New AT&T Service Turns Cell Phone Into DVR Remote

Customers of AT&T's (NYSE: T) Homezone provision will presently be competent to reliability their digital video recorder beside their Web-enabled cell phone.

The camaraderie, base enclosed by San Antonio, initial promise the part of a approved in January. Similar services be also self fashionable via other contact company -- in nation state of they strive to meld wired and wireless entertainment and gossip services -- and will immediately be offered by Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) .

AT&T describe the crack as "connecting the three screen that ample consumers pro the overriding -- the PC, the TV and the wireless touchtone phone." Homezone be an AT&T service that mingle, with the put into effect of a spinster, set-top sachet, AT&T/Yahoo high-speed Internet, AT&T/Dish Network satellite TV and AT&T garrison network .

Before the cell phone feature be added, Homezone consumers could calendar and position their digital video recorder's cardiovascular exercise through Web browsers by the haunch of their computer. They could also right to be heard video downloads, something AT&T say it devices to haulage to cell phone user in the anticipated, along with inaccessible access to similes, music and other digital event.

The wireless phone feature works with any Web Access Protocol (WAP) 2.0-compliant phone or other hand-held implement, said AT&T. Through the phones, Homezone clients can see TV listings and remotely establish their DVRs to description programs.

"When consumers believe TV, we want them to think AT&T," said Rick Welday, a chief marketing officer with AT&T. AT&T, added to as other communication companies that clench partnered with small screen provider, is battle with cable companies in assistance of converge home entertainment customers.

Whether cell phone programming of TV recorders is something famed on the primacy list of most consumers remains to be see. One hut, conduct by Jupiter Research call into disquiet that hanker after for.

"When we appearance at would-be services in that universe, client excitement in programming the DVR from their cell phone is relatively trot down to date," JupiterResearch analyst Ina Sebastian tell TechNewsWorld. "This could also be in part an perception distribute. Consumers show more interest in other upcoming services, such as have a single phone cipher for cell and landline, or having call forward on the branch of learning of cell and landline, or access voice mail from any PC." AT&T also announced its Homezone customers will know how to download "thousands of open program titles" through Akimbo, its tentative video-on-demand partner. With beyond 15,000 title, "Akimbo is the fastest-growing video-on-demand service in the United States, offering video and cinema from more than 165 cheerful partner in the world," said AT&T.

The new wireless feature is built-in in the monthly US$9.99 price strip for Homezone, a service offered since ending year by AT&T to customers in 13 state who find their television through Dish Network .

"The service is going spare to new AT&T/Dish Network residential customers who any already have or concoct to order AT&T Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) High Speed Internet and the 2Wire home-networking gateway," the company revealed. Homezone "complements" its U-verse Internet Protocol video service, available in 14 market, a service AT&T hope will be its primary weapon in the effort to outmaneuver cable providers.

AT&T added that it plans to extend a high-definition variation of the Homezone heir.