AT&T plans to eventually add 30 HD channels to its U-Verse IPTV service in its test market of San Antonio, Texas by the first of the year, although several HD channels (including local broadcasters) reportedly are already up and running.
The HD channels can only be viewed using the Motorola VIP 1216 HD set-top box and will be limited, for now, to the south-central Texas DMA where the service began.
One noted drawback is U-verse subs can only stream a single HD channel at a time, per household. The HD package will cost $10 monthly, but AT&T reportedly plans to provide an introductory two-month free offer for the HD service (good until March 2007).
The telco also announced a deal this week to carry content from NBC Universal--including Universal Pictures films and Telemundo. Some U-Verse services will be based on Microsoft's IPTV Edition software platform.
