U-Verse Service: Reports | Comparison

[Seeker47]

I'm wondering if anyone here has tried both AT&T U-Verse and Verizon FIOS, and might be able to compare the quality and customer satisfaction ? I think both of these are similar, to the extent of being high-speed fiber optic connections ? The latter is not going to be available in the service areas of interest to me, but the U-Verse service apparently will be. If you can't offer a personal experience comparison of these two, the next best thing would be a comparison of U-Verse service to either Dish or DirecTV.

Based on my own experience with Time Warner Cable, and things I've heard about Cox and others, I would be very reluctant to go with a cable service again.

[freebird73717]

Here is a post about U-verse
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic368246.html

[edDV]

FIOS is a more advanced system technically. I haven't been able to compare U-Verse.

Cable quality varies widely and is less compressed vs. U-Verse for new installs. This may not apply to partial upgrades done in many urban areas. Cable mixes analog, old 524x480i SD digital, 1080i/720p HD and switched ip feeds.

[Seeker47]

FIOS is a more advanced system technically. I haven't been able to compare U-Verse.

Cable quality varies widely and is less compressed vs. U-Verse for new installs. This may not apply to partial upgrades done in many urban areas. Cable mixes analog, old 524x480i SD digital, 1080i/720p HD and switched ip feeds.

Thanks for the replies.
Would you take Dish over this (AT&T), assuming Verizon FIOS is not available in the service area ?
I just can't see giving cable another go -- particularly not TWC. Not good value at all, per what
they charge.

[edDV]

I can't answer because U-Verse isn't available here.

[Marvingj]

Uverse install from a long time Dish customer
Install:
Got the full package (internet, phone, video). Install went with a few problems, we didn’t have phone service for about 24 hours, DVR didn’t work for about 24 hours. Install technician was top notch, the problem was with the ordering system. After 24 hours of use here is my list of pros and cons.

Pros:
Video quality is far superior to what Dish has to offer.
Watch recorded programs from any TV that has a receiver.
Cost! Dish $144 per month (4 DVR’s) – AT&T $135 and that includes voice and internet (1 DVR, 3 HD receivers).
Set your record schedule from the Internet.

Cons:
Remote control was designed by an sadist. Commonly used buttons are place near the front and under your palm as you hold it. The user must constantly reposition the remote for normal usage.
Each time you use the channel guide it doesn’t start with the current channel but randomly chooses a channel.
Only one set of favorites can be setup – Dish allow multiple with names.
Guide favorites require the user to press Menu – Favorites rather than just pressing the Guide button.
Yes you can record up to 4 channels at once however only one can be HD.
Can’t record or schedule from the non-DVR receivers.

[TBoneit]

FWIW I have Dishnetwork.

I like the picture quality (32") on a HDTV.
Two HD DVRs, a VIP612 and a VIP622.
Record 4 HD programs or if I had an antenna also record same time a OTA HD Program. So if I had an antenna I could record one OTA HD Plus two Satelllte HD Programs on my 622.
Watch a different program previouly recorded while the box does it's recording.
HDMI + Component + S-Video + Composite video outs all active at the same time. The 622 could feed a second SD TV over coax with wireless remote (Dual mode vs single mode).
Dual mode can feed two SD TV sets via coax from both tuners, one must watch what the HD set displays. Handy if you start watching in the TV room and then can go continue watching in SD elsewhere in the house.
some 1080P PPV. some pay, some free, on demand via the internet connection. They store locally in a reseved space on the internal drive.
Ability to use external USB drive to store video. Send to the external drive and then next you plug it in you can watch it from the external drive. Last night I unplugged a 500Gig (2008 content) drive and plugged in a different drive and watched saved content from 2007. When I'm ready I'll olug in the terabyte and move some video there to free up room on the internal drive.

All types of search and timer functions. Easiest is if you are watching a show and say I like this. Hit the search button and it is entered for you in the search box. Same from the guide. I have muy guide set to show a video window of what I'm watching and 3 hours of 6 channels. so I go to channel 6300 (NYC locals) I am on WABC and can WCBS, WNBC, Fox and that other networks HD info. OR I could just go to channel 2 WCBS also.
Several prfined guide lists. All subscribed, All HD, All channels. Then I can set up some custom lists.

They seem to be running promotions for new customers on premium movie packages right now. As an existing customer I signed up for Cinemax for a year @ 1 cent promo.

Manage DVR from internet.
One thing to remember 2 year commitment.

Cheers

[Seeker47]

Thanks TBoneit. This fills in some helpful info, and given the present options inclines me in favor of choosing Dish.

FWIW I have Dishnetwork.

I like the picture quality (32") on a HDTV.
Two HD DVRs, a VIP612 and a VIP622.
Record 4 HD programs or if I had an antenna also record same time a OTA HD Program. So if I had an antenna I could record one OTA HD Plus two Satelllte HD Programs on my 622.
Watch a different program previouly recorded while the box does it's recording.
HDMI + Component + S-Video + Composite video outs all active at the same time.

Since I have a good range of connected gear, this versatility should be more like what I'm used to from the TWC Motorola HD (but non-DVR) boxes. Whether or not I also used their DVRs, I would still want to have the option to record in SD / archive to DVD with my Pioneer units -- even from Premiums -- as I do now with digital cable.

The 622 could feed a second SD TV over coax with wireless remote (Dual mode vs single mode).
Dual mode can feed two SD TV sets via coax from both tuners, one must watch what the HD set displays. Handy if you start watching in the TV room and then can go continue watching in SD elsewhere in the house.
some 1080P PPV. some pay, some free, on demand via the internet connection. They store locally in a reseved space on the internal drive.

It would be nice to receive more than one HD channel at different sets at the same time, but I could get by with this.

Ability to use external USB drive to store video. Send to the external drive and then next you plug it in you can watch it from the external drive. Last night I unplugged a 500Gig (2008 content) drive and plugged in a different drive and watched saved content from 2007. When I'm ready I'll olug in the terabyte and move some video there to free up room on the internal drive.

That would be a good, extra feature I haven't had before. Does that allow for recording to external storage in HD ?

have muy guide set to show a video window of what I'm watching and 3 hours of 6 channels. so I go to channel 6300 (NYC locals) I am on WABC and can WCBS, WNBC, Fox and that other networks HD info. OR I could just go to channel 2 WCBS also.

As P-I-P, or multi-screen ?

We seem to have some disagreement in the posts here as to the picture quality, but this sounds good. There would not be the economy of the package deal, as you get when the phone & broadband internet is also there for one price. (Verizon FIOS adds your cell service to the mix, for even greater potential savings.) But I don't find the digital cable prices to be a decent value, so this might be a wash.

One thing to remember 2 year commitment.

Just like your standard cell phone agreement. If the service is good, I'm o.k. with that.

[Seeker47]

FWIW I have Dishnetwork.

Well, a decision point is approaching for me.
A local source tells me that everyone he knows or has encountered who had U-Verse service
terminated it within 3 months. Hardly sounds encouraging.
TWC: not gonna make that mistake again ! (Incompetents and gougers.)
DirecTV: about as expensive as TWC, for the maximal type of package I've had.
A friend of mine in another county raves about Verizon FIOS -- and he knows something about
PQ and other video issues -- but that service is not available anywhere near here. In fact, very
few areas seem to be able to get this. (They spend a ton of $$ advertising it, though.)
So, I'm probably going with DISH.

I like the picture quality (32") on a HDTV.

Hope it looks good at 50" or larger, too.

Two HD DVRs, a VIP612 and a VIP622.
. . .
some 1080P PPV. some pay, some free, on demand via the internet connection. They store locally in a reserved space on the internal drive.

Are those current model hardware ? Same features still available ?
If their VOD is from the internet, what if your broadband internet is from someone else ?

Ability to use external USB drive to store video. Send to the external drive and then next you plug it in you can watch it from the external drive. Last night I unplugged a 500Gig (2008 content) drive and plugged in a different drive and watched saved content from 2007. When I'm ready I'll olug in the terabyte and move some video there to free up room on the internal drive.

This was one of the most interesting features, to me. It seems to have major limitations, though:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic371993.html
Only available within the DISH hardware setup. (But I did see some posts about getting this video
off the HDD, using Linux and some other software. Sounded like fairly advanced video-geek to me.)

All types of search and timer functions. Easiest is if you are watching a show and say I like this. Hit the search button and it is entered for you in the search box. Same from the guide. I have muy guide set to show a video window of what I'm watching and 3 hours of 6 channels. so I go to channel 6300 (NYC locals) I am on WABC and can WCBS, WNBC, Fox and that other networks HD info. OR I could just go to channel 2 WCBS also.
Several prfined guide lists. All subscribed, All HD, All channels. Then I can set up some custom lists.

No multi-channel preview windows, but they had favorites lists on TWC, and I've seen a clunkier
version of this on DirecTV.

I hope I can find a straight answer from them on whether or not DISH is inhibiting one's ability to
record certain content on one's own equipment. (The BF, CGMS, or whatever.) That is one problem
I did not have with TWC, even for VOD stuff.

And I don't know why you shouldn't be able to record two different HD channels via separate DISH boxes in separate rooms. I've been doing that with the older TWC Motorola boxes for years.

Finally, a U-Verse installation seems to be wireless. My impression is that none of the others are.
There are likely good and bad aspects to that.

[lordsmurf]

My recent experience with U-verse left me more aggravated than all the years of cable+satellite combined. If it could break, it did. Techs came across as slightly incompetent.

... and that wasn't even my service, I was staying with a friend for a few weeks. Internet and TV was wholly unreliable the whole time I was there.

[vhelp]

my response is more disapointment than anything else..

We just had our whole comunity re-wired for version fios. The cables are thick and white, prob near the thickness of a role of pennies maybe. We were told that they were given the go ahead to install in every unit due to them offering us their new package offerings. I have yet to see anything. Nothing. Nada. All I have is a visitor who came in twice to install the wire and seel it in some white box, and that was it. Nothing. Nada. Its been over a week now. I mean, where's the deal ?

Cable came in last year and half ago, rewired the joints. The same day they installed, where testing tv sets and then gave us 3 free months of service -- to hook us in i guess. I never joined cable, however, and had the free service right up to this past January when they shut off analog here. It was a great free ride while it lasted and I enjoyed it to the fullest.

Anybody see this kind of service, where your building mgmt inForces you that you have to let them in and install a wire because they are pleased to announce that they are offering *new* services (fois is new to this area) to complete with cabletv, and yet, no service, no offering, no nothing, nada!

I guess they just wanted to install a cable just so there was one in any event.

Version Fios.., where'd'ya go ?

-vhelp 5251

[lordsmurf]

FIOS was getting bad press in Dallas for almost a year, back in 07-08. Same stories. It would takes weeks/months to get a connection that often failed, and it would again take weeks to get a tech to fix it.

Charter doesn't look so bad anymore.

[Seeker47]

FIOS was getting bad press in Dallas for almost a year, back in 07-08. Same stories. It would takes weeks/months to get a connection that often failed, and it would again take weeks to get a tech to fix it.

Charter doesn't look so bad anymore.

It may depend on where you live. I know people in Orange County, CA. (apparently one of their better markets, and they have a very strong presence there) who just rave about the Verizon FIOS service. Best thing they've seen anywhere. (And for broadband internet service too.) Among these are video enthusiasts, who are very picky about signal quality.

Anyway, after a couple of one-month postponements (by me), I finally canceled my appointment to have the AT&T U-Verse service installed. Just too many reports -- from pretty reliable sources -- of system unreliability and customers ditching them after just a few months. (This is where their 'No Long Term Contract' policy proved to be a huge advantage for the consumer.)

DISH came out here today, and I was all ready to sign up with them, until a likely dealbreaker emerged that I had overlooked. They don't offer VOD (Video On Demand). That is, not just whatever slate of movies that, say, HBO has on tap for this month, whenever you wish to view them, but the ability to get a particular show episode you may have missed three weeks ago. Much as I dislike Time Warner, that feature of being able to go into the VOD show archive and say "Pipe this to me NOW" with the remote was something that came to have a place on my "Must Have" list.

I'm going to find out if this is the same story over at DirecTV. It seems very strange to me that cable could have a monopoly on this feature.