In October 2010, AT&T started rolling out a way for its U-verse television customers to connect an Xbox 360 console that would serve as a receiver for the service. Now, just three years later, AT&T is informing those same customers that the Xbox 360 receiver support will end after December 31st.
AT&T did not state the reasons behind the shut down in its email to U-verse subscribers. Back in 2010, AT&T said that Xbox 360 owners who signed up for both U-verse and Xbox Live Gold could download a special app that would allow the console to be used as a set-top box and DVR. AT&T did state that customers that are affected by this change will receive a $99 credit on their bill that will pay for the $59.99 cost of Xbox Live Gold along with some extra credit.
Earlier this year, Microsoft sold off its Mediaroom IPTV platform to Ericsson. The service is used in 22 million set-top boxes worldwide, including those used by AT&T U-verse. At the time of the sale, Microsoft said it was committing "100 percent of its focus on consumer TV strategy with Xbox." The just launched Xbox One allows users to hook up their cable and satellite boxes to the console so they can view TV inside its UI. U.S. users also have OneGuide, which takes over the TV guide features of those set-top boxes.