AT&T (NYSE:T) today announced enhancements to its U-Verse IPTV platform, including a free 20% speed increase for those who subscribe to U-Verse Internet Max, a new application for usage-based top picks on-demand and a new PC interface for its digital-video recorder (DVR) subscribers. Making good on its promise to focus on its existing customers as it draws back on U-Verse expansion, the free software updates will be available to U-Verse customers within the month.
AT&T is also adding flexibility to its total-home DVR service, which lets consumers watch recorded programs on up to eight connected TVs, by introducing the ability to set or delete recordings from any room of a home, rather than being tethered to the DVR receiver room.
The newly introduced on-demand Top Picks recommendation engine will draw on U-Verse customers’ past viewing habits, as well as the top 10 on-demand titles other U-Verse customers are renting based on consumer ratings. This feature will be available to AT&T’s customers in eight markets within the next few weeks – and all U-Verse customers next year.
U-Verse’s new Yahoo-powered PC interface includes faster browsing of the program guide, new ways to sort and categorize content and new search features for favorite actors, titles or channels. The online DVR control will also include sub accounts for multiple family members to access and customize. According to AT&T, more than 100,000 U-Verse customers access their DVR remotely every month either on the PC, which AT&T introduced in 2006, or on the mobile phone, introduced in 2007.
Along with the DVR updates, AT&T is revamping its U-Verse programming guide with new zoom, channel change and audio options, as well as dubbing July “free movie month” with unlimited free access to Starz in the month of July. On the broadband front, new and existing U-Verse High Speed Internet Max customers will now also get download speeds up to 10 Mbps to up to 12 Mbps, a 20% increase from the previous speed.
According to the company, the slew of updates is aimed at demonstrating how IP can give consumers more control and more value.
This all sounds great..except as an ATT subscriber no one has been able to tell me when..other than just keep trying your menu..huh? And they cannot fix their problem in providing a steady dolby surround audio signal without dropped sound periodically. I have been trying with them since 5/02/09 and the glitch has been sround since 2008 and ythey know it..just not how or whan to fix it.
My previous comment leaves grammer and spelling to be desired in my haste. However ATT U Verse has not been available with 5.1 dolby surround on my system without numerous sound drops. They have spent many man hours via numerous employees who were all courteous but no two seemed to agree on what the problem might be. None have given any solid info on a repair either. This issue is quite chatted up on their own site U-talk by numerous clients. And on AV Science as well.
This new rollout seems to be my only hope in rectifying the problem. Sadly no one at ATT can confirm if a fix for optical DD 5.1 sound is in it and when it will even be avilable here is the St Louis market. The only advice I’ve received to find out is to just keep checking my menu regularly and see if it changes.
Surely they have better technology than that.
Steady dolby Surround sound!? They can’t event provide a steady stereo signal to my receiver! Either through optical or component and from searching the internet this is a major problem with them. I wonder why they do not advertise this!