US Telco Support > AT&T > AT&T U-verse > Only 1 HD viewing at a time / COAX or CAT5?

reply to koolkid1563

Re: Only 1 HD viewing at a time / COAX or CAT5?

My stats are very close to yours aztec and I'd be interested in seeing the absolute minimum anyone would have to get U-verse period. I think the distance limitations are not too much more than what I'm at (2,000ft) and with us both getting 80Mbps, that makes me think that even people on the very edge probably get 40Mbps. If not, way more.
I ordered the HD package a while ago and it's annoying only being able to watch one HD stream.

Here is mine with the new (revision 28 vs 26) RG:

Broadband Link – Statistics
DSL 		        Down 		        Up

Current Rate: 		27264 kbs 		2048 kbs
Max Rate: 		106600 kbs 		Not Available

Current Connection:
Current Noise Margin: 	28.5 dB 	        Not Available
Current Attenuation: 	10.2 dB 	        Not Available
Current Output Power: 	13.9 dBm 	        -24.9 dBm

Current Rate: 27264 kbs 2048 kbs
Max Rate: 85492 kbs Not Available
Current Connection:
Current Noise Margin: 23.0 dB Not Available
Current Attenuation: 23.9 dB Not Available
Current Output Power: 10.6 dBm -10.0 dBm

Mine started off 92Mbps or so when I first got the service, but has since dropped. I could see that being a problem with people barely making it.

I wonder if uverseusers has a compiled list of people's connections. I'd like to see what kind of variation we're looking at.

We don't ATM, but I don't see how getting one started would be a problem.

reply to bkforyou

reply to bkforyou
the will connect back to your existing COAX.... unless you have a prewired home that is networked..

reply to bkforyou
I live in the Sacramento area and they've recently mailed some promotional material, though the toll-free number doesn't seem to have all the answers.

For the folks out there who have service---can you clear this up for me?

1. I've been told you can get 3-6 boxes, 1 of which will have a DVR. Can recordings be watched only on that box, or can they be beamed/accessed to the other boxes around the house?

2. Does the 1 HD signal apply only when you're watching live TV, or also DVR? In other words, if I have 3 boxes, only one should be able to use HD, right? But can you record more than 1 HD signal via the DVR?

3. I was told the connection would be: wireless gateway, hooked up to power, phone line, and 1 box. Other boxes would NOT need to be hooked up to phone. Is that correct?

Thanks everyone!

Tony

reply to bkforyou
Instead of comparing this stuff to cable, try comparing it to satellite dish service. The cable company is a juggernaut that can provide you 10 HD DVRs per TV, if they want, and provided you have a good enough setup, it'll work fine.

This stuff, along with dish stuff is generally aimed at people who don't have more than 4 tvs. Granted, it's the same with dish - the more tuners you have the higher your bill is (I think it's something like $12 per each extra HD tuner)

Cable is different, albeit they charge you for extra boxes too. IMHO u-verse shouldn't charge the fee past #4 if they can't even make service work past #4, lol.

I completly don't understand your sat. argument. With DirecTV, additional receivers are only charged a $5/mo lease fee... doesn't matter if they are HD or not or DVR or not. HDAccess and DVR fees are per account not per receiver.

Also with a variety of switches and splitters, it's possible to drive a practically unlimited number of receivers off of a sat dish. U-Verse can't come anywhere near what DSS can do.

I know, that is true, I'm just saying the pricing model (you have to pay extra per receiver/tuner) applies.

Agreed though, AT&T/SBC is being really silly/lame with this whole FTTN thing.

reply to djrobx
Is it possible to buy my own HD receiver (it's not built in on my LCD tv) and get the local HD channels without paying the extra $10/month?

(I know, I know, HD receivers aren't cheap, that's not the point).

reply to bkforyou
Sure, it's possible... and it'll be cheaper next year when the market is flooded with low cost ATSC receivers.

But to me, it would be pointless. A channel not fed into a DVR is a channel that mostly goes to waste. Sure you could then also build an HTPC to record that ATSC but then you have two seperate services and you start to wonder, why have U-Verse at all?

I wish AT&T would just build `pipes` and leave IPTV to application providers who can stream over the internet.

Thanks for the reply. The reason I ask that in particular is because the salesperson I talked to on the phone re: UVerse said he thought because the service is fiber optic and the HD Tuner is coax, the necessary connections couldn't happen.

Does this sound possible to you?

If you actually do have FTTP (Fiber To The Premise) the fiber will terminate at the ONT on the side of your house, then it will use ethernet to the RG. From the RG, it works the same way as a FTTN install works. They can either use coax or ethernet to get the STB to work.

reply to bkforyou
Then from the STB it would be component video or HDMI to your TV. If your TV has another component or HDMI input, you could then hook up your OTA ATSC receiver to that and hook your antenna up to the receiver. Depending on where you live, you might get away with a small indoor antenna.... however very likely you will need a roof mounted one which means you'll need coax available.

So all in all you could need 2 coax or 1 coax and one ethernet.