rochrunner's profile

Mentor

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98 Messages

Thursday, October 18th, 2012 7:22 PM

Can the Whole Home DVR Do This?

In anticipation of our switch from DISH to U-verse, I'd like to know a few things about the capabilities of the DVR compared to how our DISH DVR works in regards to features that we use a lot. For what it's worth, we have no complaints about the way our current DVR works and only hope that we don't lose anything with U-verse.

 

1) Is the DVR separate from the receiver? If so, is the operation of the DVR integrated into the program guide so that you can select a show to record directly off the guide, and can also see from a symbol or other indication that a particular show is scheduled to record?

 

2) When we select a show to record, we have the following options: (a) Once, (b) All episodes, (c) All New episodes. Option (c) is what we use to record a show for a season. Does the U-verse DVR have these options?

 

3) Since U-verse has 4 simultaneous channels as opposed to DISH's two, there should be fewer conflict situations. But the DISH DVR does let you set a priority for a scheduled event so that, if there is a conflict, it's the lower priority show that will be skipped.

 

4) If a scheduled recording has to be automatically or manually skipped to resolve a conflict, the DVR will automatically record that show later if it's repeated (such as is common for a lot of cable channel shows). I don't have to go searching the guide myself.

 

5) You can set up a scheduled recording to start a specified number of minutes before the scheduled time and/or end later. Lots of shows seem to start a couple minutes early or run late with no indication.

 

6) If you schedule a show that is identified by the guide as a "sporting event", it automatically adds 1-1/2 hours to the record time.

 

7) In the list of recordings, shows are grouped. For example, if you have 5 episodes of The Daily Show, you only see one entry in the list of recordings. Select that and you get a screen showing the individual episodes.

 

That's all that I can think of at this time. We can learn to live with whatever restrictions we have, but we have found the above to be very convenient for the way that we use our DVR.

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Expert

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9.4K Messages

11 years ago

1. No, the DVR is not separate from the receivers.  In the U-Verse system, there are two types of set-top-boxes (STBs).  There will be one unit that holds the hard drive and is also a receiver, this is typically referred to as the "DVR".  The other receivers do not have a hard drive in them, but communicate with the DVR unit over the network, these receivers are typically referred to as "STB"s.

 

Yes, the program guide contains record symbols on any programs scheduled to record, and it will show this on all DVR and STB units when the guide is brought up.

 

2. In U-Verse, you can select a program to record Once, or you can select to record as a Series Recording.  If you set a series recording, one of the options is to record "First Run Only" or "First Run and Rerun".  This will accomplish what you want to do.  Be aware, however, that if you select "First Run Only", the U-Verse DVR makes this decision by looking at the "first air date" in the program guide data, which is occasionally not accurate.  If incorrect guide data is present, the DVR will usually not record the episode, even though it's actually first-run.

 

3. Yes, you can set priorities for series recordings, and if there is a conflict, the lowest priority series will not record.

 

4. No, the U-Verse DVR will not automatically record at a different time slot if a conflict occurred.  You will have to manually schedule another recording.

 

5. By default, U-Verse automatically adds "soft padding" to every show that is recorded -- it starts the recording 1 minute earlier than the guide states, and stops the recording 2 minutes later than the guide states.  If this padding would cause a conflict, then the padding is eliminated, and recordings will start/stop at the designated time in the guide.  If you want to extend the recording, you can add recording time onto the end of a scheduled guide recording in the options, but you cannot add to the beginning.  If you need to add time at the beginning, you can set up a manual recording by time and channel, but this will record solely by the time and channel you've selected, ignoring what's in the guide.

 

6. It does not do this automatically, but you can specifiy additional time on the end of the recording in the options.

 

7. Yes, series recordings will be grouped as long as the guide data specified the exact same title for each episode.  If the title is different for some reason due to incorrect guide data, or if you record the same-titled program outside the series recording, it will not be grouped.

 

Expert

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10.1K Messages

11 years ago

1 - DVR is virtual for the house - All STBs can record off guide & other menus. While DVR is inside one STB that STB can watch a different show than being recorded - Same as all other STBs.
2- yes
3- yes
4- No - Either know ahead of time or schedule extra recording in off hours.
5- No at beginning - yes at end
6 - no
7 - yes only for shows recorded by the same series recording

Voyager

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1 Message

11 years ago

looking to make the same switch.

how do you like the new service

Tutor

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10 Messages

11 years ago

An important point is that the Uverse DVR is limited to record only three HD shows at a time. I had Dish as well with two vip622 DVR so I could record 4 HD shows at a time. I lost some capability when I switched to Uverse. Be aware, some ATT reps will tell you that you can record 4 HD at a time. They don't know their product.

Mentor

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98 Messages

11 years ago

We are quite happy with it. There are a few technical glitches and we have to occasionally reset the wireless receiver, but other than that it is working well (we have the full triple service: TV, Internet, and phone).

 

We have also learned the DVR and are used to it now. The only thing that we don't like is that it should be much easier to bring up an abbreviated guide that only shows your selected channels, or at least only the channels that you're subscribed to. There is a "favorites" list, but it takes several button presses to get to it; with DISH we could bring it up directly from the Guide button.

 

One thing that is superior IMO about the AT&T service is the excellent web and smartphone interfaces. Very easy to control everything about your account as well as your DVR. In fact, I find it easier to delete DVR recordings from the web interface than via the remote (there's no way as far a I know to delete multiple recordings with the remote except to select each one individually).

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

11 years ago


@rochrunner wrote:

We are quite happy with it. There are a few technical glitches and we have to occasionally reset the wireless receiver, but other than that it is working well (we have the full triple service: TV, Internet, and phone).

 

We have also learned the DVR and are used to it now. The only thing that we don't like is that it should be much easier to bring up an abbreviated guide that only shows your selected channels, or at least only the channels that you're subscribed to. There is a "favorites" list, but it takes several button presses to get to it; with DISH we could bring it up directly from the Guide button.

 

One thing that is superior IMO about the AT&T service is the excellent web and smartphone interfaces. Very easy to control everything about your account as well as your DVR. In fact, I find it easier to delete DVR recordings from the web interface than via the remote (there's no way as far a I know to delete multiple recordings with the remote except to select each one individually).


FYI:  You can HIDE channels that you either don't have or don't want to see.  Menu>Options>Channel Options>Hide Channels

Expert

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10.1K Messages

11 years ago

rochrunner - I agree that a favorites guide should be as easy or easier to access as the full guide, but it is not.

Also, the only way to find out how to do some things is to share here. So, just in case you did not know (& for others) - the favorites guide can be accessed by the enter button - down arrow - ok. (The need for the down arrow is a usability miss) Seems like it would be an easy fix to make it work with two enter pushes.

Not one button, but better than the main menu.

How do you delete recordings? Do you use the delete button? The delete button will delete a complete series in one push when the series folder is selected.

I suspect that is not what you need. If a recording is for one person, it is best to erase immediately after watching. But, when multiple people are involved or we just are not ready to erase immediately we do have to review & erase from the list from tome to time.

Master

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9.8K Messages

11 years ago


@aviewer wrote:
rochrunner - I agree that a favorites guide should be as easy or easier to access as the full guide, but it is not.



Furtter, I would like to see the Favorites to be able to be sert up via the web.  You can select all boxes or just STB 1, and so on.  It would be much faster, IMO, than doing it on the box, wirth the remote. #myhandisasleep

Contributor

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1 Message

9 years ago

AT&T Uverse TV uses 3 different types of profiles for HD streams: 45, 32 and 25 megs. If you are on a 45 or 32 megs profiles you can record 4 shows at a time. If you re on a 25 meg you can record 3 HD shows and 1 SD shows. It looks like you re on a 25 megs profile (2200 ft or farther from the Vrad)

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