U-verse gives a glimpse of the future

AT&T's U-verse gave TelcoTV attendees in Atlanta a glimpse of the future with an early morning demo of lab applications they have been playing with. U-verse video and converged services VP, Peter Hill, said the demonstrations were a glimpse at "the art of the possible," rather than ready to go products but emphasized how easy integration was in an all IP world. 

In no particular order they included: transmission of live HD home video from an external location to the home set-top box and alternatively access to home video uplifted to the web; display of caller ID and/or "You Have Voice Mail" message on the television which can be forwarded to a cell phone depending on location; a "Family Finder" which uses GPS in family cell phones and tracked on third party maps and a similar product which tracks flights; messaging integrated with video and other media; access to a myriad of web services including live local weather, pictures (from Flikr) music and podcasts, movie trailers and ecommerce applications and remote access and control of home televisions and DVR's by cell phones. 

Some may argue none are the killer apps which will sell IPTV, but as Hill observed the applications illustrated what AT&T believes will deeply differentiate IPTV--stuff which can be done largely by "reaching out to a decade of innovation on the Web and kind of integrating that into IPTV."

For More:
- AT&T Provides Glimpse into U-verse 'Art of the Possible' Report 

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