Tag: Uverse

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

 

How to watch the Tokyo Olympics

Posted on by Marceline

The Uverse subscription that you have as an Opera Plaza resident gives you access to NBC’s Tokyo Olympics content on a number of platforms. Contact me if you need help getting access or figuring out where to find the coverage of your favorite sport.

 

Uverse cable service

KNTVHD 1003
USAWHD 1125
CNBCHD 1216
NBCSNH 1640
GOLF 1641

 

Uverse app

https://watch.att.com/uverse-tv/ (scroll to the bottom of this page for app download links)

Download the Uverse app for Android or iOS to stream Uverse TV channels (including the above) to your handheld device.
The Uverse App makes it easy to search for specific Olympic events on TV. You can also use the app to set your DVR to record events. You’ll need your ATT Uverse account login information to sign in to use the app.

 

NBC Olympics website

https://www.nbcolympics.com/

You will need your ATT Uverse login information (or login information from your account with another cable provider) to have full access to the NBC Olympics website.

 

NBC Sports App

https://www.nbcsports.com/sports-mobile

Download the NBC Sports App to your Adroid or iOS device to watch NBC Olympics coverage on your handheld device. For full access, you will need to log in with your Uverse (or other cable provider) account.

 

Peacock

https://www.peacocktv.com/

Download the Peacock App to your Smart TV (or Roku, Amazon FireTV, or AppleTV) or handheld device to access some (but not all) Olympics coverage. You will need to sign up for a Peacock account to access the content.

Why is my internet at Opera Plaza so slow?

Posted on by Marceline

First of all, it’s important to understand that the speed of the internet coming into your unit at Opera Plaza isn’t necessarily the same as the speed of the Wi-Fi inside your unit. So let’s learn how to test your internet speed and your Wi-Fi speed. 

To test your internet speed check the speed by physically connecting a laptop or desktop computer to your Uverse gateway using an ethernet cable. Once your computer is connected, go to Speedtest and select “Go” to test your internet speed. After a minute or two, the website will generate a report that looks like this:

What does this download speed number 23.47Mbps (megabytes per second) mean? It’s not blazing fast, but it’s enough to stream video content, including Zoom meetings. As far as I know, the fastest service that ATT promises is 18Mbps (“Internet 18”). The fastest I’ve seen in the complex is about 26Mbps. If you run this test and your speed is lower than 15Mbps, check your ATT bill to see if you are signed up for “Internet 18” service. If not, contact ATT and request an upgrade. If you are already on the “Internet 18” plan and your internet service is slow, reboot your router by unplugging it for a few minutes and then plugging it back in. If this doesn’t improve your internet speed you may need to contact ATT.

Next, test your Wi-Fi speed. Unplug your laptop from the ethernet cable or use an iPad or some other device with an internet browser to once again connect to Speedtest. If you’re using the Uverse gateway for Wi-Fi, there’s a good chance that the Wi-Fi speed will be a LOT slower than the speed of the wired connection. You may see speeds of 6-8Mbps. Why is this?

The 2Wire HomePortal 3801HGV gateway supplied to most Opera Plaza residents by ATT uses the “antique” 802.11 b/g standard to broadcast Wi-Fi. This standard was created in 2003 and as you can imagine there have been a lot of advances in Wi-Fi technology since then. The solution is to contact ATT and see if they have a more advanced gateway  (I have not had any luck with this) or to install a separate Wi-Fi router that uses newer technology in your unit. This is what I’ve done for many Opera Plaza residents.

This is the router that I’ve been installing (I receive a small commission from Amazon links, but feel free to shop anywhere).
NETGEAR Smart WiFi Router  – AC1750 (R6400-100NAS)

If you live in a townhouse, you may want to consider installing a mesh Wi-Fi router system instead for better Wi-Fi across two floors.