# New Opinions Re: DTV vs. U-Verse



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

As I keep getting bombarded with U-Verse salespeople, emails and mail adverts I thought it might be a good time to once again ask other Directv users their opinion of DTV vs. U-Verse. We've been with DTV for about 10 years so I'm a veteran of all the ups and downs with DTV, especially DTV HD. I must say we are quite happy with DTV yet thought it would be prudent to get an update. BTW, I'm still running the 'ol faithful 20-700.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

From what little I've heard, "their" MPEG-4 HD is about 4 Mb/s, verses "our" MPEG-4 being twice that.


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

2 words describes Uverse PQ...Overly compressed.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> 2 words describes Uverse PQ...Overly compressed.


aka widescreen SD :lol:


----------



## vbedford (Jul 25, 2008)

My folks have it.

It's OK.

The boxes are a little faster and the ui is a little less barbaric compared
to dtv.d 

But dtv is still my choice better hd quality and more channels.


----------



## Brandon428 (Mar 21, 2007)

I have a friend who has U-Verse and I don't know if it's just him or U-Verse but the internet would drop to a crawl when people would watch multiple TVs in the house. If you can't get FIOS thenI'd stick with Directv or Dish.


----------



## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

1953 said:


> As I keep getting bombarded with U-Verse salespeople, emails and mail adverts I thought it might be a good time to once again ask other Directv users their opinion of DTV vs. U-Verse. We've been with DTV for about 10 years so I'm a veteran of all the ups and downs with DTV, especially DTV HD. I must say we are quite happy with DTV yet thought it would be prudent to get an update. BTW, I'm still running the 'ol faithful 20-700.


Major question - how many sets do you have, how many are HD. On Uverse you are only allow 4 streams. Depending on your distance from the vrad this can mean between 1 and 3 HD streams(3 is rare right now). You also can only have 1 dvr and it does not take external drives. If I recall correctly they are rolling out a update for a XBox-360 to act either as a STB or a DVR but not sure if it is nationwide yet. they claim you can record 4 shows at once now - but what they forget to tell you is that you cannot watch live TV if you are recording 4 shows

You internet will be affected dpedning on the profile and how many sets are streaming video at the time.


----------



## Glen_D (Oct 21, 2006)

Brandon428 said:


> If you can't get FIOS thenI'd stick with Directv or Dish.


My understanding is that there is virtually no overlap in service areas between U-verse or FIOS. So if you are getting bombarded by U-verse marketing, it's very doubtful FIOS is in your market.

I know Verizon announced a while back they were suspending expansion of FIOS territory. Did they ever resume?


----------



## jpl (Jul 9, 2006)

Glen_D said:


> I know Verizon announced a while back they were suspending expansion of FIOS territory. Did they ever resume?


Nope... not yet, but there are rumblings it's going to happen soon. So far they're committing to continuing roll out in areas that already have franchise agreements. That's about the only new deployment that they're currently doing.


----------



## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

DirecTV...no contest.


----------



## DetIrish (Nov 17, 2010)

I just dropped U-verse TV for D* because of the PQ when watching sports on my 55" Sony LCD. There are things I liked better about U-verse like the fast channel changing, less cluttered guide (no stupid infomercial channels either), better iPhone app, but overall I like D* better. The PQ wasn't terrible on U-verse and I really only noticed the pixelation when watching sports but D* definitely has a superior picture.

I also couldn't pass up the cost savings with D* (at least the first year until the rebates and referral credits are up). After that the cost is about the same. I did keep U-verse for the internet and home phone which I've been very happy with, no problems at all. 

The HD channel offerings are pretty close between the two. Uverse had E!, Style, and DIY in HD, D* does not (the wife cares, not me). I don't subscribe to any of the extra sports/movie packages so programming is pretty much the same from what I can tell, i.e. U-verse U200 vs D* Choice Xtra.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

There is no commitment to get Uverse so why not try it yourself side by side? Get your Uverse Internet (which totally rocks!) and get the TV installed as well, get your $200-$300 in rebates and if you don't like the TV service then cancel it as soon as your rebates process (30-45 days) and keep the rocking Internet. Then AT&T basically paid *you* a couple hundred bucks to try it out.


----------



## tkrandall (Oct 3, 2003)

bonscott87 said:


> There is no commitment to get Uverse so why not try it yourself side by side? Get your Uverse Internet (which totally rocks!) and get the TV installed as well, get your $200-$300 in rebates and if you don't like the TV service then cancel it as soon as your rebates process (30-45 days) and keep the rocking Internet. Then AT&T basically paid *you* a couple hundred bucks to try it out.


Keep in mind that AT&T wants to get rid of all POTS analog switched based phone lines, and the big push on u-verse has much to do with their desire to get people off of that infrastructure, and totally onto non-utility-regulated communication IP based services. They will push very hard to require you to cancel your POTS line if you go u-verse.


----------



## PCampbell (Nov 18, 2006)

Try it, I did and I droped the TV after 30 days. The HD was not as good as Directv but the internet is great and the phone is good, only 35 a month unlimited US calling.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

tkrandall said:


> Keep in mind that AT&T wants to get rid of all POTS analog switched based phone lines, and the big push on u-verse has much to do with their desire to get people off of that infrastructure, and totally onto non-utility-regulated communication IP based services. They will push very hard to require you to cancel your POTS line if you go u-verse.


So? You don't have to if you don't want to. Plus you can order everything online if you want and never talk to a person.

Then again, I haven't had a POTS line for 7+ years now so I could care less.


----------



## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

1953 said:


> As I keep getting bombarded with U-Verse salespeople, emails and mail adverts I thought it might be a good time to once again ask other Directv users their opinion of DTV vs. U-Verse. We've been with DTV for about 10 years so I'm a veteran of all the ups and downs with DTV, especially DTV HD. I must say we are quite happy with DTV yet thought it would be prudent to get an update. BTW, I'm still running the 'ol faithful 20-700.


I made this post in January of '09 after my inlaws got UVerse. Flash forward 2 years and about the only change is that the HR24 has narrowed the gap a little on the DVR speed. My parents recently converted from DirecTV (HD) to UVerse but I really haven't had an opportunity to see what their installation is like or what their impressions are.



> My in-laws, both 70+, just had the full system installed. They seem to like it and it has some features that really work well for them. One is that the Channel changing (surfing, guide, key enter) is lightning fast. This is good for them as this is their first experience with a guide-based service and it is still a foreign concept to them. They just grab the handy channel listing and find the number they need to push in, or plain old surf up and down. Try as I might to push them into exploring the on-screen guide concept, I just don't know if I will be able to succeed. The recording capacity is much less, but I don't see that becoming an issue, EVER!
> The bundling of the services also is very nice for them as it saves quite a few bucks, provides a very fast internet connection (that she is largely afraid of) and gives them a single point for support when they need it.
> The HD offering, channel-wise, is equal to if not slightly better than D* although the PQ is slightly softer. To their eyes, however, it is crytal clear. The SD quality is significantly better than D*, which is good since without the guide they tend to tune the first number they find for a channel which is always the SD version.
> If D* is not an option, I would certainly recommned it, as a matter of fact, D* has some work to do in the next year to keep me from exploring the change for myself.


Another point I will make is that the internet service is hands down the best value around here for price vs. speed. I just wish they would get it rolled out in my area dangit...

But if more than 2 HD Streams are needed, FUH_GET_IT.


----------



## jjfeo (Dec 9, 2009)

A year ago, I swtich from D* to U-Verse. Like the other posts after 30 days I went back to D*. I will give you this piece of advice. If you are going to try U-Verse, do not get rid of D*.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

jjfeo said:


> I will give you this piece of advice. If you are going to try U-Verse, do not get rid of D*.


Definitely. Compare both side by side. No reason to cancel DirecTV and then have the hassle of getting it reconnected.

My personal opinion is that Uverse is pretty strong price and channel selection wise. Depending on your area though the HD picture quality may disappoint and you may be limited to 2 HD at once. If neither of those are a concern then Uverse TV may be good for ya.


----------



## tkrandall (Oct 3, 2003)

bonscott87 said:


> So? You don't have to if you don't want to. Plus you can order everything online if you want and never talk to a person.
> 
> Then again, I haven't had a POTS line for 7+ years now so I could care less.


I meant it only as an FYI.

I have read stories such as on dslreports where AT&T will either not even let you order u-verse without cx your current POTS service, or they just don't say anything until the day of the install, at which point the customer is made aware the POTS service has to be sacrificed.

There are certain service such as wired alarm monitoring that do not work well with VOIP, even to this day.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

tkrandall said:


> I meant it only as an FYI.
> 
> I have ready stories such as on dslreports where AT&T will either not even let you order u-verse without cx your current POTS service, or they just don't say anything until the day of the install, at which point the customer is made aware the POTS service has to be sacrificed.
> 
> There are certain service such as wired alarm monitoring that do not work well with VOIP, even to this day.


No problem, understood. Must be a change because they never asked me. Then again AT&T doesn't have POTS service around here anyway for the most part.


----------



## Alexandrepsf (Oct 26, 2005)

I finally dropped Comcrap's Phone/Internet service for UVerse. I decided to try out their TV service for 30 days.

To be honest, it is not that bad. 

PROS:
Their box is very responsive. 
MRV works like a charm, no delay in playbacks or trick plays. (I wish DirecTV can give us this one some day)
They have a nice UI. 
There are much more movie channels (than DirecTV). 
I did not count, but I think they should have as much HD channels as DirecTV does.
They have few other channels that look interesting as well (such as CNN International, or OWN for my wife). 
I am in an area where I can record 4 HD channels simultaneously.
Their Internet/Phone service rocks (compared to Comcrap).
You can see that they are working on the boxes to make it better. There are some ideas that i think are taken from DirecTV boxes. Give them a couple of years and they will have a very good DVR Box.

Now Cons:
Product is still half baked. 
The DVR crashed multiple times, the only way to bring it back is to reboot which sucked as couple of times I was in the middle of recording something.
Their search functionality is archaic and way behind DirecTV. 
You need literally 8 clicks on your remote to turn Close Captioning on)
PQ is not bad but not as crisp as DirecTV. They have huge problems with 5.1 Audio (does not work with my system).
Some of the important channels for me (Gol TV, FSC) are still SD.
NO PRO SPORT PACKAGE. Deal beaker for me.

In conclusion. 
If you are a regular TV viewer or a movie fan and would like to save some bucks go for it, their service is not that bad. But if the quality of the product and streamed picture matters to you, or you are a sport fan just forget it.

BTW, at the end of the trial I stayed with DirecTV.

Cheers,
Alex


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

> Definitely. Compare both side by side. No reason to cancel DirecTV and then have the hassle of getting it reconnected.


Never thought about that... 
Are you saying:

Leave the D* as is.
Get AT$T out to install UV and try it out?
Then if I dont like the TV portion, cancel that and keep the Phone and internet and keep my D?
-----
I like this idea, since I am unhappy with the $45.00 pr mo Pacbell/AT$T charges me now that I dumped my phone line and trimmed down to Direct DSL ..... I have Vonage on that for $14.95 pr mo.

I am out of contract with D* with all "owned" SD stuff and the protection plan, and have been considering this HD from D* or U-Verse...Since we just bought an HD Plasma. It looks good with our upconverted SD so we aren't totally unhappy, yet.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

vidguy said:


> Never thought about that...
> Are you saying:
> 
> Leave the D* as is.
> ...


I'm not leaving DTV and currently have conventional AT&T phone with unlimited long distance and Pro level DSL internet service. After quickly looking into converting over to U-Verse phone and higher speed U-Verse internet I discovered the U-Verse costs higher.

vidguy, if you do price U-Verse phone and internet please post what you think of the costs.

Thanks.


----------



## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

U-verse offers a great bundle deal in terms of cost, but the quality of it's HD pictures is no more than satisfactory. DirecTV offers tv only, but with higher quality HD pictures at a higher cost. Take your pick.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

vidguy said:


> Never thought about that...
> Are you saying:
> 
> Leave the D* as is.
> ...


Sure. Why would you have to cancel DirecTV first? I would never cancel what I have now until I'm satisfied with a new service. Heck, you could have DirecTV, cable, Uverse and even Dish all at the same time if you wanted. No need to cancel anything until you want to.


----------



## akw4572 (Sep 8, 2005)

bonscott87 said:


> Sure. Why would you have to cancel DirecTV first? I would never cancel what I have now until I'm satisfied with a new service. Heck, you could have DirecTV, cable, Uverse and even Dish all at the same time if you wanted. No need to cancel anything until you want to.


Absolutely. I wish I'd have done that when I got suckered into switching to cable. I've since switched back, and wish I would have never cancelled DTV.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

Signed up today to switch from AT&T land line phone and Pro level DSL Internet (_Downstream speed up to 3.0 Mbps_) to U-verse digital phone and high speed Internet (_Downstream Speed Up to 12 Mbps_).

Of course I'm staying with Directv.

I'll let you know how it goes after the Jan. 5th install.


----------



## redram38 (Dec 7, 2005)

bonscott87 said:


> Sure. Why would you have to cancel DirecTV first? I would never cancel what I have now until I'm satisfied with a new service. Heck, you could have DirecTV, cable, Uverse and even Dish all at the same time if you wanted. No need to cancel anything until you want to.


If you do this be very careful and watch what the installer is doing. I was going to do this and before I knew it the installer had cut some of my Directv lines. I told them on the front end we were keeping Directv. He told me if we were keeping DTV we had to pay a $75.00 per line fee to run extra cable for Uverse. He did not fix the mess he created and I cannot get AT&T back out to get rid of their phone cable that is running from my house to the box. The cable is just laying in the yard. I had to get Directv to come out and fix the TV, and my alarm co had to come out and fix the mess they created with the phone. I would not go back to AT&T if they were the only option and dial up and OTA was my only option. To each his own but that was the worst experience I have ever had with techs and companies of any kind period....


----------



## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

M-I-L has Uverse. PQ is ok on her 42" Vizio LCD, but not up to what D* has. I think it would suck on my 70". She can only get 2 HD streams due to her distance from VRad. No a big deal to her as she still watches stuff in SD. 

She lives alone, so for her Uverse is good enough. She can record 3 things in SD and watch another. And my Brother-in-laws and I can watch football in HD when we are there. But if you are in a heavy TV watching household, then Uverse will be disapointing.

Her internet does rock.


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

I signed up for Uverse. Did it online with chat.

I really only wanted the 12 mb internet at the same price I was paying for ATT DirecT DSL at 3 mb 
$45.00 / mo

I couldn't get that without an Install fee unless I tried the TV.
So I signed up for the HD service with whole house DVR.

Month to Month - 30 day free trial
$250.00 Visa gift card if I keep the TV for 45 days
15.00 off for 6 months
All installed free.
I kept the shipping boxes for the units as I still intend to dump the TV.

Since I didnt have HD with DTV yet, I can't compare the quality. I'm going to research the pricing by calling DTV this week. I'm out of contract with all "owned" Garage Sale Series 2 Tivos.

Uverse PQ isnt horrible that I can see, on my 46 Inch Panasonic Viera Plasma which we bought for Christmas. No obvious compression artifacts, or the like. Looks like other HD I have seen. But my eyesight is no longer perfect..  At any rate it's obviously HD anyhow..

Call me an HD dummy, but when the installer got it all hooked up and put on a local channel (4), I stood there and asked him.. "So I have HD .. right?" 
He said "Oh Yeah" That was obviously not a better picture, (even to me)

When he left he gave me no real intro to how to use it, so I spent the day wondering why it didn't look any better.. My wife came home and showed me how the HD channels are after the 1000's....."

The whole house DVR didnt work as I expected (I hadn't really thought about it but you can't pause Live TV in the other rooms w/o the DVR.) Makes sense. But we were spoiled with 3 Tivos...

The guide works OK. Fast.
The DVR recording search is not as slick as the old TIVO.

The Installer used my existing DTV lines and left everything in place to the Multiswitch. So I can hook it back up easily if I want.

The new DVR is SILENT. No fan that I can see. 
The remote stinks.. Garbage. We miss our Peanut. You don't realize how cool that thing is..

The internet is stable and fast. I'm happy there.
I don't know if I'll keep the TV long enough for the Gift cards as at that point I'm paying for the DTV and Uverse so the net ends up being about $150.00 back to me... Still better then 00.00!

Installer was not very good. I had to help him.

Tech support after the fact was excellent. I couldn't connect one Vista Laptop to the wireless and the phone tech was helpful, prompt, polite, and solved my issues. Although I have had good support form DTV also in the past.

I'll report back on the Price comparo.

I have the 12 mb Internet = $45.00 + 3.00 Lease = $48.00

AT&T U-verse U200 $67.00
($15 off per month for 6 months until 6-29-2011) -$15.00
HD-ready DVR Receiver $0.00
HD-ready non-DVR Receiver $7.00
($7 off each non-DVR receiver for 3 months until 3-30-2011) -$7.00
HD-ready non-DVR Receiver $7.00
($7 off each non-DVR receiver for 3 months until 3-30-2011) -$7.00
HDTV Service - HD Technology fee  $10.00
*TV Subtotal $62.00*
*$110.00 pr mo currently* including the Internet
Will be ~*$140.00* after deals expire..

Subtract the $48.00 for Internet and it's *$95.00 pr mo for the HD TV 200 Channels and DVR service*


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

Just an update. I got this installed on New Years Eve 12/31
I see in my account that the gift cards are available already.
Also I like the ATT free wifi since I travel a lot and use Boingo sometimes..


----------



## bt-rtp (Dec 30, 2005)

If you want "best of breed" or "best of class" services then:

For TV programing content and picture quality, DirecTV is superior.

For Internet service, AT&T U-Verse is superior.


----------



## Gunnyman (Jul 25, 2003)

I had uverse tv for nearly a year. I got tired of bad hardware and a dvr that made me crazy and came back to dtv. I kept uverse Internet because you can't beat the price for the speed.


----------



## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

vidguy said:


> Just an update. I got this installed on New Years Eve 12/31
> I see in my account that the gift cards are available already.
> Also I like the ATT free wifi since I travel a lot and use Boingo sometimes..


I have the free WiFi with AT&T and travel a lot. Its not really all that great. Most of the free hot spots are places like Starbucks. You have to pay for the WiFi that gives you more locations.


----------



## jeffjob (Oct 27, 2007)

"1953" said:


> Signed up today to switch from AT&T land line phone and Pro level DSL Internet (Downstream speed up to 3.0 Mbps) to U-verse digital phone and high speed Internet (Downstream Speed Up to 12 Mbps).
> 
> Of course I'm staying with Directv.
> 
> I'll let you know how it goes after the Jan. 5th install.


1953;

That is just what I am thinking of doing.

I look forward to your update.

How did you get ATT to sign you up for voice and Internet only?

I have to call and check this out..


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

jeffjob said:


> 1953;
> 
> That is just what I am thinking of doing.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the questions. Voice and Internet only is a choice, just not advertised. First installer was an idot, second installer put thing right, fourth day voice went out. Today third installer replaced the newest model 2wire modem/router that is known to have phone line problems with a more stable different 2wire model. Summary, very, very frustrating. Telephone and chat customer service is very good. In field techs, 2 out of 3 good. I'll reply back after a week of experience. Oh, internet speed went from about 3 mps (ATT DSL Pro) to 12 (11.53 actual) mps with U-verse.


----------



## ozonedan (Dec 27, 2005)

1953 said:


> Thanks for the questions. Voice and Internet only is a choice, just not advertised. First installer was an idot, second installer put thing right, fourth day voice went out. Today third installer replaced the newest model 2wire modem/router that is known to have phone line problems with a more stable different 2wire model. Summary, very, very frustrating. Telephone and chat customer service is very good. In field techs, 2 out of 3 good. I'll reply back after a week of experience. Oh, internet speed went from about 3 mps (ATT DSL Pro) to 12 (11.53 actual) mps with U-verse.


Yes, it is a choice. But you forgot to add that there is a $150.00 installation fee without the TV hookup.


----------



## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

1953 said:


> Thanks for the questions. Voice and Internet only is a choice, just not advertised. First installer was an idot, second installer put thing right, fourth day voice went out. Today third installer replaced the newest model 2wire modem/router that is known to have phone line problems with a more stable different 2wire model. Summary, very, very frustrating. Telephone and chat customer service is very good. In field techs, 2 out of 3 good. I'll reply back after a week of experience. Oh, internet speed went from about 3 mps (ATT DSL Pro) to 12 (11.53 actual) mps with U-verse.


I have a 2 wire modem with my DSL and it has times where it bounces. Curious as to what the model# is of the more stable 2 wire modem that they installed?


----------



## iceturkee (Apr 1, 2007)

i can't speak for uverse but i can speak for the cable company in our area. they are adding national hd about every other month; they finally have some decent hd dvrs and will be begin mrv shortly and are slowly starting to catch up on sports programming.

i got tired of waiting for dtv to add hd so i switched. i haven't regretted.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

ozonedan said:


> Yes, it is a choice. But you forgot to add that there is a $150.00 installation fee without the TV hookup.


While that is true, AT&T waived the fee since I am handicapped. Also, they were running a promotion where you receive a $100. Visa gift card. I would ask the sales rep to be sure.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

iceturkee said:


> i can't speak for uverse but i can speak for the cable company in our area. they are adding national hd about every other month; they finally have some decent hd dvrs and will be begin mrv shortly and are slowly starting to catch up on sports programming.
> 
> i got tired of waiting for dtv to add hd so i switched. i haven't regretted.


iceturkee,
Help me to better understand your phrase _".....waiting for dtv to add hd....." _ Directv has loads of high definition channels.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

RACJ2 said:


> I have a 2 wire modem with my DSL and it has times where it bounces. Curious as to what the model# is of the more stable 2 wire modem that they installed?


The 2wire modem for DSL is completely different from the models used for U-verse. One is not compatible with the other. If you are interested in the latest AT&T DSL Modem for DSL check out - http://www.att.com/equipment/accessories/gateways-routers-modems.jsp

Good luck


----------



## Jason Whiddon (Aug 17, 2006)

I just recently helped a bud install a tv (same model as mine) and calibrated it for him (with meter). He has Uverse and loves the service, also a good channel list and pricing. 

I can say though, that the PQ I saw was not as good as Directv, lot of macroblocking.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

elwaylite said:


> I just recently helped a bud install a tv (same model as mine) and calibrated it for him (with meter). He has Uverse and loves the service, also a good channel list and pricing.
> 
> I can say though, that the PQ I saw was not as good as Directv, lot of macroblocking.


Hello South Alabama! I'm originally from a very small community on the Hwy Mobile/Washington County line. Still have family all around South Alabama.

It is my understanding that macroblocking and/or random pixelation is a common problem with no solution.


----------



## Jason Whiddon (Aug 17, 2006)

Yeah, I think it varies with distance and your area, IIRC, but I do see that with most complaints. Good service for the price and offering though. Ive been wanting too see it first hand so I could get my own opinion.


----------



## Mr_A1 (Jul 22, 2007)

Here is my take on U-Verse after having it for a year and returning back to *D after being a customer since like 1996.

Pros(sorta):
UV is comparable in price to *D and they have an unlimited channel capacity since it is IPTV. FYI, UV customers have a $5+ rate hike hitting in Feb.

Some customers within distance can have 4HD streams at once into their DVR(I know I did before I cut the TV part).

PQ was okay once you recalibrated your TV for the service basically using the HDNet test pattern, but remember that even HD Channels only get about 6-8 Mbps allotted to them.

Internet and Voice are definitely cheaper and are rock solid for the most part; voice sometimes has issues like other carriers. (I have kept Internet and Voice since dropping TV.)

Cons:
Do not expect true DD sound without alot of issues. DD is basically only available on HD channels and the drop-out problem is notorious with U-Verse with no possible fix in the future. I had to place the DVR in stereo mode to cut the dropout issue(including annoying digital noise). AT&T claims to be working on this issue, but have not fixed it in over 2+ years.

When your service has problems, expect to go rounds on the phone with tier 1 techs who do not have a real clue on how to diagnose problems. I had a crosstalk issue from March 2010 through August 2010 which caused my line to drop even at 600' away from the box. I even have an esculation agent out of their home office working with me, and they tried everything except testing the actual line and ports at the box which is where the issue was at.

I came back to *D for better picture quality and having my DD sound back with a possible occassional drop-out and the fact they are adding HD channels that I watch and hopefully will add some more soon. I also am glad *D actively works with customers to help fix issues unlike AT&T, which is more red tape than the government to get things done.


----------



## jeffjob (Oct 27, 2007)

Hmmmm, I called ATT today and in my area, ( CT) I was told I could only get uverse Internet if I got uverse tv.

Anyone have any thoughts around this?

I have heard some comments on ordering the tv service included in the package and then canceling it. Seems wasteful and silly to me as I don't want to switch from D*.

I just want fast and reliable Internet at a decent price.

Any advice?

Thanks, Jeff


----------



## Glen_D (Oct 21, 2006)

jeffjob said:


> Hmmmm, I called ATT today and in my area, ( CT) I was told I could only get uverse Internet if I got uverse tv.
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts around this?
> 
> ...


You really don't have to cancel DirecTV. Just make sure the U-verse installer doesn't cannibalize your line from the dish to your TV. To be on the safe side, might be best to run a new dedicated Cat5 line from your telephone network interface box to the location inside the house where you will place your gateway. Let the U-verse tech terminate the ends.

I would say order the Uverse internet service you want, along with the minumum TV package that offers rebates. Just get one TV receiver, and at least you can compare it to DirecTV. When you get your rebate (usually doesn't take long), go ahead and cancel the TV portion, and they will have you send the receiver back. You will need to keep the remainder of the setup for your internet service.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

jeffjob said:


> Hmmmm, I called ATT today and in my area, ( CT) I was told I could only get uverse Internet if I got uverse tv.
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts around this?
> 
> ...


Call them back Jeff and tell them you know u-verse customers with voice and internet only. press the rep. he should find out.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

jeffjob said:


> Hmmmm, I called ATT today and in my area, ( CT) I was told I could only get uverse Internet if I got uverse tv.
> 
> Anyone have any thoughts around this?
> 
> ...


Many of us have posted about this in this thread already.

You can get Internet only installed. But you'll pay $150 install fee and no rebates.

Why do that when you can have them install the TV as well, get a free install and $250 in rebates? Just let them do a basic TV install, don't mess with your DirecTV lines and once they leave you can unhook it and box it back up if you want. As soon as your rebates process and it's been at least 30 days just call up and cancel the TV service. They will send you a code in the mail to return the receiver. Take it to any UPS store and they will scan in your code, scan in the receiver and they will box it up and send it back for you. Couldn't be easier frankly.

You'll get free install and they will pay *you* a couple hundred bucks to get their Internet. Why would anyone not do it this way?


----------



## jeffjob (Oct 27, 2007)

"Glen_D" said:


> You really don't have to cancel DirecTV. Just make sure the U-verse installer doesn't cannibalize your line from the dish to your TV. To be on the safe side, might be best to run a new dedicated Cat5 line from your telephone network interface box to the location inside the house where you will place your gateway. Let the U-verse tech terminate the ends.
> 
> I would say order the Uverse internet service you want, along with the minumum TV package that offers rebates. Just get one TV receiver, and at least you can compare it to DirecTV. When you get your rebate (usually doesn't take long), go ahead and cancel the TV portion, and they will have you send the receiver back. You will need to keep the remainder of the setup for your internet service.


OK, I ended up going this route.

I got a pretty helpful rep but still couldn't order just Internet and phone. I was able to get the web interface to allow me to order just Internet & phone, but before I placed the order I asked the rep on the phone and she said customers that do that get a letter saying the order cannot be completed. Not very nice but I did believe her.

So I ordered the 18mbs Internet, phone and the most basic TV service. I did get some promos / fees waved. I only need to pay the $29 activation fee as my only one time fee.

Basically the 18mbs internet and phone will cost the same as the 6mbs and phone I have now. Faster internet wand unlimited long distance are the improvements, (if it works as advertised).

I think in the mean time I will read more on their tv. I know some of the differences and I don't want to switch from d*, but I should review it at least.

Thanks for everyones help and I will post my results after I get installed.

Jeff...


----------



## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

Brandon428 said:


> I have a friend who has U-Verse and I don't know if it's just him or U-Verse but the internet would drop to a crawl when people would watch multiple TVs in the house. If you can't get FIOS thenI'd stick with Directv or Dish.


U-verse is horrid! It went out one Saturday from 4 AM to 5 PM when a tech came and fixed it. Monday we called Dish and re upped.


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

sigma1914 said:


> 2 words describes Uverse PQ...Overly compressed.


One word _could _do: "over-compressed"!

While I've never seen a side by side, I imagine that screens under 30" would cover/hide/obfuscate most defects, but larger screens would suffer greatly from compression artifacts in U-verse's universe, versus DirecTV's better schema.

Has anyone seen a side by side?


----------



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Paul Secic said:


> U-verse is horrid! It went out one Saturday from 4 AM to 5 PM when a tech came and fixed it. Monday we called Dish and re upped.


That's it, Paul?? How long had you had it? 
Is that the substantive reason you switched back?


----------



## drded (Aug 23, 2006)

My mom lives in Racine, WI and has U-Verse. Service went out afternoon of 12/18/2009 and was called in that day. Techs did not restore service until Thursday 12/23/2010.

Not my kind of service!

Dave


----------



## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

Laxguy said:


> That's it, Paul?? How long had you had it?
> Is that the substantive reason you switched back?


We had U-verse TV in 2009. First their remote was very slow clunky. The VRAD is on the street in back of our house, which was the main problem. The DVR was lousy.


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

Have had Uverse since 12/31- Again mainly wanted the fast Internet without the $100.00 install fee.

I called DirecTV today to see what kind of deal I could get. End result:
As a loyal customer since 2002:
_"You qualify for $350.00 in credits."_ 
So that worked out to

*COST:*
DirecTV:
$107.00 dollar one time install / HD DVR charges, to switch to HD and get :
1 HD DVR
2 HD Recievers
Whole House DVR
*$106.98 *- Monthly Fee per month for HD - Choice Extra

Uverse
1 HD DVR
2 HD recievers
Whole House DVR
$67.00 per month for 3 months
$77.00 for the next 3 months

After my Promotions end on UVerse Ill be at:
*$91.00* - Monthly Fee for similar U200 Free install 
$29.00 "one time fee" I couldnt get out of 
-$250.00 in card rebates _(we'll see how THAT works out .. ;-) )
_

*Picture:*
The picture Quality is not horrible on the UVerse. It's not great...We think it's a "good" HD picture. Even though I am a partner in an HD Webcasting/ Video Production business, I am not super fussy at home.. BUT, I know HD when I see it. I have seen better but I cant be sure which service it was... Probobly D.
I have looked fairly close and I don't see the kind of compression I have seen for instance, on my neighbors Comcast HD. May not be as sharp as DTV, but I cant say not having had HD Dtv.

*REMOTES*
The remote's not much different then my nephews Dish Remote. 
It feels a bit more clunky then the DTV white Remote.
It's not NEARLY as good as the TIVO Peanut, but I wouldn't be getting that from DTV anyhow. Now THAT is a great Remote Control.

*GUIDE*
The Uverse guide works pretty fast, has PIP and channels change quickly.
Not as easy to schedule recordings as my Series2 Tivos. But Daughter and wife are OK with it.

*DVR*
Uverse
Can Schedule and Watch DVR in any room. 
Can record up to 4 Programs (haven't verified this but will this week)
Can't PAUSE in the non DVR rooms.
DirecTV
DTV Rep verified with my proposed DTV setup I could NOT SCHEDULE from non DVR rooms.

*Decision*
At this point being out of contract, we will call D back and Cancel and run with Uverse for a few months anyhow. Spend the $250.00 in rebate money.

We'll definitely consider switching back to DTV as a NEW customer when we can to get the "deals". I like Directv but it came down to dollars. This time I'm gonna squeeze them (Uverse and D) for the dollars for a few months

If I had my way in the house I prolly would have gone Antennae and Roku, netflix, with a standalone DVR etc.. but .. you lose of a lot of convenience that you do pay more for....Wife was not looking forward to that.. And Frankly even though you save money, neither was I.


----------



## tkrandall (Oct 3, 2003)

vidguy said:


> *DVR*
> 
> DirecTV
> DTV Rep verified with my proposed DTV setup I could NOT SCHEDULE from non DVR rooms.


Not true from what I understand. With whole-home setup, from a non-DVR HD receiver you CAN schedule recordings on the DVR(s) in the network. What you can't do is be local on one DVR, and ask to record on another DVR.


----------



## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

vidguy said:


> *DVR*
> Uverse
> Can Schedule and Watch DVR in any room.
> Can record up to 4 Programs (haven't verified this but will this week)
> ...


Up to 4 programs depends - what profile are you on for the uverse? That will determine just how many programs you can view/record at the same time. If you can actually do 4 at the smae time, you need to rememeber you will not be able to view any live TV while those 4 programs are recording.


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

tkrandall said:


> Not true from what I understand. With whole-home setup, from a non-DVR HD receiver you CAN schedule recordings on the DVR(s) in the network. What you can't do is be local on one DVR, and ask to record on another DVR.


I cant verify that. When I asked the Rep about the capabilities. He said that. I asked again to be sure, since UVerse can, I figured D could. He said "No you can only schedule from the DVR" Probably bad info but it wasnt a deal breaker anyhow.


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

tkrandall said:


> Not true from what I understand. With whole-home setup, from a non-DVR HD receiver you CAN schedule recordings on the DVR(s) in the network. What you can't do is be local on one DVR, and ask to record on another DVR.





wingrider01 said:


> Up to 4 programs depends - what profile are you on for the uverse? That will determine just how many programs you can view/record at the same time. If you can actually do 4 at the smae time, you need to rememeber you will not be able to view any live TV while those 4 programs are recording.


Correct. I found out it does depend on your internet connection bandwidth or the Uverse connection you have. I dont have the new DTV whole house dvr so I cant say how it acts. 
I have the *12 mbps Uverse for $48.00* included fees and taxes. That works great compared to my *3 mbps I had as Dry Loop* (Direct DSL) for *$45.00*. That's all I really wanted. If I had been told that the internet connection was significant in regards to the DVR function I _might _have allowed them to upsell me. _Nahhh. I would have stuck to my $45.00 a mo Internet cost.._

Wingrider, you're right... Here is what UVerse does in regards to this, which is annoying. I saw another fella post about this but didn't understand. I dont know if DTV works in a similar fashion... But it is a bummer coming from a TIVO, then to see this happen.

Last night we were watching something on the Main DVR. We didnt know it but we had 3 shows set to record at this time slot. We have 3 rooms of service. 1 DVR - 2 Recievers
Suddenly the screen changes to a "message screen" and says that "All 3 of my HD streams are in use, To continue watching stop the recording"
You get the choice to go to "recorded TV" (Play List) and stop it and resume LIVE tv or watch something thats been recorded or is recording.

After being confused and annoyed. (Which I still am..) In reality its not much different from what happens on the 2 Tuner Tivos I have on my SD DirecTV, BUT the TIVO warned you about the tuner changing, if it had to.. and, the real issue is that it wont show you that last stream being recorded on ALL DVRs/receivers. 
So it doesnt work like my Tivo where suddenly the TV changes channels to a program being recorded. Instead you get a message. 
So, I went into the other rooms and one of them was watching 1 show being recorded fine, the other was watching another show being recorded fine, but why not me? Why wasnt I seeing the THIRD? I THINK it was because that third show was scheduled from one of the other Units.. I dont know..

Tivo made that pretty simple.

So again, I think I'll ride this out, cancel DTV, spend the rebates and call DTV to get the NEW deal in a few months.. After any fee increases come in. See what the real playing field is
The UVerse Internet works great.. And the Tech support I had to use on the evening of the install to get my 2 laptops to connect was actually, excellent.

I do believe that Directv has a better picture. As even my SD DTV is better then my Neighbors Comcast HD on Most channels.. IMO. And not having had anything but DTV for over 8 years. I dont know what loss of service is like. D has always been "up" for me. I dont think we lost our signal ever...So maybe I'll learn what getting your TV over a cable or wire is really like!

Oh did I hear that Tivo is coming back to Directv???
I might wait to get that!


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

vidguy said:


> I cant verify that. When I asked the Rep about the capabilities. He said that. I asked again to be sure, since UVerse can, I figured D could. He said "No you can only schedule from the DVR" Probably bad info but it wasnt a deal breaker anyhow.


I can verify that you can schedule a recording from a non DVR on a DVR and if there is more than one DVR, you can select which. You can't do this from a DVR though as it merely will set it up on itself.

While this may not be a need for you, I have three DVRs which means I can record six different shows. Last night I think 5 shows were recording at the same time.


----------



## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

tkrandall said:


> Keep in mind that AT&T wants to get rid of all POTS analog switched based phone lines, and the big push on u-verse has much to do with their desire to get people off of that infrastructure, and totally onto non-utility-regulated communication IP based services. They will push very hard to require you to cancel your POTS line if you go u-verse.


To get their best deal my daughter _had_ to get the regular phone line with U-vers, (New Britian Ct) we double checked on that, and it was less expensive with the promotions, so just the opposite there. She was required to get the U-verse internet, not allowed to get DSL with U-verse....... She got all the rebates back with no problems. Picture is good, to me Dish looks better, like my DVR better. (Don't have Direct.) My cost per month is less with dish for a similiar package, but with the heafty rebates it will take a couple of years for U-verse to cost more.


----------



## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

tampa8 said:


> She was required to get the U-verse internet, not allowed to get DSL with U-vers.......


U-verse uses what a DSL uses so there is a conflict, that you don't have with "POTS".


----------



## vidguy (Oct 26, 2009)

Well it's been 1 1/2 months.
We received our Rebates: $250.00 + $50.00
Wife is applying them to credit card balance... :-( "that's no fun!"

I just returned the mailer to send back my DTV cards.
I have my 4 Series 2 Tivos. All bought used and 3 were in use and activated. 2 upgraded by me.
1 is a 250-10 HD that I never activated. 
I'll list those for sale in the classifieds here.

So far the uverse is pretty good. PQ is not super on some channels pretty nice on others. It is for sure better then my neighbors Comcast. I think it's a given that Dtv has the best PQ.

The 12 meg internet works really well. And for a few dollars more then my 3 meg direct dsl....which I had for many, many years and always was "droppy", no matter what they did..

Still haven't sat down to learn the in's and out's of scheduling/searching recordings. We were getting certain recordings that were recording 3-5 minutes of before and after.. The Series 2 Tivo certainly had that as well sorted out as could be, now that we have experience with something else, we see that.

Remote layout still makes me want my Tivo peanut.
We have only had a few issues with the running out of HD streams. Wife and Daughter both seem happy with it, so we'll stay.

We may go back to Dtv later. I'll wait and see what shakes out with their pricing and the new Tivos.

Thanks all,


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

As the OP I thank you all for your comments and welcome more.

I am very happy with our u-verse 12mps internet and u-verse phone service. With that said I am even happier that I stayed with Directv.


----------



## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

drded said:


> My mom lives in Racine, WI and has U-Verse. Service went out afternoon of 12/18/2009 and was called in that day. Techs did not restore service until Thursday 12/23/2010.
> 
> Not my kind of service!
> 
> Dave


OMG that's awful.


----------



## JoeTheDragon (Jul 21, 2008)

at least they have MLB network now but it's U-300 that forces you to get buy stars and showtime.
U-Verse has higher box rent fess, HD extra costs more, lower bit rates, and that 3-4 HD limit higher HD costs (HD is free with auto bill pay on directv)

also to get what directv choice extra has you need to get U-300 for (Fox Business Network, Investigation Discovery, NASA TV (nasa tv is FTA), PBS Kids Sprout, Discovery Fit & Health, ION Life, CMT Pure Country, MLB network, NBA TV, and Reelz Channel).

and then sports pack or U-450 for (NHL Network, TVG, CBS College Sports Network and The Tennis Channel)


----------

