Brian L. Roberts has some neat new toys for Comcast’s Xfinity customers, and he used lots of stage time on Tuesday to brag about ‘em.
The chairman and chief executive officer was up early at Goldman Sachs Communacopia — the very first panel of the conference, actually. After the requisite praising of NBC broadcast for winning another 52-week season and declaring his film arm — which recently purchased DreamWorks Animation — to be “in great shape,” Roberts wanted to do a little demo. That little demo turned into a lot of it.
First up was the X1 set-top box and its remote voice recognition’s integration into Netflix. Roberts spent quite a bit of time showing off that one, debuting his shared interface and some of the cooler features one can seamlessly control.
Roberts boasted a bit later about his new XI5 wireless cable box, which is all wi-fi based and has 4K/HDR capabilities. Right now it’s meant for additional TVs in one’s home, but soon he believes the little guy will replace your primary one.
“I think this is the future of how we’re making cable boxes,” Roberts said of the small device, declaring it: “The best cable box we’ve ever made.”
Of course, that means one needs excellent and reliable wi-fi. Roberts then pulled out the XB6, which also handles telephone and broadband needs.
“The world’s fastest router,” were his words of praise for that one.
Lest you think we’re nitpicking or exaggerating about exactly how Roberts used much of his 42 minutes, BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield tweeted the following midway during the panel:
7 People You Never Expected to Make Bank on the DreamWorks Animation Deal (Photos)
Co-founders Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg enjoy the biggest individual stakes in DreamWork's Animation, with Katzenberg's holdings worth a whopping $408 million and Spielberg's worth $187.6 million after Comcast's takeover. But thanks to shares issued to directors and other former execs, a handful of other Hollywood names stand to make a pretty penny in the deal, too.
Getty Images
Jason Kilar, best known for being the CEO who built video streaming site Hulu from "Clown Co." into a legitimate force in online video, holds a stake thanks to his seat on the board. His holdings are worth nearly $1 million after the Comcast deal.
Getty Images
Lucian Grainge, who is the head of the world's biggest music label, Universal Music Group, also holds shares because of his board seat. His stake is also nearly $1 million.
Getty Images
Investment banker Mellody Hobson is DreamWorks Animations chairman since 2012, after eight years as a director. The investment banker, who also serves on the boards for two of George Lucas' foundations, has a stake worth $4.7 million.
Getty Images
Former Viacom CEO Tom Freston joined DreamWorks Animation's board nearly nine years ago. His stake is worth $2.7 million.
Getty Images
Entertainment lawyer Skip Brittenham's eight years on the board have built him a stake worth $2.5 million after the Comcast deal.
Getty Images
Ann Daly, pictured left, is a longtime exec at DreamWorks Animation, serving currently as president and previously as chief operating officer for a decade. After the Comcast deal, her stake in the company is worth $40 million.
Getty Images
Lew Coleman, another longtime exec at the studio, served for years as vice chairman and chief financial officer. His holdings will be worth $52.7 million when Comcast closes the deal.
Lew Coleman/LinkedIn
1 of 8
Comcast’s $3.8 billion takeover of DreamWorks Animation will bring big hauls for Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg… and some people who will surprise you
Co-founders Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg enjoy the biggest individual stakes in DreamWork's Animation, with Katzenberg's holdings worth a whopping $408 million and Spielberg's worth $187.6 million after Comcast's takeover. But thanks to shares issued to directors and other former execs, a handful of other Hollywood names stand to make a pretty penny in the deal, too.