UVerse and Tivo Get Along?

[EwanG]

Just getting the new Uverse service offered in our area (uverse.att.com), and from reading over the material I'm not clear if I could still use my Tivos on the service. I would "presume" I could use the PVR that comes with it on one of my machines, and then inline my two Tivo Series 2 between the digital boxes and our TVs on the other two systems. But not knowing what digital box is used, I'm concerned that the Tivos wouldn't be able to control the boxes.

Anyone else using this service who could comment?

Reason I'm looking at moving is that for the same price I'm paying for TW Cable and RoadRunner now it looks like I would get more digital boxes, faster internet service (6meg rather than 3meg), Showtime AND HBO, and access to Yahoo's Music Service.

Appreciate any input,
Ewan

[btl-a4]

More than likely the TiVo will be able to control the STB using the IrBlaster. If you get lucky maybe the serial connection will work with AT&T's STB. And you said you get a lot of STB's so use them.

[mykrowsy]

I don't own a tivo, just the dvr from time warner, but I doubt TiVo will work with uverse because uverse is IP based, and doesn't tune into channels that are all broadcast into the home, the Uverse service basically downloads individual video streams.

Does the TiVo control the cable company's set top box, or replace it? Is it between the set top and the t.v?

I guess that would make a lot of difference

[btl-a4]

I don't own a tivo, just the dvr from time warner, but I doubt TiVo will work with uverse because uverse is IP based, and doesn't tune into channels that are all broadcast into the home, the Uverse service basically downloads individual video streams.

Does the TiVo control the cable company's set top box, or replace it? Is it between the set top and the t.v?

I guess that would make a lot of difference

Tivo's can either replace or control the STB. Without a STB you can only recieve channels 1-99 via analog. With uverse and digital STB's the STB tunes in the channel and gives it to the TiVo via S-video or Composite Video. Then the TiVo records and outputs to the TV. In that scenario the STB treats the TiVo like a TV and the tivo just records what the STB sends.

[classicsat]

How the Uverse box receives its programming is more or less irralevent *. All that matters is it has A/V out an IR control with direct channel number entry.

* Unless you want to use the second tuner on a DT, which you need something that delivers analog cable to the STB location. Many VDSL and IPTV technologies don't provide analog cable, but just the selected channel(s) over a DSL or ethernet connection.

[cbrantly]

Hey Guys, If you are interested in U-verse, you might want to check out UverseUsers.com (http://www.uverseusers.com). It is a pretty new U-verse community, but it seems to be growing quickly. There are also several people in the forums there that are very knowledgeable about the new technology and could probably answer some of your questions.

[TiVo Troll]

Like so many other program providers nowadays U-verse (http://www.sbc.com/gen/u-verse?pid=7871&cdvn=custom) has its own DVR (http://www.sbc.com/gen/u-verse?pid=7877&cdvn=custom), but U-verse service is apparently currently only available (http://lsosa.sbc.com/lsosa/addressLine.do) around San Antonio, Texas.

[adamsdaddy]

Well, I just got off the phone with TiVo. I signed on with Uverse yesterday and TiVo is compatible but TiVo does not supply listings for the Uverse systems - yet. I guess they are supplied to TiVo by Tribune broadcasting. Tribune has not began spitting out the listings for Uverse yet but TiVo support told me it will only be 2-4 weeks. (1 billing cycle) I told them if it took any longer, I will be cancelling because I am not paying for a listing service that cannot provide listings for the service provider I use.

[gastrof]

After looking at the http://www.uverseusers.com/ website, I think it's hillarious that AT&T simply unplugged the hard drives in the secondary boxes so people could only have one DVR per household (leaving the additional boxes only able to tune channels).

That the consumer can get the secondary ones going again (turning each back into a DVR) by just reattaching the cables that lead to the hard drives tickles me silly.

[gastrof]

Tivo's can either replace or control the STB. Without a STB you can only recieve channels 1-99 via analog. With uverse and digital STB's the STB tunes in the channel and gives it to the TiVo via S-video or Composite Video. Then the TiVo records and outputs to the TV. In that scenario the STB treats the TiVo like a TV and the tivo just records what the STB sends.


Are you saying that the cable coming into the AT&T box carries all analog cable channels from 1-99, and the service isn't completely dependent on the boxes?

I'd have assumed in a setup like this, they'd use fibre optics like Verizon's FiOS system, leaving the analog (no box) side a little limited.

[cheer]

After looking at the http://www.uverseusers.com/ website, I think it's hillarious that AT&T simply unplugged the hard drives in the secondary boxes so people could only have one DVR per household (leaving the additional boxes only able to tune channels).

That the consumer can get the secondary ones going again (turning each back into a DVR) by just reattaching the cables that lead to the hard drives tickles me silly.
That's fairly outdated -- that was only on the initial Tatung boxes.

[cheer]

Are you saying that the cable coming into the AT&T box carries all analog cable channels from 1-99, and the service isn't completely dependent on the boxes?

I'd have assumed in a setup like this, they'd use fibre optics like Verizon's FiOS system, leaving the analog (no box) side a little limited.
Neither assumption is true -- U-Verse is IPTV, so the only "channels" coming in any any given moment are the ones you've tuned to (or your DVR has tuned to).