Hacking the AT&T U-Verse DVR

Fiber optic networks are slowly taking root in the US, with Verizon's FiOS and AT&T's U-Verse providing internet, phone, and HDTV over fiber to the home. The U-Verse system has only rolled out in San Antonio, Texas so far, but some customers have already figured out how to extend the system.

It seems when AT&T offers multi-room packages, they only provide one DVR, but they will give you additional (identical) boxes with the DVR functionality removed. It only took a couple weeks before someone popped open the back of a unit to see the internal differences between the DVR and the set-top-box w/o DVR.

Turns out they simply unplugged the hard drive sitting in the case, and you can quickly and easily plug it in to gain additonal DVRs on your home system. It's so simple it's almost comical that AT&T did this. [thanks frank!]

Comments

[Daniel]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

And they charge how much for extra boxes??

[daveadams]

*Almost* comical? It's downright ludicrous. I'm looking forward to AT&T sending a DMCA C&D for circumventing a copyright protection system.

[rob]

I work as part of the marketing team that has helped tens of thousands of homes connect with both Verizon FIOS and AT&T U-verse.
speaking for AT&T's U-Verse - it is a great product, but for the moment it has it's limitations. AT&T intends to replace customers Tatung set top boxes and receivers by the end of the year with Motorola. they are still waiting of programing from microsoft to roll out the additional product features.
Because the U-Verse network is in a test phase, there are still a few glitches that will be fixed when the boxes are replaced. But they will offer their service in Both Columbus and Chicago by the end of the year.
By the way, the set top box and additional receivers are FREE, and their replacement for existing customers will also be FREE. Plus, those customers participating in the test pilot have received three months of service for FREE.

[Nai Ednoc]

At&t came to my house not long ago a put the fiber optic in .(I live in SF bayare,Union City). Every other hous on my neighborhood is allowed to choose if they want it over comcast. Pretty cheap 100 bucks a year with a free wi fi router and at&t internet, cable

[pip]

I just had uverse installed and am pretty pleased with it. I had charter. I just found out today that I can have all access to programming my DVR from my computer at work ..that is sweet. Much easier than doing it on the tv. First a comment on the install 3pm till midnight and a guy had to come out the next day for 1&1/2 hours to fix everything. The poor gal that did the install makes 12 an hour and has been working about 18 hours a day ..She spent about 4 hours on the phone with her so called service people. Personally I think ATT has a problem with the higher paid senior people screwing with the installers which is bullshit for the customers. I was there when she called the help folks and when my internet wouldn't come up they told her someone in Mass. cancled my order?????I am in St. Louis?? Question...can I fairly easily copy any movies from my DVR to computer to DVD?

[Robert Gorski]

I came across the following short essay on the web that rips U-verse from one end of the universe to the other:
http://www.democraticmedia.org/book/export/html/269
Also, I have heard that U-verse is not going to allow closed captioning on community programming. It that true?

[Thomas Todhunter]

I like the service but also wondered if there was a way to be able to take a program from the DVR to an external source to be stored forever?

I did notice that there is a usb connection to the front of the box and wondered if an external hard drive can be attached and then be able to copy a program to it.

I understand that Disk network does offer this as a service but you must use their software (which they sell and license) to do it much like the TiVo systems of the past worked.

[wjk]

can you help ? i purchased a uverse box on e-bay " cheep " hooked it up...it powers up fine...shows the att logo...then i get a unable to connect to signal message....how do i make this work ??? Thanks Bill

[Guy]

It won't work. Every U-Verse set top box or DVR has to be tied to your specific account. The only way to get a working box is to have it installed by a U-verse technician. They will call in and have whatever box they install added to your account. Also, that box you bought is probably tied to someone else's account and will not load at any other address but theirs. Return it and get you money back.

[190d]

has anybody figured out how to get the media off the motorola and stored onto a PC? the motorola box is easy to open up, and its just a HD, pluged it into my pc, and they are all .slc files and named crazy....

any help? and damn those usb ports!!!! what a trick.

[Ryan B.]

I'm trying to save some shows onto laptop too...what's the trick?

[Mario]

Does their DVRs allow you to record programming to DVD Recorders. I have comcast and they first starting not to allow recording of their on demand content. Now I cant even record ESPN shows.

[Mark B Gardner]

No, you cannot record from uverse to a dvd recorder. You get "content not allowed to be copied"