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story category AT&T's IPTV Stopgap Measure
While you wait for U-Verse & 'Project Lightspeed', enjoy 'HomeZone'
(old news - 12:37PM Thursday Feb 02 2006)
tags: telco · TVIP
Business Week chats with AT&T COO Randall Stephenson about AT&T's TV plans, and Stephenson offers some details on "Homezone", a kind of stop-gap measure between satellite and IPTV. In the second quarter of this year AT&T will begin offering customers a set-top box that gets satellite television, but also connects to your DSL line (discussed previously) in order to provide added content and services. You can check out the specs on the 2Wire Mediacenter box being used here. Stephenson says the company hasn't quite mastered HD in their IPTV trial in San Antonio (though he ensures it will be part of broader deployment).

Related:
  1. Should Cable Operators Offer Wireless?
  2. U-Verse Hits Raleigh, Orlando
  3. SES AMERICOM Pulls Plug On IP Prime
  4. Qwest Still Not Interested in IPTV
  5. House Passes Bill Delaying DTV Transition
  6. Tuesday Evening Links
  7. Wednesday Evening Links
  8. AT&T Brings Pop Up Ads To U-Verse TV
Forums » AT&T's IPTV Stopgap Measure
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emixnem
Dill Dough

join:2000-10-16
Reno, NV

att

cant wait

juilinsandar
Texas Gooner
Premium
join:2000-07-17
San Benito, TX

Re: att

Ditto.

The sooner the better.

ronpin
Imagine Reality

join:2002-12-06
Nirvana

Re: att

The NSA will appreciate the at&t database even more!

juilinsandar
Texas Gooner
Premium
join:2000-07-17
San Benito, TX
·AT&T DSL Service

Re: att

Does that mean I'm going to have to stop illegally downloading stuff once homezone is up & running?
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maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
·RoadRunner Cable

Re: att

said by juilinsandar See Profile :

Does that mean I'm going to have to stop illegally downloading stuff once homezone is up & running?
Don't worry. If they really wanted to find that out, they already know.

GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast


1 edit

Sounds like a combo mediacenter PC / STB

The product AT&T CEO is describing sounds like a combination of a media center PC and set top box.

We will be announcing what we call Home Zone. This changes how you think about broadband and TV. I have a beta version of it in my house right now. It's a set-top box. They removed my old Dish Network satellite set-top and replaced it with this one. It's connected to my TV and stereo, and it has DSL connectivity on it.

I can now get Movielink (a Web site where full-length movies can be downloaded to a PC) coming into my TV set via DSL. I also can sit back and look at all my digital photos on my TV. I can listen on my stereo to the music library on my PC. I can sit back using my TV remote control and access my music library on my PC.

Were going out and working on a lot of content relationships to take advantage of this. We'll be bringing this to market in the second quarter.
It has some good possibilities, but I hope AT&T puts together a large well trained support staff. Because that kind of box requires sophisticated users to keep it working properly. If they stick these in a house that are just used to TV thru a STB and a plain SEPARATE DSL internet connection, they are going to get a lot of help calls.
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rileyjam514
There You Go Again...

join:2005-06-26
Kearny, NJ

Re: Sounds like a combo mediacenter PC / STB

Vonage would be a clear example of that situation.

TelecomJunky
Premium
join:2005-12-12
Kansas City, MO

Good idea

Now that is the best idea I have heard for IPTV yet and should be looked at further.

Why not leave broadcast, digital quality TV to a push technology like Satellite where the infrastructure and technology already exist and leave IPTV for the video on demand services which are available on a request basis only.

Combined with DVR capabilities this method would drastically reduce the amount of bandwidth needed to IPTV service.

Matt
Gone playing Dragon Age Origins
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..

Re: Good idea

said by TelecomJunky See Profile :

Why not leave broadcast, digital quality TV to a push technology like Satellite where the infrastructure and technology already exist and leave IPTV for the video on demand services which are available on a request basis only.
Because Satellite TV is prone to weather related mishaps. IPTV isn't.

TelecomJunky
Premium
join:2005-12-12
Kansas City, MO

Re: Good idea

I have had direcTV or dishnet from the time they launched. I have had them in 5 different homes. If installed properly, weather related mishaps are non-existent. Cable suffers weather related issues far worse than satellite.

Don't even say digital cable, its a joke, less than 25% of their channels are even broadcast digitally and cost wise cable is nearly twice what the equivalent channel packages are through dishnet or directv.

Matt
Gone playing Dragon Age Origins
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..

Re: Good idea

said by TelecomJunky See Profile :

I have had direcTV or dishnet from the time they launched. I have had them in 5 different homes. If installed properly, weather related mishaps are non-existent. Cable suffers weather related issues far worse than satellite.

Don't even say digital cable, its a joke, less than 25% of their channels are even broadcast digitally and cost wise cable is nearly twice what the equivalent channel packages are through dishnet or directv.
Really, explain why my digital cable has never gone out yet my friend comes over all the time to watch the game because it's "too cloudy".

And your price argument has been proven again and again to be false.
cooperaaaron

join:2004-04-10
Joliet, IL
·AT&T Yahoo

Re: Good idea

I have both and I have had more issues with cable than my Direct. Your friend's set up is suspect. I have had 3 inturruptions since I had Direct, they were for supercell storms in the line of site ( not neccessary right over the house ) and then only for a short time ( maybe the longest was for 5 minutes or so ). So, I can speak from experience because I used to work for Comcast as a warehouse tech and a sub-contractor and I installed my own Direct dishes on 3 homes where I pay the Direct bills.

nightshade74
Yet another genxer
Premium
join:2004-11-06
Prattville, AL
I'd have to say your friends dish install bites.
I ran to DTV 3 years ago from charter. I can
only think of 1 outage.

jstep73

join:2004-02-28
Rock Island, IL
Results may vary.
puck0114

join:2005-12-24
Washington, DC
·RCN CABLE
·AT&T Yahoo

I've had Dish for a year and a half and have only experienced one outage for about five minutes during a particularly intense storm.

When I had Charter cable, I had more outages than that during a year. Most lasted more than five minutes and a couple required a tech to come fix things.

TelecomJunky
Premium
join:2005-12-12
Kansas City, MO

said by Matt See Profile :

said by TelecomJunky See Profile :

I have had direcTV or dishnet from the time they launched. I have had them in 5 different homes. If installed properly, weather related mishaps are non-existent. Cable suffers weather related issues far worse than satellite.

Don't even say digital cable, its a joke, less than 25% of their channels are even broadcast digitally and cost wise cable is nearly twice what the equivalent channel packages are through dishnet or directv.
Really, explain why my digital cable has never gone out yet my friend comes over all the time to watch the game because it's "too cloudy".

And your price argument has been proven again and again to be false.
Obviously, I can't quote on cable prices across the board but where I live comcast charges $80 a month for the digital silver plan with HBO.

I can get the equivalent through Dishnet for $42.99.

Both charge relatively the same extra for HDTV and locals.

Any channel below 75 on Comcast is analog and crappy.

As for the 1 guy you know having dish problems, my guess, and others on here I see, is his install is not good. My guess the cheap-o installer who setup his service didn't bother to spend the 5 minutes it takes to fine tune the dish. If he has direcTV he should make sure his signal is not below 85 before the installer leaves, if he has dish he should look at above 100 signals.

Keep in mind both are different scales, i.e. 100 is the max on dtv and 120, I believe is the max on dishnet.

In addition, if you friend has any large trees obstructing his dish he could be having problems, again an issue for installation. You need to pick a spot clear of any obstructions.

Matt
Gone playing Dragon Age Origins
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
·North State Commun..

Re: Good idea

said by TelecomJunky See Profile :

said by Matt See Profile :

said by TelecomJunky See Profile :

I have had direcTV or dishnet from the time they launched. I have had them in 5 different homes. If installed properly, weather related mishaps are non-existent. Cable suffers weather related issues far worse than satellite.

Don't even say digital cable, its a joke, less than 25% of their channels are even broadcast digitally and cost wise cable is nearly twice what the equivalent channel packages are through dishnet or directv.
Really, explain why my digital cable has never gone out yet my friend comes over all the time to watch the game because it's "too cloudy".

And your price argument has been proven again and again to be false.
Obviously, I can't quote on cable prices across the board but where I live comcast charges $80 a month for the digital silver plan with HBO.

I can get the equivalent through Dishnet for $42.99.

Both charge relatively the same extra for HDTV and locals.

Any channel below 75 on Comcast is analog and crappy.

As for the 1 guy you know having dish problems, my guess, and others on here I see, is his install is not good. My guess the cheap-o installer who setup his service didn't bother to spend the 5 minutes it takes to fine tune the dish. If he has direcTV he should make sure his signal is not below 85 before the installer leaves, if he has dish he should look at above 100 signals.

Keep in mind both are different scales, i.e. 100 is the max on dtv and 120, I believe is the max on dishnet.

In addition, if you friend has any large trees obstructing his dish he could be having problems, again an issue for installation. You need to pick a spot clear of any obstructions.
According to the DTV website, no you can't:

»www.directtv.com/DTVAPP/learn/Pa···ison.jsp

It would take their 93.99 package to match what I get from Time Warner for $80/month ... and I get a DVR with my package.

nightshade74
Yet another genxer
Premium
join:2004-11-06
Prattville, AL
·Knology

Re: Good idea

said by Matt See Profile :

According to the DTV website, no you can't:

»www.directtv.com/DTVAPP/learn/Pa···ison.jsp

It would take their 93.99 package to match what I get from Time Warner for $80/month ... and I get a DVR with my package.
Maybe he can...
1) He didnt mention Time Warner he mentioned Comcast and
what he got

2) He didnt mention directv he mentioned dishnet

3) Many Sat providers offer an additional discount
for baby-bell customers. IE I get an additional
$10 off my bill for having DSL

odreian615

join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL
YOU ARE LUCKY I have Comcast cable in chicago and it goes out at least once a month for about 30 min to a hour and the freeze ups sucks

GOLFnSUN
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast

said by TelecomJunky See Profile :

Don't even say digital cable, its a joke, less than 25% of their channels are even broadcast digitally and cost wise cable is nearly twice what the equivalent channel packages are through dishnet or directv.
That all depends on where you live and what cable company you have. My cable access is 100% digital channels, just like satellite. And compression ratios are as good as or better than the equivalent satellite channels.
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Freezone

join:2000-09-29
Southfield, MI

Rather than argue which is better be glad that the other exist at all. Cable and sat keep each other honest. I have had both and the only reason that I left directv was on demand. Now this solution may lead me to want to go back since cable cost way too much.

richardpor
Fur it up

join:2003-04-19
Portland, OR
Because not everybody can get satellite. My apartment is facing the wrong direction. I do not have line of sight. Also I can not permanently mount it. I would have to use a tripod. Also from Verizon:
" you live in apartment,no FIOS for you"

Heterman
Premium
join:2004-02-28
Fayetteville, AR

Sounds good

But what speed of internet will the end-user have to subscribe to, and what discounts are going to be available on the higher speed tiers for subscribers?

Not to go OT, but, what is the deal with going back to AT&T for businesses? I wonder if the consumer Cingular is up for a namechange, at least in the wholly owned SBC/Cingular markets?

canwejustsayno



NO Friggen WAY!

Just do not buy ANY service from AT&T EVER!!!
How many ways can I say it, AT&T needs to learn the same way Ford and General Motors learned it, evolve faster or DIE, lay off thousands of your employees! Die corporation, DIE a nice death...
generation 1 broadband is a dead duck, and so it at&t for merging with an overpriced telco like sbc... it's all over baby! Dump the stock, pre bankrupcy or pay the price later!

jstep73

join:2004-02-28
Rock Island, IL

Re: NO Friggen WAY!

Please.
Tell us how you really feel.

darthur2000

join:2002-01-02
Middletown, CT
clubs:

but...but...but...but...

but...but...but...but... I'm still waiting for Project Pronto to get basic DSL to me. I know they had originally said it would be done by 1999 or 2000. So if they have the same plans here, hmm starting this in 2005 means I'll be seeing it sometime around, oh maybe 2135 or so.
Forums » AT&T's IPTV Stopgap Measure


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