A Consumer's Guide to AT&T U-verse (The Most Exciting Innovation in the History of Pay-TV!)
Written: Feb 04 '08 (Updated Feb 12 '09)
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Pros: Farewell, conventional TV. Welcome, "Internet Protocol" TV. (You've got to experience this!)
Cons: Simple, professional, free installation typically takes up to several hours. (But it's worth waiting for.)
The Bottom Line: AT&T's TV-plus-Internet service (with FREE DVR programmable at home OR via the Web) is more affordable, powerful & FUN than conventional TV services. Presently, the "U-verse" isn't everywhere—but it's expanding.
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| henry_thoreau's Full Review: AT&T U-verse |
Prefatory note: You may also wish to read the following review: How Does Comcast (Cable TV) Compare to AT&T U-Verse?
Anywhere on Earth, go online via computer, wireless phone or handset. Enjoy browsing the informative, interactive TV "Guide" with hundreds of digital and HD channels. See what TV programs or movies are (or will be) playing. Then and there, record up to four current (or 120 hours of future) programs and movies on your FREE DVR located atop your TV set at HOME.
Tremble, you Cable-TV Overlords! AT&T U-verse is relentlessly breaching your strongholds, and the "TV/Internet" battleground's heating up as overtaxed vassals welcome liberation from their remote controllers.
The 21st century's potential unfolds. Henceforth let everyone's TVs touch the Internet! Long live U-verse!
This exceedingly modest review encompasses 21 major sections, as indicated by the list directly below. By all means, read at least the opening portions of Section 1 (the "overview"), which could quickly answer many of your questions; moreover, don't miss the second (of three) YouTube videos I'll mention in Section 19, plus, of course, my summary (Section 20). But feel free to skip to any of the numbered, boldface headings further below.
1. Overview
2. So, what the heck is AT&T "U-verse"?
3. Installation
4. The "telephone" component
5. The "high-speed DSL Internet" (computer) component
6. The "television" component (It's like "cable TV", but better and cheaper!)
7. U-verse delivers sharp, vivid picture quality for both digital and analog TVs
8. AT&T U-verse vs. cable TV (additional information)
9. The U-verse "Residential Gateway" (router/modem) and receivers (set-top boxes)
10. The U-verse infrared (IR) remote
11. Navigating the Universe, er, U-verse
12. Parental controls
13. Using the Web (PC, phone or handset) or remote to find/record a TV program or series
14. Video on Demand ("VoD")
15. How to learn more about U-verse (including availability in your area) at AT&T's web site
16. Another way to learn more about U-verse at AT&T's web site
17. Suggestion to prevent problems in case of future household power outages or spikes
18. Your delightful monthly U-verse bill-payment options
19. "HELP!" [Including three swell "YouTube" videos!]
20. Summary
21. Addendum
1. Overview:
One side of a phone conversation (last December):
"What?! No kidding?! All those digital channels? All my local channels, too? 'Picture-in-picture' channel surfing without leaving the show I'm currently viewing? And that works on any TV? Three FREE set-top receivers and remotes? Plus WHAT?! Whoa! Let me get this straight. A free DVR that I can program from anywhere—even from the other side of the planet—via infrared remote, computer, wireless phone or handset? Onscreen and online interactive TV "Guide" for current and scheduled shows that I can click to initiate instant or future DVR recordings of single episodes or entire series? I can record four different channels simultaneously? I can 'search' for any TV show or movie by entering part of the actor's name or the title? 'Video on Demand'? And that price also includes high-speed "enhanced-DSL" Internet service for all my home's computers, whether wired or wireless? Plus an entire suite of permanently free, continually automatically updatable, online-PC-security software? All that for less than what I'd pay for cable-TV service? Free in-home installation? No-obligation, 30-day trial? Never any contractual commitments? Cancel anytime hereafter? Big-money "rebate" incentive? Toll-free, unlimited '24/7' technical support forever? EUREKA! SIGN ME UP!"
That was pretty much my initially cool, calm, and collected reaction to AT&T U-verse, as, I suspect, it has been for thousands of other delighted customers.
Unlike conventional cable TV, AT&T's "U-verse" Internet Protocol TV signal (together with its high-speed DSL Internet signal) travels over technologically advanced optical-fiber cable until it reaches an AT&T "node" less than 3,000 feet from your home. From that point the signals travel over conventional copper telephone line till arriving at your home. Once they reach your home's exterior landline phone box (an updated version of which will be freely supplied by the AT&T installer), the signals can be brought indoors by running a new length of (75-Ohm coaxial) copper cable from the phone box to any preexisting cable-TV (75-Ohm coaxial copper) cable, at which point the new length of cable can be spliced to the old. Alternatively (if there's no preexisting cable-TV cable), the installer can bring the signals indoors by supplying all-new copper-based cables of a different type (i.e., either "twisted-pair" phone cable or--wherever feasible--"CAT5" Ethernet cable).
Together with Internet Protocol (for whose definition see Section 2 below), the fiber-optic technology underlying (most of) AT&T's "U-verse" is the wave of the foreseeable future for the lion's share of the pay-TV market in the U.S., though satellite TV (e.g., "DirecTV") could remain an important competing mode of signal transmission--especially for certain locations. If you're lucky enough to live in an area where U-verse is already available (or if you anticipate its eventual arrival), you owe it to yourself to check out the significant cost savings and enhanced—in some instances exclusive—features it provides.
Although U-verse amounts to a better deal than cable TV for the majority of consumers [some of whom won't (yet) choose/need to pay $10 extra per month for an impressively large, industry-leading package of (more than 40) "high definition" ("HD") TV channels], as of this writing (until at least March of 2008) only one HD data stream is available per in-home installation. This means that only one high-definition TV program at a time can display on any/all of your (up to eight) U-verse-connected HD-capable TVs throughout your home. (You can have up to four different digital-TV channels (data streams) simultaneously running; but only one of those channels can be HD; the (up to three) other different channels would each have to be standard-definition. (Of course, you can also still view standard-definition TV channels on any "HD-capable" TVs in your home. Also let me clarify that you could have as many as eight U-verse-connected TVs simultaneously running throughout your home; however, the maximum possible number of different channels in that scenario would be four.)]
[Note that even U-verse's "standard-definition" digital data streams (made viewable on any of your TVs, be they HD-ready, digital, or "analog-only") are themselves excellent and provide nicer screen colors and sharpness than what most conventional cable-TV customers receive.]
The current (generally tolerable) U-verse "HD" data-stream limitation will diminish "sometime between March and August of 2008" when the U-verse HD-data-stream capacity is doubled to allow two different, concurrent HD data streams per in-home installation. [NOTE: One AT&T entity recently confided to me that August might be the soonest implementation of the doubled HD capacity, and perhaps "the fourth quarter" might be a more realistic estimate for certain locations.]
Now, I freely admit that "being able to view 'only' two different high-definition channels at a time" is bound to seem a deal breaker for some consumers. After all, more and more American households will be adding more and more HD TVs in coming years; at first blush it could easily be argued that AT&T erred by not investing still more money from the get-go such that optical fiber could be brought all the way to customers' premises. [See my below consideration of Verizon FiOS for more on that.]
However, I personally would much rather pay a lower monthly fee (including all the "hidden" charges) for my TV service, and it appears that the "compromise" that AT&T has struck (by bringing optical fiber most of the way to customers' premises, but then using conventional copper to bring it the rest of the way) has made possible somewhat cheaper monthly rates; more and friendlier TV-watching/recording features; and NO contractual financial commitments.
I myself will almost certainly never have any need for more than one or two concurrent, different HD channels; and I suspect that the same is true for a significantly large percentage of American households. But I do have a strong desire to: save money; get more and better features (of the sort I can actually use and enjoy); and avoid burdensome contractual commitments.
Besides, maybe "one of these years" AT&T will belatedly bite the bullet and bring optical fiber all of the way to their U-verse customers' premises. [NOTE: Actually, AT&T reportedly is already doing so in a minority of recently established neighborhoods lacking any (preexisting) optical-to-copper "nodes".] Or, failing that, perhaps they'll develop some other, cheaper technological means to increase the HD capacity still further. Who knows? Who cares? As of today, U-verse already provides everything—and then some—that I really need or want!
U-verse's five variously priced "channel packages" (excepting the "U100") include (at no additional cost) one recordable-TV DVR ("TiVo"-like) digital set-top box for one of your TVs plus two (optionally up to seven) non-recordable digital set-top boxes for your remaining TVs. [NOTE: As of this writing, recordings made with the "DVR" receiver can be viewed only on the TV connected to that receiver; however, that limitation will reportedly disappear sometime reasonably early in 2008, when "Whole-Home DVR" capability (i.e., a forthcoming "software" update that will be automatically downloaded to each U-verse receiver) will allow TV programs to be scheduled, recorded and viewed via any of the receivers (TVs) throughout the home.] The lone exception involves one of the two $59-per-month channel packages, namely, the U100, which includes approximately 100 channels but only one (non-recordable) digital set-top box. In other words, while the U100 channel package offers about twice as many channels as the identically priced "U-Family" channel package, the latter includes three digital set-top boxes, one of which features digital-video-recording (DVR) capability. (Up to four TV recordings can take place simultaneously (in the current or any scheduled time slot); and you can record up to 120 hours of TV programming before needing to delete something to make room for "new" content.)
Accordingly, if you want the cheapest TV-plus-Internet service that U-verse has to offer, you must decide which of the following two $59-per-month deals seems more enticing: (1) 50 TV channels plus a DVR (and connectivity to three TVs in your home); or (2) 100 TV channels but no DVR (and connectivity to just one TV in your home).
I suspect that many U-verse customers will opt to bypass both of those entry-level channel packages and pay $74 per month for the U200; $94 per month for the U300; or $114 per month for the U400 channel package. [NOTE: Each U-verse TV-channel package also includes high-speed Internet service for all your computers (plus AT&T/Yahoo's continually automatically updatable suite of downloadable, top-quality, online security software) for your computer. Optionally, you could select any of the aforementioned U-verse "channel packages" and subscribe to a "TV-only" version of it for $15 less per month. (But why would you?!)]
While U-verse's greater utilization of optical-fiber cable; its IP-driven, enhanced implementation of countless interactive, onscreen functions (including superior "picture-in-picture" channel-browsing); its inclusion of a Web-accessible DVR (i.e., you can use any web-accessible PC or wireless phone/handset to browse a schedule of your channels' upcoming shows—and program your home's DVR—from virtually anywhere in the world); and its lower cost collectively make it superior to conventional cable TV, it could face stiff competition from Verizon FiOS (Fiber-optic service all the way to the premises). However, despite the many inherent technological virtues of Verizon FiOS, I've read mixed reviews of that service. Some say that its TV picture is only modestly—if any—better than what some digital-cable TV services already provide. More significant to me are reports that FiOS TV doesn't include any "picture-in-picture" capability. The latter is something that U-verse TV implements noteworthily well—perhaps even uniquely well—with its various onscreen, channel-navigation modes (especially its most basic "channel-surfing" mode via the remote's UP/DOWN keys). Moreover, with FiOS you reportedly lose your conventional, centrally powered, copper-wire phone connection and (in the event of electrical-power outages) you must rely on a battery backup that purportedly will run the phone for 72 hours. Worse, with FiOS (reportedly) you must commit to a two-year service agreement entailing a $200 to $300 early-termination penalty. By contrast, with U-verse there is no contract, and you can freely cancel service at any time. In any case, Verizon FiOS (like U-verse itself at this stage) still has limited availability across the U.S.
Another noteworthy competitor is DirecTV (satellite TV), which, however, generally involves an 18-month contract. (I repeat, U-verse involves no contract—cancel it whenever you like.) Moreover (aside from the key fact that DirecTV includes NO Internet connectivity for your computer(s)), U-verse's monthly cost (at least for their cheap U-Family package of 50 channels) is roughly $10 less per month than DirecTV's more or less analogous 45-channel package. (DirecTV's higher monthly cost is because—unlike U-verse's U-Family package—you must pay a total of nearly ten dollars extra for the second and third set-top boxes). Furthermore, AT&T provides new customers substantial "rebates" ranging from $50 (for their U-Family package) to $100 (for their higher-level packages including 200 to 320 channels). Also bear in mind that satellite TV reportedly has inherently sluggish responsiveness whenever you're changing channels. Finally, DirecTV customers could very occasionally experience TV-reception problems due to certain weather conditions (e.g., major thunderstorms). [Reportedly, the same is true for AT&T's own satellite-TV service, DISH Network. In any case, AT&T's satellite-TV product is not as cheap as their U-verse if you factor the additional (separate) cost of their (DSL) Internet service (for your computer).]
I suggest that you carefully compare U-verse's features and costs with those of conventional cable TV, Verizon FiOS (if available in your area), and satellite TV. If U-verse is cheaper than—or nearly as cheap as—the competing service(s), by all means consider trying it for one month with no cost or obligation. U-verse's combination of splendid (in some instances exclusive) features, no contractual commitment, and competition-beating affordability made it an easy choice for me.
Much of the above is assuming that U-verse is available in your location, which it very possibly is not (yet). As of this writing (and according to an AT&T phone representative), U-verse service is available in major U.S. cities in 22 states. [About ten months ago, it was only available in (parts of) six states!] AT&T has heavily invested in promoting U-verse, and its availability (not to mention signal capacity and features) is bound to continue expanding. In the course of my on-line research for this review, I've repeatedly noted that even some of the harshest critics of U-verse ended up admitting they'd sign up if it were already available in their towns. ;-)
Speaking of "signing up", note that you might get a better deal by doing so online (instead of via telephone or a neighborhood "AT&T Store"). For example, as of this writing (if you sign up online) you can get not only a $100 "rebate" but also your first month of service free—providing you opt for the U200 (or higher) channel package. But even if you choose either of the entry-level channel packages (like my "U-Family"), you should still be able to get at least a $50 "rebate" if you speak to a U-verse phone representative by phoning 1-800-288-2020.
NOTE: So ends my "overview". Now, if you're not planning to read any further, at least do yourself a favor by viewing at least a couple of cool, short, YouTube videos regarding U-verse. The first of those videos features the lovely Kim Shively. And the second video features the lovely (?!) Bobby Choice... er, well, just see for yourself as he "demos" U-verse in his living room! [See Section 19 below for the respective URL's for three YouTube videos (including one that's a review of U-Guide, a monthly magazine free to U-verse subscribers).]
2. So, what the heck is AT&T "U-verse"?
To help answer that question (as well as to shed more light on the term "Internet Protocol TV" and its acronyms "IPTV" and—loosely speaking—"IP"), let me first quote several fragments from various instances of AT&T's own hype:
"AT&T U-verse TV is digital television service that uses the power of Internet technology to provide you with more programming choices and viewing options."
"Internet Protocol is a standardized method of transporting information in packets of data, which are then reassembled into information when the packets reach the destination."
"U-verse is AT&T's revolutionary IPTV platform capable of delivering standard and high-def television over a high-speed internet connection."
"AT&T U-verse represents the future of communications and entertainment. The AT&T U-verse portfolio of IP-based services integrates digital video, AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet U-verse Enabled, and in the future, voice over IP services."
"New AT&T U-verse is 100% digital TV and Internet together—all powered by an advanced fiber-optic network that's built for the future. So now you can get an amazingly clear digital picture, a huge selection of high-definition programming, and cool interactive features never available before. Once you try it, you'll never settle for cable again!"
Obviously (apart from emphasizing "you", i.e., the customer), the name "U-verse" is a modification of the word "universe", implying that AT&T can now handle the majority, if not all, of your home's electronic-communication needs, including telephone; high-speed Internet; and television. Regarding the latter, AT&T claims that it's "attempting to leapfrog current cable systems by offering features like a DVR that can record up to four concurrent shows at a time and is programmable from any web-based computer."
What the latter statement doesn't fully convey is that with U-verse—no matter where on Earth you roam—you don't need to move from your (or any) computer's keyboard (or web-accessible wireless phone or handset) to log in to your AT&T/Yahoo account and find out which TV shows are currently playing—as well as which shows will be playing (up to week hence). You can pleasantly browse U-verse's online "Guide" right on your computer screen to discover virtually everything you'll want to know about any scheduled TV program. You can even use a powerful "search" function by entering a keyword of your choice to display associated (current or scheduled) programs or movies. And, with one click of your mouse, you can record a single TV episode or an entire series of episodes. All this from anywhere in the world you have access to the Web! Can you say that for your conventional cable or satellite TV service?
To the average consumer, at first blush U-verse is more or less comparable to the familiar cable TV/Internet services. But a key distinction is that even the U-verse television signal is conveyed via the Internet (largely, albeit not "100% of the way", via optical-fiber cable) rather than via conventional (copper) cable-TV lines.
In those U.S. areas where U-verse is available, AT&T uses optical-fiber cable to bring the TV/Internet signals to a "node" less than 3,000 feet of your home, from which point they use copper cable to bring the signals the rest of the way. This hybrid ("compromise") approach reportedly helps AT&T to provide their U-verse customers a high standard of digital-signal quality and competition-beating prices.
You needn't concern yourself overmuch about the technological details. Just know that the affordable U-verse works delightfully and powerfully well for my TV-entertainment and my high-speed Internet needs (not to mention my modest budget), and I'd wager it could delight you, too.
3. Installation:
NOTE: My residential U-verse service was installed (and I've been using it since) December 26, 2007. ["It was a cold and snowy day...."]
Not long after you "sign up" for U-verse service, you'll receive in the mail a postcard bearing your U-verse nine-digit account number, which you should keep handy for future reference. More to the point, the card will summarize what you were told at sign-up time regarding the specific date and time that installation in your home is scheduled to occur. The card also provides the following reminders:
"Your installation will take from 5 - 8 hours.
Someone at least 18 years old and authorized to make decisions regarding your account and terms of service needs to be home during the installation.
Your AT&T installer is not allowed to move furniture, so please ensure the connections to your TVs and computers are accessible."
The courteous AT&T U-verse installer who came to my suburban house replaced my old exterior AT&T (landline) phone box behind the house with an updated box before running some new coaxial cable from it to a preexisting coaxial cable jack that had been installed by Comcast years ago to bring cable TV service into the house. [NOTE: If the preexisting "cable-TV" (75-Ohm coaxial) cable hadn't already been in place, the AT&T installer would've substituted all-new cable of a different type (i.e., either "twisted-pair" phone line or (more likely) "CAT5 Ethernet" cable).]
Inside my house, the AT&T U-verse installer (employing a couple of multi-jack, metal adapters) used much of the previously installed Comcast coaxial cables (to connect my TVs) but also provided a length of new Ethernet cable to connect my computer to one of the rear jacks of the U-verse "Gateway" (a.k.a. "modem" or "router") which simultaneously, bidirectionally communicates with each of the U-verse "set-top boxes" (receivers) on three TVs throughout the house. [Note: Up to five additional TVs could have been connected to U-verse (for a maximum of eight TVs), if I'd been willing to pay an ongoing $5-per-month fee per each additional set-top box, which I wasn't.]
On the other hand, if you have, for example, a new home lacking any such preexisting "coaxial" cables, the AT&T U-verse installer who comes to your home will likely install all-new cable(s) having much smaller diameter.
An AT&T installer mentioned to me that, typically, a U-verse installation can take as little as two hours (which frankly sounds a bit too optimistic to me!); however, you should also be aware that even the official "5 to 8 hour" time frame (mentioned above) was not met in my case. The old, preexisting installation of (Comcast cable TV) 75-Ohm cabling in my house was evidently a bit more problematic than most, and the first AT&T installer didn't quite get everything perfectly installed. Moreover ("Murphy's Law"!), there were several other minor delays that (according to the installer) were evidently caused by a rare, "neighborhood-wide" U-verse system technical problem. By late afternoon, after having arrived at about 1:00 PM, that first installer still didn't have my three TVs fully operational. Worse, he'd switched off (canceled) my preexisting AT&T DSL Internet service, and its new-and-improved U-verse counterpart wasn't yet activated. Thus my computer was totally off-line. Moreover, after having left (around 5 PM) to go have some much needed dinner, that installer still hadn't returned or phoned (as he'd promised to do) within an hour later. After still more time passed, I phoned AT&T to notify them about the situation. Finally, around 9 PM, I received a belated phone call from my U-verse installer who said that (due to the aforementioned "rare, neighborhood-wide, U-verse system technical problem"), he couldn't do anything more for me that night. It wasn't till the following morning that the next (different) AT&T installer arrived to try continuing my installation; and it wasn't till later that day--after a third (more experienced) installer had arrived--that everything was completed successfully. Or so I thought!
A day or so later, out of curiosity I momentarily removed (merely unscrewed) the "VIDEO IN" 75-Ohm cable from the back of a particular set-top box that initially had been especially problematic for the third installer to get working. Then I reattached it. Alas, suddenly the attached TV wouldn't display video normally. Instead, the video would start to play but then would "freeze".
Long story shorter, yet another (fourth) AT&T installer arrived the following day. He seemed to be the most experienced and savvy of the lot, and after a little while he concluded that the first installer had unwisely used a splitter (adapter) to make an unnecessary connection into a preexisting (cable TV) wall jack, and that had been causing all the signal problems involving that set-top box (and TV).
In any case, since then I've had NO problems whatsoever with any aspect of my U-verse installation. Based on my longer-term (multi-year) satisfaction with my previous AT&T DSL Internet and landline phone service, I'm confident that my now "more-than-a-month-old" U-verse installation will continue to be every bit as reliable henceforward.
I suspect that about 99% of U-verse customers will see their installations routinely completed well within AT&T's stipulated "5 - 8 hour" time frame. But, just in case you, like me, are among that other "1%", be prepared to exercise your patience and good humor. For what it's worth, I can report that all of the AT&T installers and phone reps that I've dealt with have been more than sufficiently courteous and patient with me. Predictably, of course, some personnel appeared a bit more experienced or efficient than others.
Bottom line, "installation"—no matter how long it actually takes—will be soon enough forgotten. And once you're living with your U-verse setup (based on my own ongoing experience), there will be NO further problems whatsoever, and you'll be delighted that you patiently and calmly endured any (unlikely) initial inconveniences or delays.
4. The "telephone" component:
Actually, I won't have much to say about the reliable (traditional-landline) telephone service that I likewise get from AT&T, because AT&T basically still treats it as a separate department of their company. Nonetheless, after traveling mostly over fiber-optic cable, the U-verse TV and high-speed-Internet signals arrive at my house over the same "twisted-pair" copper cable as my traditional (landline) AT&T telephone service.
Furthermore, it's nice to know that not only my "TV plus Internet" (U-verse) service but also my conventional telephone service comes from the same company, despite the curious fact that (so far) AT&T bills their "telephone" and their "U-verse" services separately. I've arranged to pay for all my AT&T services via automatic monthly withdrawals from my checking account at a local bank. I never have to remember to write checks or repeatedly fuss with online payment submissions. Talk about convenience! (I pay all my regular monthly bills that way.)
My total AT&T "phone/high-speed Internet/TV" cost (minus any long-distance phone-call charges but including all taxes, fees, and surcharges) is $91.17 a month. [UPDATED TEXT INSERTED HERE, AS OF 10-21-08: Since initially posting this review, I've sometimes enjoyed still cheaper/better service, due to periodic special/trial offers. And methinks U-Verse will need to continue offering comparable discounts/upgrades if they want to continue competing successfully with such tenacious rivals as Comcast, etc.]
You could also/alternatively subscribe to AT&T's wireless phone service (or any competing provider's analogous service), which would allow you to program your U-verse DVR from your web-accessible cell phone (or other wireless device). I no longer subscribe to any wireless service, and so I can't specifically evaluate that. However, essentially I do the very same thing by using any PC to log into my AT&T/Yahoo online account and program my U-verse DVR (as I'll explain in Section 13 below).
5. The "high-speed DSL Internet" (computer) component:
NOTE: The majority of U-verse customers will likely choose to receive BOTH U-verse television AND U-verse high-speed Internet service (for all your home's computers) as an affordable package deal. However, you can optionally subscribe to U-Verse television service alone (without simultaneously subscribing to U-Verse high-speed Internet service) for $15 less per month. For complete pricing details regarding U-verse's "TV-only" service, visit the "uverse.att.com" web page (and subsequently click the "Compare Packages" link). Bottom line, I can't imagine that more than a tiny percentage of U-verse television customers won't ALSO want the high-speed Internet service (including continually updated, online-security software) for just fifteen extra dollars!
The "high-speed (DSL) Internet" component of ATT's U-verse service is superb (fast and reliable with never any outages or glitches in my experience). In that regard it's basically "old hat" to me because its performance seems equivalent to (or, actually, slightly faster than) that of the old, analogous AT&T "Express" DSL (high-speed Internet) service that I'd been contentedly subscribing to for more than two years (prior to getting U-verse).
Note: U-verse's DSL Internet signal is somewhat faster than that of AT&T's (separately available) DSL Internet service. That's because U-verse's signals travel much (albeit not quite all) of the way over fiber-optic cable instead of copper telephone lines.
U-verse offers three levels of high-speed-Internet service (all three levels provide an upstream speed of up to 1 Mbps):
The lowest (cheapest) level (i.e., the one I myself subscribe to) is called "Express". Its price is $20 per month (in conjunction with my $39-per-month "U-Family" TV service). This service provides a downstream of up to 1.5 Mbps, meaning that (according to AT&T) it works well for such purposes as emailing and downloading music. I find that it likewise works plenty well enough for slightly more demanding purposes, such as playing lengthy online audiovisual shows and TV-news-report AV clips.
The middle level is called "Pro". Its price is $25 per month. This service provides a downstream of up to 3 Mbps, meaning that (according to AT&T) it also works well for such purposes as sharing photos.
The upper level is called "Elite". Its price is $35 per month. This service provides a downstream of up to 6 Mbps, meaning that (according to AT&T) it also works well for such purposes as Internet gaming and online conferencing.
Significantly, U-verse's high-speed Internet service likewise provides a suite of free (downloadable) security software and features, including anti-virus, anti-spam, "Address Guard", firewall, pop-up blocker, and "Parental Controls" protection. Last I checked, AT&T licenses "their" anti-virus software—if not all their other security software—from the well-known Symantec Corporation (makers of the widely used "Norton AntiVirus"). My experience with AT&T's "security suite" is that it works reliably. I deem it a noteworthy value—indeed, sort of a freebie—since it saves U-verse subscribers from having to separately purchase such security software directly from "Norton", McAfee, or whomever.
Simple instructions for downloading the above security-software suite (as an "Online Protection Dashboard") are included on a two-sided, illustrated "Quick Guide" card inside a U-verse "Welcome Kit", which will be one of the first snail-mail items you'll receive from AT&T after initially subscribing to U-verse. The "Quick Guide" card will likewise explain how to (optionally) download and use AT&T's so-called "TrueSwitch" software, which, among other basic things, can simplify your transition from your prior email address (if any) to your new master email address associated with your U-verse "AT&T/Yahoo" account. [NOTE: Along with your "master" email address, you (or other persons that you allow) can set up additional, subsidiary email addresses with your single "AT&T/Yahoo" account.]
You might wish to focus on the AT&T-provided web-based email (so that you can log in to your account and read your email from any computer). Regarding your email inbox, there's a very generous, 2-gigabyte maximum-storage limit, which few customers will ever reach. Nevertheless, it's nice to know that the web-mail system would successively notify you after you reach the "30%-remaining-capacity" level so that you could make more room by deleting old emails from your inbox or (via the web mail system) easily "archiving" them to your computer's hard drive.
Additionally, the "Quick Guide" card provides optional instructions for setting up client-based email (so that you can use such software as "Outlook Express" to download and store your email directly on a particular computer's hard drive).
Although U-verse's high-speed Internet service doesn't immediately install its own browser or "shell", an ATT/Yahoo browser (i.e., an "Internet Explorer 7" add-on or shell) can be freely downloaded from AT&T. I'd previously used that ATT/Yahoo browser (with my former AT&T DSL Internet service), and it virtually always worked fine for me. However, currently I'm just using the ubiquitous Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 browser itself (which I use in conjunction with Windows XP), which works splendidly with U-verse's high-speed Internet service.
Note that "wireless home networking" capability is included free with your U-verse service. The U-verse Gateway (router) has that capability built in, such that you can "enjoy wireless networking capabilities throughout your home". AT&T asserts that the U-verse "Residential Gateway is powerful enough to help eliminate wireless dead spots and safeguard against outside access of your Internet connection" and that "wireless computers ... can be located almost anywhere in the home (radius of up to 150 ft. indoors)" and "you can move wireless computers around, even surf the Net from outside (radius of up to 300 ft. outdoors)".
Since I myself don't presently need/use that wireless capability, I can't fully evaluate it here. Nevertheless, from my conversations with several AT&T installers and telephone representatives, I've gleaned the following information. My rather compact U-verse "Gateway" hardware device (i.e., my U-verse "router" or "modem", which I'll discuss further in Section 9 below) could be connected to at least (approximately) ten computers throughout my home. Some (at least three) of those in-home computers could be connected via "hard wire" (i.e., "Ethernet" cables) while the other (or even all of my) in-home computers could be connected wirelessly. The U-verse "Gateway" device already has all those capabilities built-in. Now, if any given in-home computer doesn't itself already include "wireless-connectivity" capability, then I (the customer) would simply have to purchase (at Best Buy or wherever) an affordable "switch" or "switchbox" to allow that computer to be connected wirelessly.
Optionally, you can "leave the wires at home and bring your U-verse high-speed Internet experience on the road with AT&T Wi-Fi service". That service is separately available (at extra cost) via AT&T Internet services. Again, since I myself don't presently use that, I can't evaluate it here.
Given that today's average computer user is likely already at least reasonably comfortable using some comparable variety of high-speed Internet service, I'm confident that your migration to U-verse's "Internet" component will happen quite quickly and painlessly.
Accordingly, the bulk of my below discussion will deal with U-verse's innovative Internet Protocol television functionality rather than its (simultaneously active) high-speed Internet functionality for the PC, which, by the way, I'm using to write these words while a U-verse television program plays on a nearby TV and is being digitally recorded by my main U-verse "DVR" set-top box.
6. The "television" component (It's like "cable TV", but better and cheaper!)
Being early retired and on a limited budget, I'm admittedly frugal (read "cheap"). That's partly why (about five years ago) I canceled my basic Comcast cable TV service (roughly $50 per month at that time) and just used amplified indoor antennas ("electrified rabbit ears") to make do with the nine or so broadcast (free) TV channels I can receive in my area.
Although my television entertainment (such as it was) was thusly free, I still opted to pay for not only AT&T telephone service but also AT&T's (separately available) DSL (high-speed/broadband) Internet service after it became available in my area over two years ago.
My recent "migration" from AT&T's twofold "DSL-Internet plus telephone" service to AT&T's trifold "TV plus Internet plus telephone" service only costs me $30 more per month (including all fees, surcharges and taxes) than what I was already paying. So, for me it's like getting a digitally recordable, powerfully programmable, and more feature-laden version of "cable" TV for only thirty bucks, total.
The U-verse U-Family (50-channel) package that I chose satisfies me, especially considering that—factoring high-speed Internet (for my PC) into the equation—it costs less than what Comcast would now charge me for their cheapest channel package, which wouldn't include any DVR—not to mention two additional set-top boxes.
That said, there are several channels that my "cut-rate" package omits and that I somewhat miss, namely: The Discovery Channel; A & E; The Travel Channel; and CNN (as well as CNN Headline News, Fox News, and MSNBC). Note, however, that I do still receive the financial-news networks CNBC and Bloomberg Television.
Nonetheless, (along with Kansas City's nine "local/broadcast" channels) my cheap U-Family (50-channel) package does include the following rather well-known channels that I myself favor: The Science Channel; History International; The History Channel; The National Geographic Channel; The Biography Channel; Animal Planet; Investigation Discovery; CNBC; and Bloomberg TV. Among the (approximately) 50 "U-Family" channels are several that ironically are not included in the U100 "100-channel" package: History International; The Biography Channel; Investigation Discovery; and Bloomberg TV. In fact, Investigation Discovery and Bloomberg TV (not to mention the occasionally worthwhile Hallmark Movie Channel and Fit TV) aren't included in the still larger (and costlier) U200 package, either.
Of course, if I get tired of watching "TV", I can "go to the movies" without budging from my easy chair. U-verse's multifaceted, onscreen "Video on Demand" (VoD) capability makes this possible. There are many selectable (or searchable) movies and other videos, most of which can be rented (for a specified number of hours or days), and others of which are free. For more details, see Section 14 below.
7. U-verse delivers sharp, vivid picture quality for both digital and analog TVs:
Each of the U-verse set-top boxes (receivers) can provide both standard-definition and high-definition (HD) digital signals. Of course, you'll need to subscribe to U-verse's optional ($10 per month) HD service in order for your set-top boxes to be enabled for that signal. Once they're enabled, you can select either a 720p or 1080i signal, depending on your particular HD TV model.
At present, for my main entertainment center I'm still making do with an early 2003 JVC AV-36320 36" analog TV, not to mention two slightly smaller analog sets elsewhere in the house. However, based on my recent discussions with several successive AT&T techs visiting my home (not to mention various online, independent blogs/reviews I've read), I've little doubt that owners of HD TVs will be pleased with U-verse, assuming they opt to subscribe to the HD service.
As of this writing, U-verse's optional HD service reportedly includes (along with my city's several local HD channels) at least 40 widely known HD channels. According to AT&T (as of last December):
"U-verse TV subscribers with the HD service option have access to a lineup of more than 40 HD channels in most markets, which is more HD programming than local cable providers in current U-verse markets."
And:
"We know that consumers are craving more and more HD content, and our AT&T U-verse TV HD lineup will keep expanding to meet their needs."
For my present purposes, U-verse's standard-definition digital TV video looks excellent. Colors are as vivid and sharp as—indeed, somewhat better than—the best that my old Comcast cable service formerly provided; and, unlike Comcast, U-verse provides an equally sharp picture on the two lowest numbered local channels as on all the higher numbered channels. One of the AT&T installers confided that his own Comcast cable didn't provide video resolution as sharp or vivid as that of U-verse; and (for whatever it's worth) I've read much the same assessment from various independent bloggers, who generally concur that U-verse's standard-definition TV's colors and resolution are superior to those of both (conventional) cable TV and DirecTV (satellite TV).
"One of these days" I'll spring for an HD TV; and at that point I'll upgrade to U-verse HD service via a quick phone call to AT&T (1-800-288-2020).
8. AT&T U-verse vs. cable TV (additional information):
With all U-verse channel packages (except the aforementioned U100), three digital set-top boxes are included, one of which encompasses a "TiVo-like" DVR that can pause, rewind, fast-forward or record current and/or scheduled TV programs (it can even simultaneously record up to four shows) and store and replay up to 120 hours of such recorded programming. By contrast, with cable TV from such companies as Time Warner, Comcast, Cox, or Charter, normally only one control box—or none—is included (unless you pay an additional monthly fee for each extra set-top box). And unless you opt for one of the cable companies' considerably costlier deals, their set-top box lacks DVR capability. Thus, with U-verse there's no need to spend your hard earned on a separate TiVo DVR to pause, rewind, fast-forward, or record current and/or scheduled TV broadcasts.
Unlike any available cable-TV service (regardless of price), U-verse allows you to program your (included) AT&T/Motorola DVR not only at home via the remote but also from anywhere you have Web access. (Along with using your—or anyone else's—computer, you can use any web-accessible wireless phone or handset.) I'll further discuss this empowering, delightful feature in Section 13 below.
While watching TV with the U-verse infrared remote in hand, there are several quick and powerful ways to find and play a show that interests you. And U-verse's consistent implementation of "picture-in-picture" (which works with any TV) for channel browsing or menu-navigation goes beyond what analog cable TV can provide. [I'll discuss several specific examples of the U-verse onscreen-navigation experience in Section 11 below.]
The bottom line for me is that (including all taxes and fees) my U-verse "cable-quality-plus" television service ends up costing me less per month than the most comparable "TV-plus-Internet" service from Comcast. And if you want a larger number of channels than what my relatively modest "entry-level" package includes, the monthly savings could be even greater. That amounts to a welcome bonus over a year's time. [This is not to mention U-verse's money-back "rebate" incentive. AT&T will mail new customers a "rebate" from $50 to $100 twenty-one days after they sign up for U-verse on a 30-day, no-risk trial basis (NOTE: Be sure to "redeem" your "rebate" by phoning AT&T reasonably soon after the 21-day period has elapsed!). Moreover, if you order U-verse U200 (or higher) service online (rather than by phone), in addition to a $100 "rebate", you'll receive your first month of service free.]
9. The U-verse "Residential 'Gateway'" (router/modem) and receivers (set-top boxes):
The "Gateway" is the hardware device that receives all the incoming U-verse signals and communicates bidirectionally with each the respective U-verse receivers atop your various TV sets. And, either via one or more separate "Ethernet" cables (and/or wirelessly), the Gateway can also simultaneously supply high-speed Internet service to your computer(s).
My "Gateway" device is itself akin to a "set-top box" insofar as it's horizontally installed atop my DVD player within my primary entertainment-center armoire. Note: using a small, attachable stand (included), the Gateway can alternatively be installed in a vertical (upright) position.
The "Gateway" box measures (in inches) about: 11 (width) x 2 (height) x 9.75 (depth).
Note: an AT&T/U-verse phone representative advised me to keep the Gateway box turned on "24/7" so that it's always available to receive periodic "system updates". But she explained it's not necessary to have the (separate) set-top boxes (receivers) turned on when not in use. This is because they're still connected to electricity (as well as the Gateway itself) and thus can still receive their own respective updates (in the middle of the night or whenever). I've been doing this, and there have been no problems. My understanding is that (if I don't keep the Gateway powered on "24/7") I might occasionally see an onscreen "update" process on any of my U-verse TVs as its set-top box gets belatedly updated. This could delay your being able to view a TV program for several minutes. Consequently, I suggest that, like me, you simply keep your Gateway (router) turned on at all times. [Its consumption of electrical power should be fairly modest. Case in point: not including my local utility company's recent 9.41%, 2008 rate increase, my latest monthly electricity bill amount (for service during all of January) is only a few dollars above what it had formerly been—which means that I’m paying, at most, only a few dollars extra per month due to my new U-verse three-TV installation.] In any case, do feel free to power off the set-top boxes themselves (as long as they're still plugged in to electricity. Moreover, despite my foregoing remarks, perhaps you could even get away with powering off the Gateway itself whenever you won’t be watching TV for a long time. Just be sure you won’t mind the (probably minor and harmless) hassles of continual reboots (downloads) of the U-verse system software whenever you switch the Gateway back on.
Each of the "set-top boxes" (receivers) bears the familiar Motorola logo. Up to three set-top boxes are included with your U-verse service. Via your home's preexisting (cable TV) and/or newly installed cables that the AT&T installer (initially visiting your home) will use to establish your U-verse setup, the respective set-top boxes will communicate bidirectionally with the "Gateway" box.
For each TV in your home that you want to connect to U-verse, you'll need one set-top box. However, only one of the included set-top boxes will include "DVR" (recordable-TV) capability. The remaining, "standard" set-top boxes will be somewhat smaller (but otherwise virtual twins of the larger "DVR-capable" box).
NOTE: As of this writing, recordings made with the "DVR" receiver can be viewed only on the TV connected to that receiver; however, that limitation will reportedly disappear sometime reasonably early in 2008, when "Whole-Home DVR" capability (i.e., a forthcoming "software" update that will be automatically downloaded to each U-verse receiver) will allow TV programs to be scheduled, recorded and viewed via any of the receivers (TVs) throughout the home.
Beyond the three included set-top boxes, you can rent additional boxes for an extra monthly fee of $5 per box.
Dimensions:
The "DVR-capable" receiver (set-top box) measures (in inches) about: 12 (width) x 2.75 (height) x 11 (depth).
Each "standard" ("no-DVR") receiver (set-top box) measures (in inches) about: 10 (width) x 2.25 (height) x 8.5 (depth).
Photos:
To view a decent, albeit smallish, photo of a U-verse "receiver" (set-top box/DVR) at an official AT&T web site, first go to the following web page: uverse.att.com. Click the tiny "Television" link (near the center of the page); on the ensuing page, use the right-hand scroll bar to scroll all the way downward till you can see (and click) a "Learn more about the AT&T U-verse Receiver" link. The ensuing page will include a color photo of a U-verse receiver.
As for the U-verse "Gateway" box, well, I have yet to discover any top-quality online photo of it; however, as of this writing you can use the following URL to go to an independent blogger's page and (scroll downward to) view his captioned photos of both the "Gateway" and the "receiver":
http://www.highdefinitionblog.com/?page_id=286
Trust me, those two hardware components look a lot prettier in reality.
Besides, the "Channel 411" (Kim Shively-narrated) video introduction to U-verse (which anybody can now view online at YouTube via the URL that I'll provide in Section 19 below) includes nice illustrations (not photos) of both the Gateway and the receiver.
10. The U-verse infrared (IR) remote:
My words can only feebly convey the power you'll wield by taking in hand the U-verse set-top box's well-designed, multifaceted, remote-control handset. Of course, there is one such infrared remote supplied for each set-top box (TV) in your home's U-verse setup.
The ergonomically contoured remote is a pleasure to operate, given that its key layout is well conceived, and many of the keys are color-coded, conspicuously shaped, or otherwise easy to distinguish. Moreover, many of the most frequently used keys illuminate for easy readability, both day and night.
Learning the remote's functions is much easier with a little hands-on experience. Suffice it to say that with few moments of practice (following whatever tips your AT&T installer will have personally shared during the final phase of the installation process), you'll be well on your way to unleashing the power of the smartly designed U-verse system.
Of course, you don't have to rely solely on trial-and-error to master the remote's functions. AT&T provides a couple of valuable tutorials—one printed, and one audiovisual—that should answer nearly all of your questions, as I'll explain in the next section.
Keep in mind, too, that the AT&T installer will set up each of your remotes to handle your respective TVs' own "POWER" (on/off) and "VOLUME" functions. Thus, whenever you press a remote's power key (at the very top and center of the key layout), both the set-top box and the attached TV will turn on (or off); and pressing the top half of the U-verse remote's own vertically elongated "VOLUME" key will increase your TV's volume, and pressing bottom half will decrease the TV's volume.
Moreover, you can teach the U-verse remote still more commands for any of several other electronic components in your entertainment center. [Watch the pertinent U-verse "Help" video to get a general idea; but read the remote's accompanying "User Guide" (a large, foldable, printed sheet of paper) for detailed instructions.]
11. Navigating the Universe, er, U-verse:
Within about a week after you've signed up for U-verse service, AT&T will mail you several informative items; among those is a "Welcome kit" envelope containing three especially noteworthy enclosures. While none of the enclosures are absolutely necessary for your happily using U-verse, I strongly suggest that you hang on to all those helpful "references" not only for present but also future consultation.
The first "Welcome kit" enclosure is a colorful cardboard brochure that folds open to become your U-verse "Channel Directory". Not only does this large card include the channel numbers and network names for the particular U-verse channel package you've subscribed to, but also it shows (in adjacent columns) the channel numbers and network names for the other U-verse channel packages available. (Doubtless AT&T cleverly designed the card that way to entice many customers to "upgrade" their service to receive still more channels for a higher monthly payment.)
The second "Welcome kit" enclosure is an oblong, fold-open, cardboard, colorfully illustrated, "Quick Guide" brochure. AT&T's team did a very nice job producing this little item, starting with its "remote control" summary. It also shows you how to create your own onscreen, interactive "Favorites Guide" to simplify channel navigation. [To the same end, however, I strongly suggest that you customize the onscreen "Program Guide" to "hide" the many channels that you won't be regularly viewing. I'll explain why near the end of this section.] There are various other reasons to read (and periodically consult) the "Quick Guide" brochure, so do hang on to it!
The third "Welcome kit" enclosure is an oblong, 68-page booklet (entirely in English) called the "Features Guide". This is profusely illustrated with color photos, many being helpful "screen shots" of various modes of the U-verse channel-navigation system that you'll see on your TV screen. As for the booklet's text, at the start there's a nice, two-page table of contents; and at the end a useful, three-page index. In between is a wealth of well-written information teaching you step-by-step how to do pretty much everything (and more) that the average user will ever need to know to reap the power of the U-verse system. Note: To download an edition [albeit not necessarily the current, updated, 68-page edition showing the current, all-silver remote or all the new, much-improved TV-screen displays!] of the complete "Features Guide" booklet as a full-color ".pdf" document, use your web browser to enter the following URL (the download may take about one full minute):
http://helpme.att.net/pdf/uverse/uverse_feature_guide.pdf
That said, the U-verse system is so user-friendly that I didn't even open the "Features Guide" booklet till I'd been contentedly operating my new installation for nearly one week. (My AT&T installer had already sufficiently explained to me the U-verse system's most basic features anyway, plus I was quickly able to glean much else via some hands-on "trial-and-error".)
Similarly, it was nearly a week before I got around to viewing the below-discussed, three-minute "Help videos" (all of which you should probably just lean back and watch before perusing the above-mentioned "Features Guide" booklet).
My point is that the U-verse onscreen system is so "intuitive" that once you comprehend the functions of a mere handful of keys on the remote, you might never feel it necessary to consult either the booklet or the "Help" videos. That said, I strongly encourage you to (at least) view all of the (below-discussed) three-minute "Help" videos. They really make learning the U-verse "ropes" easy, quick and fun.
If you're utterly new to U-verse and aren't sure which keys to press (on any of your U-verse remote-control handsets for your respective TVs), I suggest you begin with either the "UP"/"DOWN" arrow keys (to "browse" channels) or the "MENU" key.
When you press either of the "UP"/"DOWN" arrow keys once, the TV program you're currently watching remains viewable in the upper two-thirds of your TV display, while the lower third of the TV display changes to show some white text (describing the current channel's program content) at the lower right, as well as a live-motion "picture-in-picture" of the current channel at the lower left. If you press the "UP"/"DOWN" arrow key one additional time, the lower-left "picture-in-picture" (as well as the adjacent text) will change to correspond to the next-higher (or next-lower) channel. [You can also repeatedly press the "RIGHT" arrow key to see textual descriptions of scheduled TV programs in subsequent time slots.]
If you press the "MENU" key, the TV program you're currently watching remains (more or less) viewable, but it suddenly becomes a bluish (live-motion, nearly full-screen) "background" underlying several appealingly rendered (largely textual) options or functions indicated and arranged thusly on the TV display:
Live TV / Recorded TV / Video on Demand / Options / Help
Guide
Favorites
Search
[NOTE: At least for my (non-widescreen) TVs' displays, I have to use the U-verse remote's right-arrow (cursor-control) key to scroll slightly rightward to see/select the topmost line's rightmost two choices (i.e., "Options / Help").]
If you select (highlight) the "Help" option and press the "OK" key, the screen changes to display a single (already highlighted) "Help on Demand" button. Pressing the "OK" key activates that function, and a "Help in English" (above an "Ayuda en Espanol") option appears. Press the remote's "OK" key, and you'll soon see an onscreen (vertically scrollable) menu with the following selectable, "Help Video" (boldface) categories, each of which comprises one or more (generally three-minute) videos to get you quickly up to speed regarding (almost) anything involving U-verse. [Note: a few of the following help-video titles are a bit awkwardly worded, which is AT&T's fault, not mine. I've typed them below verbatim. Also note: some of the below "Help" video content likely will be periodically updated or deleted by AT&T.]
"Browse Channels". Under this heading are the following 2 videos:
"Change Channels"
"Using Search"
"Customization". Under this heading are the following 5 videos:
"Change Language"
"Create Channel List"
"Hide Channels"
"Set Widescreen"
"Use Parental Locks"
"Make/View Recordings". Under this heading are the following 6 videos:
"Delete Cancel Recording"
"Record a Series"
"Record while Watch"
"Schedule Record"
"View Recorded Programs"
"Web Remote Access"
"Billing". Under this heading is the following video:
"Billing".
"Resolve Problems". Under this heading are the following 2 videos:
"Disruptions in Services"
"Troubleshoot"
"Online Services". Under this heading is the following video:
"Online Services"
"My U-verse Equipment". Under this heading are the following 6 videos:
"Move My Equipment"
"Program the remote"
"Use My DVR"
"Use My Equipment"
"Use PIP Browsing"
"Use the Remote"
"Video on Demand". Under this heading are the following 2 videos:
"Find VoD by Type"
"Order VoD Programs"
"Use Program Guide". Under this heading is the following video:
"Use Program Guide"
"Introduction". Under this heading is the following video:
"Introduction"
"Interactive Television Services". Under this heading are the following 2 videos:
"AT&T U-bar"
"Yellowpages.com TV"
"Phone Services". Under this heading are the following 2 videos:
"AT&T U-verse Messaging"
"AT&T U-verse Voice"
"Community Services". Under this heading is the following video:
"Public Education and Gov" [sic]
As I said, generally the above videos each last about three-minutes, and while viewing any of them you can select "play", "pause", "rewind", "fast-forward", "stop" or "start over". I found these videos not only helpful but also well produced. In most instances they feature the lovely Kim Shively explaining and demonstrating how to do this or that with the U-verse system. Many live-motion views of the various modes of the channel-navigation (TV) displays, etc., will make your U-verse "learning curve" quick, easy and enjoyable.
Given the admirable usefulness of the above "help-topic" videos, I'd be foolish to go into too much more detail regarding how to operate the U-verse remote handset to perform various common operations. But I will give you a foretaste of what else to expect with one of the onscreen modes that you'll likely be activating somewhat frequently.
Recall the following, aforementioned TV-display options:
Live TV / Recorded TV / Video on Demand / Options / Help
Guide
Favorites
Search
If you select (highlight) the "Guide" option and press the "OK" key, the screen changes to display six rows (at a time) of selectable channels on a vertically scrollable list. And to the right of each selectable channel are easy-to-decipher "time slots" for the next 90 minutes. (You can scroll horizontally to see subsequent time slots and read about scheduled programs.) At the bottom-left of the screen, there's a small, live-motion, full-color "Picture-In-Picture" displaying the next-higher (or next-lower) channel's currently available program. To the right of that "PIP", there's a brief description (nicely legible, white text) of the "PIP" channel's programming. "You need only press the aforementioned "OK" key to jump directly to full-screen presentation (with audio) of the "picture-in-picture" display.
Note: Since there was a total of 389 "channels" that I had to vertically scroll through to find the particular channels that I happen to subscribe to (or care about), using the remote and the "Channel Options" menu, I took the time (about 10 minutes) and trouble to tediously "hide" ("delete") most of the initially displayed channels (one at a time) from each of my set-top boxes' memories. Thus, from now on whenever I press the "Guide" key on a remote, channel-navigating is much quicker and more convenient.
You can achieve much the same thing in less time by creating and saving a "favorite channels" list via the "Options" menu. However, in the long run you'll likely find it a bit easier and quicker to channel-surf using your (customized) onscreen "Guide" instead of your "Favorites" list. The remote has an oversized, dedicated key (fittingly labeled "Guide") that makes continually accessing the "Guide" list even quicker and easier than continually accessing the separate "Favorites" list. This is because the "Favorites" list can generally only be accessed by using a couple of extra, tedious key presses (i.e., you must first press the remote's "Menu" key and then press the "down" arrow to highlight the "Favorites" option, and then press the "OK" key).
Therefore, I strongly suggest you do initially invest the tolerable bit of time (during which you can simultaneously enjoy a TV show) to set up the "Guide" to display only the particular channels you'll be regularly watching. You'll still always have the option of accessing any channel by inputting its number via the remote's numerical keypad. And you'll always have at hand the aforementioned printed brochure (fold-open card) listing all the channels (and their respective numbers) in the particular "channel package" to which you subscribe (not to mention all the other U-verse channel packages that you could always "upgrade" to at extra cost).
You can also select (highlight) a "Search" option and press the "OK" key, which causes the screen to display an alphanumeric grid in the left-hand third of the screen. You can use the remote's cursor-control keys (or alphanumeric keys) to highlight and enter the initial letters of any word, name, or "program title" you'd like to search for. For example, when I enter the word "dog", the resulting textual list comprises 45 selectable TV programs or movies involving "dog" or "dogs". (Some choices are movie titles, such as Dog Day Afternoon; and others are programs for dog owners or fanciers.)
12. Parental controls:
Though I myself have no need for any "home-entertainment censorship", I can assure parents and guardians that U-verse makes it easy for you to control which channels your children will be able to view, even when you're not around to supervise.
The first thing I should say under this heading is that the "Hide Channels" function (that I discussed near the end of Section 11) is itself helpful insofar as you can set things up such that certain channels aren't included among the choices displayed via U-verse's onscreen "Guide" (or, for that matter, via the remote's basic "UP/DOWN" channel-surfing keys). Thus, whenever youngsters press the remote's conspicuous "Guide" key (or the "UP/DOWN" keys), they simply won't see any "hidden" channels among the onscreen offerings.
However, "hiding" certain channels doesn't make it downright impossible to access them. Any channel's number can still be manually input via the remote's numeric keypad. Therefore, a much more reliable way to keep kids from discovering "objectionable" programming is to "set parental locking" and/or the "movie/TV-rating controls".
Press the "MENU" key and then press the RIGHT ARROW key four times to bring up the "Options" menu. Press the DOWN ARROW key twice to highlight "Parental Locking", and then press "OK".
You'll next be prompted to enter a four-digit "PIN" (personal identification number). Using the remote's numeric keypad, type any four numbers, and then press "OK". [NOTE: This is assuming that a PIN hasn't previously been set. In any case, if you get a message stating, "The PIN you entered is incorrect" (and if you don't recall any previously entered PIN), you'll need to phone AT&T (1-800-288-2020) and ask for "U-verse Technical Support" (available "24/7"). A phone representative will be able to reset your PIN and get you going.]
The next "Settings: Parental Locking" screen will allow you to control viewers' access to programming via any of the following four approaches: "Rentals"; "Channels"; "US TV Parental Guidelines"; and "Movie Ratings". Under each of those four categories of control, you can highlight the onscreen "Change" button and press "OK" on the remote. Thereafter, you'll be able to: specify whether a PIN will be required in order to rent movies; "lock" (or "unlock") one or more particular channels from being accessed; specify which "levels" (i.e., "Mature Audiences Only", "TV-14", "TV-G", etc.) of TV shows can be viewed; and/or specify which "levels" (i.e., "NC-17", "R", "PG-13", or "G") of movies can be viewed.
Once you make any such changes within the "Settings: Parental Locking" screen, you can select "Save", "Don't Save", or "Unlock All". You can also select "Turn off locking" or "Change PIN". Once you exit the "Settings: Parental Locking" screen, you (or your children) won't be able to reenter it without the correct PIN. Thus, the only way your kids could defeat your imposed "censorship" would be by phoning U-verse Technical Support; and IF that department is doing its job properly (and that's admittedly always a noteworthy "IF"), your youngster(s) probably wouldn't get very far trying that stratagem.
I can imagine that a minority of parents/guardians might get a tad carried away with all the "power" they'll wield as self-proclaimed "movie/TV censors". I could pity the rare teen whose imperious parent limits him/her to accessing only "G-rated" flicks or shows. ;-)
13. Using the Web (PC, phone or handset) or remote to find/record a TV program or series:
First, let me mention that recording a show or series the "old-fashioned" way (sitting in front of your TV at home) is itself plenty easy. Just press the infrared remote's red "RECORD" key once to record the currently selected TV program (episode); press that key a second time to record the entire series of episodes; or press that key a third time to cancel recording. Alternatively, you can press the remote's "MENU" key and follow the onscreen prompts to record the current program or to schedule recordings of future (scheduled) programs. Up to four recordings can take place simultaneously (in the same time slot); otherwise, the only limit to what you can schedule is that which is imposed by the DVR's own maximum capacity of 120 hours of standard-definition digital content (or 24 hours of high-definition content).
But the bigger news is that, alternatively (unlike cable TV services), U-verse allows you to program your (included) AT&T/Motorola DVR from anywhere you have Web access. [Along with using your—or anyone else's—computer, you can use any web-accessible wireless phone or handset.] To do this, you'll log in to your AT&T/Yahoo homepage (by entering your AT&T/Yahoo email address and password), and then (via a pull-down menu) you'll almost effortlessly (with a single mouse click) instantly install a little "U-verse TV" tab at the far right (and in the upper half) of your display. Thereafter, that discreet little "U-verse TV" tab will always remain visible and clickable whenever you view your AT&T/Yahoo homepage. If you simply click that tab, the U-verse "(Channel/Program) Guide" will immediately load and be displayed within a separate window (that you can click to maximize to "full-screen" size).
Alternatively, you can momentarily hold your mouse cursor over that little "U-verse TV" tab (on your AT&T/Yahoo homepage) without clicking it. Doing this, you'll see a somewhat larger, "module" box drop down. Within the latter "box", you'll see the following four captioned, clickable links:
Guide:
Browse and schedule recordings.
Recorded:
Manage your recorded shows.
Scheduled:
Manage your scheduled recordings.
Series:
Manage your series subscriptions.
For present purposes, I'll focus on the onscreen "Guide". Clicking that option will take you to your U-verse "Web Remote" page. On that page you can either enter the desired channel number or just browse (vertically scroll) through the complete list of channels that you subscribe to. Then you can do some quick and easy mouse clicking to check out the scheduled TV programs in the current or future time slots (up to a full week ahead).
Alternatively, you can enter any keyword in the "search" field to display all scheduled TV shows (on your various channels) pertaining to that keyword. You can then click any of the displayed links to read a brief description of a show's content, etc., before scheduling a DVR recording of the show by clicking either the "Record this show only" or the "Record entire series" button.
This "Web-access" DVR-programming feature works splendidly. It relays my input instructions almost instantaneously to my U-verse DVR set-top box. And I greatly enjoy browsing my current/scheduled U-verse TV channels' program content via my PC, where it's somewhat easier to read and manipulate onscreen via a mouse (than on a TV screen via an infrared remote)! And I can imagine that (at work whenever things get slow) lots of clever U-verse subscribers—via their computers, wireless phones or handsets—now and again indulge in some surreptitious fun planning and prerecording their nightly and weekend TV-watching sessions via their personal "Web Remotes"!
14. Video on Demand ("VoD"):
IMPORTANT NOTE: My below discussion of "FREE on Demand" movie titles pertains to the following three (lower-cost) U-verse "channel packages": U-Family; U100; and U200. However, if you (unlike me) subscribe to either the U300 or the U400 channel package, you'll reportedly see MANY more (and MUCH better) "FREE on Demand" movie titles available. Given the latter two channel packages' higher monthly costs, that seems only fair! ;-) But note that the RENTABLE (not-free) VoD titles that you'll see available will remain the same—regardless of which channel package you subscribe to. [The latter statement is according to an AT&T/U-verse phone representative; I can't absolutely verify its veracity.]
As if all the usual, "cable-like" channels weren't enough, U-verse also offers many hundreds of shows and movies that you can selectively and immediately view at your convenience—without leaving your easy chair. Some of these videos are free, and many more are conveniently rentable without your having to whip out your plastic or green.
Important note to parents/guardians/spouses/roommates/etc.: To control who is able to rent any "not-free" VoD titles, you can set up a "PIN" number, etc., as I explained in Section 12 above.
To access the Video On Demand (VoD) menu, press the remote's "MENU" key; then press the "RIGHT ARROW" key twice. You'll see the following menu:
Featured
Video Store
Current Rentals
Free on Demand
Search Video on Demand
If you select "Featured", the next screen displays one option: "Spotlight". Pressing "OK" calls up a "Three Day Rental" option. Additionally, there may be a second option (which, as I write this, happens to be a free "Dave Matthews Band Concert"). Selecting ""Three Day Rental" produces a menu of movie titles, each of which can be rented for $3.00 to $5.00. Among the "three-dollar" options are such movies as Bad Company, Cold Creek Manor, and Moonlight Mile. Among the "five-dollar" options are Meet the Robinsons, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and Ratatouille. For each title that you highlight, you can press "OK" to see more information regarding its subject matter, cast, and length. You can also watch a preview. You need only press "OK" to proceed to rent the movie for the specified period. The cost will simply be added to your next monthly U-verse bill. [I'll explain "Paying for your VOD rentals" further below in this section.]
Of course, you can "back out" and return to any of the previous screen displays by pressing the "BACK" key as many times as you like.
If you select the above "Video Store" option, the following three categories will appear:
Movies
Events on Demand
Special Interest
If you select the "Movies" option, you'll see a menu comprising such options as "All Movies", "By Category", "En Espanol", "New Releases", "Movie Extras", "Three Day Rental" and "International". If you select the "All Movies" option, you'll see a menu comprising (as of this writing) 577 movies of various kinds. Rental prices currently range from $2.00 to $5.00 [however, a week ago I fleetingly noticed some sort of unusual, "limited-availability" title that could be briefly rented for—if memory serves—a whopping ten bucks or more!]. For example, currently I could rent the following movies: "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai" ($2.00); "The Alamo" ($3.00); "Alien Autopsy" ($4.00); "Disney Princess Enchanted Tales — Follow Your Dreams" ($5.00). Most titles only cost $2.00.
If you select the above "Current Rentals" option, the resulting screen displays all titles (if any) that you're currently renting. Each such rented title's "available time" is likewise shown.
If you select the above "Free on Demand" option, the resulting screen displays various videos (many of them very brief) that you can immediately watch for free (i.e., they're already included as part of your basic U-verse package). Initially, the following menu options are displayed: "All Shows", "Kids—Family", "Music", "Comedy Showcase", "Sports", "Movie Extras," "En Espanol," "Entertainment—Lifestyle," and "Cutting Edge". If you select the "All Shows" option, you'll see a menu comprising (as of this writing) 449 titles of various kinds. The "Dave Matthews Concert" (from "AT&T's Rally at West Point") has a duration of one hour, 17 minutes. By contrast (as of this writing), the "NFL Network on Demand" offers a replay of "highlights from each of this week's NFL Divisional playoff games" (duration: 10 minutes). And "A Life Once Lost—Firewater Joyride" (from the album Iron Gag) plays (IMO) a monotonous a/v music video (duration: thankfully only three minutes). Other "free" videos (in sundry categories) that I randomly sampled had varying durations of about three, seven, twelve, or thirty minutes (or occasionally longer). By and large, the general brevity—not to mention the generally unexciting nature—of the available "free" titles made me reflect anew that we generally get what we pay for! I must say that U-verse's "Free on Demand" menu (i.e., the assortment of free titles included with my cut-rate U-Family channel package) isn't something I'll be frequently revisiting, especially not when my favored TV channels (i.e., "The Science Channel", "History International", etc.)—not to mention the occasional blockbuster on DVD—already keep me continually and contentedly occupied.
If you select the "Search Video on Demand" option, you'll see a screen prompting you to "Type a program title to search for Video on Demand rentals." Alternatively, you can "Choose 'Options' for more search choices and additional keyboard characters." Basically, "searching" for VoD titles works exactly like searching for TV-show titles (as I explained in Section 11 above). For example, when I "search" on the character string "DOG", the resulting display lists 16 titles, including "The Shaggy Dog"; "Year of the Dog"; "Doggy-Style"; and "Harry the Dirty Dog".
From what I've seen via the "free" VoD titles that I've played (not to mention the critical remarks by bloggers regarding the rentable movies), the quality of the VoD videos is (more or less) "good" but not as sharp, vivid and dynamic as what you can get via today's state-of-the-art DVD's. Consequently, I don't expect to be renting many, if any, of the many available VoD titles. When it comes to modern Hollywood movies per se, I would think that Netflix (or sometimes merely a visit to your public library) would seem a better deal for the majority of home-theater-owning consumers. That said, reportedly there are plenty of blissfully addicted "VoD junkies" out there, and I'm sure there will be more than a few U-verse subscribers who will feel that the convenience of not dealing with a Netflix membership—or repeated trips to their neighborhood "Blockbuster" stores—makes U-verse's VoD rentals seem worth the cost. Moreover, a minority of the U-verse VoD titles might not be available via Netflix or any other convenient or affordable source.
Paying for your VOD rentals is convenient. According to the U-verse "Features Guide" booklet (page 33):
"On your AT&T U-verse bill, each of your on-demand rentals will be listed individually by title with associated rental cost. Note: Any adult Video on Demand programming will be noted without title."
As I mentioned above, I've opted to pay all my AT&T services (i.e., conventional telephone as well as U-verse) in lump sums via automatic, monthly withdrawals directly from my bank account. It's nice to know that payment of any VoD rentals would likewise be handled for me in that conveniently automatic fashion.
15. How to learn more about U-verse (including availability in your area) at AT&T's web site:
Use the below URL to go to the AT&T U-verse homepage:
https://uverse.att.com/un/launchAMSS.do
Once you're at the AT&T U-verse homepage, there are several links you can click:
"My Account". After clicking that link, you can log in by entering your AT&T/Yahoo email address and password; thereafter you can click any of various displayed links, including:
"View/Edit My Account Information";
"Solve/Report a Problem";
"View Recently Ordered Movies and Events";
"View my AT&T U-verse bill";
"Pay my AT&T U-verse bill".
[NOTE: Regarding various approaches—online or otherwise—to paying your monthly U-verse bills, see Section 18 below.]
"Availability". After clicking that link, you can enter your address (or AT&T phone number) to find out if U-verse service is available in your location.
"Shop". After clicking that link, you're taken to a page displaying (among other things) a little "Channel Guide" link at the far right. Clicking that link will take you to a page where you can enter your zip code, after which you can see which channels/networks are included in each of the following six U-verse channel packages: U-Family; U100; U200; U300; U400; and HD.
"Demos and Tours". After clicking that link, you'll have access to several links allowing the newcomer to learn more about various ways in which U-verse works.
16. Another way to learn more about U-verse at AT&T's web site:
Use the following URL to go to :
https://uverse.att.com/un/launchAMSS.do
Once you're at the AT&T U-verse homepage, see the little "Television" link (in the center of the page, beneath the word "Together"). Clicking that link takes you to another page where you can see the "Compare Packages" link at the far right. Clicking that link brings up a separate window. Maximizing that window displays a handy "comparison chart" detailing the U-verse channel packages' respective costs, features, channels/networks, and "rebates" (if any). NOTE: I myself chose the U-family channel package; and though no "rebate" is shown for that package on the aforementioned web page, by phoning AT&T (1-800-288-2020) to inquire about signing up for U-verse, I was offered a $50 "rebate" (as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee). Therefore, don't necessarily trust either the "telephone-sales" or the "on-line sales" departments to give you the best deal. Instead, compare both approaches' details before deciding which way to sign up for the U-verse channel package you prefer.
17. Suggestion to prevent problems in case of future household power outages or spikes:
Though each of the U-verse set-top boxes—as well as the U-verse "Gateway" box (a.k.a. the "modem" or "router")—will normally be able to reset themselves after being unplugged from electricity (or after an electrical-power outage has ended), an AT&T phone rep (as well as an AT&T U-verse techie/installer) informed me that occasionally there could be service interruptions involving one or more of my U-verse set-top boxes (and perhaps the U-verse "Gateway") to such a degree that an AT&T techie might have to come to my house to resolve the situation. They said that therefore I should (ideally) never unplug the Gateway or any of the set-top boxes from electricity.
Hearing that, I decided to reduce (if not eliminate) the potential for any such future connectivity or operational hassles with my house-wide U-verse setup. My solution was to purchase three uninterruptible power supplies (with battery backup capability) from Circuit City. Such units can be found for about $30 to $40 apiece, and they also provide surge/spike protection superior to that of your ordinary (dirt-cheap) "power strip".
I plugged each U-verse set-top box—as well as the U-verse "Gateway" (a.k.a. the U-verse "modem" or "router")—into an "UPS with battery-backup" unit. [Moreover, I simultaneously plugged in several adjacent electronic entertainment components to each "8-outlet" UPS.] Though my purchase of those UPS units was arguably unnecessary, I feel better having that extra degree of "long-term, hassle-free, entertainment insurance" in place.
18. Your delightful monthly U-verse bill-payment options:
First, note that if you simultaneously subscribe to AT&T telephone service(s), you will be billed separately for that. As of this writing, AT&T handles their "U-verse" services (more or less) separately from their telephone services. [Rumor has it that AT&T is already planning to (at some point in the not-too-distant future) simplify everything by more seamlessly integrating their "U-verse" department with their "phone" department. Till then, reconcile yourself to paying your AT&T "U-verse" bill separately from your AT&T "phone" bill. In my opinion, that's all the more reason to request (set up) automatic (hassle-free) monthly bill-pay.]
There is one automatic monthly bill-pay approach available:
Your credit (or debit) card can be automatically (electronically) debited each month. It's pretty easy to set up this service in either of two ways. You can phone 1-800-288-2020 (and wade through two or three simple, preliminary, recorded questions) and then speak to an AT&T U-verse billing representative, who can establish that automatic-payment service for you. Alternatively, you can use your computer to go online to "uverse.att.com" and click the "My Account" tab to log in by entering your AT&T/Yahoo email address and password, after which you can click the "Pay my AT&T U-verse bill" link and, subsequently, the "Setup/update automatic payments" link.
To "manually" (not "automatically") pay your U-verse bill each month, you can do any of the following:
You can go online (as explained above) and submit a credit/debit card (or electronic bank-account-withdrawal) payment via the above-mentioned "uverse.att.com" web site.
You can phone AT&T (as explained above) and use their "Quick Services automated system to pay by phone or to make payment arrangements."
You can phone AT&T (as explained above) and speak to an AT&T U-verse billing representative. (Have ready your credit/debit card information—including (if applicable) the three-digit "security code" at the far right on the back of the card. Also, to expedite things (just in case you're asked), be ready to say your (previously set up) "U-verse four-digit password code", not to mention (perhaps) the three-digit AT&T phone-service "customer code" (as it appears to the right of your phone number on your AT&T "monthly (phone-bill) statement".) Finally (near the conclusion of your call), be prepared to hear the solicitous AT&T rep pitch some optional "cell phone" (or other AT&T) service. Ain't life fun? ;-)
Finally, if you're a check-writin', stamp-lovin' troglodyte (!) you can even send each monthly payment via good old snail mail. As of this writing, the address to use is:
ATTN: AT&T U-verse
P.O. Box 660140
Dallas, TX 75266-0140
AT&T graciously reminds you to:
"Remember to return the first page of the bill with your payment;
"Write your account number on the check;
and
"Please do NOT send cash."
19. "HELP!" [Including three swell YouTube videos!]
Should you find yourself downright overwhelmed, fear not. Help is at hand via your trusty U-verse remote handset. Just "dial 411" on its keypad, and the captivating Kim Shively will materialize [I can dream!] in an introductory help video to explain how to make it to (at least) first base in your mastery of the U-verse system. [Many additional help videos on specialized U-verse topics are likewise available via the U-verse "Help" menu. Feel free to review my discussion—and complete list—of those (mostly) Kim Shively-narrated videos within Section 11 above.]
VIEW THAT VIDEO ONLINE NOW:
[UPDATE INSERTED HERE ON 12-16-2008: I JUST NOTICED THAT THE "CHANNEL 411" VIDEO (DIRECTLY BELOW) IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. (SHUCKS!) HOWEVER, THE NEXT ("BONUS") VIDEO (THAT I MENTION SLIGHTLY FURTHER BELOW) IS STILL AVAILABLE (AS OF THIS WRITING)!]
Moreover, that "Channel 411" introductory help video is available "24/7" not only to current U-verse subscribers but also to anyone with access to the World Wide Web! As of this writing, you can use the below URL to behold a (regrettably blurry) "YouTube" edition of that video (plus a bit of appended content). Check it out:
youtube.com/watch?v=bcpLl50Rx58&feature=related
TWO "BONUS" VIDEOS:
Also thanks to YouTube, there are still more supplemental (and amusing) video clips about U-verse. In this vein, whatever you do, don't miss the following video starring the effervescent (!) Bobby Choice, who "demos" U-verse in his living room!
youtube.com/watch?v=X3bwNz-mMig&NR=1
Yet another YouTube video is by Alan Weinkrantz, who reviews U-Guide, AT&T's monthly magazine that's delivered free to U-verse subscribers. [Note: Mr. Weinkrantz was evidently a pioneering U-verse user, and his video is six months old. I just received my first (February 2008) issue of U-Guide, and I must say its content is not nearly as lavish as Mr. Weinkrantz's August 2007 issue, whose inner pages are shown in the below video. In fact, the current issue is largely a 20-page "advertisement" calculated to prompt subscribers to order various Video on Demand content or to upgrade their current channel packages. (Perhaps February's is a "leaner and meaner" issue than usual?) Nonetheless, I appreciate that the inner rear cover still comprises an updated "Channel Directory" reflecting recent channel-lineup changes (and tailored to each subscriber's own city via the inclusion of all "local" channels). However, a listing for my (entry-level, 50-channel) "U-Family" package is conspicuously not included.] Anyway, here's the URL for Mr. Weinkrantz's YouTube video (scroll downward on the resulting web page to see the video):
alanweinkrantz.typepad.com/3screens/2007/08/u-verse-u-guide.html
The "U-talk" online forum:
Another resource (equally available to U-verse subscribers and non-subscribers) is AT&T's U-verse "U-talk" online forum (http://utalk.att.com). Here you can freely register, sign in, and exchange "ideas and tips for enjoying AT&T U-verse service" with other cyberspace denizens.
"Help me, AT&T!":
Finally, once you have your AT&T/Yahoo email address established, you can always search for various kinds of help regarding any of your AT&T online services at:
http://helpme.att.net
After logging in to that site (by—if prompted—entering your ATT/Yahoo email address), you can click any of seemingly countless help-category links, or you can enter and "search" on keywords of your choice. Be especially sure to note the "Alerts" box near the upper-left of that site's homepage. It may well contain noteworthy information pertaining to your U-verse service. For example, as I write this I see within that box a link for the following topic: "What is the AT&T U-verse Service Advisory?" Clicking that link takes me to a page that (among other things) states:
"Before contacting Technical Support, you may wish to log in to 'AT&T U-verse Central' and check the 'AT&T U-verse Service Advisory' status.
The 'Service Advisory' is located in the upper right of the Main page of 'AT&T U-verse Central' and may contain steps that could correct an issue you're experiencing."
20. Summary:
Conventional cable TV providers—such as Time Warner, Comcast, Cox and Charter—are finally going to face big-time competition from more than the likes of DirecTV. Although U-verse currently is only available in a limited number of states and localities, AT&T is determined to forge ahead with their powerful and enticingly priced Internet-protocol TV/Internet service. [A major competitor in some states (not mine) is Verizon FiOS, which provides technologically advanced, "fiber-to-the-premises" telephone/Internet/TV service. However, read my remarks in Section 1 regarding several reported, significant shortcomings of Verizon FiOS.]
Bearing in mind the realities of the "pay-TV" marketplace, I could hardly be more pleased with my affordable U-verse service. For only $30 (including all "hidden" charges) more than what I was formerly paying AT&T just for basic landline telephone plus DSL Internet, I now get both of those things plus more than enough TV channels to keep me continually captivated. My entry-level, "U-Family" 50-channel package allows me to receive "better-than-cable-quality" TV service for less what I'd have to pay Comcast for their most comparable entry-level service, which, admittedly, would include more channels (albeit with just one set-top box, no DVR, and no "picture-in-picture" channel surfing). But with AT&T U-verse, an ultra-frugal consumer like me now has a choice. [And, even with my "cut-rate, entry-level" U-verse channel package, I still get three digital, HD-ready set-top boxes (one of which encompasses an incredible, Web-programmable DVR) and "picture-in-picture" channel surfing—at no extra charge!]
For the majority of consumers (who will demand still more channels than what the entry-level "U-Family" package provides), U-verse still provides more bang for the buck via their U200, U300, and U400 channel packages. Not only are three set-top boxes (receivers) included at no additional monthly cost [excepting the unique "U-100" channel package, which only includes one (non-DVR) set-top box unless you pay extra], but—I repeat—one of those three boxes encompasses the aforementioned DVR that (unlike cable-TV providers' extra-cost counterparts) you can even program (from virtually anywhere on the planet) via the World Wide Web (i.e., just log into your AT&T/Yahoo account via any Web-accessible computer, wireless phone or other device). Furthermore, the TV-screen user interface—including "picture-in-picture" in various selectable channel-navigation modes—is spiffier and more powerful than what conventional cable TV services provide.
I always love getting a better product for less money, and I suspect that countless other consumers will increasingly feel the same way as they opt to "cut the cable" and explore the ever-expanding U-verse.
***
21. Addendum:
See your personalized weather, stock-market, sports, and local-traffic updates—without leaving the current TV show!
On the U-verse remote there’s a fairly conspicuous little yellow, triangular key bearing the letter "A". (This key is located directly below the cursor-control keys and somewhat to the left.) Pressing either this key or the "Go Interactive" key (above and to the right of the cursor-control keys) will modestly reduce the size of the "primary display" for your currently selected TV show; thus you can continue enjoying that program. But it simultaneously loads a so-called "U-bar" displaying information to the left and beneath the TV show displayed in the primary window.
The U-bar displays some of the same newsworthy information that you can view on your computer by logging on to your AT&T/Yahoo homepage and (if necessary) "personalizing" (customizing) that page via a little mouse clicking such that the following categories of continually updated information appear:
Weather;
Stocks;
Sports;
Once you "personalize" the respective settings for the above three categories, you can behold them anytime you like—right on your TV screen—via either of the aforementioned keys on your U-verse remote.
Additionally, the on-TV-screen U-bar displays a fourth category, "Traffic", which is continually updated to report significant traffic problems or delays in your city.
You can press the adjacent "EXIT" key to exit the U-bar and return to a normal, full-screen display of your currently selected TV program.
The U-bar feature is just another example of the advantages (and potential) of AT&T's "Internet Protocol" TV as opposed to other providers' conventional services.
***
Special thanks to Howard Creech for seeing that "U-verse" got added to Epinions.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 59 (TV&www)
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Epinions.com ID:
henry_thoreau
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Member: Mike
Location: Olathe, KS USA
Reviews written: 214
Trusted by: 247 members
About Me:
Our children will enjoy electrical energy too cheap to meter. ~Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, 1954
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