EXCLUSIVE: AT&T HomeZone First Look

**mdonnelly** · 07-19-2006 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by GaryPen

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Another thing I notice is that on the ATT/Dish terms of service, it no longer says that you must not have had Dish service for 180 days. It now says you must be a new, single-family residential subscriber. That would suck if previous Dish-only subs were ineligible.
...

Why is that? It sounds like a good thing to me.

**GaryPen** · 07-19-2006 08:53 PM

WTF? I clicked on the quick setup guide link on the HomeZone homepage, and there is no OTA antenna input on the back of this thing! WTF!

No OTA tuners? What happened to them? They were there on the original MediaPortal version of this thing.
http://www.2wire.com/?p=13

They were on the the one shown on the Engadget site.
http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/05/homezone_3.jpg

And, they were on the one Scott posted at the beginning of this thread. http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachme...3&d=1149953658

I'm pissed if I have to rely on Dish to provide my locals. I want to receive them via OTA in their uncompressed full-bandwidth glory. Plus, Dish doesn't provide all of my HD locals, only the big 4 nets.

**GaryPen** · 07-19-2006 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by mdonnelly

Why is that? It sounds like a good thing to me.

Explain your logic.

**mdonnelly** · 07-19-2006 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by GaryPen

Explain your logic.

I think you're assuming the worst, that the missing timeframe means all previous Dish subs are forever ineligible. I'm assuming the best, that a Dish sub could drop Dish today, and sign up for ATT/Dish tomorrow.

**GaryPen** · 07-19-2006 09:37 PM

Ahhhhh. Well...If it only means new to ATT/Dish, then that's great. Knowing Dish, I think it means new to Dish period.

**token** · 07-20-2006 08:19 AM

i have decided to not deal with homzone. i finally, after 7 phone calls (and 5 weeks), got them to send me a return box for one of my 811s so i can now get a 211 and the new HD channels.

i then i have to fight to get a 1000+ and my detroit locals (since there doesn't seem to be any of the 1000+ in detroit nor anyone on the phone that knows about 118.7, etc)...but, one thing at a time. first get the 211 and new HD service.

**Poke** · 07-20-2006 09:36 AM

Yeah if Dish is smart they would not merge due to doing this HomeZone with AT&T is going to be big. This is a good fix just offering folks to get the broadband from AT&T while they get their TV service from Dish. This could get Dish into alot of new homes plus for AT&T. But Dish could really do well with this and since they are really just not getting this going. It would be hard to think that they would merge with anyone. Makes me wonder if someone just leaked this or made this up to get their stocks up. Either way HomeZone could make Dish have more customers than Direct which I think will happen anyway. Due to most of the folks I know have drop Direct gone to the Dish and like it much better. If the merge does happen then you might see Direct try to get in with AT&T HomeZone then folks would have two choices Direct or Dish. But if Dish is smart they would not merge try to keep the HomeZone to themselfs.

**andrewe77** · 07-20-2006 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by GaryPen

WTF? I clicked on the quick setup guide link on the HomeZone homepage, and there is no OTA antenna input on the back of this thing! WTF!

No OTA tuners? What happened to them? They were there on the original MediaPortal version of this thing.
http://www.2wire.com/?p=13

They were on the the one shown on the Engadget site.
http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/05/homezone_3.jpg

And, they were on the one Scott posted at the beginning of this thread. http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachme...3&d=1149953658

I'm pissed if I have to rely on Dish to provide my locals. I want to receive them via OTA in their uncompressed full-bandwidth glory. Plus, Dish doesn't provide all of my HD locals, only the big 4 nets.

Not having an OTA antenna will blow it for me as well. I lost my sweet Comcast deal when I moved last month and I want to get some other service before the end of the year. Looks like it may be back to E* for me with the $199 fee to get the 622.

**GaryPen** · 07-21-2006 12:46 PM

Luckily, I don't have to decide yet. So, I will wait to hear from someone, presumably in Ohio or San Antonio, who has one.

**jhaifley** · 07-21-2006 03:32 PM

I live in Ohio and called to order it today and was told they are only offering the SD version right now. Has anyone in Ohio managed to get a HD version?