Tag: Smart TV

Get your free HBO Max

Posted on by Marceline

HBO Max is included free of charge with the new AT&T fiber internet service at Opera Plaza (Internet 1000). To take advantage of this perk, download the HBO Max app to your Smart TV, streaming device (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast), tablet, or smartphone. Then sign into the app using your AT&T account login information after your new AT&T service is activated.

To sign in: 

  1. Launch the HBO Max app
  2. Choose “Sign in to your account” from the menu
  3. Scroll down to “Sign in with a provider”
  4. Select AT&T as your provider
  5. You should see a login screen with the AT&T logo
  6. Sign in using your AT&T account login information

If you don’t know your AT&T login information, you may have to do a password reset on your AT&T account using the email address that’s associated with your AT&T account. Be sure to log in using your AT&T account information. If you log in using an existing HBO account or if you create a new HBO account, you won’t be able to stream HBO Max free of charge.

 

ATT Fiber internet service activation day is almost here. Really.

Posted on by Marceline

The ATT crew has begun activating the new super-fast fiber internet service at Opera Plaza. You’ll receive a notification from the HOA when it’s your turn to sign up for installation. Here are some things to think about before you have your new fiber internet service activated.

Think about where you’d like the new ATT gateway to be placed in your unit

The new fiber gateway (BGW320) must be connected to the fiber jack in your unit with fiber cable, so it can’t be connected using whatever wiring you already have in your unit (most likely coaxial cable). For example, if the fiber jack is in your bedroom and you want the new gateway to be placed in your living room because that’s where your current gateway is placed, the ATT crew will have to install new cable. Be prepared to move any furniture that’s along the pathway of the cable installation. The good news is that the fiber cable is much skinnier than coaxial cable and therefore much easier to hide.
HOWEVER, the new gateway doesn’t necessarily have to be in the same place as your current gateway. The WiFi in the new fiber gateway is many, many times better than the WiFi in the previous ATT gateway. I’ve been testing it and the WiFi seems to be about 30-40x faster (600-700mbps).  If you can connect all of your devices (e.g. computers, tablets, smart TV, streaming devices) to the new gateway via WiFi you may want to place the new gateway close to the fiber jack (the outlet that ATT installed in your unit earlier this year), without running any new cable through your unit. Be sure to have the installer check the WiFi signal in your unit, especially both upstairs and downstairs if you have a townhouse. 

Here’s some advice on where to place your gateway: 
Lifewire: Get Better Wi-Fi: Here’s The Best Place for Your Wireless Router
CNET: Want better Wi-Fi? Here’s the best place to put your router

The gist of it is: 

  1. Put the gateway in a central spot in your unit (not next to an exterior wall)
  2. Put it in a higher location, not on the floor
  3. Keep it away from other electronics that could cause interference
  4. Keep it away from reflective surfaces (something to think about if you have mirrored walls or closet doors)
  5. If you have a townhouse, I think that it’s probably better to put the gateway close to the stairwell

The new gateway is much nicer looking than the old gateway, and it only has one light. The dimensions are: 7 1/2″H x 3 1/2″W x 8″D

If you have any trouble scheduling your appointment with the ATT call center, contact the HOA office. Be sure to return the old ATT gateway or you’ll be charged for it. Equipment can be returned by bringing it to the UPS store.

Lastly, go ahead and install the ATT Smart Manager app on your phone now. If you don’t know your ATT account login information, try to get that sorted out before your installer arrives. The app will allow you to test your internet speed and see what devices are logged into your home network. You can also use it to change the name of your WiFi network (SSID) and your WiFi password. 
Apple App Store
Google Play Store 
Web page

Uverse TV service will no longer be included under the Opera Plaza HOA contract

Once Opera Plaza transitions to the new internet service, Uverse TV service won’t be covered by the HOA contract.* If you don’t terminate the Uverse TV service and return the DVR you will be charged ($120+/month). It will easiest to cancel the TV service and return the DVR(s) at the same time that you return the gateway. If you don’t do this, you’ll have to make another call to ATT to cancel the TV service.
If you have any recordings that you want to watch on a Uverse DVR, watch them now. 
If you’re a TV watcher, I strongly recommend that you buy either a) a smart TV or b) a streaming device and try it out before you switch to the new internet service (if you haven’t already done so). If you have an early smart TV (pre-2016 or so) that has a limited universe of apps (you can’t download new apps) you may want to add a streaming player to it.
If you don’t want to pay for TV service, you can attach an inexpensive digital antenna (<$20) to your TV (I keep a small supply of antennas on hand). This will allow you to receive all the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS) live from Sutro Tower. The inexpensive, unamplified flat panel antennas seem to work best. This is one case where spending more does not get you something that works better.

*ATT will allow Opera Plaza residents to keep Uverse TV service. However, the cost to you will be well over $100, so in my opinion there are more cost-effective live TV options. Please see my earlier post.

Choosing a live TV (cable replacement) streaming service

Posted on by Marceline

Almost all Opera Plaza units have been wired for the new high-speed internet service, so the transition will probably get underway soon. Keep your eye out for communications from the HOA. As the change gets nearer, I’m getting more questions about what to do about TV service when the Uverse TV service ends. 

First, if you’re paying for cable TV service at another location like a second home, under some circumstances you might be able to access that same service at Opera Plaza at no extra charge via a smart TV app. For example, DISH has an app that works on Amazon Fire TV devices and Xfinity has an app that works on some devices. Also, if you pay for cable service from a company other than ATT (Uverse) you can use the username and password for that cable account to log into many standalone apps on a smart TV, like CNN and the Weather Channel.

Money-saving option

If you want to keep your cost down, you might want to consider using an antenna to receive live local TV channels like KTVU (Fox), KPIX (CBS), KGO (ABC), KQED (PBS), KNTV (NBC). Then pick streaming services that carry the cable channels that you like to watch (CNN, ESPN, etc.). Also keep in mind that many cable channels now have their own apps, so you if really just watch one or two cable channels, it might be cheaper to just subscribe to those channels rather than a full package. Pluto is free, so it’s absolutely worth it to install the app and try it out if you want to save money. I keep a small supply of inexpensive (but effective) flat antennas on hand. Contact me for installation.

Convenience option

If convenience is more important than cost, you might want to consider what I would call a full cable replacement live TV streaming service. These services provide both local channels and national cable channels through a single app. They essentially function just like cable TV, with recording in the “cloud” rather than a box connected to your TV. The services that offer both local and national channels in one app are: YouTube TV, Fubo TV, HULU + LIVE TV, and DirecTV Stream.

How to choose a live TV service:

  1. Keep a log of your TV viewing habits. What channels do you watch? What shows do you watch?
  2. Print out a copy of this spreadsheet. Use a highlighter to mark the rows for the channels that you watch, all the way across the page.
  3. Now look down the columns to see which streaming services carry the services that you like to watch.

Almost all of the services offer a free or discounted trial period. Unlike cable services, which require an annual contract and special equipment, it’s easy to try out different services. It’s also possible to use these services to watch TV wherever you travel using your laptop, tablet, mobile phone or by logging into an app on a smart TV. The only exception to this is DirecTV Stream, which ties your service to your home network, and restricts your ability to use the service to watch on a TV at another location (boo!).

Need help sorting it out? I’m here to help.

Send me an email

How will I record shows without a cable box?

Posted on by Marceline

There have been a lot of questions about how to record TV shows after the Uverse service (and the cable box) goes away. I’ll try to offer some answers here.

Maybe you won’t need to record

First of all, once you start using streaming services you may find that you don’t really need to record your favorite shows, because many are available on demand. The IMDB.com website is an encyclopedia of virtually every movie and TV show ever created. The page for each show displays information about the streaming services that carry that show.

Recording over-the-air shows

If you want to record over-the-air shows from Sutro Tower (like the local evening news, sports events, or network shows), I’ve tested and I can recommend the Tablo OTA DVR. Instead of connecting an antenna to your TV, you attach it the Tablo, and then the Tablo records and sends the content to your TV.

There are two types of Tablo DVRs: 1) devices that connect directly to your TV via an HDMI cable and 2) devices that stream content to your TV over a wifi connection to an app installed on your smart TV or streaming device. It’s important to know that some of the devices have internal memory to store your recordings, and some require an external hard drive. The number of tuners controls the number of shows that you can record or watch at the same time. Dual (2 tuners) = 2 shows at once (ie watch one show while recording another show), Quad (4 tuners) = 4 shows at once. To get the most out of these devices, you’ll need to subscribe to the Tablo TV Guide Data Service for about $60/year.

Network-connected Tablo

If you choose a network-connected Tablo DVR, you can place the OTA antenna and Tablo in a location for optimal TV reception, even if this isn’t close to your TV. The Tablo broadcasts the OTA shows to an app on your smart TV or streaming device via your wifi network, so the Tablo doesn’t have to be physically connected to your TV. In fact, the Tablo can also stream to an app on your iPhone or iPad. Because the Tablo can stream TV shows to many kinds of devices, it can be useful even if you don’t record shows. Want to watch the Late Late Show in bed on your iPad? No problem! One caveat, however: if you live in a townhouse, you may experience trouble getting the wifi signal from one floor to another (I currently recommended a mesh router setup to solve this problem, which I believe is caused by the steel rebar in the concrete floors, and there is a chance that this situation will improve with the new fiber service).

TV-connected Tablo

If you don’t have a smart TV, and you’re only interested in watching local TV stations, a TV-Connected Tablo hooks up directly to your TV and comes with its own remote control.

Cloud recording

Most of the cable replacement (live TV) streaming services offer cloud-based recording. Using these services, you record shows in the cloud (on say a Sling or Hulu server), and then you retrieve the shows from the cloud when you want to watch them. There may be some limits on what you can record, though, depending on the streaming service’s agreement with the content provider.

To give you an idea how cloud recording works, here are some examples:
https://www.sling.com/value/dvr

https://help.hulu.com/s/article/cloud-dvr

https://help.philo.com/using-philo/dvr

https://www.directv.com/stream/technology/cloud-dvr/

Need help figuring out the best TV options for you? Send me an email at: HELP@Teineitech.com