u-verse
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AT&T U-verse customers can use Xbox 360 as a set-top box starting November 7th
If you'd given up hope of using your 360 to watch AT&T U-Verse after over three years of waiting, we wouldn't think any less of you; but for those still holding on to the dream of one less set-top box under the TV, this latest tip says the wait is all but over. As you can see from the internal memo above, a so-called Wired Release will roll out to AT&T U-Verse customers next Sunday, and it'll bring the long awaited feature with it (though you'll have to wait until November 7th for that particular aspect). This means AT&T U-verse customer's Xbox 360 will have a Dashboard app, and when launched, it'll let it function exactly like any other U-verse set-top. The only major catch is that it can't be the only set-top -- you'll need at least one DVR at another TV in the house to enjoy one of the four HD streams that could be funneled into your home. But hey, at least it's on the way, right? Update: A second anonymous tipster has chimed in with some interesting slides -- looks like your Xbox will need a hard drive! %Gallery-104584% [Thanks, Anonymous]
AT&T technical support tool suggests Xbox 360 will bring IPTV to U-Verse households soon
Originally the fevered dream of Microsoft executives circa CES 2007, the Xbox 360 IPTV box is rapidly becoming a reality, first sneaking into Canadian carrier Telus' Optik TV outlay and now reportedly in development at AT&T. Now, we wouldn't have blamed you for doubting Microsoft when it briefly mentioned U-Verse subscribers would get Mediaroom functionality in their game console later this year, but it's looking more likely now: a tipster just forwarded some legit-looking screenshots of Xbox prompts in AT&T U-Verse's technical support database. Our source claims the Xbox is presently being tested internally with friends and family of AT&T employees, and that it's likely only a couple of months away at this point. Not discussed: whether or not Xbox 360 will provide closed captioning for the "TV impaired." See what IPTV on Xbox might look like in our January eyes-on.
U-verse Mobile 2.0 for iPhone available, combines downloadable TV shows with remote DVR access
Just as we'd heard it would, AT&T has officially launched version 2.0 of its iPhone app for U-Verse TV customers. Now dubbed U-Verse Mobile, it still allows users to manage and schedule DVR recordings on the go, but now has an updated UI, a favorite channels list, and most notably will allow users (with the U399 or U450 packages) to download a limited selection of shows directly to their phone. While that should make it easier to catch up with Lost, Grey's Anatomy or whatever other shows AT&T makes available while on the subway or otherwise out of streaming reach you won't be downloading your own DVR recordings, and you won't downloading any of them over 3G since that's WiFi only. While AT&T is loudly proclaiming it's the first to allow downloads, by comparison Dish already lets users Sling whatever they want from its 922 -- if they can get it to work right now. Check out the press release and a quick video demo after the break if you're still not exactly sure how all this will go down, or just go straight to iTunes and grab the free app right now. Blackberry Torch fans should keep an eye out too, since a compatible version is on the way -- no word yet on Android or webOS. %Gallery-99116%
AT&T U-verse Mobile launches on August 9, $75 iTunes credit if you sign up for a TV package
AT&T's been talking about its all-new U-verse Mobile app for the iPhone since CTIA back in March, and documents we've just received suggest that it's finally launching this coming Monday, August 9. What's the difference between this and the existing U-verse app that you can download right now? Well, the big one is that you'll be able to download 'from a library of hit TV shows' directly to your iPhone when you're connected to WiFi if you have a subscription to U-verse's U300 or U450 packages. Speaking of U300 and U450, if you're a new or existing iPhone customer and you sign up for one of those packages in an AT&T store between August 9 and November 6, they'll flip you a whopping $75 iTunes gift card for your trouble -- though you won't receive it for four to six weeks after activation, unfortunately. Check out the gallery below for all the juicy details. [Thanks, anonymous tipster] %Gallery-99032%
AT&T's U-Verse trumpets second quarter gains, new features while sneaking in more HD streams
Judging by its own report, AT&T is proud to have grown U-Verse to 2.5 million TV customers while adding features like My Multiview, which lets users plug in four channels of their choice to watch at once, and the new Chicago Cubs branded Multiview app that enables local fans to view the main broadcast plus three of any six additional camera angles on one screen. But one of the biggest recent additions wasn't mentioned in these press releases, as it's quietly strengthened one of the weaknesses we've complained about most, increasing from two simultaneous HD streams per household to 3 (or 4, as pictured above by U-VerseUsers forum poster txskeets.) VP Jeff Weber tells us the upgrade covers the overwhelming majority of users, so watching ESPN in one room, Shark Week in another and DVRing iCarly all in high definition should be no problem now. We're still waiting to hear specifics about Xbox 360 and Windows Media Center tie-ins, but we'll make do with this item being checked off of the list for now.
Telus turns Canadian Xbox 360s into IPTV boxes starting today
After years (and years) of waiting it's no surprise to see the Xbox 360 finally sliding into the role of IPTV set-top box, but we couldn't have seen Canada's Telus being the first in North America to offer the option. It only switched customers over to the Microsoft Mediaroom platform (also used by AT&T's U-Verse, where the feature should appear soon) powering its Optik TV package -- currently only available in Alberta and B.C. -- earlier this year, enabling this new multiroom setup. Of course, that means the Xbox 360 can't be the only set-top box in the house -- it just acts as a client to the main DVR for live TV watching, or to schedule and watch previously recorded programming. Subscribers owners can check the main website for access on their current Xbox 360 or grab a free new system by signing up for two years of internet access. Mediaroom 2.0 is expected to bring PCs and mobile devices into the fold at some point as well, but for now check out the Xbox 360 experience in our video demo after the break, as well as a press release with all the details.
AT&T bonds two phone lines to extend U-verse's reach, ensure it is the 98th caller
Like your average teenager, AT&T has recognized the power in using two phone lines to cheaply extend its reach and influence. Pair bonding technology expands U-verse's reach by sending the signal over two copper phone lines at once and was supposed to roll out back in '08. No word what caused the delay, but that it's a cheaper option than putting more "shovels in the ground" should keep costs down and Randall Stephenson happy. According to AT&T, that extra distance (about 1,000 to 2,000 extra feet from neighborhood nodes) will help expand availability to 30 million households by the end of next year, so if you've been waiting for some Total Home DVR / Xbox 360 Mediaroom / mobile U-verse (once the latter two actually launch, of course) action but live a block or two too far outside the radius then things are looking up. The bad news? It won't add bandwidth for the compression issues or lack of additional HD streams Home Theater Review noted, and definitely won't help you score concert tickets during the top 8 at 8.
Home Theater Review does its thing with U-Verse, comes away jaded
Reviewing service providers can be logistically impossible and this is especially true with a provider like AT&T's U-Verse because of its relatively small footprint. But if you've been waiting for U-Verse to become available in your area, you might want to read Home Theater Review's impressions. We used the word jaded in the heading, but that is putting it nicely. On top of the poor installation job and crazy restrictions -- like only being able to watch 2 HD channels at a time for the whole house -- the reviewer had reliability problems and didn't have anything nice to say about the picture quality. Ok, well there we go being too nice again, in reality we couldn't decide which quote we found the most entertaining. While "U-verse is about as bad as I've seen in a long while" puts it bluntly, "via U-verse you'd swear they [Discovery] filmed their programming with a store bought Flip camera" is better, but our favorite is "it appears as if they're catching red Legos and piloting through rough seas comprised of wet chunks of sand." So read though for all the gory details, but unless you are glutton for punishment, it seems that U-Verse should be avoided at all costs.
AT&T considering cutting its spending on U-Verse?
AT&T could be ready to join Verizon in pulling back spending on its TV business, as the Wall Street Journal reports CEO Randall Stephenson said the company would have to "re-evaluate whether we put shovels in the ground" in the face of new regulation on broadband internet providers. Current targets see U-Verse increasing its service area from the current 24 million homes to 30 million in 2011, but that's now at risk. Beyond just digging ditches and installing new boxes to bring services to different neighborhoods we'd like to see further expansion on features (Xbox 360, c'mon AT&T, especially with the new model) while some have complained about still being restricted to only one HD channel at a time in some areas and of course, there's value in competition for local cable providers.
Exclusive: a look around ESPN's 3D Master Control room
Not sure if you knew, but today marks the launch of ESPN's first dedicated 3D channel, predictably titled ESPN 3D. For now, the channel will only be active whenever 3D sporting events are being aired, starting with a full 25 FIFA World Cup matches from the Republic of South Africa. It's a pretty monumental launch for the world leader in broadcast sports, and it's obviously taking a pretty big leap with only a smattering of 3D sets available and an obviously limited amount of content at its disposal. That said, there's hardly a better way to enjoy 3D content than to see sports in the third dimension, which makes the appeal of this new station that much stronger. We're here live at the company's kickoff event in Bristol, Connecticut, and we'll be bringing you lots of coverage from behind the scenes. One important piece that has yet to be revealed to the public is exactly how this material is getting from the field to the consumer, with Comcast, DirecTV and AT&T (U-verse) signed on from day one. During our shooting for The Engadget Show (don't worry -- we'll be cutting it up and getting it live as soon as possible!) we were able to stop by ESPN's 3D Master Control room, a box no larger than the average American kitchen but infinitely important in the grand scheme of things. Amazingly enough, the room pictured in the gallery below didn't exist six weeks ago, and in an insanely short period of time ESPN has managed to create a control room that sucks feeds in from all over the world, adds graphics (along with a specialized ESPN 3D "bug"), ensures that everything is aligned properly and then pipes it out to the aforesaid carriers. %Gallery-94971%
AT&T U-verse will have ESPN 3D at launch, for a fee
We're just two days away from the launch of the first 3D channel in the US, and U-verse will be ready. The third broadcaster to announce it will carry ESPN 3D after DirecTV and Comcast, it is the first to charge an additional fee for the privilege. $10 per month adds the "3D Technology Package" to your U-verse viewing options -- similar to Comcast and different from DirecTV's approach, it works with all the boxes but will require users to manually switch to 3D mode on their TVs -- which at the moment will consist only of ESPN 3D, although the company promises its goal is to offer a "wide range" of 3D content just like its current HD lineup (which it also charges an extra $10 to access.) Have U-verse but haven't shelled out for a 3DTV, glasses, and this new channel? There's still the Multiview app to look forward to, with four ESPN channels on screen at once and coverage in up to six different languages you won't miss a single flop or injured star player during the entire tournament, we promise.
USPTO rules against TiVo's "Time Warp" patent, but the fight vs. DISH rages on, again
The never ending TiVo / DISH Network patent saga continues, with the latest twist presented as U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled TiVo's "Time Warp" patent is invalid. Both sides have issued press release in response, with TiVo pointing out this is "just one of several steps" in the review process" while DISH's Facebook status was predictably "pleased." For now, the only thing to report is that, as usual, nothing has really changed, the Appeals court is still undertaking a review of its previous ruling, and it will probably finish that before this Patent Office decision is resolved , given the opportunity for appeals to its board, and even through the federal courts. Still, depending on how this goes, it could have the most affect on TiVo's lawsuits against Verizon and AT&T, but right now we're just going to go grab (another) Snickers, this one will be going on for a long while yet.
Survey says pay TV customer service is at new heights
The American Customer Satisfaction Index has been tracking the satisfaction of pay TV customers since 2001, and in that time the results have never been as high as they were in the first quarter of 2010 -- thanks to the new players. Verizon's FiOS service lead the charge with a score of 73 out of a 100 with U-Verse close behind at 72. Dish Network was right in line behind those two with 71, while DirecTV moved in the opposite direction, as the rest of the industry, dropping three points to 68 -- which is still above the overall overage of 66 for the entire pay TV business. Not a big surprise that Charter, Comcast and Time Warner brought down the average by bringing up the rear scoring 60, 61 and 61. Although this is a trend headed in the right direction it is hardly stellar as the average for other sectors like wireless, utilities, health care and even motion pictures is considerably higher.
U-Verse updates Total Home DVR, Yellow Pages app features
It looks like U-verse customers won't be left out of all the set-top box upgrade madness going around lately, as AT&T has announced two upgrades on the way for the services. Total Home DVR users will get more ways to customize their recording settings with a Series Priority option to help resolve any programming conflicts four tuners can't take care of, a Keep At Most feature to specify how many episodes of a particular program to keep and Series Delete to remove an entire series with one stroke. The Yellow Pages TV App has also been upgraded, beyond just letting viewers search local business info on their TV, there's now a "Make a Call" button to automatically ring the business from their home or mobile phone. Still waiting for mobile program downloads? So are we.
AT&T relaunches streaming video site as U-verse Online
U-verse Online is now live, a refreshed version of last year's AT&T Entertainment site with aggregated streaming video for all and an eye towards premium exclusive content for the U-verse subscriber set later. The press release also remembers to mention features we're waiting for like that sweet U-Verse Mobile app and its "later this year" release date, but for now all they have to offer on the TV Anywhere-style sit is an apparently expanded set of content partners. The account options U-verse subs used to find on the uconnect.att.com site have been moved to the new site as well just in case promises of what's to come weren't enough to earn it a spot in your bookmarks.
ESPN360.com turns into ESPN3 tomorrow - more HD, DVR, social networking features on the way
Get ready for a shift in ESPN's online offerings, tomorrow the video streaming arm of its empire changes names from ESPN360.com to ESPN3.com. New features immediately available on The Tres include new viewing modes for events including split-screen and picture-in-picture, updated scoreboards, Facebook and Twitter tie-ins and live chat with other viewers, while it also plans to launch more HD-quality video streams during the NBA Playoffs, World Cup and U.S. Open Tennis events later this year. It should be available to customers on AT&T, Verizon, Cox Communications, Comcast, RCN and many other networks, a quick revamp and positioning next to the two top dog channels may be just what it needs for us to consistently see what's available on the desktop and not just the television. Check after the break for a few of the TV spots that will be promoting the change.
AT&T's 24Mbps U-verse broadband hits 22 new states, 120 new markets
Maybe you're sick of waiting for FiOS, maybe Time Warner or Comcast have rubbed you the wrong way, or maybe you just really want in on that mobile DVR action AT&T announced last week. Whatever the reason, if you're interested in U-verse the Max Turbo broadband service now available in 120 new markets across 22 states. That entails maximum download speeds of 24Mbps with 3Mbps upstream -- less than half the maximum speed offered by Verizon or most cable companies, but its cost of $65 per month actually makes it quite competitive against mid-tier broadband plans. What AT&T hasn't said is exactly which new states and markets can now join in the fun, but there's an availability checker on the site that will quickly tell you the good or bad news.
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.%Gallery-88957%
Microsoft has AT&T's back, sues TiVo for patent infringement
The DVR patent fight just got a little crazier, with Microsoft greasing itself up and jumping into the arena -- seemingly to preserve the honor of AT&T. You'll remember (maybe) that TiVo and AT&T have been having something of a fight over a few different patents primarily related to time shifting. Now Microsoft is suing TiVo, saying that it has stepped on two patents used in AT&T's U-Verse, which you'll recall relies on Microsoft's Mediaroom. Want to hear some of the legal verbiage in question? "A system that displays programmable information and a secure method for buying and delivering video programs." It's vague and all-encompassing, and that's just how we like our patent kerfuffles.
Microsoft's Mediaroom 2.0 running on the Xbox 360
Hearing about using an Xbox 360 as set top box for IPTV providers like AT&T's U-Verse is one thing, but seeing it in action is another. As you can see from the video after the jump, the experience is very fluid and isn't what we'd describe as laggy even in the slightest bit. The 360 can act as a full blown client to the Mediaroom DVR which provides a pretty complete multi-room experience. As far as we could tell the entire experience was there as well, but then again we're not exactly experts on Mediaroom. Apparently one thing the 360 can't do is be the only set top box in your house, which is probably a detail lost on many since we'd bet very few people who subscribe to pay TV only have one set top these days.
