Television is undergoing its greatest change since the 1960s. Movement from live to recorded, black and white to color and standard definition to high definition are driven by technical innovation and require a pioneer mindset that shifts the market and allows for new products and services to be delivered to the mass market.
When you think of AT&T, words such as pioneering and innovative may come to mind — but more in the sense of voice communications or data delivery. After all, the company traces its roots back to 1875, when Alexander Graham Bell radically changed the daily lives of ordinary people with the invention of the telephone. Similar to the television industry, there has clearly been much innovation in the 130-plus years that we have been speaking and listening to each other over the telephone, and AT&T has been the force behind much of this. As a matter of fact, AT&T’s founders, researchers and engineers developed some of the world’s major technological inventions —transistors, the first TV transmission, hi-fi recording to the cell phone, as well as the beginnings of HDTV and the first deployment of broadband to the masses. AT&T is leading again by introducing the latest and most technologically advanced TV experience currently available to consumers.
But, why all the fuss now? The convergence of communications and entertainment is now upon us. and technology and consumer desires in for digital content consumption have created an environment in which this convergence can come to life. The use of digital content delivery and the ability to integrate multiple devices creates a very exciting and important transition for the entire television industry. TVs have traditionally been passive devices; users watch and change programs but have little control over the programs. However, time has brought about a major shift, as technology allows viewers to watch programs on their own schedule.
Recently launched in the Los Angeles area, AT&T U-verseSM TV offers consumers a new home entertainment experience that adds revolutionary to the list of adjectives that aptly describe AT&T. Delivered over an advanced Internet Protocol (IP)-based network, U-verse offers a new level of service integration and features for consumers. The flexible IP platform delivers “anytime, anywhere” access, and provides the integrated features and services customers want -- when and where they want them. The launch of U-verse TV, the delivery of digital content, the integration of digital content and television (e.g., AT&T Homezone) and, of course, the iPhone, dramatically enable this convergence to come to life.
AT&T’s U-verse TV is answering the call from customers who have a list of things that they want to get from their provider or that they just don’t get — or aren’t satisfied with — from their current provider. Consider it the universal “Cable Wish List.”
ACCESS TO HD CONTENT
At the top of the list: more HD. Many consumers now own an HDTV set and crave more programming for it.
AT&T currently offers a robust channel lineup with more than 320 linear channels and more than 30 HD channels. Because of the flexibility of its IP platform, the service will be able to expand the HD lineup and provide a growing number of HD channels.
TV ON MY SCHEDULE
Customers also want TV to work with their schedule. With the advent of the DVR, customers want to record more than two shows at one time. And what if they forget to set the DVR before they leave home? They’re out of luck.
With U-verse TV, problem solved. AT&T has a DVR that can record up to four programs at one time and remote access to the DVR with any Internet-connected PC or a compatible wireless device from AT&T. Both a four-stream DVR and Web and Mobile Remote Access are capabilities no one else offers today!
GOOD VALUE
Good value also rates high on the customer wish list. Customers want all of these things and a good deal. U-verse TV packages start as low as $44 a month. Moreover, AT&T’s standalone video prices can average as much as 20 to 30 percent less than the standalone prices of LA’s major cable companies for comparable service.
BETTER CHANNEL-SURFING
We are also a nation of channel-surfers, but since digital cable, all the fun has gone out of it. Changing the channel takes forever, and most consumers don’t have the patience for two- to three-second delays. U-verse TV heralds the return of channel-surfing. With fast channel-changing, the delay is greatly reduced.
As can be seen, a new era of TV is upon us. As new IP-related TV services become available, AT&T is poised to bring them to market and ensure that the convergence of computing, entertainment and voice services continues growing. Finally, as the platforms become available and are deployed, new services and new applications that will make these new platforms even more robust will certainly follow. To learn more about AT&T U-verse TV, including its availability in your neighborhood, log on to uverse.att.com.
