Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

AT&T TV reinvents cable for a new age, but keeps the tired old pricing model

Nick Perry
By
AT&T TV Overview | AT&T

AT&T’s subscription TV service, AT&T TV — not to be confused with AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) — rolls out nationwide on Monday, March 2, after launching in more than a dozen markets last year. When you sign up for a two-year contract, you’ll get an Android TV set-top box and a remote with a Google Assistant button. Frankly, it looks a lot like cable, which is exactly what AT&T TV is going for.

Unlike popular month-to-month streaming TV apps such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV, AT&T TV’s contract-based system is aimed to provide a better cable or satellite alternative, rather than a cheaper one. As more and more consumers cut the cord from DirecTV, AT&T is trying to convince them to keep the cord (and the contract) in exchange for an improved experience.

Related Videos

Just like cable, you can watch AT&T TV on your television using the Android TV box or use the AT&T TV app on iOS, iPadOS, or Android to take your subscription with you. To set it up, you just plug into your TV’s HDMI port, enter your Wi-Fi info, and sign in to your AT&T TV account — no installation scheduling necessary. With a custom “home screen,” the Android TV experience always shows the last channel you were watching live, an approach that’s similar to the live-streaming aspect of NBC’s upcoming Peacock streaming service.

Related

AT&T TV includes cloud DVR that lets you save up to 500 hours of shows and movies (which deletes after 90 days) and allows up to three concurrent streams so the whole family can watch in different locations. The Google Assistant remote makes it easy to navigate channels.

With easier setup and accessibility options, the package does indeed look like a better version of cable … until you get to the pricing.

The base package includes local broadcast channels, ESPN, AMC, FX, FXX, CNN, and some other cable networks, and starts at $50 per month. The middle-tier Choice package starts at $55 and allows you to add some premium channels and regional sports networks.

AT&T is also currently offering a bundle of gigabit home internet (where available) with AT&T TV for a total of $80 per month. HBO is included for the first three months with all plans. AT&T TV also lets you install apps such as Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming apps from the Google Play Store, giving you a more on-demand experience. (Here’s the full channel lineup for your viewing pleasure.

That pricing is decent until you realize that it’s only locked for the first year of service. That second year of your contract, the packages all nearly double in price. Entertainment goes up to $93, Choice to $110, Xtra to $124, and Ultimate to $135. Like the worst parts of cable, the contract includes activation fees and early termination fees if you cancel before the service agreement is up.

Ultimately, AT&T TV sets you up for a seamless honeymoon period before reminding you exactly why you wanted to cut the cord in the first place. As the service rolls out nationwide, time will tell whether the company will recapture any former subscribers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
YouTube TV rolls out multiview: watch up to 4 NCAA games at once
An example of YouTube TV's multiview feature.

If you love college basketball and can process more than one game at a time, you're going to go bananas for YouTube TV's new multiview feature, which will be rolling out on a limited, early access basis starting March 14.  With multiview, you'll be able to pick up to four channels and see them all simultaneously, with the ability to easily flip the active audio from one to another. The new feature is compatible with any TV-based YouTube TV installations (streaming media players, smart TVs, and game consoles), but it doesn't yet work on mobile devices or computers.

Initially, multiview will only be available to select YouTube TV users, who will be chosen at random. But Google says the goal is to include every subscriber by the time NFL football season starts in the fall. Another limitation, at least for now, is that YouTube TV will preselect the multiview channels you can choose. At launch, only channels that carry NCAA tournament games will be included in that preselected list.
How to use YouTube TV multiview
If you're one of the lucky, randomly chosen users, you'll see an option to watch up to four preselected, different streams at once in your “Top Picks for You” section. After selecting multiview, you can switch audio and captions between streams, and jump in and out of a full-screen view of a game.
It's all about sports
At the moment, YouTube TV sees multiview as an enhancement of the sports viewing experience, so only sports content will be eligible. YouTube TV has had some big sports wins in 2022, including 4K coverage of the Soccer World Cup, and that trend will continue in 2023 thanks to its acquisition of the NFL Sunday Ticket games. However, YouTube TV recently lost access to MLB Network and the MLB.tv add-on, which reduces the amount of sports content available for multiview in 2023.

Read more
Pioneer Elite’s latest flagship AVR is jammed with new audio tech
Pioneer Elite VSX-LX805 AVR with a TV.

Pioneer electronics makes some of the best AV receivers money can buy, and its flagship Pioneer Elite brand is about to push that envelope further with the announcement of its latest AVR (audio video receiver), the Elite VSX-LX805. The 11.2.4-channel network receiver will be available this Spring for a premium $2,999, but that big price gets you big power at 150 watts per channel, a new 32-bit digital audio converter, some AI-driven room calibration, and some audiophile upgrades.

The Pioneer Elite VSX-LX805 is the first Pioneer receiver to be designed in cooperation with Premium Audio Company since its licensing agreement with Pioneer/Pioneer Elite in 2021, which put them in charge of marketing and selling the brands' AVR business globally (except in China). PAC is a powerhouse of home audio gear, with huge brands under its umbrella, including Klipsch, Onkyo, Teac, and Energy, so expectations are high for its new arrivals. 

Read more
What is Dolby Vision? The dynamic HDR format fully explained
An example of the difference between Dolby Vision and regular HDR.

Of all the new TV technologies to emerge over the last few years, it's arguable that none has had as big an impact on overall picture quality as High Dynamic Range, or HDR. When properly implemented, HDR makes everything pop, while enhancing details and improving color. We think it has been more impactful than the move from Full HD (1080p) to 4K Ultra HD or even 8K resolution.

But not all HDR is created equal; in fact, HDR is a catch-all term that refers to several distinct and competing technologies. The one with the biggest brand recognition is Dolby Vision. Dolby Labs has done such a good job of marketing Dolby Vision as its own platform, many consumers aren't even aware that it's an HDR format.  That shouldn't be a surprise: TVs that have Dolby Vision technology are often labeled as "4K HDR TV with Dolby Vision," making it seem as though the two terms aren't related.

Read more