COX OR AT&T

[Nick1236]

Well...... Kinda.

The number of channels you can stream at one time is limited by your connection, but not exactly your data plan.

If you sub to the 6mbps internet you will get the 6mbps (minus overhead of DSL) fine and the TV will use the remaining connection speed that you don't get provisioned for data... In other words, to have 2 HD and 2 SD streams at the same time you will need to be close enough to the VRAD for a 25mbps connection minimum. If you come in under 25mbps raw connection they will provision you on a 1HD/2SD max stream.

If you have the higher end data plan of 18 or 24mbps and your DVR records 2 HD shows, or a combination that is using a lot of data, you will see your internet speed dip. When I had the TV portion I would see my then 18mbps connection drop to 12mbps when multiple recordings were going on.

So I need to do some neighborhood scouting and find out where the VRAD is. Good to know. May Opt for the higher data plan anyways, could always use the extra speed for streaming movies from netflix.

[Digital_Boy]

I worked for AT&T for 7 years as a NOC technician supporting the Pronto DSL product, and learning what I could about Uverse (that never came here, it's all administered out of the Dallas/Richardson NOC).

Uverse is VDSL (video DSL, the classic "old" DSL that ATT also offers is ADSL, asymmetric DSL).

VDSL extends optical fiber from the Alcatel Litespan 2000 remote terminals (RTs) to the VRAD on the sidewalk. From there they have a 2K ft run of 2 pairs of standard unshielded twisted pair copper (UTP) from the "B box" (cross connect box, same ones they used to patch DSL over) to the side of your house.

Currently, they just bumped the max speed up from 18/1.8MB/s to 24/3MB/s for internet data. That costs $65/month by itself. My roommate/landlord just switched from Cox to ATT Uverse, getting 3/1MBit data, voice, and the U200 TV package with a DVR and cut his bill by $25/month ($125 vs $150), and he had the similar channel line up and data speeds from Cox.

The ATT Uverse webpage has a pretty accurate tool to determine if a specific address is Uverse capable or not. Just go to uverse.att.com and you should see a link for it.

As for # of simultaneous channels, everyone, including Cox is moving away from it to free up bandwidth for internet. In the old cable architecture, every channel went to every cable box every minute of the day. Now, with everything being digital (local over the air channels included), they stream everything to a node in the field (Uverse and cable) and only send the channels you actually request to the set top box. If you're in Escondido like I think you are, if your house can get Uverse, you should be able to get the top tier data and all the HD you want.

[Nick1236]

I worked for AT&T for 7 years as a NOC technician supporting the Pronto DSL product, and learning what I could about Uverse (that never came here, it's all administered out of the Dallas/Richardson NOC).

Uverse is VDSL (video DSL, the classic "old" DSL that ATT also offers is ADSL, asymmetric DSL).

VDSL extends optical fiber from the Alcatel Litespan 2000 remote terminals (RTs) to the VRAD on the sidewalk. From there they have a 2K ft run of 2 pairs of standard unshielded twisted pair copper (UTP) from the "B box" (cross connect box, same ones they used to patch DSL over) to the side of your house.

Currently, they just bumped the max speed up from 18/1.8MB/s to 24/3MB/s for internet data. That costs $65/month by itself. My roommate/landlord just switched from Cox to ATT Uverse, getting 3/1MBit data, voice, and the U200 TV package with a DVR and cut his bill by $25/month ($125 vs $150), and he had the similar channel line up and data speeds from Cox.

The ATT Uverse webpage has a pretty accurate tool to determine if a specific address is Uverse capable or not. Just go to uverse.att.com and you should see a link for it.

As for # of simultaneous channels, everyone, including Cox is moving away from it to free up bandwidth for internet. In the old cable architecture, every channel went to every cable box every minute of the day. Now, with everything being digital (local over the air channels included), they stream everything to a node in the field (Uverse and cable) and only send the channels you actually request to the set top box. If you're in Escondido like I think you are, if your house can get Uverse, you should be able to get the top tier data and all the HD you want.

Good to know. Yes I will be moving to a new location in the escondido area. North escondido area, east of centre city pkwy off El Norte pkwy. Hoping its close to a main hub. I did an address check and it says its available. Hoping to have it installed on the 4th. Do you know how long the install process takes?

[Rob454]

We have AT&T and we love it. Never had a problem. Unlike Time Warner which always went down, endless CS calls and rate hike after rate hike. Got AT&T and never looked back

[TonyM]

If you're in Escondido like I think you are, if your house can get Uverse, you should be able to get the top tier data and all the HD you want.

This is sort of misleading as worded. "all the HD you want" meaning, record 2 HD streams at a time, from what they carry as a provider. If you're in the 32meg profile and your area is activated for it you can get a 3rd HD stream for live viewing, but the DVR can't record that third stream.

U-Verse is just IPTV, and you have a limited amount of bandwidth for streams via the residential gateway (2wire 3600) and your DVR or additional tuners.

I was sold on U-Verse by promises of features "coming at the end of the month" that never showed up. We don't watch SD tv unless we have to, so we went back to DirecTV so we could have many HD tuners (We have 8 tuners due to wanting a box in this room or that room, but really only use 5 on busy times when the wife seems to have all her shows on one night).

Project "Lightspeed" or, U-Verse took too long to deploy, much like "Pronto" did, so the hardware is outdated before most of the infrastructure has been built out. I have a friend that does DSL install/repair for SBC/ASI/NameOfTheMonth and he was talking about Pronto for 2 years before we saw any quantity of them on the street, same with Lightspeed/U-Verse. Now it's here and they're still behind the bandwidth game with my local comcast just rolling out testing of 100Mbit here.

I really wish AT&T could execute on their ideas quicker, U-verse was a great idea 5 years ago, today it's good because it's cheap compared to my Comcast business line (compares nicely because of no bandwidth cap like residential comcast).

Another positive I just remembered about U-Verse, you can hook up your boxes via coax or cat 5/6 cable, which is nice, but the runs need to go where you install your Residential Gateway.

On the negative, there was massive audio dropouts when using optical or HDMI to a Dolby Digital receiver when I had it, last I checked it wasn't fixed and had been on-going for 18 months with the common "this is the first we've heard of it" replies from tech support, even though there was a 1400+ post thread about it on utalk.att.com forums... ah.. here it is.. now over 1800 posts strong: http://utalk.att.com/t5/Equipment/Au...5-1/td-p/57711

Like I think I mentioned before, read up as much as you can so you know what you're jumping into.

[Pointcrossed]

COX in San Diego sucks ***. Worst customer service ever, the service always cuts out, they charge u more than they say and u have to hassle them down to what ur supposed to pay. I hate having cox

LIAR!

Just kidding; they do have issues, but in the city their Internet is super fast, like 13mbps down 5 up on top tier. Really depends on where you live.

One thing I dont like is when I moved to the east coast and transferred my cox account they deleted my email account :-#

[qaz5109]

Don't do it

I install uverse for a living I've been install for over 3 and 1/2 years Att is by far the worst company to work for the system itself has issues first every price of equipment u get will be a refurb and there is no 2 dvrs it's only one period they have a whole home DVr but you better have new wording in your house or Att will bill you to install to their standard in my opinion I would not support a company in which treats their employees like shot also after 9/11 all the outside plant tech were told to remove the American flags from their vehicles take what you want from the info I have posted

[qaz5109]

Piece Wiring sorry

[catmman]

Always go with Cable. They are always at the cutting edge.

[cjskalka]

Just moved to South Escondido a few months ago and went with Uverse for internet only (max data rate in my area was 3Mb/s so wouldn't support IP TV). I haven't gotten around to setting up TV, not sure if I will, but if I do i'll go direct TV.

Had to have a few technicians out the house to diagnose various issues on AT&Ts end, but they were always able to get someone out very quickly and all of the techs seemed like good people.

My quote from Cox was on the order of $130 for a dvr, TV, internet, plus they made me sign up for installation on my first phone call, otherwise I wouldn't get some discount. Surely this was a sales tactic but I don't take too kindly to being given ultimatums.

I highly recommend AT&T and will never do business with Cox.

-Chris

[catmman]

That is terrible. Wonder if it was one of those contracted sales departments that was giving you a hard time.

[Czechsix]

Just moved to South Escondido a few months ago and went with Uverse for internet only (max data rate in my area was 3Mb/s so wouldn't support IP TV). I haven't gotten around to setting up TV, not sure if I will, but if I do i'll go direct TV.

Had to have a few technicians out the house to diagnose various issues on AT&Ts end, but they were always able to get someone out very quickly and all of the techs seemed like good people.

My quote from Cox was on the order of $130 for a dvr, TV, internet, plus they made me sign up for installation on my first phone call, otherwise I wouldn't get some discount. Surely this was a sales tactic but I don't take too kindly to being given ultimatums.

I highly recommend AT&T and will never do business with Cox.

-Chris

At&T will do exactly the same thing as cox, regarding the "required" phone line.

Actually, scratch that. AT&T installers won't tell you that you need that "required" phone line, and then they'll just charge you the ten bucks a month extra until you get it installed and hooked up to their system.

They all suck. I'm trying to find an alternative to Cox right now, due to their recent price increase.

[catmman]

Yes they all do the same. I do like the cable companies because I don't think there is a term contract with them. When your rates do go up usually you can complain and complain and sometimes get the old rate back.

[Pointcrossed]

Yes they all do the same. I do like the cable companies because I don't think there is a term contract with them. When your rates do go up usually you can complain and complain and sometimes get the old rate back.

Cox, my friend has AT&T and hates it but can't get rid of it right now because they are stuck in a contract.

[the86d]

Move to a place with Fios and you wouldn't have this dilemma...

It was a requirement that I researched before I bought my home.