Hoping to boost its video services popularity by addressing a key competitive weakness, AT&T Inc. on Tuesday announced a promotion whereby subscribers to its TV packages can receive free HD programming for a year – a $20 a month value.
While AT&T has acquired an array of HD programming, its U-verse customers only currently have the bandwidth to receive one channel, meaning they can’t, for example watch one HD channel while recording another on a DVR.
AT&T executive Jeff Weber addressed the HD challenge in our February cover story on the U-verse service. (LINK-http://www.xchangemag.com/articles/07febcover01.html)
Because of the 2Wire receiver initially packaged with AT&T’s Homezone, DISH Networks satellite-based service, subscribers can’t view HD programming at all, a shortcoming which AT&T has said it would address later this year.
U-verse is available in limited parts of 15 markets, the lion’s share of them added since late December.
AT&T’s resale of DIRECTV service also is covered by the promotion. The offering enables viewers to select from a array of HD programming from the satellite-based package. The carrier is reselling DIRECTV as a result of its merger with BellSouth, which had resold the service to its customers.
AT&T offers 25-31 channels of HD programming depending on the video service selected. The telco said the value of the promotion is $240 and has staggered deadlines per video service.
Customers must mail in what AT&T calls redemption forms to realize the savings.
AT&T Inc. www.att.com
