How Does Comcast TV Compare to AT&T U-verse?

Digital video recording, more commonly shortened to DVR, is the ability to record television shows with your cable system, even when you are not home. AT&T; claims to have one of the best DVR systems on the market. Its technology allows you to record up to four shows at one time on a single DVR device, whereas Comcast lets you record only one show while watching another show or two real-time shows while watching a saved show. The AT&T; system stores 233 hours of standard-definition (SD) shows and 65 hours of high-definition (HD) shows. The Comcast system allows you to record 300 hours of SD shows and 60 hours of HD shows with the HD DVR. If you have standard DVR, you can record 45 hours of SD programming. Both companies enable you to program your DVR from your computer, but AT&T; adds the convenience of allowing programming via your wireless phone. Both Comcast and AT&T; allow you to pause your program in one room and restart it in another, set parental controls and set your TV to record an entire series or season.

AT&T; offers a number of On Demand features, such as availability of a movie the same day it comes out on DVD, movie extras and, if you have AT&T; cellular phone service, weekly text alerts when new On Demand movies become available. AT&T; also has scroll bars that show the weather, stocks and sports scores. You can also stream music and photos from your computer. Comcast and AT&T; both offer the full range of premium channels, such as HBO, Showtime, Encore, Starz and Cinemax. Comcast offers an entire library of On Demand shows and movies, whereas AT&T; is still developing its relationships with various networks. Comcast also has On Demand packages featuring Disney Movies, WWE, Bollywood Hits, Filipino movies and channels, a classic TV package called "Howard TV," an outrageous extras package called "Too Much for TV" and a gay and lesbian package called "here!"

Comcast and AT&T; are both Internet service providers (ISPs). AT&T; U-verse is designed to work as one unit with your TV, internet and home phone. When you use wireless through U-verse, you have home networking capabilities between the computers in your home. AT&T; also offers you the option to use the national Wi-Fi network. You can also purchase internet through Comcast, but you need a wireless router to make your home network wireless. Comcast publishes download speeds of 15 MB per second and AT&T; boasts download speeds of between 3 and 24 MB per second, depending on how expensive a plan you buy.

AT&T; U-verse and Comcast can set up your home phone using your landline. Comcast and AT&T; both offer typical home phone features such as caller ID, call history and voice messaging. AT&T; allows you to route your incoming calls to your cell phone, to see your caller ID on your TV and to dial your phone from your computer call history list. Comcast provides unlimited local and long-distance phone service and the ability to see calls on your TV.

According to Top Ten Reviews 2011, Comcast scored as having better customer service than AT&T.; The website measures customer service based on the company's ability to answer customers' questions quickly via its Frequently Asked Questions page, phone support, email support and live chat representatives. The website reported that Comcast has an interactive customer support page and easy-to-reach representatives, and that AT&T; offers a support page and contact numbers, but not as many methods for getting questions answered as Comcast.