I just learned from a ATT Uverse service tech:

[Kong57]

I just learned from a ATT Uverse service tech:

1. Uverse DVR is moving to the cloud in Feb - Mar 2013. He said it would sever everyone in the US. They are building the structure just a few blocks from my house. It will be tested in Richardson Texas 1st. I have seen the building it is across the street from the ATT service tech  building

2. Sometime in 2013 they are going to start All wireless homes. No more cables to contend with. Squirrels will go hungry

3. He said we would have 8 HD steams early 2013. I am not sure if he was talking my area or the whole US. 

4. He said everyone will get Internet speed boost in 2013.

Fact or Fiction that is the question

[jteixeira]

I've had at least 2 service techs and 2 online chat techs tell me I should be able to record 4 HD shows at the same time.  Needless to say, I cannot do that.  I can only record 3HD 1SD at the same time.  I wouldn't believe anything a service tech tells you.

[aviewer]

dhascall - I did look at the link again - The box on the left says 2 year contract that calculates to free one time & $10/mo.

If you select no contract you pay for the equipment up front.

[skeeterintexas]

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@jteixeira wrote:

I've had at least 2 service techs and 2 online chat techs tell me I should be able to record 4 HD shows at the same time.  Needless to say, I cannot do that.  I can only record 3HD 1SD at the same time.  I wouldn't believe anything a service tech tells you.

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I understand your frustration. 

YEARS ago, before STBs had the ability to set and/or erase recordings, I got into a HUGE fight with a CSR.  My brother was considering switching from Dish to UV so I set up a 3 way phone call with ATT customer service to make sure he got the right info.  I didn't want them giving him incorrect info.

The CSR was ADAMANT that every STB in the home could set up recordings and no amount of factual info I gave her would make her back down.  It was obvious that she did not nor had ever had Uverse. 

That's when I gave up on getting accurate info from a CSR. 

[dhascall]

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@aviewer wrote:
dhascall - I did look at the link again - The box on the left says 2 year contract that calculates to free one time & $10/mo.

If you select no contract you pay for the equipment up front.

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Thanks aviewer - That must be what they signed up with.  

The move to wireless is getting bigger and bigger.   Clark Howard reported on a new security system / monitoring plan that is only $15 a month.  You buy the equipment ($200-300), install it yourself and the monitoring is just $15.  How does it connect with the ciompany?  Via a small box with an antenna that connects via cell towers.

[hpmsrm]

We can have just about any new gadgets or equipment & conveniences we want if we have the dollars to lay down for them.  Don't know about the rest of you.....but we've reached our limit.  Those darn emergencies keep popping up.  Like the new water pump I had to have installed on our car this morning......$282.

We dropped our land line phone to save $30 per month and started relying on our two cell phones. (and that land line service was for only local calls in our little town and one other town just west of us)   Then AT&T got it back when we jumped from standard cell phones to two smart phones...plus $10. 

[rtrotto]

Uverse DVR is moving to the cloud in

Sounds like lost recordings to me.

[oz_1]

My neighbor has all wireless STB's and so far so good but we live in an area where the houses are small wonder how it works in a large home.

[dhascall]

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@oz_1 wrote:

My neighbor has all wireless STB's and so far so good but we live in an area where the houses are small wonder how it works in a large home.

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Wondering about that myself.  Our home was built in the 60's.  It is a bi-level, with all bedrooms above the garage / laundry room.  The RG is in the downstairs, about as far away as you could get.  The wireless signal would travel through three walls, just to clear the downstairs and then an attic and 2-3 more walls.  I understand that the wavelengths are smaller, which should make it  easier to pass through but I dunno.

[JefferMC]

Higher Frequencies typically attenuate faster over distance, but the affect on frequency on penetration depends on the materials to be penetrated, i.e. visible light penetrates glass, but not a hamburger.  However, Microwaves (lower frequency) penetrate hamburger to some extent, and x-rays (higher freqencies) go straight through.

[Uniblurb3]

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@dhascall wrote:

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@oz_1 wrote:

My neighbor has all wireless STB's and so far so good but we live in an area where the houses are small wonder how it works in a large home.

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Wondering about that myself.  Our home was built in the 60's.  It is a bi-level, with all bedrooms above the garage / laundry room.  The RG is in the downstairs, about as far away as you could get.  The wireless signal would travel through three walls, just to clear the downstairs and then an attic and 2-3 more walls.  I understand that the wavelengths are smaller, which should make it  easier to pass through but I dunno.

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I live in a big old house built in 1917 and have the Cisco wireless STB in the basement about 30' from the WAP attached to the RG on the 1st floor. This house was built originally for Model A dump-style trucks full of fruit to drive on the 1st floor and dump it off the backside into bigger trucks. The orchard owner's wife like the site so well she had the him build a house onto the loading area which is my 1st floor. So it has true 2"x12" oak/beech floor joists 14" on center. Then 1" thick oak on top of that covered with tar paper. Then true 1/4" pine flooring on top of that covered with padding/carpeting. The STB has no problem getting a signal through all that wood/flooring and has the highest number of lights/bars showing for peak signal strength.

I told the tech who installed it I want to take the STB with my smaller TV outside and he said I'll be surprised how far away it will work. Guess I'll have to do some testing.

BTW, there was another pretty good tech here about a month ago and I asked him if he's seen anything about Cloud installed on a DVR. He said, "they've been working on that over a year and I'll believe it when I see it".

[dhascall]

Daughter and family just got UV on Saturday May 4th and the installer said that 8 streams are coming soon.  He said that it will need a tech visit but not sure why.  Maybe pair bonding?

[JefferMC]

Most likely.  The new RG has pair bonding built-in.  For those of us who get 60Mbps+ on one pair, I'm wondering if they'll do a pair bond on us anyway.

[ScottMac]

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@dhascall wrote:

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@oz_1 wrote:

My neighbor has all wireless STB's and so far so good but we live in an area where the houses are small wonder how it works in a large home.

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Wondering about that myself.  Our home was built in the 60's.  It is a bi-level, with all bedrooms above the garage / laundry room.  The RG is in the downstairs, about as far away as you could get.  The wireless signal would travel through three walls, just to clear the downstairs and then an attic and 2-3 more walls.  I understand that the wavelengths are smaller, which should make it  easier to pass through but I dunno.

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The AP used for the wireless STBs is a separate unit. if you have a nextork connection in that end of the house, then the AP can be plugged in there to keep the signal levels up.

i.e., ((RG))<===cable to other end of the house===> 5G AP for wireless boxes~~~~~~Wireless STBs

Even if it's coax, there are coax-to-UTP converters, like used for coax to Xbox.

[bobbym007]

did you hear about mass spying before Snowden ??? does that answer your question.

[bobbym007]

they always send a tech so YOU PAY for visit thats how the techs get paid from YOUR WALLET even though they are NOT NEEDED.