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AT&T U-Verse updates


U-verseChad Brantly over at UverseUsers wrote in to let us know that AT&T is rolling out a bunch of new services today -- if you happen to live in San Antonio.
  1. HDTV - AT&T U-Verse IPTV customers in San Antonio now have access to more than 25 HD channels for $10/month.
  2. Web scheduling - AT&T has partnered with Yahoo to offer a web-based service for managing and scheduling your recordings.
  3. New set top boxes - the new Motorola boxes are all HD-capable, and come with the ability to record up to 4 programs at once.
No word on how long it will be before these services start popping up in other locations.

Web scheduling for AT&T U-verse PVR


U-Verse web schedule

The investigators over at UverseUsers found an unfinished and unannounced feature -- web scheduling for AT&T's U-verse PVR. The AT&T Yahoo Web Remote page seems to have been removed, but UverseUsers got some good screenshots while it was still up.

The service lets you browse program listing, review recorded shows and schedule new recordings. This is something you can do with TiVo, Windows Media Center Edition, and most PC-based PVRs. But it's not something typically offered by cable or satellite television providers.

Since the web guide will be Yahoo-based, there are all sort of possibilities beyond web scheduling. Perhaps this could integrate with Yahoo's streaming TV offerings, allowing you to pick internet-based shows to stream to your set top box. Or maybe you could schedule recording through Yahoo! Messenger, or even your cell phone.

But let's not put the cart before the horse. As of Saturday night, you couldn't even browse the program guide through the web interface.

AT&T U-verse updates set to begin tomorrow for new features and HD service


Motorola HD DVRAs brad mentioned back in August, AT&T is to roll out its new IPTV high definition service this month. AT&T has now confirmed that a number of upgrades will be taking place throughout this month.

AT&T u-verse users will be experiencing PVR upgrades to bring HDTV support, more on-demand content, more channels, games, personal photos and probably some other features too.

AT&T has sent out a letter (pdf) confirming the updates, stating they will take place between 11pm and 5am, to minimize interruption.

The first update will take place tomorrow (October 5th) and will result in all your previously recorded programs being erased and all scheduled recordings being canceled.

Its not the nicest way to receive an upgrade and AT&T have apologized for the inconvenience. Hopefully the new features will make up for the interruptions.

[Via EngadgetHD]

AT&T to roll out new IPTV HD box in October


Motorola VIP 1216UverseUsers reports that AT&T is set to launch its new Motorola set top box for U-verse customers on October 25th.

AT&T will replace all customers current boxes with the new Motorola sets. Each household's main box will include a 160GB hard drive, and will record standard and high definition programming. Unlike the current U-verse boxes, (which simply have their hard drives disconnected), customers who order additional boxes will receive diskless Motorola units, which will eventually be able to stream media from the main box.

At launch, the new boxes will only be able to record one HD stream at a time, but AT&T may eventually upgrade to 2 stream recording. The reason: AT&T hasn't determined whether their network can handle that much streaming video traffic on its fiber-optic lines.


Always look under the hood


U-verse boxSubscriber's to AT&T's U-verse IPTV service get up to 200 channels, video-on demand, and internet speeds of up to 6Mbps. They also get up to three set-top boxes, one of which includes a PVR.

Well, as our friends at Engadget reported, some U-verse users decided to pop open the other boxes, and wouldn't you know it, they ALL have hard drives. AT&T simply unplugs the hard drives in the non-PVR units.

If you happen to have one of these boxes and would like step by step instructions on how to reconnect the hard drives and restore full PVR functionality, head on over to UverseUsers.com.

The hackers theorize that AT&T decided to cripple some of the boxes so that users wouldn't have to deal with a confusing PVR interface. Why they didn't also decide to save money by removing the hard drives and using them for some other purpose, I don't know.

Microsoft denies IPTV delivery delays

 
AT&TAccording to informitv, Microsoft is denying delay rumors of its Internet protocol television (IPTV) as "patently false."

According to a representative of AT&T, quoted in the magazine Television Week, "Microsoft is ready to launch this -- we aren’t talking to other vendors about backup plans."

AT&T recently completed a technical field trial of the Microsoft IPTV solution in the homes of 40 employees in San Antonio, using VDSL with gigabit Ethernet to deliver bandwidth of 20-25Mbps per line, but has yet to demonstrate scalability.

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