Thread: AT&T U-verse Users

Originally Posted by aaron12

I'll quickly mention internet access, as you'd probably get this with the TV service if you switched. It's decently fast, downloads waver around the 16 to 17 Mbit mark (~2 MB/sec), and uploads max out at exactly the capped 1.5 Mbit mark. Latency is pretty bad if you're an online gamer, and if you're a die hard gamer, keep a different service for the better pings. With the higher sync rates available, plus pair bonding, everyone is hoping they offer some better speeds soon, as Comcast is just about to launch their 30/5 and 50/10 service here in our area.
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This is definitely your mileage may very part of the system. Personally my ping times are 10 to 20% lower than my Comcast connection was. DOCIS 3.0 ( does seem to increase Comcast ping times. Now this just might be my experience and in my overbuilt area. In Counter Strike my ping times with U-verse are typically in the 30’s to low 40’s and Comcast they are 40’s to mid 50’s.

I just switched from Dish to U-Verse. Primary reason for the switch is two fold - first I wanted to drop TWC as my internet provider after they announced plans to implement usage caps here, and secondly we were getting a new roof on the house after a massive hail storm and I didn't want to put dish-mounting holes in my brand new roof.

We are 1 TV family, so the constraints on HD streams isn't a drawback. PQ looks pretty good. SD is much better than what I had on Dish. HD is a tossup for national channels. We used the OTA option on the Dish 622 for locals, and there was a noticable difference between those and the UVerse locals - but nothing horrible. That said, I'm not an videophile and am watching on a 32" LCD - so folks that are pickier, or watching larger sets may have a different experience.

The DVR is just Ok. The 622 is better, imo - real 30 second skip, more control over recording settings, better Favorites lists, better remote, etc. I've also had a couple of issues where I couldn't FF recorded content - seems like that 'broadcast flag' problem Microsoft had on Media Center might have snuck its way into the AT&T software, too. However, the DVR does work, the Flicker integration is nice, it's super quite and small, and the platform has a ton of potential.

I put my Dish account on hold for 6 months to evaluate. On an even compare, I'd still give the nod to Dish - but I have not seen any problems with Uverse (Save the inability to FF - which ATT says is a glitch that shouldn't happen again) that makes me want holes in my roof.

Originally Posted by technikal

The DVR is just Ok. The 622 is better, imo - real 30 second skip, more control over recording settings, better Favorites lists, better remote, etc. I've also had a couple of issues where I couldn't FF recorded content - seems like that 'broadcast flag' problem Microsoft had on Media Center might have snuck its way into the AT&T software, too. However, the DVR does work, the Flicker integration is nice, it's super quite and small, and the platform has a ton of potential.

I've yet to figure out the logic of U-verse's 36 second skip. As for the broadcast flag. It's in there all new DVRs are required to have it. As for sneeking in, U-verse is Microsoft's Media Room platform, it's not customized it's just branded.

I don't mind the length of the skip so much as the fact that I can't queue skips. On the 622, I'd press the skip button 6 or 8 times and I'd be back to the program. On Uverse, it's press-wait-press-wait-press-wait... I guess they feel there's some value in me seeing 2 or 3 still shots of whatever commercials I'm skipping over.

The Fast Forward problem occurred on stuff recorded from our local FOX affiliate. I'm aware of controls out there that delete PPV content after a few days, but I wasn't aware anyone was purposefully, actively impeding local broadcast. The programs would record just fine - but you couldn't fast forward or skip at all. Every other station worked fine, and even the SD version of FOX worked fine. Hasn't occured in a few days, so hopefully it was just an accident.

Originally Posted by technikal

I just switched from Dish to U-Verse. Primary reason for the switch is two fold - first I wanted to drop TWC as my internet provider after they announced plans to implement usage caps here, and secondly we were getting a new roof on the house after a massive hail storm and I didn't want to put dish-mounting holes in my brand new roof.

We are 1 TV family, so the constraints on HD streams isn't a drawback. PQ looks pretty good. SD is much better than what I had on Dish. HD is a tossup for national channels. We used the OTA option on the Dish 622 for locals, and there was a noticable difference between those and the UVerse locals - but nothing horrible. That said, I'm not an videophile and am watching on a 32" LCD - so folks that are pickier, or watching larger sets may have a different experience.

The DVR is just Ok. The 622 is better, imo - real 30 second skip, more control over recording settings, better Favorites lists, better remote, etc. I've also had a couple of issues where I couldn't FF recorded content - seems like that 'broadcast flag' problem Microsoft had on Media Center might have snuck its way into the AT&T software, too. However, the DVR does work, the Flicker integration is nice, it's super quite and small, and the platform has a ton of potential.

I put my Dish account on hold for 6 months to evaluate. On an even compare, I'd still give the nod to Dish - but I have not seen any problems with Uverse (Save the inability to FF - which ATT says is a glitch that shouldn't happen again) that makes me want holes in my roof.

So its coming up on one year for my uverse setup.

I have the 450 package plus the highest speed internet.
I think I have a good grasp on Uverse.

I might also mention I have dish and Direct.
I have suspended direc for the summer.

Uverse Tv:
Every morning I have to reboot the system. I must have had the techs out 10
times since day one changing equipment. I use to have lots of pixelation issues.
Thats not the case anymore.
Just rebooting in the morning due to the blue logo being frozen on the screen.
What I like is super fast channel changing. Video on demand is excellent!
I have never had that before with any provider so Its kinda cool.

Picture quality: SD is by far the best Ive ever seen!
HD is good but not great. At times its up there with the sat cos, other times its not.

Internet: best service i have ever had! fast and stable.

Compared to dish\direc:
I still say dish has the best dvr. Uverse, while better than the direc recievers, are just not that good.
I guess if I never had the 622/722 it would be fine.

Not crazy about the limited streams. I would never make Uverse my main system beacuse of that reason alone.
In my family we record allot.

In short: Uverse gets good marks. However, If choosing, Id go with Dish network.
Still the better more stable system by a long shot.

Originally Posted by lern4483

So its coming up on one year for my uverse setup.
Uverse Tv:
Every morning I have to reboot the system. I must have had the techs out 10
times since day one changing equipment. I use to have lots of pixelation issues.
Thats not the case anymore.
Just rebooting in the morning due to the blue logo being frozen on the screen.

I assume when you say you're rebooting you mean the DVR and not the RG, and if that is so, are you using HDMI to connect to your TV? I had the same problem when I originally had U-Verse, the system would be all kinds of screwed up if I used HDMI, but now I have it connected via component cables, and have had no issues whatsoever. I also hear if you can get them to give you one of the new Cisco boxes it fixes the HDMI problem as well.

Originally Posted by aaron12

I assume when you say you're rebooting you mean the DVR and not the RG, and if that is so, are you using HDMI to connect to your TV? I had the same problem when I originally had U-Verse, the system would be all kinds of screwed up if I used HDMI, but now I have it connected via component cables, and have had no issues whatsoever. I also hear if you can get them to give you one of the new Cisco boxes it fixes the HDMI problem as well.

Yes, I had those ''hand shake'' issues with HDMI. I switched to component about 6 months ago.

Since then the pixelation issues stopped.
Again, when i turn my set on for the first time the following day the dvr(main unit)
is frozen on the blue att screen.

I can deal with rebooting. Im tired of calling the tech folks. They never seem to get it totally right.

I do have the latest cisco with the bigger hard drive.

Im not wowed by these cisco machines.
Uverse has potential but they are just not there yet.

Im not sure why I still have the tv service? I guess im hoping for improvements.
Hoping to say goodbye to dish once and for all.

I just dont think thats going to happen.
Uverse is just not stable enough. Dish is just too good to be knocked off..at the moment.

Uverse certainly is trying though.

Originally Posted by lern4483

...
I do have the latest cisco with the bigger hard drive.

I hear rumor that the Cisco box has a 'real' 30 second skip. Is that true?

Originally Posted by technikal

I hear rumor that the Cisco box has a 'real' 30 second skip. Is that true?

Nope...False. The 30 second skip is the same as the direc tv recievers.
It scans through rather then actualy skips.
Kind of like fast forwarding.

The ''real'' 30 second skip is on the dish recievers.
They actaully skip. Super fast.

I have the dish 722 reciever. Its like lightening.

This should be the benchmark for all recievers.