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AT&T to Offer Internet TV on Apple TV?

AT&T to Offer Internet TV on Apple TV?



Engadget claims that AT&T is working on plans to offer IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) through the Apple TV:
A well-connected source tells us that AT&T and Apple are working on adding IPTV capabilities to the Apple TV beginning sometime next year. (A launch window hasn't yet been determined, our source says that plans are still being worked out.)
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Few details are available, but AT&T does offer a form of IPTV with its limited U-Verse service now. Whether this represents full TV programming through the Apple TV, or simply on-demand programming, remains unclear.

Apple did recently announce added functionality to the Apple TV, in the form of YouTube video support to be launched in June.
 
BOOOOO!!! I don't want to have to pay...Apple..let me hook up through the base computer to internet tv! or at least sell a antenna that connects through the usb port!
 
he said he didn't want to make a set-top box meaning a box like the ones you get from your cable provider. He didn't want all the various nuances like cablescards and [i can't remember the other technology he said]. It got complicated for them to develop. However, with something like IPTV it's all under their control.

Get the service, send it to the appletv. they already added support for youtube, i don't see how another firmware update couldn't allow for the addition of IPTV as well.

PLUS, microsoft is going to add IPTV to Xbox360 sometime in the near future, and they too will be through a firmware update.

i think apple may have more tricks up their sleeve.
 
You know, the one thing that holds me back from going the AppleTV route and ditching cable tv is the lack of live content. I can't do without sports (which in my area are all on cable-only channels) and local news.

Wouldn't it be great to subscribe to a limited number of "live" channels? Say ESPN, your local TV networks, NESN, etc.

If ABC.com can stream its shows in "HD" quality with almost no buffering over a cable internet connection, then there is no reason why this can't be done with AppleTV.
 
I still don't get the IPTV concept. Won't we need a lot faster connections than current DSL and Cable speeds offer?
 
chrisgeleven said:
You know, the one thing that holds me back from going the AppleTV route and ditching cable tv is the lack of live content. I can't do without sports (which in my area are all on cable-only channels) and local news.

Wouldn't it be great to subscribe to a limited number of "live" channels? Say ESPN, your local TV networks, NESN, etc.

If ABC.com can stream its shows in "HD" quality with almost no buffering over a cable internet connection, then there is no reason why this can't be done with AppleTV.
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i too would love sports, but sports really need to be live, and that deals with encoding. i don't know that h.264 can be encoded properly in time to broadcast live just yet.
 
If you ask me there are only two things stopping the :apple: TV from taking off. The first is the lack of HD content. When you can buy HD Movies and TV shows off iTunes that will be huge. The second is how to handle live TV, this could solve the second scenario.

I prefer not having a recorder in the Apple TV, go buy an Elgato device for your Mac and your good to go as far as that is concerned.
 
dashiel said:
i too would love sports, but sports really need to be live, and that deals with encoding. i don't know that h.264 can be encoded properly in time to broadcast live just yet.
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Yes it can, just not by a typical computer. It would not be that difficult to create a dedicated FPGA or ASIC to perform live encodes of H.264.
 
DVR, while pretty awesome, isn't the killer feature. live tv is. though, i do have xbox, so when that comes out, i will absolutely buy iptv. though, i'm a fanboy and anti-MS, so i'd rather go with the "just works" mentality over the "we'll spend any amount of money to get your money" mentality.

with that said, i still love my 360.
 
slffl said:
I still don't get the IPTV concept. Won't we need a lot faster connections than current DSL and Cable speeds offer?
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Nope. I work for the Service Provider here and we've been running our IPTV service for 5 years now - we were the first in Canada and one of the first in North America to launch our service - we were also the first company in the world to deliver HD over copper over a completely IP-based network (no ATM). :cool: So it is completely possible and feasible - many providers are now taking our lead and developing similar services.

ADSL 2+ technology is adequate enough to offer HD over copper and this fall we're implementing VDSL2 with dual access into the home over 800m loop lengths to deliver 40 Mbps to the customer - plenty of bandwidth for a couple HD sets, other TVs and your High Speed connection. You do require at least ADSL 2+ for HD though - prior to that we were driving 8 Mbps to the home for basic TV and High Speed via ADSL and 1.5 km loop lengths.

In short, IPTV is great and it works! :cool:
 
are you seriously quoting an engadget rumor again? come on!!! Engadget is a total joke. I wouldn't read any truth into anything they say anymore.:mad:
 
~Shard~ said:
Nope. I work for the Service Provider here and we've been running our IPTV service for 5 years now - we were the first in Canada and one of the first in North America to launch our service - we were also the first company in the world to deliver HD over copper over a completely IP-based network (no ATM). :cool: So it is completely possible and feasible - many providers are now taking our lead and developing similar services.

ADSL 2+ technology is adequate enough to offer HD over copper and this fall we're implementing VDSL2 with dual access into the home over 800m loop lengths to deliver 40 Mbps to the customer - plenty of bandwidth for a couple HD sets, other TVs and your High Speed connection. You do require at least ADSL 2+ for HD though - prior to that we were driving 8 Mbps to the home for basic TV and High Speed via ADSL and 1.5 km loop lengths.

In short, IPTV is great and it works! :cool:
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what kind of box do you need with your service? do you know any of the inner workings of the device, and connections? i.e. ethernet in -> composite-, s-video-, dvi-, out
 
Wow, perfection addition for the iTV. But I'm not trusting engadget, or any other blog for that matter, until they prove to do something right.
 
wyatt23 said:
what kind of box do you need with your service? do you know any of the inner workings of the device, and connections? i.e. ethernet in -> composite-, s-video-, dvi-, out
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We provide our customers with Motorola VIP boxes currently (non-PVR, but that will change this summer) with component, composite and HDMI connections. Yes, it is Ethernet in. CAT5 is required for the 10/100 network although in our new developments as well as fibre we're starting to run CAT7 as well - it only make sense.
 
Great news.

There's also AT&T Broadband TV that's offered through MobiTV despite it's limited channel lineup. I gave it a shot back when it first launched because I don't have cable and wanted to be able to watch live news. I canceled it a day later.
 
Sounds exciting to me. I'd love to cut my cable bill if someone could offer a reasonable replacement.
 
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