I think you've answered your own question:
"TV does not have an HDMI outlet but the U verse box does"
What you want, is a TV with HDMI INPUT, the fact that your U Verse OUTPUTS over HDMI is of no use to you.
All that being said, if you had a box that took an HDMI signal and out put over composite (yellow cable) that would still be 480i.
(it's the weakest link in the chain that counts!).
Last but not least the TV is 480i. It can't be made HD, no matter what signal you try to feed it.
- 17R3W