What is AT&T TV? Here is what we know now – CNET

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AT&T has another new streaming service coming. Here is what we know about it. 


Angela Lang/CNET

AT&T is preparing to launch another new streaming service called AT&T TV later this summer. Not to be confused with AT&T TV Now, formerly DirecTV Now, the new offering will allow users to stream content to the AT&T TV app on mobile devices and through a box on TVs. 

Beyond saying that it will be piloting the program this summer to “select cities,” AT&T has not been too forthcoming on details. A new company website is providing some insights, however, so here is what we know about the new service. 

What is it? Is this the new DirecTV Now? 

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AT&T is rebranding DirecTV Now as AT&T TV Now. 


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AT&T TV is a streaming service from, well, AT&T. It will offer live TV and “55,000 on-demand titles” plus the ability to record “500 hours” on a “Cloud” DVR, though the recordings will be deleted after 90 days. 

As with traditional TV, users will be able to subscribe to premium channels including HBO, Showtime and Cinemax. 

DirecTV Now, however, will continue to exist, but it is being rebranded as… AT&T TV Now

So is it an app or a streaming box? 

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AT&T’s new AT&T TV service will stream to a box for TVs. 


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AT&T TV will be able to work with both an app and a dedicated streaming box. The app will be the same AT&T TV app that AT&T TV Now users will use and allow for streaming on phones and tablets.

But there also will be a streaming box, which is expected to be powered by Google’s Android TV.  

The box will be able to function as a smart hub for controlling internet-connected devices like lightbulbs or thermostats, be self-installable in “just 4 simple steps” without needing someone to come and set it up for you, and be capable of supporting 4K output assuming you have the proper TV and a strong enough internet connection. 

AT&T touts having the Google Assistant built into the remote on its website, as well as the ability for the box to be able to download over 5,000 apps including Netflix and Pandora. 

How many people can watch at once? 

AT&T says up to three different devices can stream from one account at once. 

Do I need a certain internet speed? 

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Google Assistant on AT&T TV. 


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AT&T recommends a “minimum of 8Mbps per stream for optimal viewing” with 25Mbps internet or more if streaming to three devices in the same home. It does not specify a 4K minimum speed, but says that “higher speeds are recommended.”

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When will it be available? 

AT&T says it will begin piloting the service in “select markets” this summer. 

How much will it cost? 

AT&T hasn’t yet announced a price for AT&T TV as a service or a cost for its box.

In an interview at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Telecom and Media Conference in June, AT&T Mobility and Entertainment president David Christopher said the new service’s ability to be self-installed by consumers could lead to cheaper prices. 

“We think it will be a very attractive product, a premium product, but because the acquisition cost is less, we will have the wherewithal to make it a price point that could be slightly below satellite if we choose to,” Christopher said according to FierceVideo. 

For reference, AT&T currently starts DirecTV Now — which already doesn’t need a satellite installation or special equipment beyond an app — at $50 per month for 45 channels including broadcast channels and cable stations such as ESPN, USA and FX. 

AT&T Watch TV — which lacks the broadcast channels as well as those owned by Disney, Comcast, and Fox — is $15 per month. 

Is this HBO Max? 

No, HBO Max is a different streaming service that AT&T will offer next spring. It will be more of a Netflix-rival and the home for its WarnerMedia content including HBO shows such as Game of Thrones and Sesame Street, Warner Bros. films and TV shows including Crazy Rich Asians and Friends, and DC Entertainment films and TV shows like Shazam and the upcoming Batwoman. 

HBO Max will also offer live sports and news of some kind. 

So, it’s AT&T Watch TV? 

No, that is yet another streaming service from AT&T that offers over 35 live channels — centered around Turner stations it owns like CNN, TBS and TNT — for $15 per month. AT&T also bundles Watch TV with some of its unlimited wireless plans. 

AT&T TV will be something else.

Wait, so what are the differences between these four services? 

We don’t yet know. In a statement, an AT&T spokesperson says that AT&T TV Now and AT&T TV will be “different experiences” but did not provide additional details. 

With all the many unknowns it is also still unclear what exactly the differences will be between the “televisionary” AT&T TV compared to Watch TV and HBO Max. 

source: cnet.com