CTIA: AT&T: DVR ‘side-loading’ to mobile could be triple play killer app

Countering over-the-top competitors while also aiming to bridge better ties between its video and wireless offerings, AT&T demonstrated a new mobile application this week at the CTIA show that will let users download their DVR-recorded content for viewing on mobile devices.

The demonstration app, which is in internal beta at AT&T (but not yet with customers), was shown on the iPhone, but AT&T said it wasn’t ready to name the final devices or pricing for the service yet – nor exactly when it would be available. But in an interview, AT&T’s vice president of video services Jeff Weber said the mobile viewing app would let AT&T “take clear competitive advantage of being [both] a TV and wireless provider. It’s as good a [market position] as we can find. It’s a real luxury for me right now to be sitting in my chair with an all IP-based platform” that can deliver video to both the TV and the mobile device, he said.

AT&T previously released an iPhone app to let customers remotely schedule their in-home DVRs (as has competitor Comcast). But this new app goes quite a bit farther by enabling customers to download content they’ve recorded (as well as a selection of additional content) to their mobile device. To deal with bandwidth concerns, the downloading will at least initially occur over a wifi, rather than 3G, connection, AT&T’s Weber said.

Consumers won’t actually be downloading the content from their local, recorded DVR content. Rather AT&T will pull metadata stored on a user’s DVR box up into the network and then download that information to the mobile app. That will let users see the content they’ve already recorded and could be most interested in viewing in “catch-up” mode. The video content itself will also be stored and downloaded “from the cloud,” Weber said. AT&T expects much of its U-Verse content to be available for mobile download, but since it has to negotiate with all content owners for mobile rights there could be some that would prefer to limit mobile access, he said. All content will be DRM-protected so only authenticated users can download and view it and it can’t be forwarded to other users.

While not yet prepared to talk about cost or availability, AT&T’s Weber said if it he does end up charging for the capability, it will likely be as an add-on monthly service fee rather than charging for the app download.

Ultimately, AT&T will have to decide whether making money on the service is most important, or if finding a key triple-play link between its video and wireless services could drive enough new customer subs – or ensure customer loyalty – to justify offering DVR side-load at no additional cost. Mobile DVR viewing fits nicely with AT&T’s existing multi-room DVR service, which already offers more flexibility and mobility in viewing stored DVR content than many competitors.