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AT&T Disrupts Cable and Satellite Guys With More and More and More and More HD Programming. Alan suggests you hunker down during the economic downturn, feed the kids TV dinners and enjoy the world in HD

Starting  the day before President McCain - I mean, President Obama gets to take over the reins of our country, U-verse TV customers will receive up to 30 new HD channels at no additional charge as part of their existing HD service subscription, depending on their programming package.

AT&T has just announced additional HD programming with  more than 30 new HD channels and new international programming packages for Chinese, Polish, Russian, French and European-sports audiences.

With the additions, U-verse TV offers more than 75 HD channels — exceeding the HD channel lineups offered by the major local cable providers in every U-verse market.

The newly added HD channels include several regional sports networks, premium movie channels, and popular national sports, news, women’s, shopping and lifestyle networks. (Refer to the full list of HD channel additions at the end of this release.) HD service is available for $10 a month with any U-verse TV programming package. All U-verse TV packages include HD-ready equipment, and four of the five packages include an HD-ready Total Home DVR. Total Home DVR is being rolled out to all U-verse markets by the end of this year.

U-verse TV is also introducing more HD options on Nov. 10 with a new HD Premium package. Featuring Universal HD, MGM HD and Smithsonian Channel HD, the new tier can be added to an HD service subscription for an additional $5 a month. More channels will be added to the HD Premium package in the future.

AT&T is also expanding the ethnic programming available on U-verse TV with several new packages for its diverse customer base including:
 
·         Mandarin Package, featuring CCTV-4, CTI-Zhong Tian Channel, Phoenix InfoNews and Phoenix North American Chinese Channel, for $35 a month. CTI-Zhong Tian Channel can be ordered a la carte for $12 a month, and CCTV-4, Phoenix InfoNews and Phoenix North American Chinese Channel are available a la carte for $10 a month.
·         Polish Package, featuring TV Polonia and TVP Info, for $25 a month. TV Polonia can be ordered a la carte for $20 a month.
·         Russian Package, featuring RTR Planeta and Channel One Russia, for $25 a month. Each channel is available a la carte for $15 a month.
·         TV5MONDE, featuring programs from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Quebec, for $10 a month.
·         Setanta Sports, featuring exclusively live European and international soccer, rugby and other sports, for $15 a month.

The new international packages are available starting Nov. 10 and can be added to any U-verse TV core programming package.

As part of this month’s expansion, U-verse TV customers also gain access to several new standard definition channels: The Outdoor Channel, NASA TV and, as part of Paquete Español, WAPA America and V-me. Paquete Español features 24 Spanish-language channels for $10 a month with any U-verse TV core programming package.

THE FOLLOWING HD CHANNELS ARE BEING ADDED TO THE AT&T U-VERSE TV LINEUP:
 

@Max HD
5StarMax HD
ActionMax HD
Comcast SportsNet Chicago HD
Comcast SportsNet New England HD
Encore HD
Fox Business Network HD
Fox News Channel HD
FSN Detroit HD
FSN Florida HD
FSN Midwest (Kansas City) HD
FSN Midwest (St. Louis) HD
FSN Ohio (Cincinnati) HD
FSN Ohio (Cleveland) HD
FSN Prime Ticket HD
FSN South HD
FSN Southwest (Dallas) HD
FSN Southwest (Houston) HD
FX Network HD
FX Network HD – West
Hallmark Movie Channel HD
HBO Latino HD
HBO Signature HD
HBO Zone HD
HBO2 West HD
Lifetime Television HD
Lifetime Television HD - West
MoreMax HD
Outdoor Channel HD
OuterMax HD
Planet Green HD
QVC HD
Showtime 2 HD
Showtime Extreme HD
Showtime Showcase HD
Speed HD
SportsSouth HD
SportsTime Ohio HD
Starz Comedy HD
Starz Edge HD
Sun Sports HD
The Travel Channel HD
ThrillerMax HD
TMC Xtra HD
Weather Channel HD
Wmax HD

Photo courtesy of AT&T

 

AT&T Launches Total Home DVR in San Antonio

While Total Home DVR has been released in other markets, it's being officially announced today in San Antonio, where I live.

I've had Total Home DVR for 4 days and works as advertised.

Today's edition of our local newspaper, the San Antonio Express News the story here.

Here's a demo shot last week at an AT&T store in San Antonio.  I have a broader opinion piece in the San Antonio Express-News which I will post tomorrow.  (Be sure to click the option to watch in higher quality video on the lower right hand side of the video).

No Blogging This Weekend

Are You Watching U-verse TV, Without Your TV?

Today's New York Times, has a very good story that illustrates the impact of a slight twist in how consumers are watching networking programming.

The story points to the fact that when the fourth season of  NBC's “The Office,”  had its premiere in September, one in five viewings was on a computer screen rather than on a TV.

The episode attracted a broadcast audience of 9.7 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was also streamed from the Web 2.7 million times in one week, according to the show's executive producer, Greg Daniels.

Are you watching more network TV without your TV?

Let me know....alan at weinkrantz dot com.

Graphic courtesy of The New York Times.  (c) 2008

Flickr Photostreams on AppleTV

This is a great feature, and a wonderful way to see your Flickr photos on your big screen TV using AppleTV.

Be sure to check out my photos on Flickr .

AT&T U-verse TV Expands HD Channel Lineup

The phone company as we no longer know it has just added another eight HD channels to its AT&T U-verseS TV channel lineup.

U-verse TV now offers Animal Planet HD, CNN HD, Discovery HD, Science Channel HD, Starz Kids & Family HD, Superstation WGN in HD, TLC HD, VERSUS and GOLF CHANNEL HD.

With these additions, AT&T U-verse TV subscribers with the HD service option have access to a lineup of more than 40 HD channels in most markets, which is more HD programming than local cable providers in current U-verse markets.

HD service is available for $10 a month with any U-verse TV programming package. All U-verse TV packages include HD-ready equipment, and most include an HD-capable DVR.

AT&T U-verse customers can get more information about AT&T U-verse programming and television events by visiting uverse.att.com/uconnect.

Photo by Alan Weinkrantz (c) All Rights Reserved 2007

More San Antonio Football Fans Can Now Enjoy NFL Network On AT&T U-verse TV

If you live in San Antonio as I do, and  don't want to miss any Dallas Cowboys games this season can breathe a sigh of relief. 

AT&T U-verse TV is now available to more than 170,000 living units in the San Antonio area, and the expansion comes just in time for fans who want access to football 24/7, including the Dallas Cowboys — Green Bay Packers game, which will be telecast exclusively on NFL Network on Thursday, Nov. 29.

Beginning Thanksgiving Day and continuing through the end of the year, NFL Network exclusively televises the Run to the Playoffs package, a series of Thursday and Saturday night NFL games, including the Cowboys — Packers game Thursday, Nov. 29, and the Dallas Cowboys — Carolina Panthers game Saturday, Dec. 22, both airing at 7:15 p.m. CST. Some San Antonio football fans will not have access to these high-profile games through their local cable provider. AT&T U-verse offers NFL Network in its most popular programming tiers — U200 and above — which start as low as $59 a month. NFL Network HD is also available on U-verse TV with HD service for an additional $10 a month.

Find Out What Users Are Saying About U-verse on Omgili

While the Internet is full of buzz about IPTV, AT&T, Verizon and all the other telcos around the world trying to figure out how to differentiate and deploy this emerging platform, I still believe that User Generate Content is the best way to get a sense for what people are thinking about a particular subject.

In the case of U-verse, there are discussion groups like U-verse Users which does a pretty good job at giving me a sense of the buzz and what consumers are thinking and talking about when it comes to U-verse.

I have just discovered a new start up in Israel (disclosure:  I have no financial association with them for my day job of running my PR business) called Omgili.  Omgili is a specialized search engine that focuses on "many to many" user generated content platforms, such as, Forums, Discussion groups, Mailing lists, answer boards and others.

They have a very unique search engine technology which scans for user generate content.  Here is a search I did on U-verse. 

Try your own search terms like wireless, 3G, iPhone and anything related to AT&T.  Let me know what you come up with with a comment on this blog or an email to me:  alan @ weinkrantz dot com.

Firebrand - Opt-in Entertainment and Marketing Destination to Launch on TV, Web and Mobile

Would you tune in, log on, or browse to watch commercials on one of your three screens? 

Firebrand is a new, opt-in entertainment and marketing destination that gives consumers interactive access to their favorite brands, products and promotions, and launches on October 22nd.

The idea behind Firebrand is to offer programming  the “coolest” TV commercials the way MTV used to program music videos, creating the first multi-platform network to go “live” simultaneously on TV, the web and mobile.

Firebrand has also built personalization tools so consumers can create their own playlists and share their favorites spots.    Firebrand’s primary demographic is the highly desirable “Gen Y/Millennials,” who voraciously consume pop culture, and are already sharing commercial content with their friends. This group boasts purchasing power of more than $200 billion a year and already account for 40% of Internet shopping.  But, Gen-Xers and Boomers will also find something they like on Firebrand, with playlists that include their favorite brands, vintage commercials, special promotions and the best international spots.

Firebrand also features ‘Commercial Jockeys’ or CJs to contextualize commercials as art and guide viewers through the spots, contests and promotions.

Firebrand will also provide advertisers with the Firebrand Dashboard ™, an innovative diagnostic tool that integrates industry standard television and online response data. For the first time, advertisers can see TV viewing and online clicks side by side, for specific spots and offers, delivering advertisers a meaningful ROI analysis.

Having seen the video above, would you watch Firebrand? 

So How Long Does Your U-verse Installation Take?

As AT&T rolls out its deployments of U-verse, I would like to get a handle from end users as to how long your installation takes and what your take is on your particular installation.

The first 5 responses will win a free pizza from Pizza Hut delivered to you door.

Email me: alan at weinkrantz dot com.