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

• March 2, 2020

AT&T TV is launching nationwide today after initially rolling out to over a dozen markets last year. The subscription TV service — not to be confused with AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) — is contract-based, which is a departure from the freedom you get with month-to-month streaming TV apps like YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, and Sling TV. Signing up for a two-year agreement gets you an Android TV set-top box and a very cable-like remote control (with a Google Assistant button).

AT&T is trying to position AT&T TV as its premium streaming TV experience; it’s more for people seeking a better cable / satellite alternative than a cheaper one. This is basically AT&T’s next play as it moves on from DirecTV, which continues to bleed customers each quarter as more consumers cut the cord.

You can watch on the box when in front of your TV, and there’s also an AT&T TV app for iOS, iPadOS, and Android. (Web browsers are supported, as well.) Setup is pretty simple. You plug the box into your TV’s HDMI port, enter your Wi-Fi info, sign in with your AT&T TV credentials, and then start watching. Everything will feel familiar to cable/satellite converts: the remote has number buttons, with a channel guide that sticks closely to DirecTV’s listings. But here, everything is streaming over the web. The “home screen” of AT&T TV’s custom Android TV experience is always live TV. Whenever you turn it on, it’ll pick up from the last channel you were on. Again, very cable-like, and that’s actually a touch that I appreciate. Having to seek out live TV can make things feel disjointed.

On its own, AT&T TV starts at $49.99 per month. Here’s the company’s channel lineup so you can see what’s offered in each package. The base “entertainment” package includes local broadcast channels, ESPN, AMC, HGTV, FX, USA, and a decent selection of other cable networks. Sports fans will want to step up to the middle-tier “choice” channel package ($54.99), which adds regional sports networks — like all the ones that YouTube TV nearly just lost — and others such as the YES Network. The company is promoting a bundle offer that includes gigabit home internet (where available) and AT&T TV for a combined $80 per month.

But here’s something to keep in mind: AT&T TV prices go up significantly after 12 months of service. Entertainment goes from $49.99 to $93; Choice goes to $110; Xtra to $124; and Ultimate to $135. You also have to contend with an activation fee and early termination fees if you cancel service before your service agreement is up. (The ETF is $15 for each month that is still on your contract.) If you’ve got YouTube TV or something similar, these might strike you as ugly memories of the cable days.

So then what’s the point? AT&T is pushing a message of simplicity. You can search across live TV, on-demand content, and streaming apps from one central place without having to switch HDMI ports or juggle remotes. “For example, you can easily switch between a live basketball game, Netflix, YouTube, or listen to music on Pandora or Spotify,” the company wrote in its press release. The included cloud DVR lets you save up to 500 hours of shows and movies, though content gets deleted after 90 days.

AT&T TV allows for up to three concurrent streams, so a couple people can be streaming live TV outside the home when someone’s also watching on the couch. I’ve been testing the box for the last several days, and I’ve had a good time with the service so far. The menus are straightforward to navigate. When you don’t want to bother pulling up the guide, you can just tell Google Assistant to tune to a certain network by name.

I’ll be spending more time with AT&T TV over the next few weeks, and the company has said that HBO Max will see deep integration into the service once it launches in May. Does AT&T TV make sense if you’re already happy with a different internet TV service on your Roku or another streaming device? Probably not. But AT&T is hoping that AT&T TV will come off as a “next-generation” replacement for cable and satellite and help stem its video losses.

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AT&T TV is launching nationwide today after initially rolling out to over a dozen markets last year. The subscription TV service — not to be confused with AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) — is contract-based, which is a departure from the freedom you get with month-to-month streaming TV apps…