Most of us readers here have HD DVR and TV, I/Net and phones. I have at&t landline for my phone and DSL (extremely reliable), comcast for my HD DVR TV and paying separately is costing me $250+USD/mo.
I received an offer from U-verse offering all three for $89/mon for 12 months which is stated as a $41/mon discount from normal charges. (why don't I believe all three can be only $130/mon)
As this would be a great savings for me in these economic times I first though that I would inquire as to any opinions of you a.h.r folks and what you might have experienced with this service.
So, thoughts, opinions, recommendations all greatly appreciated.
snipped-for-privacy@fdcx.net wrote in news:3o0dj7pml7n6de016bvhbtevk7qlacgr8g@
4ax.com:
I have FiOS. At the moment I'm paying just under $150/mo total, including fees, taxes, 1 DVR & 1 STB rental.
My internet is 25/15 (Gbits down/up). That is more than the basic stuff, but gives free wifi at a lot of places. There is 1 main email address and something like 7 or 8 "subaccounts" but Verizon email isn't something I'd write home about.
My FiOS TV "Extreme HD" includes basic and some premium content, and is enough for me (it includes NFL, but not any special baseball stuf).
It also includes a phone landline with free LD in the US, Canada, PR (I think). It incudes the regular "premium" services such as caller ID, voice mail, etc.
While the connections here from NJ 07410 are excellent, customer service isn't too good, and billing can be a hassle. It is best to scrupulously write down everything you're promised, and to note date, time and name of person you're talking to. Repeat to them what YOU understand you've been promised. They keep a record, so if you can tell them that Susie told you so on that date and time, they can't get out from under that. Also, as soon as there is a dispute of some kind, suspend any automatic payments and only pay what you owe. In the past it has taken more than a few months to get things straightened out. Maybe they are better now than when I had problems .
I am up here in Western Canada. I don't use PVR. I have a bundle package from Shaw cable which includes 2 phone numbers, HD TV, Internet with broadband 50GBS speed with modem/WiFi router. Total bill is ~180.00/month. Looks like you could save some having a bundle package.
I'm in northern CA and switched to the U-verse with a similar deal.
I'm consistently getting ~10/2 down/up. After expiration of the promo rate I'm paying ~$138 for phone, I-net, and TV with a premium package. I'm very satisfied.
My only complaint is that they offered a $100 refund at signup. But they actually sent out a rebate card 6-8 weeks later, and sent it in unrecognizable envelope so I that I likely threw it away as junk mail.
My last experience with ATT was pretty bad. I get by with a prepaid phone at 15.00/month for 200 roll over minutes, a cable modem for the internet and over the air TV. Runs me about 60 bucks a month total. It really depends on what you want, what you need and how you will actually use it all when you get it. It's easier to get a full back tattoo removed than get lose from some of the contracts the companies have now days.
U-verse looks like TV via Internet from what I read on their web site, not exactly hi-def in my experience. Apparently hi-def via Internet isn't too common yet - see:
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Verizon land line phone and DSL service is good (actually excellent) here but alas no fios yet in my neighborhood. By the way, WIFI modems are available, Verizon sold us one for $90 and it is strong enough to work anywhere on our property, just over an acre. By buying it outright there is no added monthly fee and they do stand behind the product as the first one went belly up and they replaced it free.
Han's all inclusive fios service for $150 a month is a pretty good deal considering the included DVR and Internet speeds. 25-Mbps should be able to deliver hi-def. Although if you add in cell phone service he is probably still in our price range.
Unfortunately for me the wife can't live without a TV in nearly every room, we have 6 TVs, 3 basic & 3 free digital boxes but no hi-def or DVR, although the 3 digital cable TVs are real close to hi-def. Nor can she live without a land line and included 24-7 long distance. Add in our pair of Iphones and we are also in the $250+ range.
Speaking of Iphones:
When the Iphone sign up is over I am going to get myself a cheapo talk only phone. Actually I like text *but only if* it has a fold out keyboard that I can avoid hitting 4 keys at once. I will say that text messages from me on the thing are just 'best guess', I can see why the kiddies made up their own language for the things.
On the other hand Internet over a gadget as small and twitchy as an Iphone is just plain stupid! Its just not made for normal human fingers ... munchkins only need apply! Typing on the baby keyboard is bad enough but gesturing a web page to human readable size is an exercise in futility what with hot spots and buttons scattered all about the screen ... LOL ... what a POS! Everything I touch its either 'Copy this!' or 'Now where did that frickin page go?' Google likes to suggest things when you use bad spelling or composition, but for me it has no clue?
I too hate ATT with a passion and that also is true for Verizon.
I contend that they have the old telephone company mentality from when they were the only game in town and damn the customer. Wife won't give up the land lines and we had three problems in the last three months. One static issue took over a week to fix. I had two neighbors that lost FIOS service for nearly a week. Would never be this long with Comcast.
I do hear from neighbors that FIOS has better signal. Both Verizon and Comcast will give you a one - two year deal on their triple play for about $100. Then price goes up and you have to renegotiate.
To me, inherently there is more expense in installing FIOS and its equipment so to profit they may have to charge more in the long run.
I have had U-Verse for slightly over three years. I pay about $150 a month for phone, Internet, and U-200 with a DVR and two boxes each month. That includes taxes. HD is $10 more each month.
I like the ability to program the DVR via the Internet, so that is what I normally do early each morning. Overall I have had very few problems with my installation. When something needed attention, they were here quickly and fixed it right. That is more than I could say for Comcast, who I had before U-Verse.
I do know of some neighbors who were not happy with the service, but often it was their own fault. One neighbor was complaining to me about the TV remotes not working, and I discovered they had taken the remote for the bedroom and left it in the front room and vice versa. Another had a cheap phone that caused problems with their telephone. Of course the homeowners could not bring themselves to admit the problem was not AT&T, but themselves.
Finally the house wiring needs to be in very good condition for U-Verse. If the home is old and you have corroded connections, you will encounter problems with U-Verse.
Overall, I am happy. Like everything, I wish it were cheaper. But that can be said for anything you buy. If you have any more questions, post them. I will try to answer them.
I have Uverse. My major complaint is the TV remote. I have service in two rooms and in the living-room the DVR is in a console below the TV, like most people. Because the DVR is "a little" lower the line-of-sight isn't as good as in the bedroom. So, in the living-room the remote is squirrely. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. VERY frustrating.
I sent the first DVR back and got the newest version of the DVR ATT offers but it's remote is just as bad as the first one. ATT offers a radio remote that is supposed to work better but it has a one-time $50 cost. Personally, I think it's a ATT problem and they shouldn't make the customers pay for the radio remote. They should just send it instead.
The internet service isn't that great either. I haven't checked the upload/download rate that much but my bet would be it's not as good as advertised. Fairly reliable and can handle streaming Netflix videos "fairly" well.
Good things? Seems to be cheaper than most services. The bill remains constant, which was my major complaint with Comcast. The TV service is pretty good other than the remote issues. Lot's of pay and free on-demand. Records 4 shows at the same time.
If a shitty remote doesn't bother you I'd say go for it. It has been cheaper, for the first year at least. Try to put the DVR in a higher than normal place with a straight line-of-sight. That's how we have it in the bedroom and the remote works better in there. You have to be pretty close (10 feet or less) and pointing "right at" the DVR for the remote to work well. It was almost a deal breaker for me but I've resigned myself to living with it (the remote).
Frank wrote in news:jh69cv$n9n$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
I have ATT for wireless service (iPhones for my wife and me). As far as I am concerned, the service is great. Better than our prior Sprint, and I love my iPhone 4S. Combined total cost is $120/mo.
All telecom companies have the old mentality - catch a customer and overwhelm him/her with fees and taxes, and keep them with a contract. For me, it's a question of weighing the pros and cons. ATT technology (GSM) has advantages over CDMA, such as simultaneous web access and telephone conversation, ability to use the same phone in Europe (albeit with great care due to the roaming costs). Perhaps Verizon has better coverage, but here in the greater NY City area, Sprint was definitely worse than ATT.
FiOS TV and internet are better than what I had before I got Vz DSL. Cablevision was the worst, certainly wasn't optimum.
There is no inherent limitation of CDMA to prevent simultaneous voice and data. That has been part of the spec for at least 10 years. All that is required is a suitable chipset in the handset. My almost two year old handset is CDMA and does simultaneous voice and data.
As far as roaming it is an incredible cash cow for the carriers. They get a bill from the foreign carrier for say $80 and hit you for $500.
Here is western NC I'm paying $150/mo for slow (3Meg) DSL, 2 phone numbers with all distance (US) calling (Caller ID, Call waiting and voice mail on 1st line only) and Dish 200. I only wish I could have FIOS or Uverse.
Get her a nice flat screen and HD service and you'll see that your TV is not up to near hi-def. I had a hi-def with a CRT TV and was shocked at what I was missing and thought I had.
I hold the phone sideways and you get a bigger keyboard. Much as I like having my Android, it will never replace a real computer with big screen, real mouse, real keyboard.
I bought an RF remote from DirectTv and it is only $25. Ask them if they price match. I ended up getting two of them and frankly, in the two rooms where I use them I'd never go back to IR again. So nice not to have to point it at anything.
Check that offer carefully. They do have a good deal, but the TV portion is often a basic package. Check the cost with the package and equipment you want. It still may be a good deal, but if you want more channels, an extra DVR or two, the price goes up.
I hesitated for years, but got fed up with cable and switched to satellite.. After the initial specials ran out after a year I still get better service, more channels, better equipment and save about $25 with DirecTv over our cable company.
U-Verse is not available in our town so I can't give direct comparison. Probably take another dozen years to get the right lines in place.
When I turned 65, every insurance company in the world sent me something about Medicare supplements, life insurance, etc. I tossed them all as I was all set.
One day I opened one before tossing it. Turns out, it was the second notice that I had a pension from a job I left 45 years ago. The company closed 40 years ago. CaaaaaChing! ! !. Not a fortune, but a month's present wage that I never knew was coming.
What really burns me is the printing "Important Message About Your Account" that idjits like ComcASSt and VerLIESzon stick on their marketing envelopes. Important to THEM maybe.
After getting screwed twice by Fry's on rebates that I know were properly submitted I no longer buy anything that has a rebate. And I no longer buy anything from Fry's. Fool me once . . .
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