature.
Michelle Plummer says
March 24, 2015 at 8:28 pmThe voice guidance, it will make yelling at the TV actually work!
Maria Malaveci says
March 24, 2015 at 8:32 pmactivate voice guidance feature
Kristin says
March 24, 2015 at 8:42 pmI really like the idea of the subtitles being accurate and timed properly. I swear, the subtitles as they are now? Useless!
Kelly D says
March 24, 2015 at 8:55 pmI like that the voice guidance feature includes program descriptions.
Sarah L says
March 24, 2015 at 9:40 pmI have a friend who is legally blind and this would be helpful for her.
Thanks for the contest.
Pamela Gurganus says
March 24, 2015 at 9:55 pmTo me, the best part of the X1 accessibility options is It “speaks” what’s on the screen and includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch.
Lisa Kubin says
March 24, 2015 at 10:17 pmOMG the voice guidance ability sounds incredible – how cool would it be to just say I want to watch Modern Family and have it come on!
Colleen Boudreau says
March 24, 2015 at 10:19 pmI like the Voice Guidance.
Amanda Alvarado says
March 24, 2015 at 10:33 pmI like that it will give a brief summary of what the movie/show is about!
Seyma Shabbir says
March 24, 2015 at 10:34 pmI love the remote control and voice control features.
Heather B says
March 24, 2015 at 11:08 pmI really like the Voice Control Guidance!
steve weber says
March 25, 2015 at 1:21 amI like the activate voice guidance feature the best.
Holly Thomas says
March 25, 2015 at 3:06 amThe voice guidance could be helpful.
Cindy Merrill says
March 25, 2015 at 3:24 amI see it has a volume setting- my husband is hard of hearing, so this is very helpful.
Douglas Houston says
March 25, 2015 at 6:23 amThe activate voice guidance would be my favorite feature.
Aimee says
March 25, 2015 at 6:52 amI like that it can be voice activated.
Melissa M says
March 25, 2015 at 8:26 amI love the voice guidance.
Jeanna says
March 25, 2015 at 8:41 amI like that itt “speaks” what’s on the screen and includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch!
LaTanya says
March 25, 2015 at 8:49 amIt “speaks” what’s on the screen and includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch.
Adrienne gordon says
March 25, 2015 at 11:03 amThe voice guidance is.
Debra Guillen says
March 25, 2015 at 11:14 amI love that Voice guidance support is available for the Main Menu, Guide, Saved, On Demand, Settings, Mini Guide, Channel Info and Channel Collection sections of the X1 on-screen menu.
Sarah Hall says
March 25, 2015 at 11:32 amI love that it has Voice Guidance for the visually impaired as my eyesight is getting worse all the time.
Gayle J says
March 25, 2015 at 12:07 pmVoice guidance feature would be very useful for my husband who is vision impaired.
Margaret Smith says
March 25, 2015 at 1:35 pmI love that it speaks to you and tells you in detail whats on TV. What a great idea and something that I and my husband could really use.
Sandy Klocinski says
March 25, 2015 at 3:17 pmI think the voice feature is pretty neat. The concept is great. You can change channels from any where in the house.
Dana Rodriguez says
March 25, 2015 at 3:19 pmI like that voice guide is optional.
ankayeb says
March 25, 2015 at 3:24 pmVoice guidance is a nice feature, and it’s great that it’s so easy to turn on and off.
Dawn Monroe says
March 25, 2015 at 3:47 pmI like that it gives you options and the voice guidance is easily accessible.
Kat says
March 25, 2015 at 5:25 pmVoice Guidance would be a nice feature to have for visually impaired family members.
heather s says
March 25, 2015 at 6:13 pmI like the voice guide and navigation
Geoff K says
March 25, 2015 at 8:12 pmThe Voice Guidance for the Guide and On Demand are my favorite features – my parents could really use this service!
Ellie Wright says
March 25, 2015 at 9:11 pmI like the X1 Talking Guide. I’m always looking for my glasses to read the menu.
Carolyn Benson says
March 25, 2015 at 9:37 pmThe best feature is Voice guidance on the on demand menu, I am a Comcast/Xfinity customer for years now
Brittney House says
March 25, 2015 at 10:34 pmI really like the voice activated feature.
Andrea Williams says
March 25, 2015 at 10:40 pmI like that it includes program descriptions in the voice guidance system.
Patti Hess says
March 25, 2015 at 10:59 pmBest feature seems that it is easy to do!
pattifritz2000 at yahoo dot com
thank you
M.Clark says
March 25, 2015 at 11:02 pmI think the best thing about the X1 accessibility options is the talking guide, pretty cool.
Kenny Hall says
March 26, 2015 at 12:50 amThe talking guide is a great feature
Jessica Snow says
March 26, 2015 at 12:55 amI think the voice guidance feature is a great option.
Thanks for the giveaway! =)
Natalie Nichols says
March 26, 2015 at 2:04 amI know a lot of people have already mentioned it, but the voice guidance is super convenient!
Janine H says
March 26, 2015 at 2:33 amIt speaks what’s on screen for the visually impaired
sandra davis says
March 26, 2015 at 3:39 amI really like the voice remote.
Cynthia C says
March 26, 2015 at 7:04 amI like the program descriptions feature. It would help me decide what to watch.
April Brenay says
March 26, 2015 at 7:09 amI like that you can control everything from your smart phone
Richard Hicks says
March 26, 2015 at 7:42 amThe voice guidance feature is something that I would find very useful.
Beth Hill says
March 26, 2015 at 8:25 amYou can receive text message notifications on your TV screen! That is amazing.
Cynthia R says
March 26, 2015 at 9:03 amI like being able to get a description of what’s on so i can decide if I want to watch it or not.
Julie Murphy says
March 26, 2015 at 10:37 amThe voice guidance for sure.
rhoni4 says
March 26, 2015 at 10:59 amThis is a great idea. A wonderful thing for visually impaired people. I like that it will talk to you about what’s on the screen.
Sarah Hirsch says
March 26, 2015 at 12:40 pmi think the activate voice guidance feature sounds great
Debbie Welchert says
March 26, 2015 at 1:38 pmI like the voice guidance feature where it describes what is going on in whatever you are watching.
Danielle D says
March 26, 2015 at 2:00 pmActivate voice guidance is nice.!!
Elle P. says
March 26, 2015 at 2:39 pmI like the enhanced closed captioning features.
Suzanne K says
March 26, 2015 at 4:34 pmThe voice guidance is awesome!
S. Carter says
March 26, 2015 at 7:06 pmI like that there is a mobile app and the voice guidance.
Stephanie Reed says
March 26, 2015 at 7:54 pmAs someone who has worn hearing aids for most of her adult life, I am very familiar with watching TV with subtitles. Hearing aids help to a point, but we have high ceilings and poor acoustics. I am so gratified that there are people who are reaching out to help the visually impaired. Voice guidance sounds like a wonderful concept. And Emily’s Oz was amazing.
Kiara says
March 26, 2015 at 10:23 pmI like the voice control.
Angela Hendricks says
March 26, 2015 at 10:37 pmVoice guidance is the best part!
shaunie says
March 27, 2015 at 9:01 amThe talking guide is the best part
Maria C says
March 27, 2015 at 6:01 pmThe Activate Voice Guidance Stands Out the most feature for me
Kathleen says
March 27, 2015 at 6:05 pmI like the Activate Voice Guidance.
kport207 at gmail dot com
Kristen says
March 27, 2015 at 6:50 pmVoice guidance is the future anyway!
Emily Endrizzi says
March 28, 2015 at 12:05 amI love that it helps people with visual disabilities by reading aloud what is on the screen (such as show descriptions) so that they can decide what to watch.
Cheryl says
March 28, 2015 at 3:01 amI like the program descriptions to help decide what to watch best.
Leigh Anne Borders says
March 28, 2015 at 6:06 pmI love the idea of a voice guidance feature. My kids have something like this on their game systems and I have been so jealous of them!
Cheryl Larimer says
March 29, 2015 at 1:06 pmIt is great that is It “speaks” details like the program descriptions
Ingrid Jackson says
March 29, 2015 at 5:07 pmI like the program descriptions best.
Holly B says
March 29, 2015 at 6:40 pmThe voice guidance system!
Tiffany Dover says
March 29, 2015 at 11:23 pmThat fact that is allows customers with visual disabilities the freedom to independently explore thousands of TV shows and movies!!
Karen Drake says
March 30, 2015 at 6:15 amI like the voice guidance feature.
Betty Webb says
March 30, 2015 at 6:54 amI think the whole guide is wonderful for visually impaired persons, it seem very easy to use,
Tonya Tipton says
March 30, 2015 at 9:54 amThe best part is the voice guidance feature.
E. Hinz says
March 30, 2015 at 12:35 pmThe voice guide is pretty neat
Carolyn Daley says
March 30, 2015 at 5:58 pmMy grandmother is gradually loosing her eyesight so I like that Xfinity X1 has the voice guidance feature and speaks out what is on the screen.
Courtnie says
March 30, 2015 at 10:50 pmI really like the voice guidance!
Anca says
March 30, 2015 at 11:58 pmThe voice guide is awesome
Tonya Atkinson says
March 31, 2015 at 12:36 amI love that it speaks what is on the the screen and also that things are being invented for people with visual disabilities.
Tina W says
March 31, 2015 at 3:59 amI love the idea that you can switch it to voice guide, that way the kids can scan while I’m doing chores and I can still hear the options to tell them what is okay to watch.
Ashley C says
March 31, 2015 at 5:43 amThe voice guidance is great! I don’t always wear my contacts when watching TV at night so I can’t read the options!
Rust says
March 31, 2015 at 8:24 amThe voice guidance feature sounds nice!
Samantha Daleo says
March 31, 2015 at 8:56 amI like the Voice Remote. How cool and futuristic is that!
rhoni4 says
March 31, 2015 at 9:05 amThis is a great idea for people with visual problems. Glad someone has made something like this.
Dawn Curtis says
March 31, 2015 at 10:02 amThe ability to control by voice
Heidi Salisbury says
March 31, 2015 at 12:54 pmI love the talking guide and it gives vision impaired people freedom !!
Daniel M says
March 31, 2015 at 7:21 pmmy father’s hearing is getting worse and the subtitles would really help
Paol Trenny says
March 31, 2015 at 10:53 pmI like that it allows customers with visual disabilities the freedom to independently explore thousands of TV shows and movies
Michelle Washburn says
April 1, 2015 at 1:12 amThis is an awesome feature for the blind or hard to see individuals
darby says
April 1, 2015 at 11:22 amTHe voice guidance looks great!
Evelyn Goettner says
April 1, 2015 at 2:39 pmThe best part to me is the voice guidance. I love that It “speaks” what’s on the screen!
Jenna D says
April 1, 2015 at 8:43 pmThe voice guidance feature is awesome! I have pretty bad eyesight i feel like it would really come in handy
Sonal says
April 2, 2015 at 1:39 pmI love the voice remote option. That is super cool and is something I have never heard of before. It is amazing what technology can do for our lives everyday!
Rita A says
April 2, 2015 at 8:43 pmThe voice details programs descriptions
Aaron says
April 3, 2015 at 1:47 amThe best part is that it recognizes and serves those with visual disabilities.
E Kay says
April 3, 2015 at 11:07 amI like the voice guidance
Jennifer W says
April 3, 2015 at 3:08 pmI love that it gives you addition information and doesn’t just give titles. It would make browsing much more possible rather than just finding something you already knew about!
Jennifer Dunaway says
April 3, 2015 at 8:50 pmI love that it speaks to you and gives you the information.
Susan Christy says
April 3, 2015 at 9:48 pmI like the large button remote.
Erica B. says
April 4, 2015 at 2:04 amThe voice is good.
katklaw777 says
April 4, 2015 at 5:28 amThe new voice remote. sounds pretty cool to me…thanks!
Kimberly Hilbert says
April 4, 2015 at 7:43 amVoice Guidance would be cool, but I can see where it might also be annoying, too.
Michelle says
April 4, 2015 at 8:44 amvoice guidance
Danielle says
April 4, 2015 at 12:12 pmI like the activate voice guidance feature
rita leonard says
April 4, 2015 at 12:42 pmI like that the voice activated guidance system helps people with disabilities access a tv program
Duane Cooper says
April 4, 2015 at 1:44 pmMy favorite feature is the voice guidance feature!
Carol N says
April 4, 2015 at 2:47 pmI like the activate voice guidance.
Cori Westphal says
April 4, 2015 at 5:21 pmThe best part is that I can use my phone as a remote! That’s cool!
jules m. says
April 4, 2015 at 9:20 pmvoice guidance is really awesome! i have trouble reading the screen sometimes
Kyl Neusch says
April 4, 2015 at 10:27 pmreads out what menu setting you are in.
Marnie G (Derrick Todd) says
April 4, 2015 at 10:36 pmI like that you have the option to turn the voice guidance on or off.
Diana says
April 4, 2015 at 11:21 pmI like how easy it is to use Voice Guidance!
Pat Nolan says
April 4, 2015 at 11:53 pmusing my phone as a remote sounds cool
Deb C says
April 5, 2015 at 5:06 amThe feature for using my phone as a remote is great. It would be easier to use than a remote, I think.
Claudia Davis says
April 5, 2015 at 10:45 amleaving the subtitles on and the big button remote.
Robin says
April 5, 2015 at 12:42 pmI love the voice guidance schedule.
kathy b says
April 5, 2015 at 4:12 pmI like the voice guidance options
Karen Martin says
April 5, 2015 at 7:37 pmI think the Voice Remote feature would be the best. Thanks
Sue Barney says
April 5, 2015 at 9:29 pmI have this at my home and there are some many things that I Love about it like the fact that you can pause a show on the DVR and start watching it in another room and that I cant record 4 shows at once the voice remote feature is Awesome too!
joe gersch says
April 6, 2015 at 4:07 ami think the activate voice guidance is cool
Sherry Conrad says
April 6, 2015 at 8:36 amDefinitely the voice guidance feature is awesome.
Jennifer Reed says
April 6, 2015 at 11:02 amI love how accessible Comcast Xfinity services are to their users. As current customers it makes me happy to know this company is cutting edge. I love how the talking guide for XFINITY on the X1 Entertainment Operating System is a voice guidance feature that allows customers with visual disabilities the freedom to independently explore thousands of TV shows and movies. It “speaks” what’s on the screen and includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch.
Susan Smith says
April 6, 2015 at 8:48 pmI love the Voice control which can be used to control your On-Screen Guide using voice commands
Stephanie Larison says
April 6, 2015 at 11:22 pmSo cool that you can use your voice! I like that the Voice guidance support is available for the Main Menu, Guide, Saved, On Demand, Settings, Mini Guide, Channel Info and Channel Collection sections of the X1 on-screen menu.
Lisa Davis says
April 7, 2015 at 12:34 amI like the Activate Voice Guidance.
Elizabeth Newsome says
April 7, 2015 at 1:33 amI like that it “speaks” what’s on the screen and includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch.
Shannon says
April 7, 2015 at 3:43 amI like that it speaks what is on screen.
Brenda Robinson says
April 7, 2015 at 5:43 amILiki Activate voice guidende.
laurie murley says
April 7, 2015 at 6:19 amI like that it is voice adivated, and you can turn it off if you want too
Mindy S says
April 7, 2015 at 9:00 amI definitely like the voice guidance feature – my kids would have a blast playing around with all of the features!
Rosey says
April 7, 2015 at 12:01 pmI like the voice guidance option.
Tara says
April 7, 2015 at 1:33 pmThe voice guidance is awesome!
Cindy says
April 7, 2015 at 2:04 pmI like the program descriptions.
Michelle W says
April 7, 2015 at 2:09 pmThe best part of the voice guidance is that it includes details such as program descriptions to help you decide what to watch
Kimmy Ripley says
April 7, 2015 at 2:37 pmVoice Guidance makes it easy!
Amanda D says
April 7, 2015 at 5:48 pmI love the closed captioning and the voice guidance!
Christina T says
April 7, 2015 at 5:59 pmThe Voice Guidance as my mother is ongoingly losing her hearing, this feature will help her to still actively use the television in the living room and her bedroom. So kudos to Xfinity for this newest and awesome update.
Tina Reynolds says
April 7, 2015 at 6:08 pmI love you can use your voice love that voice guidance feautre cant wait to try it out
Vikki Billings says
April 7, 2015 at 6:37 pmI love the voice guidance feature, so cool!
lilshuga2001 says
April 7, 2015 at 7:06 pmthe voice guide! 🙂
adina says
April 7, 2015 at 8:35 pmsubtitles by commercials too!
Stephanie Galbraith says
April 7, 2015 at 10:07 pmThe Voice Guidance Feature sounds amazing.
Audra O'Hara says
April 7, 2015 at 10:14 pmI like that the voice guidance is easy to turn on and off. Would be convenient to find shows fast.
Sand says
April 7, 2015 at 10:33 pmI think the voice guidance would be very useful. I always have a hard to,e finding shows.
Rosanne says
April 7, 2015 at 10:34 pmMy favorite part is that it speaks it and do not have to rely on my vision which is impaired for distance
Brian E. says
April 7, 2015 at 10:46 pmThank You for the giveaway…the voice guidance allows those with visual disabilities the freedom to easily explore thousands of TV shows and movies; the feature can easily be turned off for regular viewing as well.
sharon shafran says
April 7, 2015 at 10:51 pmthanks the voice guidance system is awesome and a great feature
Lori says
April 7, 2015 at 10:52 pmthe voice remote
laurie steiner says
April 7, 2015 at 10:53 pmI hate just flipping channels so the voice guidance would make my life a lot easier!
Trisha McKee says
April 7, 2015 at 11:02 pmThe Voice Guidance is my favorite feature.