AT&T To Allow Xbox 360 As U-verse Set-Top Box 62
suraj.sun sends this quote from Engadget about U-verse subscribers soon gaining the ability to use an Xbox 360 as a set-top box:
"A so-called Wired Release will roll out to AT&T U-verse customers next Sunday, and it'll bring the long awaited feature with it (though you'll have to wait until November 7th for that particular aspect). This means an AT&T U-verse customer's Xbox 360 will have a Dashboard app, and when launched, it'll let it function exactly like any other U-verse set-top. The only major catch is that it can't be the only set-top — you'll need at least one DVR at another TV in the house to enjoy one of the four HD streams that could be funneled into your home."
Re:Four HD streams? (Score:5, Informative)
They have been touting "more streams" for a long time (as long as you don't cross them...) They started with 1, went to 2 pretty quick and have been teasing 3 or 4 streams for a year or more...
Here is an announcement about the "four HD streams" from just two weeks ago: http://www.fierceiptv.com/story/u-verse-customers-getting-upgrade-4-simultaneous-hd-streams/2010-09-16 [fierceiptv.com]
Uverse sucks (Score:1, Informative)
In Canada... (Score:1, Informative)
TELUS has had this feature with their IPTV offering for quite some time. However, don't start thinking that you can just plug it into your home router and start watching - you will need to register your Xbox with your service provider in order to receive the content decryption key, and they can happily charge you for it. In our case, TELUS charges $5/mo for your own Xbox (1/2 the price of a non-DVR box rental), so it's almost a good deal.
Now where it gets really interesting is that your Windows 7 based computer already has the capability to act as a DVR via Media Center. From a technical standpoint, all it needs to do is subscribe to multicast streams and decrypt the Mediaroom flavour of DRM-ed MPEG4/AAC. It isn't Microsoft handing out the limitations - it's your service provider picking and choosing which devices/which functions/how much.
Re:Four HD streams? (Score:3, Informative)
Technically U-verse boxes are already running Windows CE - they look a lot like Media Center, and if you go into the About menu you can see Microsoft had their hand in it.
Re:Set-Top Box? (Score:4, Informative)
This is U-verse. You know.. fiber to the last mile, DSL to the home? There is no cable or satellite involved, here.
Re:Four HD streams? (Score:4, Informative)
They are at a bandwidth limitation though. The number of streams you get is determined by how fast your local loop is. If you get more than 30 megabit, you get 2 streams, if you get over 60 megabit (I think) you get 3. You would have to be right on top of the DSLAM to get 4 streams. I have about 2000 feet of local loop and get about 38 megs, so my copper isn't too good.
They mix the internet service in with that available amount too so it just takes that right out of the total. If you sign up for super max internet speeds, it will kill the amount of streams you can get (when you are using it).