AT&T U Verse any good?


I read a few blogs on AT&T's new U Verse digital cable internet/TV service and it seems to have problems - one of which is lousy HD quality.

What other issues are there?

How is sound quality?

How is interface/support?

I am very leery at this time.

ANY info appreciated

Phil
128x128philjolet

Showing 3 responses by narrod

I would not be an early adopter. AT&T chose an IP platform because it is much cheaper to deploy than a fiber infrastructure. Bandwidth issues are significant on this platform. They are still in the learning stages of implementation and ongoing support. Technology that does not currently exist is needed to make it a robust HD service. In my opinion, Verizon has made the better long-term decision in utilizing a fiber backbone for television delivery. Of course, consumers won't be able to choose between the platforms. It is wholly dependent on the franchise area where you reside. I live in AT&T territory and would love to replace my DirecTv service but don't see that happening for a long time.
I'm a AT&T retiree and there are support issues. The company is so large and has reduced headcount so much and service always suffers first. The philosophy has always been get a product to market, to get revenue flowing, and fix it later. It was the way we always did it. I still remember what a nightmare DSL was when initially rolled out. Beyond these problems I am not, yet, convinced that IP broadcast HD video is the platform of the future.
I've been retired for three and a half years so I can't speak about current operation. I do know that all call center traffic was handled in-house (or stateside agents) due to problems with offshore support. It may have changed. The cost savings make it awfully attractive for large companies. AT&T and other large companies are pretty good at gauging customer tolerance before there is a significant drop in revenue. They will go right to the edge and a little over before backing off to protect revenue. I was a Sales VP so my perspective is from the customer's point of view. Service was never good enough and prices were never low enough. Factor this in when evaluating my opinion. I was not an engineer, strategic planner or in finance. They all have significantly different views than those of us in sales.