3Screens

How to Order A Pay-Per-View Event on U-verse

Wanna rent a special Pay-Per-View Event on U-verse?

Real easy.

• Press GUIDE on your AT&T remote control.  Go to Pay Per View Channel 102 by using the up / down browse arrows.
• Select the program you want to order and then press OK.  A  Program Info screen will appear showing you the event time and how much the event will cost.
• Press OK and if there are Parental Locks in place, you will need to enter your PIN.
• You will then be asked to confirm your order.  Just press OK and you're good to go..  Want to go to live TV, just press EXIT.
• Be sure to tune in to the event's channel at the scheduled starting time.  If you are late, you can't rewind what you missed.  (sort of like being on time to the movies).  However, unlike VOD, you can record your Pay Per View event to your DVR and watch the event at your convenience.

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's Attorney General Doesn't Get It When It Comes to TV over IP. Alan Invites Him To Texas For Dinner, A Place to Crash and a Free Non-Technical Education

This one sort of slipped me by, but apparently Connecticut's Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, thinks IPTV should be categorized as cable.  That's why he going to war with AT&T. 

Sorry, Mr. Blumenthal,  IPTV is just what it is: it's  video instead of  voice that goes over the same pipe.  You see, in IP, video is just an application. 

And you sir, are a uninformed for not understanding this very basic principle.

And even though you may not get it, I want to personally invite you to my home for some real Texas steak from Central Market, potatoes, and Lone Star Beer and an evening of IPTV in HD over IP.   (BTW, Central Market is our Wegman's.)

No kidding! 

If I Can't Prove You Are Wrong (or maybe you're just having a bad judicial day) I Will Reimburse Your Airfare to Come to Three Screens Home in San Antonio and Check Out What This is All About.

You pay your own airfare, and I will pick you up at the airport, and you stay with us as our guest in my home.  That will save your taxpayers the cost of meals, and of course a decent hotel room.  If I can't convince you that TV over IP is NOT the same thing as cable, and you back off, I will reimburse you for your airfare.  (coach and not business class). 

While I will be the first one to clearly recognize that there is no one better  than AT&T's own  Jim Cicconi at being a master of the regulatory universe, in this case, Blumenthal should stick to really protecting consumers, and ensuring that his state's children and seniors are safe from abuse and neglect and let the best service provider win. 

There. I feel better.  And if you come to see my rig, let me know when you are coming so we can tidy up your room.

My direct dial number is: 210-820-3075.

Ya'll come!

 

If You Are Into College Football, Sign Up Now for Maximum Savings

AT&T is offering a slightly discounted rate on the ESPN's GamePlan College Football package which features college football programming from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, MAC, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt, and WAC.

Their ESPN GamePlan is being offered for $109, but the price is only good if you sign up before September 1.

You can call 1-800-983-2811 to order.

And tell the operator that you read about it at 3Screens.net

Mainstream Media Continues to Review U-verse - Too Much Focus on "Just TV"

The L.A. Times' Jim Granelli has a fair and balanced review on AT&T's U-verse service.

My only real critique of Jim's review (and others that I see) is that they are too focused on the TV experience - and not on the whole enchilada: the notion of getting your TV / PC / Wireless service from one provider - and yes for those of you who think I am a pro-AT&T bigot, you can do likewise with Verizon.

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself, but if you are going to compare spec to spec and feature to feature on Cable vs. Satellite vs. IPTV, there will never be a best choice. 

One will always have something the other does not have. 

And as for price, I have found that you can drive yourself crazy on comparing pricing because much of it depends on your local market.

To me, this is not about TV, but rather having several things:

    1.  An alternative to cable and satellite.
    2.  The notion that you are disrupting the traditional way of getting TV
    3.  Getting HD over IP (way too cool)
    4.  Saving money on bundled service offerings
    5.  More competition

The Phone Company As We No Longer No It Re-Brands and Ramps Up For iPhone Launch

AT&T is now ramping up for the iPhone launch with its official re-branding of its Cingular stores.

You will start to see all in one signage, store kiosks, and point-of-sale materials in approximately 1,800 company-owned wireless retail stores. In addition, key stores in major markets are also unveiling  new signage to promote the new brand.

You will also see company-owned stores with installed kiosks promoting the complete the suite of AT&T services — wireless, high speed Internet, TV and home phone — in the company's traditional service area, and several markets are also planning for a new AT&T Experience Store, a high-energy format that encourages hands-on customer interaction.

In terms of advertising, TV, radio and outdoor ads now incorporate transitional elements related to the AT&T and the Cingular brands, but AT&T is featured much more prominently. The transitional phrase, "Wireless from AT&T, formerly Cingular," has begun replacing the phrase, "Cingular is now the new AT&T," but the color orange will continue to be associated with wireless services from AT&T. The "Jack" mark will be used in a less prominent way in advertising and customer collateral.

All brand advertising related to this phase of the campaign will focus on AT&T as a wireless provider and the company's vision of becoming the complete provider for the way customers live and work. For example, a broadcast TV spot now airing in the company's 22-state local service territory, dubbed "Russian Dolls," highlights the addition of wireless service to the AT&T portfolio.

AT&T will also announce this month that it has extended its reach in its 13-state pre-merger local service region by offering AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet — Business Edition at more than 740 wireless retail stores.

Customers can also see live demonstrations, and order AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet service and, where available, AT&T U-verse TV or AT&T Homezone TV services at more than 375 wireless stores.

AT&T also sells AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet service, together with traditional telephone service, at more than 900 company-owned wireless stores, and AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet service on a stand-alone basis at more than 1,000 agent-owned wireless stores.

I'll be watching for the continued transition as AT&T  reinvents itself.

"Real" Live Broadcast TV is Very Real on MN1

On Tuesday, I visited the offices and studios of MN1.com in Dallas.

Located at InfoMart, the company has not only has its sales and marketing offices, but a real TV production studio where they broadcast live financial and business news via the Internet.  They also have 3 remote production trucks so they can broadcast live, on location, just like old school media does.

While there are many Internet-based TV shows, this is the only one that I know of (tell me if I am wrong here) where they are not just doing "live" TV, but doing it in the setting of a professional studio and doing it for hours and hours on end.

Sure, there are services like UStream that let you broadcast live Internet TV, but these guys are not doing UStream. 

Think of CNBC with a set, reporters with industry expertise, a bit of commentary and fun, and guests who don't have to be on the set for interviews, for they are streamed in using SightSpeed.

The company's focus is on Microcap and Small Cap stocks.

But that's not what really interested me. 

What blew me away was the fact that I kept thinking that I was a traditonal broadcast TV studio like CNN, CBS, NBC, or ABC.  So what these guys have done can be applied not just for finanical news, but sports, lifestyle, religion, kids, etc.

There is some proprietary technology the team has developed and with my being under NDA I can't go into too much detail on how they are doing this. 

What is compelling and disruptive, is that they are producing content, at times even beating the likes of Dow Jones and Reuters on under the radar financial news, selling ads, and developing some new IP based technologies that I've yet to see.

Check out MN1 not just for financial news, but to get a sense for the potential of real broadcast over IP television programming.

U-verse Review by Alan Weinkrantz

As AT&T rolls out its U-verse service, I get quite a few emails and I can track Google searches for the term "U-verse Reviews."

I've been reveiwing and playing with U-verse for almost one year.  In fact, May 16, will start my second year as being a U-verse customer.

Way back when in the dark ages (May of 2006) they did not offer HD. 

Fast forward a few centuries (November of 2006) they started to offer HD - and it worked.

And it still works.

So my suggestion to you is this:

1.  Give U-verse a try.

2.  Invest in a good HD TV if you don't own one already.

3.  Try the U-verse 400 package for thirty days and see if you like what you get in terms of programming and service.  This offering has more than 175 of the most popular channels including
49 premium movie channels like HBO® and Cinemax®, and nine of the most-watched
sports channels; plus local channels and 18 digital music channels.

4.  If you decide not to go to IPTV, then call you local cable of satellite provider that you are with, and ask them for a price reduction to keep you as a customer. 

I did it, and TimeWarner knocked 30% off my price.  (I had both AT&T and TimeWarner for a few months during my initial trials).

I did this not because it was a cable or satellite replacement.

I did this because I wanted to see what the future of broadcast TV would look like and have a chance to view more HD programming.  I also did it because I am trying to think about the ways we will view and create content on our TV, our PC, and Wireless devices.

Thus the name of this blog, 3Screens.

P.S. if you really want to get more into this, read Shelly Palmer's book, Television Disrupted.

Want To Understand Who Runs What Parts of AT&T? Check Out Forbe's New Organizational Wiki (Add People to It If You Like)

Forbes magazine has just come out with its latest issue focused on the power of networks.  Read it here. 

We as U-verse and eventually three screen customers are creating our own powerful consumer networks that will hopefully enable us to not only consume, but create our own content and applications on three screens.

One interesting feature of this issue is an online Organizational Wiki, which lets you not only view a company like AT&T's people network, but add to it if you wish.

Here is the link to the AT&T Org Chart Wiki. 

The wiki already contains all of the publicly listed U.S. companies, their boards of directors and senior executives.

To find a company, the search tries to find matches as you begin typing. When you see the company you're looking for, you can select it.

If you don't find a company, you can add it from the wiki home page.

To make a connection, drag a person over his/her boss, wait for the boss to turn orange and then release.

To make an unconnected employee the boss of someone already on the chart, drag the boss over the employee and wait for the flash. Once it flashes, move the boss above the employee and release.

To sever a connection, drag the scissors from the toolbox to the midpoint of the connection.

To delete a person, highlight him/her and press the "Delete" button at bottom right, or drag any unconnected person to the trash icon in the toolbox.

Just as in real life, board members and top-level bosses like Ed and Randall are special.

Their position on the chart is locked by default.

To move them in the chart, first drag the scissor tool over him/her. You can now connect him/her to another employee in the tree.

Om Does A Post About AT&T - Hint: This Ain't Just About TV over IP

Read Om's post about his take on AT&T and Verizon.

Also, please note my comment on his blog. 

This is not a cable replacement.

As the name of this blog implies, it's about delivering entertainment and communications and soon, advertising on all three screens.