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AT&T to Launch AT&T | Dish Network Service in Nine Southeastern States

OK.  Stop the presses.  Or so to speak.

While my focus has been on U-verse and all the glorious wonders of cable, I mean IPTV, look for more coverage about Dish Network satellite TV from AT&T.

I have come to realize that not everyone can get U-verse, either because of where they live, or just because the phone company as we no longer know it isn't delivering the service to your neck of the woods (yet).

So, with all that being said, here is the news:

Since AT&T cut BellSouth a check and bought the place up, they are expanding DISH Network into the Southeastern part of the country.  No, it's not IPTV, but  from what I have seen it's still pretty cool.

The service, part of AT&T's video portfolio known as AT&T Advanced TV, will provide consumers throughout the company's nine Southeastern states with even more options when it comes to great programming, top-rated DVR and receivers and outstanding customer service.

3Screens News Summary:

• AT&T | DISH Network service features more than 250 popular, 100 percent all-digital television channels including movies, sports, news, international and family programming, plus commercial-free, CD-quality music channels.

• The service offers consumers greater control through powerful parental controls and DVR capabilities that can record, pause, skip recorded commercials and create instant replays through a 10-second skip feature. In addition, customers can access more than 75 national HD channels across the sports, movies, entertainment, family and educational genres as well as local channels, where available.

• A variety of affordably priced packages, featuring free Standard Professional Installation and three free months of qualified programming, a value of $119.97, are available with a 24-month commitment.

While all digital programming starts at only $19.99 a month, two of the most popular packages include:

• DishDVR Advantage with America's Top 100:  For $39.99 a month, customers will have access to more than 100 national and local channels.  DVR service is also included. 
• DishDVR Advantage with America's Top 200: For $49.99 a month, customers will have access to more than 200 national and local channels and more than 60 SIRIUS music channel included. DVR service is also included.

But Wait....There's Spanish, HD and More!

AT&T | DISH Network service also features robust packages for customers who desire Spanish-language programming and customers can easily upgrade to HD for as little as $10 more a month with qualifying packages.

In addition, customers can choose to bundle any AT&T | DISH Network service programming package with AT&T local, long distance, wireless or broadband services to realize additional cost savings, which can also be folded into a customers existing AT&T bill.

For more information, visit www.att.com/dish

And tell them Alan from 3Screens, referred you.

Switching To U-verse? Here's What You Need Adjust To And What To Expect

Tonight I received an email from a new reader who just switched to AT&T's U-verse.  His family's installation is next Friday.   The reader lives in Leander, a suburb of Austin.

Like so many of my readers who are switching to U-verse, the most common question I get is pretty simple and to the point:  what should I expect - and what is different?

I tend to stay away from the technical side of what makes U-verse "different" when I can.  I am trying to focus on writing and speaking from the voice of the end user consumer and also shifting away from just TV and to the whole 3 Screens experience -  TV / PC / Wireless.

In terms of TV, here is not only what you should expect, but need to adjust to...

• You will have a similar experience in watching TV to cable with a few subtle changes.
• The audio and video quality is the same - especially in HD.  I do find it pretty interesting though to realize I am getting the TV signal through the phone line.
• You will have to adjust to a learning a new channel listing scheme.  If you program your favorites, then there is not much to remember
• Expect better customer service.  I do find that AT&T's phone reps are better than TimeWarner's.  Maybe they are just trying harder.  Maybe it's competition.  Maybe it's because I am in San Antonio, where AT&T is headquartered.  Or maybe they have my home phone number marked on a watch list since I am a blogger doing this.
• Channel changing is faster and much better than on cable.
• You don't have to have a digital TV to use the PIP (picture in picture) feature.  When you on U-verse, your TV basically becomes a dumb terminal so everything is run through software.
• You will be limited to one HD stream in your home - at least for now.  So if you have two HD sets and want to watch HD programming at the same time, you will be limited to one HD stream.  I expect that in 2008 this will change.
• There is more programming - especially in HD.  This really is a good thing, but it depends on your personal viewing and programming choices.
• There is more foreign and ethnic programming packages available, though at an extra cost.
• The set top box and residential gateway you get with AT&T looks cooler than the hardware you get with TimeWarner.  Think "wife factor" in this case. 
• You will have to adjust to a new remote control.  The AT&T remote is pretty good and very basic, but did take me some time to adjust to.   Also, I do wish the remote control's buttons were a bit more durable.  I have had to replace two of the remotes simply because the buttons lost their tactile feel.
• Searching for programming is OK, but sort of cumbersome.   
• The lag time for searching for programming once you do the search request is sort of slow, but no faster than cable.  I guess I am just used to the blazing speed of doing searches on my Mac when using Google.
• You can rent dirty movies for $10 a pop, just like you can on cable.  Great margins for the phone company.  What would Alexander Graham Bell think?
• Like cable, you can expect an occasional freeze or "tiling."  It's really pretty rare and I had the same issues when I had cable.  There are so many factors such as weather, your own internal wiring, a bad satellite transmission back to earth, a hick-up from the network itself that you can't point to any one single reason.  It just happens.
• The  AT&T U-bar, which offers customizable weather, stock, sports and traffic information to the television screen is a new offering which they are rolling out gradually seems pretty cool.  Since it's IP, they can pretty much broadcast anything in any shape or form laying over content or creating new channels for IP based content.  That's another differentiator.
• The ability to record up to four programs at once using a DVR, which is included in most programming packages at no extra cost.
• Web remote access to DVR, which allows you high to schedule recordings from any Web-connected PC in the world, using an AT&T Yahoo! account.

Overall, I remain very pleased with U-verse.  I look forward to continued advances, more programming, and eventually IP telephony service.  Then, AT&T will really have a very unique product and service offering for consumers like me.

Connecticut Attorney General Suffers from IP (Internet Protocol) Dysfunction. He Still Thinks TV over IP is Like Cable.

Connecticut's Attorney General,  Richard Blumenthal, is technically challenged and suffers from IP Dysfunction.  IP (Internet Protocol) Dysfunction is common amongst men with political ambitions that get in the way of reality, and can easily be rectified, allowing for long lasting TV watching experiences with one's partner.  (Note:  should you be able to watch TV over IP for more than four hours at a time, you should check with your physician.)

While previous posts of mine have tried to explain the differences between cable and the delivery of TV over IP, I have a new proposal for he and his compadre, Con­sumer Counsel Mary J. Healey, to help resolve this pressing issue and bring lasting TV satisfaction and a return to focusing on the important things Attorney General do, like chasing deadbeat dads, protecting little old ladies, and making sure that he focuses on the issues that really affect the little people who I guess aren't capable of making their own choices when it their choice of TV services. 

1.  AT&T should withdraw from doing business in the State of Connecticut and create a joint venture with the Indian Tribes in the state to sell, deploy and service U-verse.

Hmmm....I wonder if his political motivations that are disguised for as protecting consumers against the evils of the world's most disruptive communications and entertainment services company would change if the Indian Tribes of Connecticut got the "franchise" to deploy U-verse.

Since Blumenthal is all for S.1392, the Tribal Recognition and Indian Bureau Enhancement Act of 2001 and S.1393, which would provide grants to municipalities, Indian groups and other interested parties to ensure full and fair participation in tribal recognition and other procedures at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, I would be hard pressed to see him challenging his electorate in the vein of a new business venture like U-verse.

Think about it:  an AT&T / Indian Tribe joint venture would advance the cause of communications and entertainment, bring the State of Connecticut up to par with the State of Texas, and bring mucho dinero into the coffers of the Indian Tribes.

2.  Blumenthal and Healey, in an effort to protect the citizens of Connecticut should give all its people free satellite service from Direct TV or Echo Star.

So think about it.  The phone company as we no longer know it, won't be allowed to take your money when it's over the phone line, but they can when it's through the air with its HomeZone service.  So, as a way to prevent AT&T from profiting from delivering TV service through the phone line, let alone through satellite, have Blumenthal negotiate a deal with DirectTV and buy the whole thing and give it away to its citizens.  After all, DirectTV will soon be offering tons of HD over satellite and what better way is there to really get to Randall Stephenson and his hunting buddies than to just give every citizen of the State of Connecticut free Satellite TV service.

3.  Coming Soon To YouTube:  Alan's Protective Shield from the evils of AT&T and Satellite TV

I am currently in production with a YouTube video which will be coming out tomorrow morning at 7 AM EST.  I have created a new invention that will shield the citizens of the great State of Connecticut from the evils of AT&T.

Stay Tuned....

Help Wanted: AT&T is Hiring Retail Sales-Home Consultants

As seen in the alternative newsweekly, San Antonio Current....

AT&T is now running ads clearly aimed at  hiring hip sales people in two areas:  "Retail Sales-Home Solutions Consultants" and "Sales Support Representatives."  Interestingly, Verizon is doing the same thing, but with a different image and a slightly different message.  And even more interesting, the AT&T and Verizon ads appear on the same page!

The AT&T Ad:

The message: "To you, wireless is a culture unlike any other....embrace it like never before...."  The graphic they use is a bit old school.  It's a couple of cell phones protruding out of a pair of jeans.

The first job description is telling as to where the phone company as we no longer no it is headed:  straight for the home with digital video, satellite and broadband.

The second job description is focused on how you will help the customer during the first 30 days of service. 

To see what's on the radar for jobs and job descriptions view the retail recruiting site here.

The Verizon Ad:

The message:  "My career.  I own it. My best employer.  My best network." 

The graphic is even more telling:  a hip and young Hispanic male dressed in a suit and open shirt. And like AT&T, Verizon is hiring Retail Sales and Customer Support reps.

AT&T Offers Free Dish Network Service for One Year if You Sign Up For U-verse. Tom Keating Asks: Is This Offer Still Good If U-verse Not Deployed in His 'Hood One Year Later?

Blogger, Tom Keating, has very good post based on his own personal experience in being offered a free year's worth of Dish Network Satellite TV,  if he went ahead and signed up for U-verse, even before it's available in his area.  (Read AT&T's April 3 announcement.)

Tom asked the sales rep at Best Buy if the offer was till good one year after the offer, even if U-verse is not available in his area of Connecticut where he lives.  According to Tom, the rep had no answer.

Tom also brings up a point point about the recent talks about Microsoft and Yahoo joining forces.
Writes Tom, "AT&T and DISH Network have a deal. AT&T and Yahoo already have a close partnership deal with AT&T Yahoo DSL. AT&T is using Microsoft's software for their U-Verse set-top box.

Let me summarize:
AT&T - DISH Network
AT&T - Yahoo
AT&T - Microsoft
and now potentially
Microsoft - Yahoo

Which makes it a AT&T,  DISH Network, Microsoft, Yahoo conglomerate! That just might be big enough to take on Google. Might need to add in Walmart. Maybe Home Depot as well (just to make it a fair fight)."

Check out Tom's post.

Worth Reading