Comments on: AT&T Web TV: coming to a party near you http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/06/29/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/ Fascinating, Inspiring, Rewarding and Engaging kinded spirits. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:57:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: jbelkin http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/06/29/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/#comment-2771 jbelkin Wed, 05 Jul 2006 02:01:22 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/#comment-2771 I think with "IPish cable TV" it's ultimately going to backfire. With Tupperware or lingerie or whatever else people peddle around - people pretty much know what they get and if it's poor or bad quality, chalk it up to experience - the purchase has been made, not buying it again, etc ... but AT&T is an ongoing expense - though you can quit anytime but when you peddle that to your neighbors, their going to come to YOU when AT&T raises rates in 18 months, or they drop a channel, or there's some technical glitch*, YOu the neighbor is going to hear the grumbling about being a shill and much better off they'd be with their other cable company or one of the Dish's ... It's not a winning pproposition because it's a near guranantee there will be a sour experience and some resentment because as they point out, it's not easy to switch ... so your evangilists are going to bail fast because most people frankly think Tv should be free or around $20 bucks a month ... this will work as well as selling health club memberships from your neighbors. * Sidebar- if you're AT&T, you really want to depend on MS to supply your "revenue lifeline? ... a couple thousand homes might work okay but scale up - I would not want to be the customer service VP or the Tech guy. If the cable companies who tested this out and passed ... not a good sign for AT&T. On the other hand, they'll have a lot more data to hand over to the NSA ;-) I think with “IPish cable TV” it’s ultimately going to backfire. With Tupperware or lingerie or whatever else people peddle around - people pretty much know what they get and if it’s poor or bad quality, chalk it up to experience - the purchase has been made, not buying it again, etc … but AT&T is an ongoing expense - though you can quit anytime but when you peddle that to your neighbors, their going to come to YOU when AT&T raises rates in 18 months, or they drop a channel, or there’s some technical glitch*, YOu the neighbor is going to hear the grumbling about being a shill and much better off they’d be with their other cable company or one of the Dish’s … It’s not a winning pproposition because it’s a near guranantee there will be a sour experience and some resentment because as they point out, it’s not easy to switch … so your evangilists are going to bail fast because most people frankly think Tv should be free or around $20 bucks a month … this will work as well as selling health club memberships from your neighbors.

* Sidebar- if you’re AT&T, you really want to depend on MS to supply your “revenue lifeline? … a couple thousand homes might work okay but scale up - I would not want to be the customer service VP or the Tech guy.

If the cable companies who tested this out and passed … not a good sign for AT&T.

On the other hand, they’ll have a lot more data to hand over to the NSA ;-)

]]> By: VeeDub http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/06/29/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/#comment-2583 VeeDub Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:45:45 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/#comment-2583 Being a former Time Warner customer myself, I would definitely consider ANY option to doing business with them. Tivo is definitely the type of thing you need to experience to understand the value and they understand this and have leveraged it by rewarding their evangelists for WOM referrals with Tivo Rewards. But, take a look at all of the unbranded DVRs in market now. Did the evangelism create the brand or the category? Being a former Time Warner customer myself, I would definitely consider ANY option to doing business with them.

Tivo is definitely the type of thing you need to experience to understand the value and they understand this and have leveraged it by rewarding their evangelists for WOM referrals with Tivo Rewards.

But, take a look at all of the unbranded DVRs in market now. Did the evangelism create the brand or the category?

]]> By: Matt http://brainsonfire.com/blog/2006/06/29/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/#comment-2582 Matt Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:09:16 +0000 http://brainsonfire.com/blog/att-web-tv-coming-to-a-party-near-you/#comment-2582 This is what I have been doing (without being asked) for Tivo for the past 5 years. I've got a pretty high conversion rate (most preachers would be proud to have it). And... I really like the technology that AT&T is pushing here to be honest. Of course, I'm an engineer and can answer just about any question about Tivo. So your point is valid... I've considered moving to San Antonio several times just because they ALWAYS get the cool products first... This is what I have been doing (without being asked) for Tivo for the past 5 years. I’ve got a pretty high conversion rate (most preachers would be proud to have it).

And… I really like the technology that AT&T is pushing here to be honest. Of course, I’m an engineer and can answer just about any question about Tivo. So your point is valid…

I’ve considered moving to San Antonio several times just because they ALWAYS get the cool products first…

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