Review: AT&T U-VERSE

[dufunnel]

Where does the transition from phone to coax happen?

I see from the pictures that the gateway uses coax and the receivers use coax and Ethernet. If the transmission is over phone lines, where does the conversion to coax happen? I need to wire my house for coax anyway, so I'm going to take this into consideration when I wire it.

I also understand the gateway is almost impossible to configure. How can it be disabled so another router/firewall can be used instead, or has AT&T improved that so it is user configurable?

 

[LER]

The gateway I have was easily configured to what I wanted.

 

[wase4711]

the conversion to coax happens at the RG...

 

[Dr. Teeth]

I've been browsing through this forum for a little while and I'm just overwhelmed with the knowledge you share here.

I'm in the far west suburbs of Chicago and considering changing my existing DirecTV and ATT DSL setup to U-Verse, but I am apprehensive of some of the things I have read. (Please forgive me if my questions have already been answered somewhere in this huge thread, but it looks like things have changed since this thread was originally opend a few years ago...)

It sounds like the DVR can only handle 2 HD recordings at a time, but if you are already watching one HD, you can only record one HD. It's just not totally clear to me. Can someone explain this in a straight forward way?

The other thing that scares me is picture quality. I'm very happy with DTVs HD picture and I don't want to see any degraded qualtiy by switching. Can anyone from Chicagoland comment on this?

Thanks in advance...

 

[paja]

I've been browsing through this forum for a little while and I'm just overwhelmed with the knowledge you share here.

I'm in the far west suburbs of Chicago and considering changing my existing DirecTV and ATT DSL setup to U-Verse, but I am apprehensive of some of the things I have read. (Please forgive me if my questions have already been answered somewhere in this huge thread, but it looks like things have changed since this thread was originally opend a few years ago...)

It sounds like the DVR can only handle 2 HD recordings at a time, but if you are already watching one HD, you can only record one HD. It's just not totally clear to me. Can someone explain this in a straight forward way?

The other thing that scares me is picture quality. I'm very happy with DTVs HD picture and I don't want to see any degraded qualtiy by switching. Can anyone from Chicagoland comment on this?

Thanks in advance...

I live in Orland Park and dropped DISH for U-verse. HD pq about the same, but U-verse has many more HD stations. The system can handle two hd streams at present, possibly three in the near future. I didn't have any comparison with Direct HD.

 

[wase4711]

Yes, the DVR AND the entire system is setup so that you can only get 2 HD streams into your house at any one time...you can have it either live, to your DVR, or a combination thereof, but thats all you can get incoming..
Now, if you have something recorded on your DVR, you can watch it on more than 2 tv's at a time; you just cant get more than 2 "live" hd signals at once..
There is alot of talk about that being expanded shortly, but, its ATT, and they move at THEIR pace..

PQ is MUCH BETTER on SD channels, and the HD viewing will depend on how good the install is. If you get a good install, then the picture is VERY watchable; not quite as strong as satalite, but, usually better than Comcrap.
Plus, the closer to the VRAD that your house is, the better your chances of gettting a terrific signal.
I'm about 500 feet from it, so my signal is nice and strong..plus they ran a new drop to my house, which they will do if needed, and that helps alot.
I have 6 HD TV's in my house, and I've had every satalite/cable provider there is in the last 10 years, so I know of what I speak..
Sadly, the only way you will know for sure is to get it installed. Just don't disconnect your existing services until you are sure you like UVerse, just in case..Install is free, and there is no contract, so you might as well try it...
You'll have to re-adjust your TV once hooked up to UVerse, you'll have to turn the contrast and color way down, but you'll figure it out..

 

[Dr. Teeth]

Thanks-

Thanks for the quick responses. With free install and no contract, trying it out sounds like the best way to go. I can live with with the 2 live HD feeds, since I can only record 2 shows now with DTV. I only have one TV so its hard to watch more than 1 show at a time, unless I can add a receiver to my PC. I'll figure it out... No way would I disconnect my existing service until I know that I'm happy with the new one. I'll check back here with my install experience after it's all setup. Thanks again -

 

[jeslevine]

Because that is AT&T's policy

This is your FIRST POST here?


Not trying to defend bad installers, but why did you let them cut your satalite cable before you had the service completely installed?

The DEMAND for Uverse is overwhelming; its not ATT trying to force this on anyone..
My install took 8 hours, and until everything worked, I kept my Dish/Comcast/Cable modem hooked up...

Sorry you had a bad experience, but that is the exception, and not the norm..

I agree, you should not do that, but when I inquired if I could have parallel service, their customer representative said to me no, you need to remove your existing service and have it replaced with UVERSE

http://www.satelliteguys.us/iptv-discussion-forum/165461-warning-about-uverse.html#post1710683

 

[eagle2352]

I am really glad I found this forum. I have read many of the posts. One of the most interesting aspects is the time line and how the service has changed. The one thing that is common among the threads however, is the length of time an install takes. I am scheduled for an installation in March. We currently have Comcast and I have an excellent picture. I will not accept an install that does not match the current quality. I asked very pointedly during my initial conversation with sales, what was the HD quality and they told me then it was 1080p.. i will check one more time, to insure that is the case as I will not move forward if it is any less.
We are also a good 200 yards from the street, so i am not sure how they will handle it. Comcast had to put in a booster for us to get HD as the signal was to low. We have plenty now on all stations. I have a 6MB DSL from ATT now and I am upgrading to the 18MB service. As I do want to stream HD from the internet.
i am saving only about $20.00 over Comcast but I like the idea of recording on one and playing on any, the additonal HD stations, and the faster internet.

they told me not to disrupt my current service until i was satisfied with the new service, and I will not let them rip anything out .. period.

I will keep the forum up to date on my experince.

thanks to all of you who have added their input.

I hope ATT is reading this.. as it is invaluable interms of what the users are seeing.

Thanks

Scott

 

[wase4711]

Scott;

First of all, NO ONE provides 1080P content at this point; occasionally, Dish Network, and, I believe Direct Tv now as well, will occasionally do a pay per view movie in 1080P, but NO ONE has a regular schedule of 1080P programming, so drop that off your list of requirements! If someone tells you otherwise, they are either lying, stupid, or have no clue as to what they are talking about..
2 great resources for uverse info is utalk.com, and uverseusers.com

As far as PQ, it all depends on quality of signal, and quality of installation..You need to be as close to the VRAD as possible, and, if you are more than 2400 feet from it, you may not be able to get more than 1 HD stream at a time. you need to find out how far the nearest VRAD is from your house..
You are right on target to NOT disconnect ANY existing service until you are happy with Uverse..Although you may have to shut off your ATT DSL to get upgraded to UVERSE; however, do NOT disconnect your comcast video until you are happy with the Uverse install and PQ..
Its a great service, with continual upgrades and new features, so, if your install is done well, and you are close enough to get a good signal, you should be thrilled with it..Unfortunately, the only way to know is to actually get it installed..

 

[cbear13]

Can I split a single cable if I have AT&T Uverse?

I have 2 bedrooms back to back with cable termination in just one of the rooms. Can I split the cable (using a standard coax splitter from Radio Shack) and have uverse in each room (provided I have 2 of their boxes of course)? If that won't work can I split the cable and have uverse in one room or the other by moving the existing box between the rooms? If a splitter will work what type do I need? I bought one that supports up to 2350 hz - the standard ones are up to 900 hz (at least that is what I've found).

Thanks for your help

 

[Underlings]

Thinking of Making the Switch

Hey guys. Just found this forum. Gotta love the Internet for creating info centers like this.

I currently have DishNetwork and a VIP722 DVR. It's served me well, although SD shows could be sharper and some HD shows don't look quite as smooth as others.

I'd ignored U-verse for a while because their DVR held a lot less than the 55 hours of HD recordings of my VIP722. But now their latest ads say their new DVR holds 65 hours, plus their lineup includes a lot more channels for the price. So....I'm thinking of making the switch.

A few questions, though, if I may:

1. Can you record two HD channels AND watch a third previously recorded HD channel, as I can on my VIP722? That wasn't clear in the posts on that I've read here.

2. Is the U-verse Total Home DVR as reliable as the VIP722?

3. Is there anything you can think of that I'm likely to miss by giving up my VIP722?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Underlings]

Actually, I have another question:

For those who are familiar with DishNetwork's HD channel availability, is AT&T's HD lineup comparable? I did notice that Comedy Central has recently been made available as HD with DishNetwork, but I don't see that in the U-verse promotional info. Or are such differences usually minimal, because when one provider makes something available in HD, the others also do too?

Thanks.

 

[technikal]

1. Can you record two HD channels AND watch a third previously recorded HD channel, as I can on my VIP722? That wasn't clear in the posts on that I've read here.

Yes - though with one cavet. I've noticed that if I start watching something that's recording and pause it, I'll get the 'too many tvs in use' message if two recordings kick off while the buffered playback is still running. I have to actually go to the Record TV list and select the show from there to watch it. I don't recall ever having that problem with Dish.

2. Is the U-verse Total Home DVR as reliable as the VIP722?

Hard to say. I've only had Uverse for about 1 month. I've had a couple of issues, but besides an issue local to Austin where we couldn't Fast Forward FOX content for a while, nothing major. That said, I had my 622 for a few years and once they fixed some of the OTA integration problems, I never had an issue. I'd lose service occasionally in bad weather, but nothing enough to worry about. The Dish DVR is definitely more refined, and the underlying technology much more proven - so I'd imagine the Dish product overall to be more stable. But it's not like Uverse is crashing every day or anything.

3. Is there anything you can think of that I'm likely to miss by giving up my VIP722?

real 30 second skip. Ability to limit number of recorded shows to keep. Ability to prioritize recordings. OTA integration. Better remote. Better guide. Much better Favorites lists. HD Only packages. If you use HDMI or Optical audio, there are apparently issues with those as well.

You gain real VOD, a much smaller and quieter DVR (at least compared to my 622), no need for a Dish on the roof. Chincy 'apps' that I personally find useless. Remote programming (though I see Dish just launched something similar). Total Home DVR (just one TV here so I can't speak to how well it works). No silliness like having to press 'DVR' twice to get to your shows. The remote lights up (though not the buttons that should). Remote turns the TV and DVR on with one 'Power' button.

On channel selection - I was on HD Absolute with Dish. I'm on U300 on UVerse, though I"ll likely drop to U200 after the promo is over. I can't think of anything that was on Dish that wasn't on Uverse in HD - though I tend to stick to just the channels I like to watch. U300 + HD is significantly more expensive than HD Absolute, though - but that package was going away anyway, and to get Versus HD - which I want for bike race coverage - pushes me into a Dish package that's comparable cost wise.

 

[lannie1@swbell.net]

I am due to have uverse installed tomorrow 12 May 09 and I have no telephone poles.
That UVERSE equipment is 1/2 block north and 1/2 block west of me and would be on
the opposite side of the street. How do they get the cable to me? I asked that question of the person that I signed up with and they said that they weren't sure. Any guess? Will they actually bring the cable laying equipment or will they tell me that they made a mistake or
could they somehow use Charter's cable (it's access box is in aneighbor's yard with a pit bull). I am really curious.
Lannie Walker
lannie1@swbell.net

 

[Underlings]

Thanks

Thanks, Technikal, I appreciate the input. Helpful details there. I'd forgotten about the 30-second skip--I LOVE that feature.

Hmm, well, it's a tough call at this point.

 

[daverp]

Thanks, Technikal, I appreciate the input. Helpful details there. I'd forgotten about the 30-second skip--I LOVE that feature.

Hmm, well, it's a tough call at this point.

The skip seems to depend on where you live. In west suburbs of Chicago with the Cisco box the skip is a true skip and is 36 seconds in length. The back is a true skip back and in 7 seconds in length.

The important thing to remember is the service you get is not based on the number of boxes you have. Your house gets 2 HD and 2 SD streams. Use them how you like on any number of boxes you just can’t exceed 2 + 2 in the entire house at a given time.

Coming from DirecTv I am quite happy with the service so far.

 

[lern4483]

Please read- Give them a spin. Suspend dish

Hey guys. Just found this forum. Gotta love the Internet for creating info centers like this.

I currently have DishNetwork and a VIP722 DVR. It's served me well, although SD shows could be sharper and some HD shows don't look quite as smooth as others.

I'd ignored U-verse for a while because their DVR held a lot less than the 55 hours of HD recordings of my VIP722. But now their latest ads say their new DVR holds 65 hours, plus their lineup includes a lot more channels for the price. So....I'm thinking of making the switch.

A few questions, though, if I may:

1. Can you record two HD channels AND watch a third previously recorded HD channel, as I can on my VIP722? That wasn't clear in the posts on that I've read here.

2. Is the U-verse Total Home DVR as reliable as the VIP722?

3. Is there anything you can think of that I'm likely to miss by giving up my VIP722?

Thanks in advance.

I have had Uverse since they arrived in my area for roughly a year now.

Heres what I can tell you.
I have dish Vip722 as well.

Uverse uses cisco dvrs\recievers. While they have very nice and fast on screen guides, I have found them very glitchey.
I have had a tech out 9 times since day one. Mostly the units freezing up or pixelation issues.

After all those issues I finally have units that work but they need to be rebooted every morning. Im too tired of having techs over to fix an issue. im just dealing with it.

The video or tv watching\recoding is limited to 4 streams. Meaning you can watch 2sd and record 2 hd channels.
Im not sure if i have the stream number correct. It might just be 2.
Reason I say this is I dont use the unit as my my recording system.

PQ quality. Some channels in HD are better than others. SD channels are the best
out of all systems out on the market.
However, dish HD is hands down better at this time.

HD channels. Too close to call. They seem to be neck and neck. However, I might give the nod to Uverse-They have more premiums in HD.
Hopefully less contract disputes than dish too....

VOD: I love the vod on Uverse. Its very cool! Its fast and unlike dish you dont have to download the videos.

High speed internet: No brainer-GET IT!

In short: You can give Uverse a free spin. No contract!!! That in itself is a killer feature. Plus they might still have those great rebates.

I, at this time, would not say Uverse is better than dish.
Uverse is trying really hard though.

The 722 are the best dvrs on the market-PERIOD. You will not find better. Including direc tvs HDdvrs. They are clunky and slow.
The Uverse Cisco Hd dvrs will be a dissapointment next to the 722.

So, my take is try Uverse but Im not sure you will be thrilled.
Ive stuck with the tv service for a year and im not sold yet.

If I were you Id suspend Dish and give uverse a try. Maybe you will like them better than me.

If you need more info please email me.

Joel

 

[aaron12]

Figured I'd mention that as of yesterday, U-Verse added on the Viacom networks in HD.

 

[riffjim4069]

Figured I'd mention that as of yesterday, U-Verse added on the Viacom networks in HD.

That's good news...hopefully this will pressure Verizon to add them soon.