AT&T pushes further into three-screen integration

AT&T Inc. launched a new service that allows customers to manage television recordings using their cellphones, further evidence of the carrier’s moves toward an ever-tighter connection among the PC, the TV and the wireless phone.
AT&T’s Homezone uses a set-top device to integrate the company’s offerings in high-speed Internet, home networking, and its U-Verse TV service. The Homezone service costs an additional $10 per month, on top of the package prices for the individual services.
The company said that Homezone customers can view listings and manage and schedule TV recordings on their set-top receiver via a wireless Web site, accessible through their cellphone. Homezone customers can do the same from a PC.
Interestingly, AT&T said that triggering video-on-demand downloads, currently a PC feature, will also be available on cellphones sometime in the future.
Sprint Nextel Corp. is reportedly working on a similar offering through its partnership with cable television operators.
AT&T also said it expanded its video-on-demand content library through content aggregator Akimbo.