Are Multiple TVs Included With AT&T U-Verse Packages?

Total Home DVR is an optional feature offered with U-verse TV, designed to give the subscriber the full range of DVR functions from any connected TV. To achieve this, each TV must also be connected to a non-DVR set-top receiver box, also supplied by AT&T.; Total Home DVR works with as few as two TVs up to as many as eight (though you can only view up to four at one time), depending on the viewing habits of the individual subscriber as well as the total number of TVs in the household.

AT&T; offers six different U-verse TV programming packages, as of 2011, with the smallest consisting of only local channels, and the largest containing up to 410 channels. The basic difference between the packages is the number and types of channels included (as well as the price), with the four largest packages all offering the option to add the Total Home DVR service to the package for an additional monthly fee, with the number of receivers needed determined by the subscriber.

With Total Home DVR, you can pause and rewind live TV, set, change and delete recordings and play back recorded programs on any connected TV, through the receiver connected to that TV. The U-verse DVR allows for recording up to four channels at once (up to 2 in HD), and offers a Multiview feature that lets you select up to four channels to view on screen simultaneously. You can also manage the DVR remotely by computer or other capable wireless device, provided the DVR is connected to the home's high-speed Internet network.

Upon subscribing to U-verse, the customer decides the number of receivers that will be needed if they choose the Total Home DVR service, as well as the accompanying remote controls. The U-verse technician will make all necessary connections upon installation to network the various TVs in the household. Including more TVs does mean higher costs though: along with the $15 monthly fee (at the time of publication) for Total Home DVR, AT&T; also charges $7 a month for each additional receiver.