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Television AT&T

AT&T TV Will Be a Tough Sell in a World of Endless Streaming TV Options (fastcompany.com) 39

Posted by msmash from the for-what-it-is-worth dept.
AT&T has launched its newest video service brand, called AT&T TV, and it could be the beginning of the end for AT&T's DirecTV offering. From a report: That's because AT&T TV is like DirectTV in many ways: It allows you to watch more than 100 live TV channels, but whereas DirecTV requires you to have a satellite dish, AT&T TV only requires that you have an internet connection. AT&T TV also goes further than DirectTV. Not only can you watch hundreds of live TV channels, the service, which is housed in a set-top box much like the Roku or Apple TV, allows you to also access third-party streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus. AT&T TV's remote also comes with Google Assistant built in, Chromecast support, and can even allow you to control smart home devices. But with the introduction of AT&T TV on a nationwide scale (the service has been in testing for months), AT&T's offerings get even more confusing. The Wall Street Journal has a rundown of all the video brands the company offers now, including U-verse, DirectTV, AT&T TV Now, AT&T WatchTV, the new AT&T TV, HBO Go, HBO Now, and the upcoming HBO Max streaming service.
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AT&T TV Will Be a Tough Sell in a World of Endless Streaming TV Options More

AT&T TV Will Be a Tough Sell in a World of Endless Streaming TV Options

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  • So it's a rebranded DirecTV NOW? (Score:3)

    by chuckugly ( 2030942 ) on Monday March 02, 2020 @01:30PM (#59788088)

    I tried a service lik ethis from DirecTV called DirectV NOW, and that really was crap. How is this better? NOW was just essentially Sat TV via internet. News flash. People who have switched to streaming don't generally WANT the TV experience.

    • People who have switched to streaming don't generally WANT the TV experience.

      DirecTV Now (now AT&T TV Now - stupid name), along with Sling, Hulu, etc. are both the TV experience (watch channels playing content on a schedule) and on-demand streaming. Your account lets you login to the streaming website or (for boxes like a Roku) the streaming app offered by many of these channels. You can then browse their libraries and stream what you want when you want. You just need to go through the extra effort

      • So how is this different from my current AT&T Streaming Service?

        I have the Grandfathered (was "AT&T Now") Streaming Service. In fact, it just "grew" CBS (from my local affiliate; not "All Access").

        Yes, it has also "grown" from an initial $35 to now being $65; but it is still much cheaper than my now-discontinued Charter (Spectrum) Cable TV package. I was paying almost $200 a month for internet and TV. Now I pay Spectrum $65 for internet, and $65 for AT&T.

        So, is this new service the same as my cu

      • I'm grandfathered in with one of their highest-tier plans,

        Same here. I'd never touch this service over regular cable TV/other streaming services if I didn't have the intro rate.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        They are doomed to fail because of advertising, people simply do no want video advertisements screaming at them any more. Not only will they avoid services poisoned by that buy, Buy, BUY, toxicity, they will also be repulsed by the products that scream at them to buy that crap.

        What they are hoping is by the extra advertising revenue they will be able to out bid everyone else on content but of course they can not outbid everyone if they have no revenue coming in, limited numbers of subscribers, only the less

    • ATT TV seems to be targeted at current satellite customers with a high-speed Internet connection that simply don't know any better. I expect that ATT TV will start generating significant early termination fee revenue once the price nearly doubles in year two and it's cheaper to switch and pay the ETF.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by e3m4n ( 947977 )

      there are two brands. AT&T WatchTV, and AT&T TV Now, yes its confusing. The latter is the rebranded DirectTV Now.AT&T WatchTV, is something you get free if you have a mobile ATT plan with unlimited data plan on it. Its like 35+ channels and a choice of a premium like HBO or spotify. For me it was an easy button since we already had ATT mobile, for my wife's and daughters phone (mine is paid through a work account). I get a pretty sweet discount for being a veteran, and then throw these 35+ chann

  • Set top box for streaming Network A also lets you stream video from Networks B, C, and D with subscriptions to those.

    Slightly surprising perhaps, but how exactly is that confusing?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GoTeam ( 5042081 )
      I guess the confusing is in all the streaming services available under the AT&T umbrella.
  • Needing an additional box to watch internet channels feels out of date already. Comcast is also testing the same thing but I suspect they should all be irrelevant soon as smart TVs replace those boxes and fire stick dongles.

    • Software lifespan vs hardware lifespan (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Solandri ( 704621 ) on Monday March 02, 2020 @02:20PM (#59788370)

      t I suspect they should all be irrelevant soon as smart TVs replace those boxes and fire stick dongles.

      The problem with smart TVs is that the video codecs get updated about every 7-10 years. Last time it happened was around the mid-2010s, when YouTube phased out h.264 in favor pf VP9. The earlier smart TVs had graphics hardware which could decode h.264, but not VP9. They lost YouTube capability when that happened. Same thing happened over the last few years as h.264 was phased out in favor of h.265 (HVEC). Any smart TV without h.265 hardware decode is essentially obsolete

      The same thing is going to happen over the next 5 years. Most of the current hardware was built assuming h.265 would be the next standard going forward. But it's heavily encrusted with patents and licensing fees. In response, a bunch of companies (including the big names like Google, Apple, Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft) developed AV1 [wikipedia.org]. Netflix is already planning to switch over to it. The problem is the spec was only finalized a little over a year ago, so hardware which supports it won't be coming out until later this year and 2021-2022. Any streaming boxes, dongles, and smart TVs you bought before then will gradually become obsolete over the next years as AV1 replaces h.265.

      With the set-top boxes, either they're cheap enough you can just buy a replacement. On PCs the processor is powerful enough to do the decode in hardware - you just have to download and install newer video codecs. But with a smart TV, the hardware decoder is built into the TV, so the smart portions of the TV will become useless. You can always use it as a dumb TV - buy a box or stick and plug it in. But what's the point of buying a smart TV if you're just going to do that anyway? Essentially the box/stick functions as an upgradeable piece of hardware since the decoder's lifespan is shorter than the TV's lifespan.

      • The other problem with smart TVs is that many of them spy on your TV watching habits, some insert/replace commercials, and virtually all of them are both extremely numerous and terribly insecure, giving hackers a ready beachhead within your network.

        > You can always use it as a dumb TV... But what's the point of buying a smart TV if you're just going to do that anyway?
        New "dumb" TVs are virtually impossible to find? Your choice is basically whether you use the "smart" features or not - buying them is pre

      • You can always use it as a dumb TV - buy a box or stick and plug it in. But what's the point of buying a smart TV if you're just going to do that anyway?

        The point is that you get a TV in the first place. Non-smart TVs, called "digital signage monitors" nowadays, tend to run a lot more expensive than smart TVs. See "Taking the Smarts Out of Smart TVs Would Make Them More Expensive" [slashdot.org] from January 2019.

      • Because they don't sell TV's that aren't "SMART" anymore and you wouldn't get a discount if they did, in fact the non-smart TV would likely cost significantly more.

        There's no reason you need to use the SMART portion of your TV, mine isn't even connected to the network (and it never will be). It's just a useless ball of software that will never even get initialized if you're smart.

    • I didn’t read in the details but does this mean you can get ATT TV in locations that don’t have it like Spectrum or Comcast areas? If so it does add to competition. In my neighborhood there really isn’t much of a choice. It’s Spectrum or satellite. While I may have to pay Spectrum for Internet. I can leverage ATT against them for TV.

      • I didn’t read in the details but does this mean you can get ATT TV in locations that don’t have it like Spectrum or Comcast areas? If so it does add to competition. In my neighborhood there really isn’t much of a choice. It’s Spectrum or satellite. While I may have to pay Spectrum for Internet. I can leverage ATT against them for TV.

        I am in a "Spectrum or Satellite" area, too.

        I just recently told Spectrum to shove the TV service, and just pay them $65/mo for 200 mb/s down Internet (which seems completely fine to simultaneously feed 2 Apple TVs and do whatever else I want. I now get my TV with AT&T's Streaming "Cable TV Replacement" Service (used to be called AT&T Now), as well as NetFlix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video (included with Amazon Prime subscription), and Apple TV+ Subscription (which I may or may not keep). Plus, I have a

    • Re:Maybe I'm Spoiled But (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Jason Levine ( 196982 ) on Monday March 02, 2020 @02:29PM (#59788416) Homepage

      I prefer the boxes/dongles to smart TVs. Smart TVs tend to have horrible security. The manufacturers only give updates until their next line is out. So if you bought a Smart TV last year and there's a security hole, the manufacturer's response is "buy a new TV." I don't know about you, but I can't afford to buy a new $500+ TV every year. It's easier to update my Roku or even buy a new one for $50 if need be.

      Also, as technologies and streaming services change, you might wind up without access to certain services. Bought a TV last year? Sorry, but it might not work with Disney+. If you simply must see The Mandalorian, you'll first need to spend $500+ to get a new TV. Alternatively, you can update your Roku or, worst case scenario, buy a new one for $50 to upgrade to being able to see the latest services/technologies.

      My TVs, though "smart", don't get connected to my WiFi. I just use them as glorified monitors for my Roku boxes/sticks.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by e3m4n ( 947977 )

        smart TVs often are locked into just a couple apps. Typically you might get Netflix, Hulu, and Vudu. I doubt a smart tv that is 3-4 years old has Disney+ or Movies Anywhere. they might have SlingTV but most likely not HuluTV, YoutubeTV, etc etc. You get the point. With a set top box like FireTV Cube, or Roku Ultra you can add channels to your box as they become available. Just about any service that wants to break into the industry is going to release an app for FireTV, Android, iOS, and Roku. Unless the sm

  • Only care about one thing (Score:4, Insightful)

    by onyxruby ( 118189 ) <onyxrubyNO@SPAMcomcast.net> on Monday March 02, 2020 @01:47PM (#59788166)

    Can I select which channels that I pick - ala carte? I don't want to have to pay for a large number of channels when my family only ever watched a handful. I also do not want to be forced to pay for channels that I do not support. I cut the cord years ago rather than continue to pay for channels that I am opposed to. Nobody should be forced to have to bundle an entire set of channels just to get TV at all. It is an abuse of monopoly power.

    • Yes and no on the channels.
      there are four tiers which come with default channels, the higher the tier the more default channels you get.
      In addition to those default channels you can also purchase other channels for additional amounts.
      this is just a service similar to Hulu Live, or sling.

    • Can I select which channels that I pick - ala carte? I don't want to have to pay for a large number of channels when my family only ever watched a handful. I also do not want to be forced to pay for channels that I do not support. I cut the cord years ago rather than continue to pay for channels that I am opposed to. Nobody should be forced to have to bundle an entire set of channels just to get TV at all. It is an abuse of monopoly power.

      Unfortunately, no one can sustain that as a business-model.

      For me, it's Sports channels. I HATE having to pay for Sports stuff I NEV-AR watch; but, no "Cable TV Replacement" streaming service I have found allows the level of Ala Carte channel selection you (and I) ideally desire. The closest I have found is SlingTV, and even they have "channel bundles"; so you still end up with a zillion channels you don't want, to get all the ones you do...

  • It won't be a sell so much as a buy (Score:3)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Monday March 02, 2020 @01:51PM (#59788194)
    AT&T will buy up their competitors, and eventually merge with Comcast & Cox (and maybe Disney) to form a single, global content delivery network.

  • It's just another attempt to replace the "cord" I cut years ago with a bundle of channels, the majority of which I wouldn't subscribe to and don't want to fund with my money, so other people can watch them. F.A.I.L.

  • Cord cutting saves money LOL (Score:3)

    by p51d007 ( 656414 ) on Monday March 02, 2020 @02:36PM (#59788444)
    Remember when the phrase "cord cutting" was suppose to save you money? Now, streaming, you "need" multiple sources, to get all of your video addiction LOL. Or, you can pirate it again.

    • Remember when the phrase "cord cutting" was suppose to save you money? Now, streaming, you "need" multiple sources, to get all of your video addiction LOL. Or, you can pirate it again.

      Pretty much. I don't watch TV, but all the "cord cutting" isn't going to help the cost of my already overpriced cable internet bill.

    • Well considering how you still get much more for your money on streaming services like Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Prime and Disney+ you do still save money, albeit less than before.

      Personally I do just fine with my Netflix subscription and going on the high seas for the very few shows I'm interested in that aren't on Netflix (last year that was just Chernobyl and the third season of The Grand Tour). I'll probably renew my HBO Go subscription for a month or two once the third season of Westworld finishes up
  • Customers dont want services where you pay $50-$60/mo for the content, $10-$20/mo to rent a box, and then $25-$35/mo in opaque taxes and regulatory recovery fees so they can access 100s of channels they will never watch. This is that. ATT should release an app that works on smart tv, roku, tivo, etc that allows access to HBO or their internet tv service (whatever that may be) for a fixed fee. Call it $15/mo for HBO and its content, then $30-$40/mo for the library of their shows, and finally $40/mo for li

  • It should be noted (Score:3)

    by nehumanuscrede ( 624750 ) on Monday March 02, 2020 @03:02PM (#59788548)

    That one of the reasons folks have a satellite dish is because the telcos ( yes, AT&T, this definitely includes you ) and Cable Companies refuse to update their network footprint to bring reliable broadband speeds to the rural areas.

    As a result, they won't be able to partake in this wonderful " Let's use someone else's broadband ( and their data caps ) as a video transmission platform. "

  • I dumped Comcast a few years back for DirecTV based on cost; when they plumbed my neighborhood for fiber internet I gladly took their triple-play TV/Net/VOIP bundle as cheaper than the separate charges I'd been paying DirecTV , Comcast for 75/10 broadband & Vonage VOIP. and got a serious speed boost to symmetric 1 Gbit speed, uncapped because of the TV bundled in. Now with this rebranded Android TV box running over their existing network plant, I'd be paying *more* post-promotional than I am now? And
  • Got YouTubeTV recently. I like watching the Air Disasters. I can't tell what I have already watched and what I have not. All the episodes are titled insanely like, "Seconds To Disaster" "Seconds From Disaster" "Killer in the Cockpit" "Murderous Crew" "Death in Skies" "Death in the Clouds" "Death on Wings" "On Wings of Death". The same series aired as "Mayday" in Canada and they changed the titles of all the episodes. Even I am 100% sure I have not watched "Deadly Distraction" before, it turns out, I had.

    S12E3 seems easier to remember than this crappy titles.

  • ...and it all happens over a 1.1 Mbps u-verse DSL connection that went out of fashion in the 1990s.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • They bought DirectTv for the spectrum. They need to turn off the birds to put up the 5g towers. The endgame is to put a 5g chip in the box and eliminate the copper network.

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