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AT&T gets official with U-verse Total Home DVR
No surprises here, but AT&T is doing the right thing by getting official with its Total Home DVR -- which we've been expecting for like, ever. A number of loyal U-verse users received word of the change last week, but now the provider is rolling the software out to the Bay Area at no additional charge; as for everyone else, expect to receive it before 2009 dawns. So, what's so fresh about Total Home? Oh, just the ability to watch five HD programs simultaneously throughout the home, among other nice extras listed in bulleted fashion after the jump.
AT&T launches U-verse services in Lubbock, Texas
U-verse has been pretty good to Texas, but given the state's size, AT&T could still stand to cover a bit more ground. Thankfully, one more city has just been added to the list in the Lone Star State, as the provider's fiber-based TV, high-speed internet and voice services roll into Lubbock. Per usual, residents will have to call and see if they're within range, and of course, AT&T has vowed to spread the service to more and more communities in the coming months. Your guess is as good as ours as to what that really means, though.[Thanks, Anthony]
AT&T installing utility cabinets in Naperville, giving away U-verse surprise
Silly AT&T -- don't you know by now that installing those cabinets of yours is a dead giveaway that U-verse is coming? According to a report from the Daily Herald, said carrier is installing the first of 135 utility cabinets around the city (which sits about 30 miles west of Chicago; more information on service areas here), and Greg Jones, project manager for the city, is hoping that "increased competition among service providers will benefit residents." That competition he refers to is none other than AT&T's fiber-based U-verse TV / internet / phone service, but it'll take some three years to get those 135 boxes installed. Oh, and don't even pretend that AT&T isn't madly in love with Illinois, it's pretty obvious at this point.
AT&T's U-verse moseys over to Central Arkansas
Just days after AT&T announced that its fiber-based U-verse TV service was available in select parts of Jacksonville and South Bend comes news that it's also ready for Central Arkansas. Consumers in parts of over six local communities -- including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton, Cammack Village, Maumelle and Sherwood -- can phone up the provider and order U-verse TV, high-speed internet and digital phone service. Per usual, AT&T has made clear that it'll be expanding in Arkansas "on an ongoing basis," and considering just how dangerously close all of this is to Mississippi, we can't see the Magnolia State holding out much longer.
AT&T makes HD VOD official, brings it to all U-verse customers
Call it a trial no longer -- AT&T is officially rolling out HD VOD to every last U-verse user in the United States of America. According to a quote by Rich Wellerstein, AT&T vice president of programming, "the demand for HD just keeps increasing, and so will [AT&T's] HD lineup and HD VOD library." The newly revamped VOD lineup will feature a slate of new releases in high-def, and the initial offerings will be expanded over the coming months and on "an ongoing basis." If you're curious as to what'll be available when you get home, try Charlie Wilson's War and Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins for starters.
AT&T's U-verse saunters down to Jacksonville, FL and South Bend, IL
While Verizon announced that its FiOS TV service would soon be making its way into a number of new locales this past week, AT&T took the liberty of giving residents in Jacksonville, Florida and South Bend, Indiana another choice for television programming. For folks in one of the two aforesaid cities that are fed up with Comcast's less-than-consumer-friendly tactics, they can now turn their eyes to AT&T's fiber-based basket of services for TV, high-speed internet and digital phone. If your community isn't covered just yet, keep on calling -- the carrier has asserted that it'll make U-verse available to more parts of both cities on an ongoing basis.Read - Jacksonville expansionRead - South Bend expansion
AT&T may bring U-verse to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Although you may not have heard much about Bay St. Louis during Hurricane Katrina, it too was ravaged by the storm. As the city continues to pick up the pieces, AT&T has announced that it may be going head-to-head with Mediacom by offering up its U-verse TV service in the area. This isn't the first (nor second) time that we've noticed AT&T ambling for position in Mississippi, though a deal here seems much closer than in other areas. AT&T has already pitched its services to councilmen and it already agreed to pay the city the same rates as Mediacom. Still, the deal isn't quite nailed down just yet -- a number of bigwigs still have to sign off, and there's nothing to say that the two parties will eventually meet on terms. Fingers crossed, though.[Thanks, Robby]
AT&T celebrates one year of U-verse in Sacramento, CA
We'll be frank -- we're getting a little tired of AT&T patting itself on the back each time a U-verse locale reaches its first birthday, but we figured it prudent to point out that said services are now available to over a quarter-million living units in the greater Sacramento area. Since launching in (you've got one guess)... August of last year, the fiber-based programming / internet / digital phone service has expanded to cover select parts of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Gold River, Lincoln, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin, Loomis, El Dorado Hills, Stockton, Modesto, Ceres, Fairfield, Vacaville, Mountain House and Tracy. We appreciate the kind words for yourself, but how's about a little gift for those loyal customers? Say, a few new HD channels?
Craigslist ad hints at U-verse in Raleigh / Durham, NC
Just over a year ago, we heard that AT&T would be sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into the Carolinas in an attempt to "upgrade its fiber network, further broadband deployment, and deliver internet-based technologies to customers in North Carolina and South Carolina." Now, we're beginning to see signs of life. According to this nondescript job posting on Craigslist, AT&T is scouting residential field agents specifically for U-verse in the Raleigh / Durham, NC region. Sure, this could very well be a hoax of some strange kind, but we can't possibly be more hopeful that it's not. Hey TWC -- is this enough to get you to add a few HD channels to your absolutely abysmal selection in the Triangle?[Thanks, Jonathan]
AT&T gearing up for Total Home DVR rollout?
Take this one with a hearty helping of salt for now, but we've received a bit of information that hints strongly at AT&T revealing a whole home DVR (possibly dubbed Total Home DVR) in the very near future. Unfortunately, details about the unit itself are still few and far between -- we've no idea who will be manufacturing it, and we can't confirm / deny whether it'll revolutionize your life (or the way you see U-verse TV). Still, we've reason to believe that the provider will be coughing up the official verbiage soon enough, so keep an eye out.[Thanks, Anonymous]
AT&T exec talks U-verse, HD plans
Shortly after breaking the semi-magical 500,000 subscriber mark, AT&T's executive vice president of content Dan York sat down for an interview on the future of U-verse. The bigwig made known that U-verse TV's long-term HD plans were still undisclosed, though "north of 100 [HD channels]" were in its near-term sights. He also insinuated that HD VOD was still aways out, though he did acknowledge that "HD is clearly important to consumers." He also hinted that more substantial changes could come to the service once the really magical one million subscriber mark was passed, suggesting that it could leverage better deals and possibly more content by being able to claim a cool million on the roster. It's a fairly interesting read if you're interested in AT&T's take on IPTV -- we're just anxious to see it come to more places.[Via SmartBrief]
Wichita, Kansas now home to AT&T's U-verse TV
AT&T already has a small TV footprint in Kansas City, and now neighboring Kansas is finally getting some U-verse love. As of this week, Wichita-area residents have one more choice when it comes to programming, as U-verse TV, high-speed internet and digital phone have arrived. As always, there's no telling whether your domicile is within range, so go ahead and cross your fingers while making the call.
Fantasy Football comes to AT&T's U-verse
Pardon us for asking when we know the answer, but are you ready for some football? With the Brett Favre saga saturating the NFL headlines, it's a sigh of relief to read something unrelated to the newest New York Jet. AT&T U-verse users who find themselves absorbed in their fantasy football league will be utterly elated to find that Yahoo! Sports' Fantasy Football is now available directly in the U-bar. The interactive application enables users to "conveniently track their fantasy football team and receive customized information on their favorite NFL teams directly on their U-verse TV," though it won't make piecing together a winning team any easier.
AT&T finally breaks the half million mark with U-verse customers
AT&T's U-verse still isn't a clear cut winner in the world of HD carriers, but it sure got a lot more attractive with the recent rollout of 2 HD / 2SD -- which enabled users to record one high-def program while watching another (or record two HD shows simultaneously). During Q2 2008, the company managed to pick up 170,000 new U-verse subscribers (versus 148,000 in Q1 2008), and since it closed 2007 with 231,000, it has more than doubled its customer base (549,000) in half a year. At its current rate, it'll be tight to make its goal of one million subscribers by the end of 2008, but it might just get there. Can't say our faith was nearly as high just six months prior.[Via HD-Report]
AT&T splitting 2 HD / 2 SD and 1 HD / 3 SD into separate service levels?
We're still trying to decipher all of this, but we've received word that AT&T is intending to create two different service levels for its U-verse customers. Essentially, it will be extending the current loop limitation from around 3,000 feet to 3,400 feet from the VRAD, which sounds as if this could enable more customers to receive service in U-verse areas. For folks less than 3,000 feet away from the VRAD, 2 HD / 2 SD service will be available; for individuals between 3,001 and 3,400 feet away, you'll be stuck with 1 HD / 3 SD -- but at least you've have the option of signing up, right? Early signs show the two-tiered service kicking off in St. Louis real soon, with a dozen or so other markets following suit by October.[Thanks, Anonymous]
AT&T promises even more Olympics coverage on demand
Maybe you haven't noticed, but AT&T is a big fan of the Olympics. It has already provided U-verse customers with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage during the run-up to the Games, and now it's vowing to give Olympics junkies everywhere even more footage that they'll never, ever have time to watch. On the U-verse front, we're talking about material which includes "a wrap-up of the best events of the day as well as on-demand access to between 15 and 20 unique events each day," while wireless and broadband customers will be able to tap into all sorts of other Olympics-related stuff. So, anyone plan on cloning themselves to keep up with all of this?
AT&T's U-verse finally rolls into South Florida
It took awhile, but the rumor finally proved true. AT&T's U-verse has at long last made it to South Florida. Just days after Verizon announced that its competing FiOS TV service was available to some 800,000 members of the Sunshine State, in soars AT&T to bring its fiber-based programming service to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Currently, consumers in parts of dozens of communities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties can place their order, while folks in Palm Beach county will be forced to wait until July 28th. No word on how soon it'll reach your neck of the woods down there, but the carrier has vowed to "make U-verse services available to more homes throughout South Florida on an ongoing basis."
AT&T to offer exclusive USA Basketball VOD content
Just a few months after AT&T announced that it would be offering U-verse customers exclusive access to Team USA's Olympics preparation, the carrier is trumpeting yet another similar agreement that will give its subscribers a look at USA Basketball. The new partnership will give AT&T U-verse users access to team content on demand, not to mention other material accessible via the web and AT&T mobile phones. Looking for specifics? Try "behind-the-scenes footage including selection of the team, USA Basketball Training Camp, exhibition game highlights, USA Basketball video segments, interviews with athletes and coaches and other vignettes."[Image courtesy of Savannah Now]
AT&T: Where is our whole-home DVR (WHDVR)?
We can't say for certain how long the above pictured splash screen has been around on AT&T's website, but if "2 room DVR service" means "whole-home DVR" service, we're left with just one question: where? One of the U-verse issues that has long since held it back from being viewed as a killer programming service was the inability to serve up various DVR recordings around the home, and while AT&T has been promising that said feature was on the way for nearly a year, there's still nothing to show for it. You only need shuffle through a few pages of the U-talk forums to find a plethora of angered individuals, and while some are optimistic that WHDVR is imminent now that 2 HD / 2 SD is spreading across the land, others are understandably skeptical (and bitter, too). So, AT&T -- when can these loyal users expect WHDVR to really be implemented? And for those on the fence, is this limitation the primary thing holding you back from embracing fiber?[Thanks, Todd]
AT&T announces U-verse for Miami Valley, Ohio
Nope, still no U-verse for Miami, Florida, but TV lovers in Miami Valley (Ohio) can start popping those corks. Folks in said area can start phoning up AT&T to see if U-verse TV, high-speed internet and digital phone is available for their place of residence, but here's a hint -- citizens living in Beavercreek, Butler Township, Centerville, Clayton, Dayton, Fairborn, Huber Heights, Kettering, Mad River Township, Miami Township, Miamisburg, Moraine, Northridge, Oakwood, Riverside, Springfield, Springfield Township, Vandalia, Washington Township, West Carrollton and Woodbourne-Hyde Park have the best shot at hearing "yes." Also of note, 2 HD / 2 SD is in full effect, which leads us to believe that said feature will be the norm from here on out.