AT&T is rolling out its U-Verse TV system that can stream and record TV shows, and it only costs an arm, a leg and your soul.
After years of announcements, tech demos and tests, Xbox 360 users in the U.S. will be able to sign up for AT&T’s U-Verse TV this Friday, October 15th. The service was tested over the last nine months and allows AT&T customers to watch and record television shows without the need for a second box. The catch is that you must be U-Verse subscriber and have a U-Verse receiver, but if you meet both of those criteria, you can stream and record TV in another room. The service costs $99 for Xbox users to install on top of the monthly service charge, which ranges from $19 to $112 per month depending on what channel package you opt for. AT&T is also rolling out U-Verse Mobile for Windows 7 phones in November, which will allow you to manage your DVR and even watch some shows on the go. The whole service bypasses cable companies by providing TV over the internet.
“Now you can get our award-winning U-verse services on your big screen TV, online, on your mobile phone, and integrated with your Xbox 360,” said David Christopher from AT&T. “Our IPTV strategy is putting AT&T at the forefront by delivering U-verse content where you want it. And now we’re extending the U-verse experience to more AT&T smartphone customers with the upcoming launch of U-verse Mobile on Windows Phone 7 devices.”
What is not clear is whether you need to be an AT&T customer in order to use the service or if there are any package deals with internet and phone service. I personally already pay an arm and a leg to Time Warner Cable, I don’t know if I want to sell my soul just so I can get an extra DVR box in my 360.
It’s worth keeping an eye on to see if the service is something I might want to consider grabbing. What do you think? Is U-Verse worth $99 to sign up and a potentially expensive monthly fee?
Incidentally, the U.K. has already had a system like this in place with Sky. Have any of you adopted it? How do you think U-Verse will compare?
