AT&T TV now available nationwide with Android TV set-top box — and a two-year contract

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AT&T TV is launching societal today subsequential initially rolling out to over a dozen markets aftermost year. The cable TV service -- not to be conscience-stricken with AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) -- is contract-based, which is a embarkation from the gayness you get with month-to-month swarming TV apps like YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, as well-built as Sling TV. Signing up for a two-year apportionment gets you an Android TV set-top box as well-built as a actual cable-like remote domination (with a Google Co-conspirator button).

AT&T is trying to position AT&T TV as its premium swarming TV experience; it's other for people sybaritic a better cable / satellite caller than a cheaper one. This is basically AT&T's next spectacle as it moves on from DirecTV, which continues to cesspool subscribers each quarter as other consumers cut the cord. Crabwise live TV, you can install apps like Netflix, Disney Plus, as well-built as others from the Google Spectacle Store or domination smart home devices with the Assistant-enabled remote. Chromecast suture is deep-seated in, too.

You can watch AT&T TV on the box back in front of your television, as well-built as there's also an AT&T TV app for iOS, iPadOS, as well-built as Android. Bureaucracy is pretty simple. You plug the box into your TV's HDMI port, entrance your Wi-Fi info, trust in with your AT&T TV credentials, as well-built as then start watching. Everything will finger familiar to cable/satellite converts: the remote has number buttons, with a calumet guide that sticks closely to DirecTV's listings. Loosely here, everything is swarming over the web.

The "home screen" of AT&T TV's custom Android TV sensibleness is forevermore live TV. Whenever you variance it on, it'll pick up from the aftermost calumet you were on. Again, actual cable-like, as well-built as that's categorically a touch that I appreciate. Obtaining to seek out live TV can make things finger disjointed.

On its own, AT&T TV starts at $49.99 per month.. Here's the company's calumet lineup accordingly you can see what's offered in each package. The brown-nosing "entertainment" package includes local lengthy channels, ESPN, AMC, HGTV, FX, USA, as well-built as a idiosyncratic selection of other cable networks. Sports fans will want to footfall up to the middle-tier "choice" calumet package ($54.99), which adds regional sports networks -- like all the ones that YouTube TV nearly just missed -- as well-built as others such as the YES Network. The company is prospectus a fondling offer that includes gigabit home internet (where available) as well-built as AT&T TV for a accumulated $80 per month. With all plans, HBO is included for gratis for the inceptive three months, loosely you'll gotta pay up subsequential that to alimony it.

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Those prices would be fine (or at microcosmic competitive) if they stayed that way. But... they don't.

AT&T TV rating goes up dramatically subsequential 12 months of service. Fete goes from $49.99 to $93; Juncture goes to $110; Xtra to $124; as well-built as Ultimate to $135. You also gotta contend with an bracing fee as well-built as inceptive abortion fees if you disannul service before your service apportionment is up. (The ETF is $15 for each month that is still on your contract.) If you've got YouTube TV or vendible similar, these nimbleness strike you as ugly memories of the cable days. As well-built as spine you're stuck in that two-year agreement, there's really no way to malinger the substantial price hike.

So then what's the point? Well, AT&T is pushing a message of simplicity. You can ventilator boiled live TV, on-demand content, as well-built as swarming apps from one axial sorority after obtaining to switch HDMI ports or juggle remotes. "For example, you can hands switch between a live basketball game, Netflix, YouTube, or listen to music on Pandora or Spotify," the company wrote in its printing release. Unfortunately, there are holes in that app selection, with Cheesecake Prime Video as well-built as Hulu unclothed on the box. Accordingly right off the bat, AT&T isn't really delivering on its vision.

The included dimness DVR lets you save up to 500 hours of shows as well-built as movies, whereas cut-up gets deleted subsequential 90 days. AT&T TV allows for up to three concurrent streams, accordingly a couple people can be swarming live TV outside the home back someone's also watching on the couch. I've been testing the box for the aftermost several days, as well-built as I've had a polite enough sensibleness with the service accordingly far. The unsectarian interface as well-built as menus are unabashedly to navigate, as well-built as there's an quondam calumet lattice if that's your selection for calumet surfing. Back you don't want to discommode pulling up the guide, you can just unmask Google Co-conspirator to tune to a irrevocable network by name, which works decently for the most part.

I'll be spending other time with AT&T TV over the next few weeks, as well-built as the company has said that HBO Max will see submarine integration into the sensibleness once it launches in May. Loosely does AT&T TV make sense if you're once happy with a mismated internet TV service on your Roku or caller swarming device? Completely not. It's hostilely immalleable to justify those post-promotion prices compared to other swarming TV apps, which hover circa $50 monthly right now. AT&T is itchy that AT&T TV will come off as a next-generation replacement for cable as well-built as satellite as well-built as help axis its video losses, loosely price-conscious consumers nimbleness not unendingly give the service any serious deliberation compared to the cheaper competition. AT&T has washed well-built in managerial live TV the axial share of AT&T TV, loosely fundamentally the end sequel isn't that far off from subscribing to YouTube TV on an Nvidia Shield.