At one time, cable TV ruled with an iron fist over the paid TV industry. With satellite TV being expensive and geared toward the higher tax bracket, cable was all the average consumer had to work with. Over the years however, technology evolved and the price on satellite TV has dropped significantly, labeling services such as Dish Network and DirecTV a major threat to the mighty cable kings. Today, viewers have even more options to choose from and AT&T U-verse is one service that appears to be leading the charge for alternatives.
What is U-verse?
U-verse is AT&T’s answer to the television, internet and phone services offered by cable TV providers. Unlike cable services, U-verse delivers an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) signal over a technologically advanced fiber-optic network. According to AT&T, the data travels to a node that is no less than 3,000 feet from your residence. From there, it travels over a DSL or traditional copper telephone line until reaching your home. The combination of Internet Protocol and fiber-optic technology is said to provide speed and video clarity that towers over cable TV with stability and performance that outdoes satellite TV services. If this service is available in your area, you too can enjoy what many are calling the “next generation of digital television”. Before subscribing, you would probably like to know what to expect from the installation process. This article will shed some light on the subject.
Installation Equipment
Similar to cable and satellite TV services, AT&T U-verse offers free equipment and installation to get you up and running quickly. Installation includes a set up of your residential gateway (modem) and receivers along with any additional wiring that is required. A professional AT&T U-verse technician will set up the gateway via a Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB connection for high-speed internet connectivity and connect the HD-ready receiver to your televison or home entertainment center. A single receiver is capable of simultaneously recording up to four programs on different TVs but you will have to pay $7 per month for each receiver if additional boxes are needed.
What You Should Know About Installation
Shortly after ordering the U-verse service, you will receive a postcard in the mail that contains your 9-digit U-verse account number. More importantly, the card will provide a summary detailing the specific date and time the installation is scheduled to occur. It will also let you know the following:
- The installation will take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours
- Someone 18 years or older and authorized to make decisions regarding your U-verse account must be present during the installation.
- The U-verse installation technician is not permitted to move any furniture in your home. This means it is up to you to make sure that the connections to your TV sets and computers are accessible.
How Long Will it Really Take?
There have been reports of U-verse installations taking as little as two hours and others taking as many as a few days to complete. The actual time frame you endure of course, all depends on your situation and the competency of the installer. In most cases, it is problems with existing wires that result in lengthy installations. Sometimes, the connections used to power your cable box just won’t work with the more sophisticated U-verse set up. So even though most installations are routinely completed with little to no problems, you should still try to be a bit more patient and let the technician or technicians do their thing. Even if the installation process ends up being a nightmare, you will probably forget about it once everything is set up and functioning properly.
Many have found that the speed and picture quality of U-verse is well worth the sometimes grueling installation process.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
got U-verse, couldn’t afford / didn’t want to pay for all 9 TVs to be hooked up. Several rarely get used so no big deal. We were told we could move the digital box from room to room as needed as all wires would be “hot”. Got a new wide screen TV for the living room and moved the digital box from the kitchen to the LR. Can’t get a signal. The living room is a dead end run to the splitter with working TVs off of it. Connections are all tightly crimped, shouldn’t be any issues, but, still no TV in the LR. Still works in the kitchen. Anybody got any ideas?
I am very much interested in U-Verse. However, I refuse to use my existing wiring. Dish Network ran wires around walls, under doors that I can’t close and it is a total mess, but that was their idea of “Basic Installation”. If this company can give me a clean installation, where my walls are not bordered with white wires, then I’m ready. I have heard from many people that I’ll be very happy with this service.
Yes, Uverse is the best, ATT has one of the best customer service, all the installations that I’ve had are very neat…I dont know if depends of the installer or the property…the 1st guy took 3 days to install the service!! I lived in a duplex now that I moved to an apt only took 4 hrs to this other guy (townhome)/ I recommend it!!
I had a terrible experience with the horrible new AT&T it WAS a good co for 60 years .Now they have made it garbage!!!!!!
What type of Cat5E wire would I need to wire my whole house?
Do I need the shielded or unshielder with solid coper?
Thanks.
Julius
I’ve had Directv for 10 years now. I’ve always been VERY pleased with my service. I LOVE my Directv SAT. I recently order the new at&t u-verse. I have 2 weeks to find out more about it before the tech arrives to install it. Please, I need feed back on Directv vs. At&t u-verse. I.m still not sure I need to be reasured that I.m doing the right thing. If anyone out there has made this switch, please tell me what you think. Thanks DEE
I just ordered ATT U-verse (TV and Internet) yesterday, and received an e-mail today telling me that the installation is scheduled for OVER A MONTH AWAY. That is absolutely ridiculous. I called them up, and they said they could move it up by 2 days (which obviously isn’t going to help much). I already had a lot of problems setting up the account (prices online didn’t match what I was being quoted), so after seeing this, I’m pretty fed up and already thinking about switching to a different provider. Just… wow. Who would wait that long for installation???
RE: Julius (What type of Cat5E wire)
If insistant on using Cat5, then unshielded solid copper wire is my recommendation.
However, I would urge you to run coaxial cable, rather than UTP (Unshielded twisted pair). The protocol currently used with U-verse is HPNA, which incidentally enough offers better QOS for video. Also Coaxial cable is very much compatible with other cable providers, making it more likely to have a higher ROI.
I would also recommend AGAINST using shielded cat5, where will you BOND your shielding to?
I ordered ATT U-verse on July29th and they told me install date of Sept. 5th. Informed them this was unacceptable. Salesman told me to give him a day or so. Waited until Aug 1st whereas I received a text from the salesman, new install date Aug 20th $200 MC Giftcard and waived $36.00 activation. (Cha-CHING!) U300 Service / Max 12Mbps Internet will cost me $100.00 a month for 6 months then goes to $153.00 unless I drop to a lower package (2 room setup).