**UPDATE** List of new cities to get U-Verse listed below in bold.

Just over a year into providing TV service in Orange County, AT&T has nabbed an award from J.D. Power and Associates for having the highest-ranked TV service when it comes to customer satisfaction.

In 3 out of 4 regions, AT&T’s U-Verse had nearly perfect scores in cost, performance and customer service ratings. (AT&T doesn’t have a large enough user base in the 4th region, the East). The U-Verse service, which uses Internet technology to get video to customers, offers full TV, including 45 HD channels. The only complaints I’ve received about U-Verse are from people who can’t get the service (see the list below).

Not surprisingly, most cable TV companies didn’t do well.

Time Warner Cable (which suffered a PR nightmare last year when it acquired parts of Adelphia), Charter, Comcast and MediaCom Communications each received 2 out of 5 points. A “2″ makes it below average. Comparably, AT&T received 5 out of 5.

I should also point out that Cox Communications, which serves a good portion of OC received an overall satisfaction score of 4 out of 5, was dinged mostly on performance and reliability.

Interestingly, the East region where AT&T was absent, ranked Verizon’s FiOS TV service at the top. FiOS is another Internet-based TV system, which also launched in Orange County last year.

Here are the ratings for the West region:

The findings were part of J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Satisfaction Study. The ratings can be found HERE. Scores were based on a 1,000-point scale and based on responses from 18,938 U.S. households during July 2008. According to J.D. Powers, AT&T’s service scored 730 in the North, 697 in the West and 706 in the South. This is the first year U-Verse and FiOS were included in the report.

FYI: If you’re wondering if you can get U-Verse, here is the list of cities where it is partially available: Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Niguel, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Westminster and Yorba Linda. ** UPDATE** AT&T has recently expanded into these cities: Fountain Valley, Laguna Hills, Stanton and Villa Park.

And I just wanted to highlight one new feature: I compiled a list of local TV services and their customer-service and support phone numberes and web sites at “Guide to TV services in Orange County.” Of course, if you have issues with your TV provider, let me know and I’ll investigate.

Related posts:

• Customer-service guide to TV services in Orange County
• Photos! AT&T’s new Internet tablet September 22nd, 2008
• AT&T’s TV service adds sharable DVR September 9th, 2008
• Ready for full HDTV broadcasts? DISH launches 1080p July 31st, 2008
• How to cram more shows on your TV recorder May 15th, 2008
• Ask iGirl: Dampen volume on TV commercials February 5th, 2008
• Reader review: Verizon’s FiOS TV service September 21st, 2007
• Stump the Gadgetress: Recording TV without a TiVo August 7th, 2007
• D-Link bridges Wi-Fi gap May 15th, 2007
• AT&T launches TV in OC April 30th, 2007
• New TV tricks from your cable company March 27, 2007

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