TV screen just has a circle on it spinning, nothing else happening

Is this the DVR or a STB?  Have you rebooted either one?  Have you tried rebooting the gateway first, then the DVR and then the STB?

At this point an obligatory question is asked to confirm user actually has U-verse TV.   

If you indeed have a screen with Uverse logo and with a spinning circle that never completes, there’s likely a problem with the link back to gateway and internet.