If you can't beat them, join them. This could be the mantra Comcast is using since it recently started a beta testing for its Xfinity TV app on Roku players. With the use of the app, subscribers of Xfinity TV can watch their programs and DVR recordings through the Roku, making it a replacement for the standard cable box.

According to Variety, the service will be free of charge for subscribers during the beta test, though they are encouraged to provide feedback regarding the service. Once the app is fully launched later this year, though, the service will have a monthly charge. As for how much, Comcast, one of the leading cable providers in the U.S., is still evaluating its policies.

Several limitations are also set during the testing period, like the inability to purchase or view previously purchased content. And while it could eliminate the need for other set-top boxes or STBs, the main DVR box should still be hooked up, at least during the beta phase.

For those who think that they could now bring their Xfinity TV service outside their homes, the Roku must be connected to the Xfinity home internet connection for the app to work during the test period. Comcast assures its customers, the Verge reports, that the use of the app will not affect the subscriber's internet data cap.

The app will be accessible on the Roku Channel Store for all Roku players released in the last few years, as well as for TVs with Roku built-in. The company assures that it will continue to expand its player lineup leading to the official launch date.

This is not the first time Roku will be supporting a cable company. Time Warner Cable, now known as Spectrum, has tied up with the streaming service provider to carry their TV service over their devices.

Interestingly, this move comes after the newly-appointed FCC chairman Ajit Pai dropped the proposal to unlock the set-top box competition, which would force TV service providers to do what Comcast just did.

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