AT&T Video (formerly Cingular Video)

CNET editors' review

Editor's note: Since we reviewed this service its name has been changed to AT&T Video.

After CDMA carriers Sprint and Verizon got a head start with high-speed EV-DO content services such as Sprint's Power Vision and Verizon's V Cast network, respectively, Cingular finally got on board last month with its own high-speed UMTS 3G service. Along with speeding up Cingular's existing Media Net Internet access, UMTS also led to the launch of Cingular Video, the network's brand-new, on-demand video-streaming service. Much like its CDMA predecessors, Cingular Video offers a variety of short video clips from different news and entertainment sources. In order to get Cingular Video, you need to have a video- and 3G-ready phone, plus you'll want Cingular's Unlimited Media Net package at $19.99 a month for unlimited data usage. The video service itself is included in the package, though if you want premium content such as HBO Mobile, you'll have to fork out additional fees.

Programming and features
Cingular Video has 10 basic-programming providers included in the unlimited Media Net plan: NBC Mobile, CNN, Fox Mobile, Fox News, ESPN, Fox Sports, Cartoon Network Mobile, Disney Mobile, iFilm, and the Weather Channel. Content is then divided into different sections: TV to Go, News and Weather, Sports, and Entertainment. The TV to Go section features clips from popular TV programs such as Desperate Housewives and The Tonight Show. With News and Weather, you get a choice of video from NBC, CNN, Fox, and the Weather Channel. In Sports, there are the NCAA Championship highlights, ESPN news, Fox Sports news, Nascar.com To Go, Richard Childress Racing, the Speed Channel, and Fuel TV. As for Entertainment, the options are Access Hollywood, Music, TV Guide Channel, Adult Swim (which is billed as Cartoon Network's programming for adults), HBO Mobile Preview (if subscribed), and Movies. The Movies category doesn't actually have full movies listed, however; you'll get only movie trailers, viral videos, and movie reviews.

There are three premium services available--HBO Mobile, HBO Family Mobile, and Music Choice--if you're willing to pay an additional fee (see below). Cingular has an exclusive partnership with HBO, which enables you to see short previews and video clips of popular HBO shows such as The Sopranos and Entourage. You'll also get short stand-up performances from HBO Comedy, as well as HBO Boxing and Real Sports commentary from HBO Sports. As mentioned, there's also HBO Family Mobile for the younger audience, which includes full-length episodes of select children's programming. Finally, there's Music Choice, which you can use to stream music videos.

At the top of each menu or category are a couple of random headline video clips that you can stream immediately, which is nice if you just want to watch any video to pass the time. There's a feature called My CV, which is a customizable menu of your favorite programs and channels (you can add to this list by selecting Add to My CV). Also, because most of the content on Cingular Video is adult in nature, there are parental controls that let moms and dads establish a PIN code for accessing certain content.

Overall, it's an excellent lineup for quick media bites to pass the time when waiting in line or on the bus. The lack of exclusive mobile episodes such as Verizon's V Cast is a bit disappointing, plus the number of shows available does not even come near Sprint Power Vision's exhaustive offerings. For the flat-rate price, however, we are very pleased with what Cingular Video offers. Add in the exclusive HBO premium content to the mix, and you get a very attractive package.

Performance
Arguably, the most impressive aspect of Cingular Video is its speed. Buffer speeds for most videos took about 8 seconds, with no rebuffering at all when the video is playing. As for how the video looked, none of the shows could be described as TV quality. While animated shows came through all right, live-action shows were still murky, especially when it came to sports and action shots. Talking-head shots, as on news programs, and stand-up shows appeared decent enough.

Pricing and availability
As mentioned earlier, you get the whole basic-programming package under Cingular's unlimited Media Net package for $19.99 a month. For the premium services, however, there is an additional monthly fee. On top of that, HBO Mobile costs $4.99 a month, while HBO Family Mobile runs another $2.99 a month. As for Music Choice, you can either pay 99 cents a video for a 24-hour period or subscribe to it for $4.99 a month. Cingular Video is available wherever 3G service is available, which at the time of this writing is limited to 16 metro areas. At present, you can access Cingular Video with only two phones: the LG CU320 and the Samsung ZX10.