Q. I read your story about AT&T TV’s two year contract and I am really afraid of doing that. It’s a brand new thing and how do I know what it’s like?! Does it offer a free trial so I can try it out? — Gene, Toledo. Ohio.

Gene, AT&T TV, which delivers programming over an AT&T-supplied Internet-based set-top, does require a two-year agreement, just like DIRECTV, also owned by AT&T. The only difference between the two here is that DIRECTV’s charges a $20 a month penalty for each month left in your agreement if you cancel while AT&T TV requires a $15 a month termination fee.

But even at $15 a month, the penalty for cancelling can be quite stiff if you don’t like it after you get it. So AT&T does offer a 14-day free trial so you can try it out.

“If you’re not completely satisfied, just cancel and return your equipment within 2 weeks of your order for a full refund,” the company states at the AT&T TV web site.

That does help a bit. But what if you don’t like the service on day 15? Day 16 and so on? It’s a new service, with a new technology, and it’s hard to predict how it will perform in the first month and beyond. But if you sign that two-year contract, you are out of luck, and out of some serious money.

This is why I can’t recommend signing a two-year agreement for AT&T TV.

Gene, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!

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— Phillip Swann