Uverse picture Quality

awol · 05-20-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreGun

Prepare for awesomeness soon...that is all I can say

Hell, I'll say it.

Summer – TRUE whole home DVR.

That is, if the update doesn't get pushed back again.

DreGun · 05-21-2009, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awol

Hell, I'll say it.

Summer – TRUE whole home DVR.

That is, if the update doesn't get pushed back again.

I just have to be very careful of my words given my position.

ckone180 · 06-08-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreGun

I just have to be very careful of my words given my position.

I completely understand your concern. U-Verse just became available at my address. I am about a half mile or so from the VRAD, which kind of scares me. I need a reason to switch, really. Other than the fact I want NFL network, which TimeWarner does not carry.

1/2 mile is a little too far, huh?

DaveGu · 06-08-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckone180

I completely understand your concern. U-Verse just became available at my address. I am about a half mile or so from the VRAD, which kind of scares me. I need a reason to switch, really. Other than the fact I want NFL network, which TimeWarner does not carry.

1/2 mile is a little too far, huh?

No, 1/2 mile shouldn't be too far. Shouldn't. Depends and the installer can measure for signal qualiity, etc. Published max distance is 3000 feet which is >1/2 mile. Good luck.

DreGun · 06-08-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveGu

No, 1/2 mile shouldn't be too far. Shouldn't. Depends and the installer can measure for signal qualiity, etc. Published max distance is 3000 feet which is >1/2 mile. Good luck.

The max distance depending on gauge of wire is actually 4100ft.

ckone180 · 06-10-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreGun

The max distance depending on gauge of wire is actually 4100ft.

I appreciate your replies. I was ballparking 1/2 mile, so maybe I need to measure it more precisely. I was using the trip odometer on my truck when figuring. If I am at the 3000-4100 feet mark, would my service be limited? Would it cause me to get less quality?

I just updated my STB for a Samsung hd-DVR, and I am amazed at the PQ over the Scientific Atlanta HD box I had earlier. I really want NFL network, and the price difference should be well worth it.

The lineups have me though. May you can help on this one, I have the DigiPics service with TW, and I get HBO and Sho. I want the same set up with UVERSE, and I can do without the garbage channels like Planet Green, Lifetime, etc. The price I came up with is higher than TW, and I have no clue why. I pay 82/mo for TW, the U-Verse site has the service at 96, I think.

DreGun · 06-10-2009, 03:02 PM

4100 ft as per how the cable runs, so if there is a cul-de-sac add that in for example, or there could be a few extra loops of line on the pole...things like that.

There are limitations to being on the end of a line, such as maybe 1 live stream of HD instead of 2, and this is just to make sure the product still works as claimed.

JP1inmichigan · 07-10-2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreGun

4100 ft as per how the cable runs, so if there is a cul-de-sac add that in for example, or there could be a few extra loops of line on the pole...things like that.

There are limitations to being on the end of a line, such as maybe 1 live stream of HD instead of 2, and this is just to make sure the product still works as claimed.

I'm at 3,300 ft (according to the tech who installed my service) and he told me that I was technically 300 ft past the limit but that he could get my a signal anyway. This was a Fri., he got me all hooked up and a sweet looking picture on my 51" Philips. I thought the picture and features were awesome . . . for the 15 minutes I had it.

No sooner had he pulled out of the driveway then it started to pixelate horribly (and mind you, I only have one HD TV in the house). That was the end of my Uverse experience. I gave it the weekend, but I could not watch TV at all that weekend. It wasn't just a poor signal - it was unwatchable. The digital equivalent of snow. I had to call on Monday and cancel. I hated going back to Comcast, but I had no choice.

So my experience is that 3000 ft is definately the limit. Is there any chance that this limit will ever be overcome?

DreGun · 07-10-2009, 09:05 PM

there is, and it depends what gauge wire is used in your neighborhood.

4100 ft on 26gauge; 3000 on 28gauge.

So you very well could have been at the end. There may be plans for upgrading the compression to the boxes and so on, or even reconditioning the line which could help.

maxx42o1 · 07-14-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreGun

there is, and it depends what gauge wire is used in your neighborhood.

4100 ft on 26gauge; 3000 on 28gauge.

So you very well could have been at the end. There may be plans for upgrading the compression to the boxes and so on, or even reconditioning the line which could help.

where do you get your specs from? are you an installer or repair tech at AT&T?

Max distance is 3100 on 24g pic, and thats usually the 19 meg profile. Sometimes it will work at 25 meg. depends on the condition of the plant whether its aerial or buried. Pic or pulp.

26g is around 2800 ft.

and i havent seen 28g plant where i work. Not saying its not out there.

maxx42o1 · 07-14-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP1inmichigan

So my experience is that 3000 ft is definately the limit. Is there any chance that this limit will ever be overcome?

pair bonding is supposed to double the distance, but i havent heard of when they are going to do that.

awol · 07-15-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxx42o1

pair bonding is supposed to double the distance, but i havent heard of when they are going to do that.

Aren't they also in R&D for the pair bonding to significantly increase the speeds too?

ckone180 · 07-15-2009, 10:36 AM

Sort of makes this entire prospect null and void when I contacted AT&T yesterday to switch to U-Verse. The representative told me the service I wanted (to match TWC's offering) was going to cost me 126 dollars a month. The rep told me that there was nothing she could do about the pricing, evidently it went up in the past few weeks. They are now charging for every box, HD and SD, and DVR service. The internet portion is comparable, but 4 dollars more per month. This is weird, as when I heard of U-Verse months ago, and I checked the prices in the areas where it was currently available, it was 10 dollars cheaper, now it is 44 dollars more. Hmm. I did not sign up.

maxx42o1 · 07-17-2009, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awol

Aren't they also in R&D for the pair bonding to significantly increase the speeds too?

i havent heard anything about speed increases, but i can see that happening. I have only heard of pair bonding to reach the few customers on the far end of the f2's.

awol · 07-17-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxx42o1

i havent heard anything about speed increases, but i can see that happening. I have only heard of pair bonding to reach the few customers on the far end of the f2's.

Found this link... But I don't know how reliable the source material is. I'll try to find more later.

Quote:

When Will U-Verse Customers See Faster Speeds?
AT&T tells us pair bonding is still on schedule, but analysts not so sure....
(old news - 04:09PM Friday Oct 03 2008)
tags: dsl · alternatives · bandwidth · telco · Comcast · AT&T U-Verse
While the 6-10Mbps offered by AT&T's "next-generation" U-Verse service might be plenty for standard users, it's still not going to be enough to battle cable on the marketing front -- particularly once cable begins deploying DOCSIS 3.0 technology. To that end, AT&T has been promising for the last few years that they're going to offer faster speeds via bonded VDSL2. However, early reports indicate this hasn't been an easy process so far -- with some estimating that AT&T U-Verse customers may not see faster speeds until late 2009 or even 2010.

All U-Verse customers are not created equal. We've seen reports of U-Verse gateways syncing at nearly 100Mbps, though we're talking about only 1,400 feet from the DSLAM. It seems that 25Mbps is working well at distances of 3,000 feet; distances higher than 5,000 feet are where the trouble starts. Of course many users are further than 3,000 feet -- and with AT&T now offering dual-HD streams, things are quickly getting pinched. This pinch is why AT&T recently had to change their TOS to better manner customer speed expectations.

AT&T's decision to run FTTN instead of FTTH has remained a sticking point with most analysts. "Fiber to the node (FTTN) is just DSL from a cabinet and a press release," says industry analyst Dave Burstein, who believes that cable will "clobber" FTTN, provided cable prices competitively. Where Comcast faces U-Verse competition in Florida, they're already beating back U-Verse with their last-gen 16Mbps "Blast!" tier, saving their heavier guns (pre-cert 50Mbps DOCSIS 3.0) for areas that see FiOS deployment. However, that service costs $150.

Pair bonded VDSL2 will be AT&T's retort, with AT&T enlisting a second copper pair to each house to increase speeds. AT&T says they should be able to double the bandwidth they're currently delivering, though other estimates peg the speed bump at closer to 25-30%. Others still insist estimates are premature, since we're still in the testing phase. To offer bonded VDSL, AT&T needs to assign two DSLAM ports to each customer, and deploy a special residential gateway outside the house that can terminate two pairs -- assuming they're available.

But things are moving slowly. "As far as I can tell, nobody has seen a bonded VDSL2 modem ready for the field, while those in lab trials are having problems," says Burstein. One vendor tells Burstein early samples "are not up to speed," while training installers and support will also take time. "There's almost guaranteed to be a significant delay after the manufacturers get them working," he says, and they aren't working yet.

In 2007, AT&T promised bonded VDSL2 would arrive sometime in 2008, though Burstein thinks that's doubtful. "Bonding doesn't work yet, and they be lucky to be able to do it in late 2009 in any quantity," he says. Given that many cable companies are taking a wait and see approach with DOCSIS 3.0 upgrades, that may be ok for AT&T -- assuming the general consumer remains happy with 6-10Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream.

AT&T insists that things are on schedule. "We're planning an initial launch of pair bonding by the end of the year, and we've started testing on track with that schedule," AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom tells me. "It is worth noting that pair bonding isn't necessary for all customers, nor are things like 2 HD streams or faster Internet tiers dependent on pair bonding," insists Bloom.

In AT&T's opinion, pair bonding is more about selectively reaching out to customers at greater distances, given not all homes will see an available extra pair. "We'll use pair bonding where needed," says Bloom, "as a way to expand our U-verse service area to customers at longer loop lengths." "It will allow us to reach a broader customer base," he says. Theoretically, bonded VDSL2 may be able to provide 40Mbps and 5,000 feet but again -- that's yet to be proven in the field.

Time will tell how exactly AT&T chooses to deploy the technology and when, but for most U-Verse users, anything faster than 6-10Mbps could still be a year or two out. A longer delay in getting this next step in "Project Lightspeed's" evolution into the field could make cable operators very, very happy.

06-10-2009, 03:02 PM	#52
DreGun HD and Away!!! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 301	4100 ft as per how the cable runs, so if there is a cul-de-sac add that in for example, or there could be a few extra loops of line on the pole...things like that. There are limitations to being on the end of a line, such as maybe 1 live stream of HD instead of 2, and this is just to make sure the product still works as claimed. __________________ Sharp 42" LC42D64U Denon - AVR-588 Boston Acoustics - Horizon MCS 130 X360: ZDS Dre Gun -- Zombie Death Squad PSN: Dre Gun (My Media Center)

07-10-2009, 09:05 PM	#54
DreGun HD and Away!!! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 301	there is, and it depends what gauge wire is used in your neighborhood. 4100 ft on 26gauge; 3000 on 28gauge. So you very well could have been at the end. There may be plans for upgrading the compression to the boxes and so on, or even reconditioning the line which could help. __________________ Sharp 42" LC42D64U Denon - AVR-588 Boston Acoustics - Horizon MCS 130 X360: ZDS Dre Gun -- Zombie Death Squad PSN: Dre Gun (My Media Center)

07-15-2009, 10:36 AM	#58
ckone180 SOCOM is so game! Join Date: May 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Age: 29 Posts: 358	Sort of makes this entire prospect null and void when I contacted AT&T yesterday to switch to U-Verse. The representative told me the service I wanted (to match TWC's offering) was going to cost me 126 dollars a month. The rep told me that there was nothing she could do about the pricing, evidently it went up in the past few weeks. They are now charging for every box, HD and SD, and DVR service. The internet portion is comparable, but 4 dollars more per month. This is weird, as when I heard of U-Verse months ago, and I checked the prices in the areas where it was currently available, it was 10 dollars cheaper, now it is 44 dollars more. Hmm. I did not sign up. __________________ "Fighting Ignorance since 1973 (It’s taking longer than we thought)." The Straight Dope. My humble equipment list (I am still working on it!): Samsung LN52A630 Samsung BD-1250T Playstation 3 80gb Online ID: cspldk Battlefield Bad Company SOCOM Confrontation UFC Undisputed Wii

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