AT&T's mobile U-verse getting upgraded: download your recordings on the go

In a session held by AT&T at CTIA today, the carrier previewed an upgraded version of its mobile U-verse app, and let's just put it this way: it's significantly more important to AT&T's "three-screen" strategy than the version that launched in the middle of last year. The big deal is that shows recorded on your box at home can be streamed to your phone from any WiFi hotspot, a nice little bonus for U-verse subscribers who haven't ponied up for something like a Slingbox. We don't have a launch date yet, but what we saw demoed today certainly looked like it was just about ready to go -- and fortunately, they'll be bringing the app to a number of platforms, not just the iPhone alone. Follow the break for a few more shots of AT&T's David Christopher demoing the goodies on the overhead.

AT&T U-Verse Mobile getting upgraded: download your recordings on the go

[inertone Posted Mar 24th 2010 5:45PM]

kool

[erik1080 Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:18PM]

@Lord Vader
I'll help, but only if I can get free HBO out of the deal.

Anyways, as a U-Verse customer, I'm quite happy with this. If only we can watch recorded videos on a web browser, too...

[CaptainPlanet Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:52PM]

@erik1080 I hope they implement the Mediaroom 2.0 so I can watch stuff on my computer!

[foxh8er2 Posted Mar 24th 2010 8:36PM]

@erik1080 We can only hope!

I just hope they don't make the app pay-for because of this!

[beckhams777 Posted Mar 25th 2010 4:27PM]

@inertone

Captain Planet vs Darth Vader... let's see who takes over the U-verse!

^_^

[Alexpeegs Posted Mar 24th 2010 5:48PM]

off-topic- Where is Verizon at CTIA 2010 ????

and are they going to keynote anything???

[Philmatic Posted Mar 24th 2010 5:49PM]

This is incredible... I hope to see this on other MediaRoom based platforms (Surewest out here in Sac-town).

TiVo... where the hell are you with this type of functionality!?!!?

[Fanfoot Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:28PM]

@Philmatic Was just going to say the same thing. Course AT&T has the advantage that the streams they're making available are at a lower bit rate (h.264) than the cable ones Tivo usually deals with (MPEG-2). But even a 2.5Mbps h.264 transport stream like the AT&T DVR receives won't stream very well over a cell phone network. Let alone a 7.5Mbps HD stream. I wonder if this thing is transcoding the video on the fly? If so, that takes a significant chunk of horsepower... Huh...

Nevertheless, HEY TIVO WHERE ARE YOU?

[Fanfoot Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:35PM]

@Fanfoot Oops just noticed the WIFI hotspot part. Huh. Also of course the title of the article says you can "download" your recordings, which I assume you can't do, but the article talks about streaming them, which seems more likely.

Still, do you think you're going to sustain a 2.5Mbps stream, even with some limited buffering (enforced by the rights holders, probably similar to what Hulu allows, e.g. not much) on your typical shared WiFi network? I don't... Certainly none of the hotels I stay in have WiFi that is that good...

[junktrunk Posted Mar 30th 2010 4:55PM]

@Fanfoot
Why are you talking about a 2.5Mbps stream? It certainly won't be using that much bandwidth. The max bandwidth needed for a high quality stream to a handset is considerably less than that.

[Fanfoot Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:54AM]

@junktrunk Yeah but the problem is that the encoders in AT&T's head end create 2.5Mbps SD channels. Which are what the AT&T DVR records assuming it records the SD shows. If MY DVR has to stream that content to MY iPhone, then it either has to send me that stream, or transcode it. And it probably doesn't have enough horsepower in the DVR hardware/software to do transcoding, even to a relatively low bitrate. I've since heard that maybe AT&T is going to stream the low bitrate version from their cloud-based servers. Which I personally think will get them sued immediately since that isn't MY recording they're streaming, which is the only thing Cablevision got approved in the recent court cases...

[I was swhite237 I lost my passwo Posted Mar 24th 2010 5:51PM]

Odd that they're not saying this is going to suck up too much bandwith.... Sling player is going to be pissed when this get approved right away

[Aethix Posted Mar 24th 2010 7:21PM]

@I was swhite237 I lost my passwo

My memory fades me. How much bandwidth does WiFi take up again?

[Lord Vader Posted Mar 24th 2010 5:52PM]

Join me, and we can rule the entire U-verse!

[TMoney2007 Posted Mar 24th 2010 5:53PM]

So, by "a number of platforms" I can only assume that they mean Android? In that case, Awesome.

[Hazdaz Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:02PM]

So how much is AT&T going to nickel & dime it's customers for this service??

(Being AT&T I can't imagine this is free, even though it does sound like a really cool idea)

[Meekermoloko Posted Mar 24th 2010 7:04PM]

@Hazdaz

It could be free since they want people to join U-Verse.

The best way for U-Verse to get more subscribers is to fix the pixelation problems during movement and to allow more detail in the shadows.

[doug Posted Mar 25th 2010 11:05AM]

@Meekermoloko

and to stop increasing the prices in already existing markets.

[dokteriq Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:03PM]

its microsoft's three screen strategy :)

[dan828 Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:13PM]

@dokteriq Well, the Uverse box is running a version of windows mobile. You can't really tell, other than the whole thing is remarkably like windows media center.

[samin100 Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:03PM]

Why does the pic look like it came from a horror movie?

[CMA Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:11PM]

Hell. At this point I'd be happy with the standard app for Android.

[raider007 Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:20PM]

I think this is cool and being a U-Verse customer I'd love to use it (I already use their app for dvr scheduling)...

One issue I wish they'd fix though is their DVR box being so slow to respond to remote button presses... the non-dvr box, instant no issue, dvr box, i press the button 2 or 3 times before it does something... and forget about enterting a 4 digit channel... ain't going to happen

[Valicore Posted Mar 24th 2010 10:02PM]

@raider007 Really? I hadn't found that, do you have Cisco box or a Motrola box?

[Bikit Posted Mar 24th 2010 11:24PM]

@raider007 I have the same problem. I have a Moto box.

[one2gamble Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:28PM]

its amazing to me that this kind of functionality is taking so long to implement across the board

[shark1987 Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:43PM]

this sounds awesome! better be coming to android, which I'd think it would considering at&t is finally getting some Android phones.

[btblomberg Posted Mar 24th 2010 6:59PM]

To bad it's only WiFi, but still looking forward to it. Would rather be able to have them re-encoded to load on my phone for later viewing, but it's a start. Their STBs are all Windows CE with rights management gone crazy. Last I knew if you get your DVR disconnected from the network you can't view your recordings. They may have fixed that but still way to much control. Desktop viewing would also be great.

[tdawg15 Posted Mar 24th 2010 8:00PM]

if this came to windows phone 7 series it would be a dream come true....seeing as i am a U-verse subscriber who plans to buy a windows phone 7 series phone

[mgrochowalski Posted Mar 24th 2010 8:01PM]

Will I be able to use my laptop?

[Valicore Posted Mar 24th 2010 10:04PM]

I am surprised that AT&T is getting into some of these more advanced features. This along with them saying they'll eventually allow U-Verse to be watched through Windows Media Center is making me like them more and more.

[ips0fakto Posted Mar 24th 2010 11:04PM]

release some phones will ya?! i'm ready to go sprint as much as i want to stay gsm

[Bikit Posted Mar 24th 2010 11:20PM]

Now if only you could attach a External Hard Drive, I'd be set!

[Spectreman Posted Mar 25th 2010 12:13AM]

This is great. I love U-verse. BUT, please finally offer MLB Extra Innings, AT&T.

[aolke123 Posted Mar 25th 2010 8:57AM]

Indeed

[Ty Posted Mar 25th 2010 10:52AM]

I do love U-Verse but can't stand the iphone app for it. It barely works and takes forever to load. This is very cool.

[NWAFiber Posted Mar 25th 2010 3:12PM]

I'd like to know if its limited to a number of users or users at a time.

[Pre Posted Mar 30th 2010 4:36PM]

a webOS version and I'm all in.