PLEASE READ: This article is out of date. The hack described below will not work with the current version of AT&T's U-verse platform or the hardware it is currently run on.

When U-verse first became available to the general public, every set top box was a DVR. AT&T quickly changed this policy and began only giving new customers one DVR plus 2-3 other set top boxes. This was most likely done to prevent confusion when the switch is made to the client-server model that will be used with the Motorola boxes. However, since the current Tatung boxes only allow one stream at a time, it can be frustrating when you want to record two shows at once. Of course, being the techies that we are, the first thing we did when we got our U-verse service was pop open one of the boxes and take a look inside, and we found a very interesting piece of information. It seems that when AT&T decided to only allow one DVR per household, they kept the same hardware and just unplugged the hard drives in the non-DVR boxes. The good news for you, is that by simply plugging them in, you can have a DVR on every TV. Continue reading for pictures and instructions on how to enable DVR functionality on all of your set top boxes in 3 easy steps.

Ok, this is the easiest step of all. All you need is a #2 Phillips Head screw driver. Once you get the screw driver, completely unplug your STB from the power and television set.

There are 6 screws that you will need to remove in order to open up the box. Two on each side, and two on the back. Remove the 6 screws and set them aside. Next, carefully remove the cover.

You are almost done. The next step is to connect the hard drive. Start by finding the hard drive power cable shown in the picture below and plug it in to the right side of the hard drive.

Finally, plug in the IDE ribbon cable. Be careful to line it up correctly and make sure that the tab on the top of the plug lines up with the groove on the hard drive.

That is it! Simply place the cover back on the box and screw it back on. Connect the box back up to your TV and you are ready to go. The OS will automatically detect the presence of the hard drive and enable all of the recording features you have on your existing DVR.

(11)