favorites guide?

richk2 · ‎04-26-2012

I do not have uverse but am thinking (almost agonizing given the possible savings but the many negative posts on this site) about it. One thing I am confused about is whether you can remove channels you don't watch from the guide a la tivo which I have now. The manual says there is a way to create a favorites guide but then implies that it is a three step process to access it each time. Is there any way to create a favorites guide and then be able to access it directly by pressing the guide menu on the remote?

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

You can hide channels that you do not wish to see displayed in the Guide that appears when you press the GUIDE button. You can also create a separate favorites guide.

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

On each STB (including the DVR), there is the "main channel display" that is selected by default, and a separate list of favorite channels that you can control.

You can remove channels from the main channel list so that you don't nagivate through them, even when you don't select the favorites list to scroll through. The Favorites list also controls your custom MultiView display.

richk2 · ‎04-26-2012

thanks for the quick answer

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

1) There TG goes again, beating me to the punch.

2) Yeah, "Guide" is the official name for what I was calling the "main channel display" because I was having a senior moment about what to call it.

richk2 · ‎04-26-2012

Given how pleasant and responsive people are on this board, let me try a few other questions with my concerns. I am thinking about a pretty full package of tv, internet and phone

1) One of the biggest beefs of posters is that they sign up for some kind of good deal but then they don't actually get it and have hours of aggravation trying to resolve it. Is there any best place (att store, internet etc) to be sure that you will get the price you are actually thinking you are getting but still be able to get the best price?

2) If you sign up for one of the packages that require a one year committment, can you still cancel in the first 30 days if you hate the service? My attempts to figure this out on the website have not been successful

3) I am not that picky about picture quality (I do use hd tvs, though) so I doubt if that is an issue but many posts imply the dvr and receivers are very unreliable. Is that true? I am also interested in at least one wireless receiver but every post about them on this Board is negative about them working regularly.

4) I want to get the max internet speed but will I really get it? I think I am pretty close to a vrad (less than a block away) but it is still confusing to me how much the tv use lowers your internet speed. It seems like you can't really find out your "profile" until you schedule an installation. If you sign up for a year committment, schedule an installation and then don't like what you find out about your "profile" can you stop the installation?

5) I am in the northshore area of Chicago - anyone have specific good or bad experiences in that area. I have found with comcast that the quality of service varies a lot depending on where you live so I am wondering if it is the same with uverse.

6) I used comcast's cable box for awhile and hated it and switched to tivo. I have heard that the uverse dvr is not quite as good as tivo but much better than comcast. Anyone have more incite into that?

7) My house currently has comcast cable outlets in every room that I would want it -however we only have 4 active tvs right now. Because the outlets are there, though, tvs can be moved if someone is home or we have a guest. If I only order 4 tvs for uverse will they make live the outlets in the rooms where I am not immediately setting up the service?

Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice on any of this issues

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

I. I have seen those same posts. Those are not the normal situations. I signed up on the internet 3 years ago. You can see exactly the details and prices of all of your services.

2.Yes, it is my understanding that you would still have the 30 period to cancel everything and owe nothing.

3. I have no major issues or concerns about picture quality. As you know, opinions vary on the subject. I now have 2 wireless receivers. They are new and a few bugs need to be worked out, but I don't have any major issues with mine.

4. Do you mean Max (12meg), Max Plus (18 meg) or Max Turbo (24 meg) internet service? Yes, you can cancel the install while the tech is onsite.

5. U-verse, unlike cable, is pretty consistent nationwide.

6. In additional to my U-verse DVR, I also have a Tivo HD DVR, so I have experience with both. They both have features that I like that the other one does not have.

7. No, they will not set up unused outlets; however, with the wireless receiver, you can move it and the TV from room to room.

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

RE #3

I have had the same DVR and STBs since my installation in 11/2009. All still work. During the first few days I had issues with the DVR doing strange things, but I found the solution on this board (IR interference and haven't looked back)

I have my DVR connected to a 720p HD display using Component cables. We watch only SD programming though. The SD quality is a huge improvement over the SD quality provided by analog cable. I have watched HD programming during previews. Yes, I can occasionally see artifacts I wish I didn't, but it's not a big deal.

RE: #4

If you have HSI service of 12 Mbps or more, yes, recording or viewing of HD channels MAY impact your HSI speed when you are actually doing that many channels. At your distance from the VRAD, I'm going to guess that you will get a 32/5 connection profile. Given that, your HSI limits will be roughly: 1 HD channel viewed/recording: 24 Mbps, 2 channels; 20 Mbps, 3 channels ,14 Mbp; 4 channels, 8 Mbps. Upstream speed will be unaffected.

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

richk2 wrote:
Given how pleasant and responsive people are on this board, let me try a few other questions with my concerns. I am thinking about a pretty full package of tv, internet and phone

1) One of the biggest beefs of posters is that they sign up for some kind of good deal but then they don't actually get it and have hours of aggravation trying to resolve it. Is there any best place (att store, internet etc) to be sure that you will get the price you are actually thinking you are getting but still be able to get the best price?

I would avoid door to door solicitors. An AT&T store or a phone rep is what i would suggest. Most folks who complain about price quoted versus amount billed seem to fall into 1. ignorance (disbelieving that taxes and fees are not included in quoted price and / or their service being prorated, ie. starting in the middle of a billing cycle) or 2. not fully being informed or mishearing about installation fees or equipment rental. There are a few legitimate complaints. All in all, I find UV is fairer than most.

2) If you sign up for one of the packages that require a one year committment, can you still cancel in the first 30 days if you hate the service? My attempts to figure this out on the website have not been successful

I believe so. Try contacting Alex, one of the AT&T Community Managers for further assistance.

3) I am not that picky about picture quality (I do use hd tvs, though) so I doubt if that is an issue but many posts imply the dvr and receivers are very unreliable. Is that true? I am also interested in at least one wireless receiver but every post about them on this Board is negative about them working regularly.

I do not believe that the equipment is usually defective. It is often a bad setup. For instance, we had a close lightning strike about 4 months after my October 2008 install - my service started degrading. Tier 1, on the phone rolled the truck and recomended a DVR swap but when the Premisis Tech got to my home, he found that a ground wasn't properly attached and the strike melted a diplexor. Diplexor changed, all was good.

4) I want to get the max internet speed but will I really get it? I think I am pretty close to a vrad (less than a block away) but it is still confusing to me how much the tv use lowers your internet speed. It seems like you can't really find out your "profile" until you schedule an installation. If you sign up for a year committment, schedule an installation and then don't like what you find out about your "profile" can you stop the installation?

If the profile isn't good enough, they will not install it. No harm, no foul - you are just outthe time to be home.

5) I am in the northshore area of Chicago - anyone have specific good or bad experiences in that area. I have found with comcast that the quality of service varies a lot depending on where you live so I am wondering if it is the same with uverse.

There are lots of folks on here from that area - most seem happy. I'm from Indianapolis (same region) and like the service.

6) I used comcast's cable box for awhile and hated it and switched to tivo. I have heard that the uverse dvr is not quite as good as tivo but much better than comcast. Anyone have more incite into that?

IMO, about the same as Comcast's. Tivo it's not. The UV GUI could be better.

7) My house currently has comcast cable outlets in every room that I would want it -however we only have 4 active tvs right now. Because the outlets are there, though, tvs can be moved if someone is home or we have a guest. If I only order 4 tvs for uverse will they make live the outlets in the rooms where I am not immediately setting up the service?

I don't think so. Even if they are live, I believe that it will require a truck roll to provision the outlets to be able to work with U-Verse. Unfortunately it's not "plug and play." Now you could always have a Wireless system in one room, so you could move it as you wish.... but that's not quite what you asked.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice on any of this issues