U-Verse Universe

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TV Service Shopping Skills

Just because ATT Uverse TV earned the #1 position for best TV service in 3 of 4 regions in the US, doesn't mean that everyone is going to automatically get service with them. As consumers, we have to look past what we perceive as generic advertising and propaganda in order to find the service that suits our needs and wants best. Choosing between a satellite tv provider, a cable tv provider, and a fiber optic TV provider can get confusing. Therefor, the things we really need to focused on are:

Start-up Costs: Every service provider requires some sort of upfront cost whether it is determined by a credit check, a universal fee, or both. In most cases, the credit check will determine the upfront cost required to set up service. Satellite TV companies have NON-refundable equipment costs that can be as high as $650 per digital receiver based on credit. With satellite TV companies, each TV must be connected to a receiver in order to receive any channels. Although installation is usually free, an activation fee of $99 may be required to set up satellite TV service. Cable TV providers providers have refundable equipment deposits ranging from $0-$200 per receiver. Fiber optic TV providers like AT&T may require a non refundable up front fee but it is not calculated for each receiver needed. Since both cable tv and fiber optic tv providers offer internet and phone as well, bundling services with them will usually reduce the start-up costs.

Monthly Fees: When it comes to monthly price, satellite TV usually beats other TV providers with options a few options under $50 for about 150 channels. Additionally, the cost of DVR service is very reasonable at an average of only $7-$9 per TV. If you can get over the hump of their much higher upfront costs, it is a great option. The other two TV providers usually have monthly costs that are slightly higher than that of satellite companies. With both a cable TV provider and a fiber optic TV provider, the average cost of a package of 150 channels is about $55-$60. The cost of a DVR varies between the two. Uverse TV service, for example, has a Total Home DVR for free with most of their packages which multiple TVs can use to record and watch recorded programming from. Both of these companies though offer bundling options which significantly lowers the cost of your TV, internet, and home phone service every month. Telephone companies, like AT&T who offers Uverse and Verizon who offers FiOS, also provide the option for customers to bundle in their cell phone service, ultimately creating a Quadruple bundle for maximum monthly savings.

Quality of Service: Ultimately, all TV providers use a satellite signal to provide their customers with service. Satellite TV companies, like Dish Network and Direct TV, use small satellites placed outside of each customer’s home. The advantage of this is that the signal is a direct signal providing great digital quality but the disadvantage is that it is more likely that snow, rain, and strong wind will affect the signal since the satellite is small. Cable TV and fiber optic TV providers also use satellites but they are much larger and are located at several central hubs scattered across the US. The disadvantage to this method of transmission is that since the signal has to travel longer from that central location to each customer’s home. The digital quality can become slightly degraded. This lower quality signal is more common with cable companies but the newer technology, fiber optic TV, solves this problem. AT&T Uverse TV service uses fiber optic lines for most of the signals distance. With the use of light signals, this fiber optic technology overcomes the distortion problem associated with long distance signals allowing customers to receive an HD signal that is pure and clear.

Included features: Satellite TV providers offer the lowest cost per channel in comparison to the other two TV providers. What is not so appealing is that with satellite TV you have to choose one of the higher level packages in order to get channels that would be considered part of basic digital cable service with other TV providers. Satellite companies offer features like on screen program guide, pay per view, parental controls, and a small selection of pay on demand. Cable TV companies offer the same features as satellite TV but their on demand selection is much more expansive and includes mostly free content. Also, their channel lineup is more inclusive of  popular networks allowing customers to choose a lower level package while still getting all the "good" channels. Fiber optic TV usually has a channel lineup similar to that of the cable company. The features that are available are the same as with cable TV except there are additional features that most cable companies do not offer yet. Uverse TV offers the multi-view feature which allows you to view four channels of your choice at once. With Uverse TV and other fiber optic TV services, you can also play card games right through your TV exactly like how you would play Solitaire or Spades on your computer only instead you use the remote control as your mouse. By having both the AT&T TV and AT&T internet service, for example, you get all the extra features and you save with the bundle packages.

Everyone will have a different say in what they feel is a more important characteristic. Perhaps quality of service and upfront cost are more important to you than included features or monthly cost. It all depends on your needs and wants. Once you figure those out, you can shop for tv service like a pro!

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Nine Easy Ways to Lower the Cost of your Cable (getitfree.us)

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Learning About Fiber Optics (uverseuniverse.wordpress.com)

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Check out how clean cut and easy to use the ATT Uverse On demand and DVR guides are.

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More TV Features

We have already talked a little about Uverse's DVR (scroll down to Uverse TV awesomeness) but there is more to this DVR than just your pause and record functions. Many companies offer multi-room DVRs and AT&T's U-verse DVR service just so happens to offer the best of them.  Normally, watching recorded programs in your bedroom, family room,or living room would mean paying monthly fees on 3 separate DVR receivers. With the Uverse TV Total Home DVR, you can pay for one DVR and then have 2 standard (and much cheaper) receivers. Whichever TV this advanced DVR is hooked up to will have the capability of recording, rewinding, and pausing live TV. You will also be able to fast-forward or play in slow motion a show/ movie that you have recorded or have rewound. The other TVs in your home with the standard receivers will be able to schedule recordings and watch any movies or shows that are stored on the advanced DVR. Talk about convenience. This new DVR also has advanced capabilities that integrate the U-verse Internet service which allows you to view computer media files from the TV connected to the Total Home DVR. You can also schedule recordings and view recorded programs from your mobile phone by logging into your account online or by downloading the Uverse TV app.

Another feature that allows you to control your TV is the on demand service. On-Demand is an interactive feature that is part of all Uverse digital TV packages. Since all channels are digital now, you must have a set-top-box or receiver from AT&T in order to access this feature. On Demand offers a library of shows and movies which are already stored by AT&T in their database accessible through your receiver. The programming is updated often so you won't get bored with the shows and movies. There are limitless entertainment options at your disposal. This feature provides a great solution to people who constantly surf channels looking for good programming and those that hate commercials (like me). Well, on demand is great for everyone whether you are kid looking for a Disney channel program or a stay at home mom waiting for that small window of quiet time when you can watch your sop opera or talk show. The best thing about this service is that much of the content is free and the rest can be purchased for a very low fee.

Even though technology is supposed to make our lives easier, it seems we get busier and busier every year.  Its nice that DVRs and On-demand are there to put TV on our time.

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When JD Power & Associates says that Uverse TV service is rated #1 in the US for 2010, people tend to listen.

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This is what legal internet TV looks like. Who needs this these days anyways with limited episode availability these third party websites have anyway. If I want to watch real internet TV,I am going to watch it with the Uverse mobile TV app.

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Computers and Internet

The internet makes the world go 'round. Last century, it was telephone service that made the world go 'round. Until recently, TV had been the one to make the world go 'round. That has obviously changed, yet again. As I mentioned in my previous post, Internet TV is beginning to take the reigns as the provider of entertainment in millions of homes, businesses, and even right out on the streets. That should make us take a closer look at the internet. Keep in mind, there are different "types" of internet. Regardless of how you get access to the world wide web, there are always similar components that make it possible.

First, there are the physical components known as hardware. That encompasses things like computers or mobile devices, modems, Ethernet cables, among other things. When you access the internet, there are two computers communicating with each other.  There is your computer (or mobile device) known as the 'client' which is requesting information. By that I mean when you open an internet browser and it takes you type in a web site address , that is your computer asking the internet to find that web address. That request is being sent to another computer which has the information for that website saved. Those computers are known as servers. Server computers are like storage facilities that hold the information for a website and when someone looks for that website, the server computer sends it out to the client computer.

The second component that makes internet service possible are protocols. Protocols are basically rules that computers and other internet enabled devices follow in order to be able to share information. If protocols where not used, then computers (clients and servers) would have to be physically connected to each other in order for for information to be shared. Protocols create a common language between computers which allows us to find a website housed on a server without having to be directly connected to it. An example of a protocol is write at the top of this page. the first four letters of this web address (http) is an example of an internet protocol. This protocol creates that common language that allows any client computer (like yours) to request and access a website housed on a server computer (like the one that holds the information for this post you are reading). You have probably also heard of an IP address (Internet Protocol address). This is used to give your computer a unique address that allows servers to send you the information you are requesting. Think of it this way, if you didn't have an IP address to identify your client computer, server computers would get the request that you want to access a website but they wouldn't know where to send the website information. Protocols also tell your computers how to display a website. Its like a puzzle. The position of this post in the middle of the page is governed by protocols.

There is a lot more to how the internet works that what I dare to try and explain. Hopefully, this information is a great stepping stone for you to find more information about this wonder we call the internet. One last note, internet service requires an internet service provider. That would be companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest. Internet with U-verse though is one of the highest acclaimed internet services.

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Like I said Internet TV is all the rage this season, and next season too, and the one after that.....

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Mixing Internet and TV

There is a lot of data and even more people that support the insurgence of internet TV as the newest and best way to get your entertainment fix. The past time of sitting in front of your TV at a specific time to catch your favorite program is dwindling. People are not watching less "TV" though, they are just watching it in a different way, online. One statistic supports that individuals who use the Internet more often, watch 11.5 hours of TV per week. That is three hours less than those who use the internet less frequently. Those who use the internet more because of their work/ career or because they have been weened on it since childhood, will typically attain their news updates and comedy fixes from the internet. Now, those who use the internet less because, for example, it is not part of their work duties or simply because they did not grow up relying it, will usually get their news updates or watch their comedy shows sitting on a couch or bed staring at an actual TV screen. Nonetheless, the idea of Internet TV is very appealing to most tech savvy people. A survey concluded that 45% of people are enjoying this service more so than regular cable TV, especially since they can use their mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Still though, the other 45% of those surveyed decided to stick to the conventional method of viewing cable TV. That is the prefer watching their channels on a digital TV. The remaining 10% were still undecided or neutral about the whole the whole thing Shows are shows and movies are movies no matter how you watch them. So, both methods of watching television shows have equal numbers of advocates. Well already know many of the benefits of regular cable TV but obviously internet TV has it's own unique benefits. The most appealing benefit is that you won’t have to pay to watch your favorite shows, aside from internet connectivity costs. The only thing you may need to consider when choosing to watch internet TV is to opt for an internet package with higher speeds to handle the downloading, like Uverse internet packages. The networks offering their programs online, get their profits from broadcasting 30-second ads during shows as well as advertising the show itself to the viewer. The next most appealing benefit of internet TV (if not equally appealing as the first) is that it allows viewers to watch their shows anywhere and anytime.  However, keep in mind that not all of your shows will be available online so it will be only through cable TV service that you will be able to watch most shows and programs. Any website that offers free channels or free unlimited TV is offering an illegal service. Be careful with those sites becuase your IP address can be tracked to having been on one of those sites. Stay away from the illegal ways of watching Internet TV and stick to sites like Hulu and take advantage of the TV anywhere options that companies like AT&T Uverse offer when you subscribe to their television service.

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Fast Internet With U-Verse

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AT&T has a long history with with offering reliable home phone and one of the first broadband internet connections through their DSL service. Now, they are also known for offering one of the best and fastest fiber optic internet connections with their U-Verse service. You may not need the fastest internet package, but U-verse uses fiber optic technology also making it one of the most reliable internet services available. Mega bits per second (Mbps) is used to measure internet speed. Internet speeds can range from 1 Mbps (or lower by Kbps units) all the way up to 100Mbps (or higher). The average user only needs between 5Mbps to 20Mbps for home use. Within these speeds, people can do things like check their e-mail, pay bills online, enroll in on-line classes, participate in on line gaming,  and support multiple computers. If you use the internet heavily like for downloading large files constantly (i.e. software programs, full length movies, etc..) or you have many devices using the internet at once constantly (i.e. several computers, printers, faxes, scanners, etc..), then you will most likely need a slightly higher speed. U-verse internet offers speeds for all those uses from 3Mbps all the way up to 24Mbps for fast downloading! These days, internet service has more connections to TV than even in the last 5 years. It is possible these days to have your internet connected to your digital TV. If you have devices that can create that connection between your TV and the internet service like a PS3, Xbox, as well as the Total Home DVR available with U-verse TV, then you will have the ability to rest your laptop and do your online activities through your TV. Clicking through web pages and other functions may bot be as comfortable but you can buy a wireless keyboard and connect that to the U-verse DVR for easy navigating.

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HD With U-Verse

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There is all this talk about how wonderful HD is (and subsequently how U-verse has HD mastered, almost). Not many people though, are to sure of what HD even is other than the ability to see a bead of sweat on your TV screen.

High Definition is a superior digital quality that boasts a 16:9 aspect ratio which means that the screen is wider than it is tall. It is meant to mimic the the experience one would undergo at a movie theater. Aside from the aspect ratio, HD also provides a crystal clear and quality picture. That is achieved because HD offers a higher resolution by using more than 2 Million pixels. A pixel is simply a very small point on your TV that holds a very small piece of an image. The more pixels you have the more detailed the picture on the screen is. By comparison, a standard definition TV  uses about 500,00 pixels (way less than half of what an HD TV offers). In order to view something in High definition, an HD receiver, HD programming, and an HD TV are required.

An HD TV: You can buy an HD TV anywhere theses days and the prices get lower and lower as the technology becomes more common place. By the way, HD TVs come in different levels. The levels are usually 720i, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. An HD TV that is 1080p is the best of them all and is closer to blue ray quality than any of other other levels. Make sure to talk with an employee in the electronics store/ department to get a better explanation of what would be better for your preference (and budget).

An HD receiver: Cable companies or any other TV company must provide you with an HD enabled receiver in order for you to view HD from your HD TV. TV companies usually have standard receivers (for standard definition TVs), HD receivers, Standard-DVR receivers (with recording capabilities), and HD-DVR receivers. Most TV companies will provide one receiver for free (usually a not a DVR) and any additional receivers you may need will require a monthly rental fee.

HD Programming: Now that you have an HD TV and an HD receiver, you will need HD channels to watch. Many TV companies offer the HD programming for free some may require an HD programming fee with their digital cable TV packages. Keep in mind, not all channels are offered in HD. You may have some channels that are only offered in standard definition even if you have an HD TV and HD receiver. Those channels that are available in HD are usually duplicates of the standard version. For example, channel 3 is ABC in standard definition but channel 403 is ABC in high definition. In order for a channel to be available in HD the network that owns the channel has to use HD cameras to film shows or movies.

I hope this helped to give you a little more insight on high definition. Once you are ready to get HD, think of U-Verse.

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HD with U-verse TV is generally awesome but there are just some details that should be left unseen.

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U-Verse TV Awesomness

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AT&T launched U-Verse TV only a couple of years ago where before their only TV option was to partner with satellite TV companies. In my opinion, satellite TV is great overlooking some of the outage problems but U-verse TV really takes the cake. It offers some of the best digital quality and some of the best HD programming with over 100 channels available in HD. U-Verse TV offers familiar favorites like on-demand, pay-per-view, parental controls, and music channels. It also has some unknown features like the U-bar and the Multi-View feature. U-bar is an internet integrated feature that allows you to receive certain information like weather reports, stock updates, sports news and more right through your TV while your watching any channel. This feature requires that you internet since the updates are streamed from the internet and it is also customized online. The Multi-view allows you to actually watch up to 4 different channels at the same time! Now this may sound chaotic but audio only plays from the one channel that is set at the forefront but you have 3 other channels listed on a right hand side bar of your TV. The images of the channels are smaller than the channel that is on the main view but they are big enough for you to see if there is anything interesting going on or if it is on commercials. At any time, you can switch which channel is in the main view (with audio). One of the coolest features is the Total Home DVR. This DVR does all the awesome things a normal DVR can do like record, pause, and rewind live TV. The difference is that it can record and play back on multiple TVs in the household. You do not need to pay for a DVR for each TV, you just need to have a receiver on each TV. This receiver can also stream web content on your TV if you also have internet with AT&T. You can search the web for a phone number or view pictures and videos stored on your computer right through your digital TV. With flat screens TV becoming more and more advanced, U-Verse brings out the best features that your expensive TV had to offer.

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The World Of U-Verse (uverse.freeblogit.com)

FiOS Digital TV (freeblogspot.org)

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Looks like a turf war between AT&T and Verizon.....

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Into the U-ni-Verse

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Many people have U-verse, many people wish they had U-verse, and many still need an introduction to U-verse. AT&T is the nations largest telephone company providing digital TV, high speed internet, and digital phone. U-Verse is the catchy brand name given to their advanced fiber optic services. AT&T also provides their very well known DSL internet and plain old telephone service (POTS) through their telephone lines AT&T has primarily used telephone lines in the past to provide customers with internet and phone. A telephone line is made of copper and it generates an electrical signal that travels from the AT&T central office to your home. Fiber optic lines are made of fiber glass and these lines transmit light signals.  Although light is essentially electricity, it can travel uninterrupted for miles upon miles. The electrical signals in a telephone line require a constant energy source (provided by characteristics of the copper) in order to reach homes. Ultimately, fiber optics provides transmission of HD TV and high speeds for internet at a quality superior to that of any other technologies. U-Verse is the marriage of fiber optics to AT&T's already established and reliable telephone line network. With U-Verse, you can receive the best level of High Definition for your TVs. You can receive some of the fastest residential internet speeds to support all activities like gaming, home businesses, and multiple devices on at the same time. If you need the best and fastest internet, cross your fingers and hope that U-verse Internet is available in your area.