AT&T U-Verse: No iPad TV for You

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 2/13/2012 12:01:00 AM

AT&T has released an iPad companion app for U-verse TV — but unlike many of its cable and satellite competitors, the telco isn’t letting subscribers watch live TV on the popular tablets.

The free AT&T U-verse for iPad App, published on Apple’s iTunes Store Jan. 16, provides a full remote control, content recommendations, extra content about the program a subscriber is watching, and integration with Facebook to let customers share their TV favorites. That’s in addition to DVR scheduling and searchable TV listings.

But video on the iPad is limited to the TV Everywhere content AT&T has explicitly licensed for the device. That includes TV shows and movies from Starz Entertainment’s Starz and Encore and Turner Broadcasting System’s TBS, TNT, truTV, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.

By contrast, several cable operators, including Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Cablevision Systems and Bright House Networks offer access to live TV channels on iPad apps over a home Wi-Fi connection.

Comcast offers live TV to iPads through its AnyPlay service, which uses a Motorola set-top-like device to transcode channels in a subscriber’s home. DirecTV also has a live TV option for iPads, and Dish Network offers live TV on apps for iPad and other devices for customers with Slingboxes or “Sling-loaded” DVRs.

AT&T pointed out that with the TV Everywhere approach, content is available both inside and outside of the home over any Wi-Fi connection, and the company is angling to bulk up the lineup. “We will continue to add more content on an ongoing basis, but don’t have any other details to discuss at this time,” an AT&T spokeswoman said.