# DirecTV Now service at launch



## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Here's an article on DirecTV Now, including summaries of other articles about the features and limitations, comparisons to other OTT services:

The limits of AT&T's DirecTV Now: No DVR and limited ability to pause live TV

No DVR functionality (maybe next year), no CBS or Showtime, no live streaming of broadcast networks except in some markets.

And certainly no word on a roadmap for 4K streams.

I've heard that Internet delivery is their ultimate roadmap, that D* won't launch any more satellites and presumably won't develop and deploy any new DVRs for the satellite service?

If that happens, programming costs are sure to go up. Networks may be willing to take lower fees for DirecTV Now since it's an ancillary service. But if it becomes the main TV service for AT&T?

Plus you figure for customers who get Internet from another company, data caps would be issues, especially if they ever put 4K channels and raise the per-account streams limit from 2 to something more realistic like 5 or 6.

The product would be more attractive too if it didn't have limitations like not being able to get NFL streams on phones (or maybe mobile devices too?). Or else I would imagine a lot of people here would want to make sure they can attach something like a Sling Box so that they can stream some of the content that they're paying for out of the home.

Now if they put DirecTV Now clients onto things like Tivo or other third-party DVRs, then you would solve the problem of missing DVR features as well as place shifting.

Or will consumers just accept the loss of a lot of features and content they've grown accustomed to for a low, limited-time introductory price?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

This is why I think TiVo needs to get on the ball and integrate one of these OTT services with an OTA DVR. Local channels are the biggest hurdles in these OTT skinny bundle services, so being able to record your locals OTA and get the rest of the "cable" channels OTT just seems like a smart way to go.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

No DVR
No NFL Network
No beIN Sports
No Showtime
No CBS
Two streaming limit
Not available on Samsung Smart TV
Not available on Android TV
Not available on Roku

..... no reason to have it.

Just my two cents.


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## sar840t2 (Mar 1, 2003)

Darn, it's looking like a flop (initially at least).


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## Jim1348 (Jan 3, 2015)

Time will tell how successful this is. It is one thing to read about the service on line. It is a totally different thing to use it and get experience with how well it works in the real world. I will wait and see on this.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

These OTT packages are a good option for people in markets where a premium provider is very expensive, alternatives exist for high speed internet, for a viewer willing and able to erect an antenna, and in the case where specific 'cable' channels are a roadblock to cord cutting.

That's a pretty narrow niche.

I tried PS Vue, which was very good, had a lot of channels, and supported three concurrent connections (for those with no PS3/4). The problem is that there was nothing on television (for me). The reason I signed up for the trial was because our OTA broadcast of the local CBS was off the air and I wanted to watch football. It turns out PS Vue uses an antenna feed, so I was not able to watch on Vue.

Once you figure out how to get cable to your televisions without all the boxes, it becomes much less expensive. Seems like these OTT challengers are up against it.


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## MikeBear (May 21, 2015)

Sling TV (owned by Dish Network) is beta testing a cloud dvr right now, this will kill DirecTV right out of the chute. 100 hours storage right now, and it's testing on the Roku platform. Scroll down the page for the news release: Sling TV Introduces Cloud DVR, to Debut in Beta for Select Roku Users | Sling TV Online Newsroom


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## Chris Blount (Nov 1, 2003)

I signed up for DirecTV Now myself. Took the 3 month deal for the free Apple TV. Can always use another one for the spare bedroom and it came out $50 cheaper than buying it in a store. Plus 3 months of DirecTV. Win-win and I can always simply stop the service if I don't like it. It would be really nice if Tivo gets DirecTV Now. That would be sweet.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Chris Blount said:


> I signed up for DirecTV Now myself. Took the 3 month deal for the free Apple TV. Can always use another one for the spare bedroom and it came out $50 cheaper than buying it in a store. Plus 3 months of DirecTV. Win-win and I can always simply stop the service if I don't like it. It would be really nice if Tivo gets DirecTV Now. That would be sweet.


Unlikely that either SlingTV or DirecTV now will come to TiVo given TiVo's relationship with DirecTV and DISH.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

Chris Blount said:


> I signed up for DirecTV Now myself. Took the 3 month deal for the free Apple TV. Can always use another one for the spare bedroom and it came out $50 cheaper than buying it in a store. Plus 3 months of DirecTV. Win-win and I can always simply stop the service if I don't like it. It would be really nice if Tivo gets DirecTV Now. That would be sweet.


Please let us know your impression on interface, guide, etc. etc. Thanks!


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## sar840t2 (Mar 1, 2003)

thyname said:


> Please let us know your impression on interface, guide, etc. etc. Thanks!


Which reminds me - does anyone know where DirecTV gets its guide data from? Surely not Rovi.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

sar840t2 said:


> Which reminds me - does anyone know where DirecTV gets its guide data from? Surely not Rovi.


Rovi, and don't call me Shirley. 

Our Customers | TiVo


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## sar840t2 (Mar 1, 2003)

Roger that :-(


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

Signed up to get the free Apple TV to sell it to pay for the first three months. App crashed, can't login. It was working a bit but interface was hard to navigate on FireTV. Video quality of live TV was good but streaming on demand was poor. Locked up continuously with paused video but still audio. Finally gave up. 

At least it was free.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Works fine on first gen. Fire TV box here.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

I did it too. Prepaid one month with free Fire TV Stick (I already have Apple TV)

Have been playing with it.

Positives:

Great picture quality. Better than Verizon FIOS and satellite Directv , and even my OTA
Slick interface . I like how you go channel "up and down" with Apple TV touch remote
Fast
Good discovery info and navigation

Negatives:

Crashes a lot. Maybe overloaded servers, as many people are trying it at launch, since there is 7 days trial
The only network available was FOX. I knew CBS was not going to be there, but could not find ABC and NBC. Strange for such a major metropolitan area (DC)
Not having DVR is a major "no" for me to keep it, but we already knew that
I could not even get it started on iPad app. Kept spinning

Neutral:

Not having channel numbers will take quite a while to get used to. I am used with the channel numbers all my life. There is a way too put Favorites on guide, but still. Obviously, this is my first day, so I have to do quite a bit of exploring


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

thyname said:


> The only network available was FOX. I knew CBS was not going to be there, but could not find ABC and NBC. Strange for such a major metropolitan area (DC)


So now you have DirecTV, FiOS, OTA, and DirecTV Now?!? WOW! Anyway, they only have O&O stations, not affiliates, as those have to be licensed individually. Good to know about PQ.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

Bigg said:


> So now you have DirecTV, FiOS, OTA, and DirecTV Now?!? WOW! Anyway, they only have O&O stations, not affiliates, as those have to be licensed individually. Good to know about PQ.


Yep. Crazy, right?

Here is why:

Got a great deal with Verizon Triple play a few months back. About $120 a month including taxes for Ultimate package, phone and 100/100 Internet. Was paying more for Internet and phone only with Cox. Deal is good until May 2018.

Cut Directv to bare minimums. Still getting the discounts. My directv monthly cost is now only $17 a month after the discounts. Directv is out in a few months when my contract is over. Genie line sucks, especially compared to Tivo

OTA is free (obviously), great quality for picture, and get to use with TiVo

Directv Now is only until 1/6/17

Needless to say , things may change. I am open minded.

Or am I just making an excuse?


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Chris Blount said:


> I signed up for DirecTV Now myself. Took the 3 month deal for the free Apple TV. Can always use another one for the spare bedroom and it came out $50 cheaper than buying it in a store. Plus 3 months of DirecTV. Win-win and I can always simply stop the service if I don't like it. It would be really nice if Tivo gets DirecTV Now. That would be sweet.


How did you sign up for the free Apple TV deal? I'm looking at the Directvnow site and I only see a link to sign up for the free trial which requires I start filling out information. Does that link eventually give me the option for the 3 month commitment to get the Apple TV?


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## celtic pride (Nov 8, 2005)

i was wondering how you got your apple tv box the same day you ordered directvnow,did they give you a coupon to print out to take to your local best buy or target?


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

See below for an extremely well done list of channels DTV now vs. Sling vs. Vue:

Scroll down:

DirecTV Now vs. Sling TV vs. PlayStation Vue: Channel lineups compared


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

thyname said:


> Yep. Crazy, right?
> 
> Here is why:
> 
> ...


Hmmm, interesting. I figured a Double- or Triple-Play was involved with FiOS, since they bundle aggressively. What DirecTV package is that? That is insanely low. OTA makes sense since it's free. I'm not OTA and cable (although as of right now, I'm getting one channel plus subchannels on my new OTA).

I really want DirecTV for sports and better picture quality, but I just can't justify the cost, so I'll probably end up going the other way and curd shaving or cutting.


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

TeamPace said:


> How did you sign up for the free Apple TV deal? I'm looking at the Directvnow site and I only see a link to sign up for the free trial which requires I start filling out information. Does that link eventually give me the option for the 3 month commitment to get the Apple TV?


Apple TV Offer


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

Bigg said:


> Hmmm, interesting. I figured a Double- or Triple-Play was involved with FiOS, since they bundle aggressively. What DirecTV package is that? That is insanely low. OTA makes sense since it's free. I'm not OTA and cable (although as of right now, I'm getting one channel plus subchannels on my new OTA).
> 
> I really want DirecTV for sports and better picture quality, but I just can't justify the cost, so I'll probably end up going the other way and curd shaving or cutting.


See attached for Directv bill from my home page. Less than 17 bucks. I called last month to cancel, but they offered me this and keeping my $50 discounts I was getting, so I kept it. Cheaper than canceling and paying ETFs. My wife still watches DirecTV at times.


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

I was disappointed that DirecTV Now was much more like SlingTV than Sony Vue. I expected more from the great legacy of DirecTV. Also TWO simultaneous streams was pathetic. Even SlingTV has tiers where you can get more than that. In time all the OTT MVPD services will have pretty much equal functions and pricing. It'll probably be down to who has the package of channels for less money and how the DVR performs and, sorry, but 28 days does NOT cut it for me.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

DirecTV Now won't load on anything I have tried this morning, Fire TV, Chrome browser, IE, or Apple TV. I won't be able to reboot the router for some time to see if that fixes it.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Their start free trial link on thier web page comes back in error on both firefox and edge.

No info about packages on their homepage either, just start free trial link.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

the website is a joke. no channel list, package list or package pricing. lol, it is beyond belief

and firefox not supported. no roku, CBS, DVR. Uh, I'll pass


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

Try going through the signup process, it has the comparisons and prices Before you have to enter credit card and personal info.


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## tivoknucklehead (Dec 12, 2002)

jth tv said:


> Try going through the signup process, it has the comparisons and prices Before you have to enter credit card and personal info.


no way I'm creating an account for anything with zero information up front. it is absurd marketing


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## Chris Blount (Nov 1, 2003)

Last night the Apple TV app wouldn't open. The phone and iPad app work pretty well though. Attached is a snippet of how the guide works. Pretty simple. Picture quality is very good. 

Yes, there is no DVR feature but I have noticed that if you start watching in the middle of a show, you can skip back to the beginning to catch the whole thing. 

The free Apple TV is suppose to arrive in a couple of weeks.


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

How do you skip back? I haven't figured that out yet on firetv. Everything I try takes me another option or kicks me out.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Random User 7 said:


> How do you skip back? I haven't figured that out yet on firetv. Everything I try takes me another option or kicks me out.


I don't think you can pause or skip back/rewind in live shows on DirecTV Now. But they say "full DVR" service will be added next year, so I would imagine those features will come then.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

The service was working again when I tried the next time. Issues were expected and since it was very brief, I don't have any complaints. I knew I couldn't fast forward or reverse but at least some of the channels do allow pause. I wrote PlayOn to see if DirecTV Now would be added, they are looking at it. The PlayOn DVR if it happens and works as well as it does for the other services I use, would make DirecTV a definite keeper for me.


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

NashGuy said:


> I don't think you can pause or skip back/rewind in live shows on DirecTV Now. But they say "full DVR" service will be added next year, so I would imagine those features will come then.


See this post, DirecTV Now service at launch


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## Chris Blount (Nov 1, 2003)

I don't see the skip back feature on the iPhone but on the iPad to get back to the beginning of a show you touch the back arrow next to the guide button (see photo). It's not available on all channels.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Watching Tiger make his return to the PGA Tour on the Golf Channel, I have never had the Golf Channel before and will certainly find some use for it now.


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## idksmy (Jul 16, 2016)

Why oh why did they offer this half baked solution thinking substantial numbers would buy it?


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

Chris Blount said:


> I don't see the skip back feature on the iPhone but on the iPad to get back to the beginning of a show you touch the back arrow next to the guide button (see photo). It's not available on all channels.


Thanks, I see that arrow on some of the shows on FireTv but no way to select it. I'll play around some more tonight and see if I can figure it out.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

idksmy said:


> Why oh why did they offer this half baked solution thinking substantial numbers would buy it?


Seems like they wanted to roll it out as soon as possible? Not sure why the hurry.

Heard that ultimately, they want to deliver TV via Internet rather than expand satellite capacity?

Of course for people who have to get Internet from someone other than AT&T, data caps could become an issue.

I'm hoping that OTT will allow them to deliver 4K HDR content sooner than cable and satellite companies otherwise would, through upgrading their infrastructure.

So far early reports say picture quality is better than linear services. Comcast for instance is rolling out MPEG4 but downgrading all MPEG4 channels to 720p to squeeze out bandwidth.

Right now, Amazon and Netflix are pushing the envelope with 4K content and use of H.265 so we may have better chances with OTT services than traditional TV distribution systems of getting higher-quality video and audio.


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

Chris Blount said:


> I don't see the skip back feature on the iPhone but on the iPad to get back to the beginning of a show you touch the back arrow next to the guide button (see photo). It's not available on all channels.


Figured it out. You have to hit the circle then arrow over. I was going down instead of over last night. At least tonight it is working better so far.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wco81 said:


> So far early reports say picture quality is better than linear services. Comcast for instance is rolling out MPEG4 but downgrading all MPEG4 channels to 720p to squeeze out bandwidth.
> 
> Right now, Amazon and Netflix are pushing the envelope with 4K content and use of H.265 so we may have better chances with OTT services than traditional TV distribution systems of getting higher-quality video and audio.


Inferior picture quality was part of my decision in moving away from traditional cable/satellite pay TV toward a combination of OTA and streaming, both of which tend to offer better HD picture quality. Amazon's 1080p looks amazing (it's the best way to subscribe to Showtime in terms of picture and sound quality and as of today they also offer HBO and Cinemax), much less their UHD HDR, which is absolutely stunning.


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

celtic pride said:


> i was wondering how you got your apple tv box the same day you ordered directvnow,did they give you a coupon to print out to take to your local best buy or target?


I signed up at the local AT&T store and they handed the ATV to me right there.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

keenanSR said:


> I signed up at the local AT&T store and they handed the ATV to me right there.


Ah didn't think of that.

I used the link posted in this thread and bit, $35 a month for the $100 a month package, prepay 3 months.

Definitely will have to cancel.

But since I "bought" the Apple TV, you can be sure a new generation will come out in 2017.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Cinemax has the DirecTV Now login so Max Go works and that should mean HBO Go works also. DirecTV Now is working great for me, the 72 hour rewind with some channels, TCM in particular is really nice. I haven't checked to see how many channels offer the previous 72 hours from the guide but it is like a really long buffer when it is available. Pause and rewind work, at least with TCM 72 hour rewind.

MAX GO® - Cinemax. Let Loose.®


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

I checked at the AT&T Forums to find an answer to the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries mistake and this is the response I found.

"We apologize about the confusions on it. Currently, there is no way to subscribe to the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as an extra channel, like HBO and Cinemax. You can only get it as part of the "Live a Little" package. We are always working on expanding our packages, but currently, our contract with Hallmark allows for it only on that package."


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

wco81 said:


> Right now, Amazon and Netflix are pushing the envelope with 4K content and use of H.265 so we may have better chances with OTT services than traditional TV distribution systems of getting higher-quality video and audio.


Let's hope. It's either that or DirecTV, which is mega-bucks these days.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

Chris Gerhard said:


> I checked at the AT&T Forums to find an answer to the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries mistake and this is the response I found.
> 
> "We apologize about the confusions on it. Currently, there is no way to subscribe to the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as an extra channel, like HBO and Cinemax. You can only get it as part of the "Live a Little" package. We are always working on expanding our packages, but currently, our contract with Hallmark allows for it only on that package."


Man, I did not expect that, my apologies then. Thanks.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

I just signed up for the free Apple TV with the $35 discounted package and added HBO for $5, paying 3 months in advance. It looks like I'll have to download chrome browser to be able to watch on the computer. I'll need to buy a fire stick or another Apple tv so I can use 2 TV's.


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## MacBrian (Feb 24, 2002)

Chris Blount said:


> Took the 3 month deal for the free Apple TV.


I did the exact same thing! I've been wanting a good excuse to upgrade my older Apple TV 2 for the newer one and this pushed me over the top to do it. A new Apple TV4 for $105 plus three months of live channels I'll probably not spend much time watching because life's too short to sit through commercials. The added plus for me was that via the DirecTV NOW credentials I can log on to the Watch ESPN app to stream ESPN3, where our local basketball team's games is often broadcast.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

I wonder, can I use the HBO-GO app in my Tivo using Direct tv now credentials?


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

If they do come out with DVRs, they better let you record at least 4 concurrently.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

wco81 said:


> If they do come out with DVRs, they better let you record at least 4 concurrently.


Realize that the DVR functionality of these online streaming services doesn't work like Tivo. I probably have dozens of concurrent "recordings" set up on PS Vue right now. Everything is already stored in the cloud, so you aren't actually recording anything. Your "recording" simply puts the title in a list so you have easy access to it on demand.

It would be highly unusual for Sling or AT&T's to work any differently.

To answer the previous question also, there have been several reports confirming that your DirecTV Now credentials work with HBO-GO. And if it's like PS Vue, your credentials also work on all network's streaming apps/sites (ABC, NBC, IFC, CC, etc.).


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Choosing Tivo yields no choice of Direct TV or Direct TV now for HBO-GO. 

Choosing Roku gives the choice of Direct tv now. I can confirm HBO-Go works using roku with Direct tv now.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Skeptical of cloud DVRs.

At least with Tivo, I can extract some recordings to load on my iPad. Or keep recordings around for years.

Bet with cloud, you don't get those abilities.


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## Chris Blount (Nov 1, 2003)

Awesome! Thanks for pointing that out guys. I forgot all about being able to use DirecTV Now credentials for others services. Definitely a plus!


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

wco81 said:


> Skeptical of cloud DVRs.
> 
> At least with Tivo, I can extract some recordings to load on my iPad. Or keep recordings around for years.
> 
> Bet with cloud, you don't get those abilities.


When you can access the cloud DVR from any device does it really matter? And a lot of VOD services offer local downloading for offline viewing on planes, etc... so it's not unprecedented that a cloud DVR could offer the same ability.

My biggest concern with cloud DVRs is control. Once they have control are they going to start inserting forced commercials? Having blackout periods? Time limits?


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

wco81 said:


> Skeptical of cloud DVRs.
> 
> At least with Tivo, I can extract some recordings to load on my iPad. Or keep recordings around for years.
> 
> Bet with cloud, you don't get those abilities.





Dan203 said:


> When you can access the cloud DVR from any device does it really matter? And a lot of VOD services offer local downloading for offline viewing on planes, etc... so it's not unprecedented that a cloud DVR could offer the same ability.
> 
> My biggest concern with cloud DVRs is control. Once they have control are they going to start inserting forced commercials? Having blackout periods? Time limits?


I have the same concerns for the future. For me right now, it comes down to what I'm willing to pay for. If cable costs me $80 but streaming only costs $40, I'm going to go with streaming and live with a few compromises. If price were no object, I'd probably still have full blown DirecTV. But with Tivo OTA for the major networks, I still have full control and commercial skip. Adding streaming for $35-$40 gets me most of other cable content I was paying $80 for, plus cloud DVR (with its limitations) but also on demand from each individual network, which gives me more options and flexibility. With PS Vue, I've found that I can skip commercials on most on-demand content, at least for now. I plan to give DirecTV Now at try since the HBO add-on is so cheap.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Mini review: I don't have any way to watch on TV yet except HBO-GO on Roku. I will get the free 4th gen Apple TV and I ordered another 3rd gen from Ebay.

DT-Now works very good on my desktop (W-10 core I5) using Internet explorer. No issues and side by side screens is nice to do work or browse the web while watching TV at the same time.

My laptop has a low end Haswell using windows 10. This can be choppy and lag a little. So if you have a slow processor it may not work well. I'm using Chrome on the laptop because internet explorer was to much for the Haswell processor.

App works great on my Iphone.

I have Comcast Internet pro which has basic cable, Showtime, digital economy, and 100mbps internet. With DT now I have the 100 channel plus HBO. I get about 87 channels I might watch that I don't get on my Comcast Cable. I set up the guide to show favorites with only the channels I don't get on Comcast.

I guess the next 3 months (paid for) my plan is to use Tivo for the Comcast Chanel's I get and DT-now for the other Channels. DT-Now when out of the house or on the desktop. Then decide if it's worth the money for the extra channels after 3 months.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

schatham said:


> I will get the free 4th gen Apple TV and I ordered another 3rd gen from Ebay.


I think Directv Now only works with latest gen Apple TV (4th gen), and not with previous generations


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## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

Customers of an OTT service have to be a subscriber when they watch a program.

Tivo customers only have to subscribe to a channel, or free preview, when a program is recorded.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

thyname said:


> I think Directv Now only works with latest gen Apple TV (4th gen), and not with previous generations


I hope not. I guess I may have to return it for a fire stick.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

schatham said:


> I hope not. I guess I may have to return it for a fire stick.


"Hope" is not a strategy

You must do the (easy) homework:

What devices and browsers can be used with DIRECTV NOW?


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Another update:
I decided to buy a Firestick (newest model) today so I can try out DT-Now on the TV. So far terrible, won't load or keeps buffering. Same channels using the Firestick with sling work with no problem. Desktop still works fine, so not a server issue.

Working better now. Maybe the Firestick needed time to do some updates.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Probably not the right place to ask this but I have an iPad with AT&T cellular ability but I have never had a data plan with it and I am not seeing anything that makes me believe there is a deal to use DirecTV Now with cellular data. Is there some sort of sweetheart deal like users of AT&T home internet service can get with DirecTV Now?


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

I posted this is AT&T forums. Thought I'd share here:

I am rooting for DTVNOW, but I am afraid it is not going to survive after the time people already got the free devices:



1 - No DVR . That's a must.



2 - two simultaneous streamings are not enough. At least three are needed.



3 - where I am (DC), I can only get Fox from the networks (and NBC only on mobile). Unless you have the big four , not going to stick.



4 - needs to be in most devices. Notable omissions: Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Android tv.



5 - several cable channels completely missing. Such as NFL Network, RedZone, beIN Sports. Not mentioned Showtime, as this is available direct through Showtime apps or Amazon



6 - No surround sound ooutput / Dolby. Really?



I have to admit picture quality is good, and interface snappy


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Thyname,

1. Totally agreed. You can't have a pay-tv service these days without DVR. Look at DISH, DirecTV, and Comcast, they are all advertising DVR platforms.

2. This may affect some users, but would not affect others.

3. This is another one that could affect some and not others. Some people may have an OTA DVR, or a limited basic cable bundle with locals, others may not care about them. I think over time they will improve their local channel selection.

4. I don't know about Samsung Smart TVs, but they need to get Roku support ironed out. I think they wanted to soft launch, as Roku is the biggest platform out there. They also need iOS Chromecast support.

5. They are also missing SNY and CBSSN. I don't know about other RSNs.\

6. Yeah, that's kind of weak, although most users probably won't notice/don't care. A lot of channels don't have surround sound on Comcast, so the competition isn't exactly doing so great in this space either.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

thyname said:


> I posted this is AT&T forums. Thought I'd share here:
> 
> I am rooting for DTVNOW, but I am afraid it is not going to survive after the time people already got the free devices:
> 
> ...


 No real time streaming services have Dolby Digital surround. Not Sling,PS-VUE, or Direct TV Now. Beyond that ATT has the resources to change some things fairly rapidly. Look at how much has changed with Sling and PS-VUE since their inception. Right now, no one service has all the channels one might want. 
For what's it worth compared to Satellite and Cable, OTT realtime streaming services are in their infancy. To get what you want at this point you might need to use more than one service.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

We've had PS Vue since September, and were happy with it until they dropped Viacom. While none of those channels are "must haves" for us, we do enjoy several of them. PS Vue is also missing a few other channels we'd like to have, like History and GSN, among others.

Anyway, giving DirecTV Now a look, since Friday afternoon (about 36 hours so far) and it's been a bit rough, so far. As others have pointed out, picture quality is great, but stability is definitely an issue. Certainly not at all surprising this soon after launch.

We're accessing via wired Fire TV. An app update, build 2106, was released on Saturday, which I manually forced instead of waiting for it to be pushed. It seems to have improved stability somewhat. I watched a 2 hour documentary on History earlier tonight with only a couple of buffering issues.

Before the update, we couldn't even get through a single half hour episode of anything without constant freezes and restarts. Several times Error Code 40 popped up, which is a server side issue.

Have read elsewhere that many have had issues with Error Code 60, too many streams, but we haven't seen that at all. Hopefully that's been resolved.

Even though it's only PCM, I've no complaints with the sound. Dolby would be better, of course, but it's hardly unique to Now.

The lack of cloud DVR is not a deal breaker for us, as 99% of what we record is OTA. That functionality with Vue hasn't exactly been a home run, either. Multiple recording attempts have failed in the short time we've had it. Some were due to odd start/stop times, others were missed entirely. A least twice, the recordings weren't playable. Fortunately, on-demand was available.

Our experience with PS Vue has set the bar pretty high overall, but I'm confident (hopeful) that they'll get the kinks worked out with Now soon enough. PS Vue freezes occasionally, but so did DirecTV satellite service. None of them are perfect.


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## dave13077 (Jan 11, 2009)

I am thinking of "investing" in the service 1) Get the free Apple TV with 3 months service and 2) lock in the $35 price and see if service improves. At this point I am not looking to replace my Tivo but hoping Direct TV matures fast and I can save $$ down the road with the $35 locked in price.


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## Sgt Howl (Jan 18, 2013)

thyname said:


> Great picture quality. Better than Verizon FIOS and satellite Directv , and even my OTA Slick interface .


Is it 1080p60/24 like Netflix? I have a projector and am livid at Comcast for the downgrade to 720p - looking for alternatives.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

Sgt Howl said:


> Is it 1080p60/24 like Netflix? I have a projector and am livid at Comcast for the downgrade to 720p - looking for alternatives.


I don't know, as I can't figure out how to tell the resolution through either my Apple TV or Samsung tv. The usual Info button on my Samsung KS8500 shows nothing.

I doubt it is 1080p though, as I am unaware of any live broadcasts in 1080p, from any channels. VOD maybe.


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## Eddie501 (Jun 4, 2004)

The picture quality is drastically better on my Chromecast than on the Fire Stick. But I've noticed that on HBO Now too. Another thing I like about casting from the tablet is that you can swipe right or left to change the channel. Up until now, none of these live services approximate channel surfing very well.

I'm curious about the premium add-ons & how they can offer channels that are $10-15 elsewhere for $5. Do these contain the same on-demand library as the regular apps? Or is it mostly just a live TV experience?

So far, I'm much more impressed with this than the other two.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Eddie501 said:


> I'm curious about the premium add-ons & how they can offer channels that are $10-15 elsewhere for $5. Do these contain the same on-demand library as the regular apps? Or is it mostly just a live TV experience?


You can use HBO-go to get all the content. Cancel your HBO now and get the $5 HBO while you can.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

Eddie501 said:


> I'm curious about the premium add-ons & how they can offer channels that are $10-15 elsewhere for $5. Do these contain the same on-demand library as the regular apps? Or is it mostly just a live TV experience?


Simple. AT&T is buying Time Warner (media) and will this own HBO. The bigger question is, will they offer this price on their satellite service? I'm thinking, no. From what I remember was said in the launch event (I was nerdy enough to watch most of it live, lol) it's full access to HBO, just like when you subscribe with any other provider.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

Eddie501 said:


> ....The picture quality is drastically better on my Chromecast than on the Fire Stick....


Which model Chromecast ?


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Chris Gerhard said:


> Probably not the right place to ask this but I have an iPad with AT&T cellular ability but I have never had a data plan with it and I am not seeing anything that makes me believe there is a deal to use DirecTV Now with cellular data. Is there some sort of sweetheart deal like users of AT&T home internet service can get with DirecTV Now?


I stopped by the AT&T Store and inquired about adding the iPad to our wireless service, the least expensive plan to provide cellular streaming for DirecTV Now available according to the sales person I spoke with was $40/month. I asked about the $15/month plan, she asked somebody else and he said it couldn't be added to our account to use for streaming DirecTV Now. I don't know why but I admit I didn't think there would be an inexpensive way so I didn't pursue it.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

hapster85 said:


> Simple. AT&T is buying Time Warner (media) and will this own HBO. The bigger question is, will they offer this price on their satellite service? I'm thinking, no. From what I remember was said in the launch event (I was nerdy enough to watch most of it live, lol) it's full access to HBO, just like when you subscribe with any other provider.


They might offer $5 HBO, but the core pricing is going to stay high. Maybe they will bring it down from the stratosphere, but they can't offer anything close to DirecTV NOW, since they have to send a guy out to your house to put up a dish and a couple hundred bucks of equipment in.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

hapster85 said:


> We're accessing via wired Fire TV. An app update, build 2106, was released on Saturday, which I manually forced instead of waiting for it to be pushed. It seems to have improved stability somewhat. I watched a 2 hour documentary on History earlier tonight with only a couple of buffering issues.


Gen 2 FTV? When I check Amazon.com for compatible devices, my gen 1 FTVs are listed as incompatible.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

wizwor said:


> Gen 2 FTV? When I check Amazon.com for compatible devices, my gen 1 FTVs are listed as incompatible.


I have 2, bought from Best Buy in September. That's all I know. How do I tell?


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

Just that you bought them in September tells me they are gen 2.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

wizwor said:


> Gen 2 FTV? When I check Amazon.com for compatible devices, my gen 1 FTVs are listed as incompatible.


I am using DirecTV Now with a first gen Fire TV box. Have you tried to install it directly from a Fire TV?


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

Roku has announced that DirecTV Now is coming in the first quarter of 2017.

http://tvpredictions.com/roku120516.htm


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

More info: 
The guide has no info other than name of show. Buffering seems common during prime time. I think things will improve in a week or so when all the 7 day free trials end and not so many are using the service.

You can pause, but after a few minutes it jumps back to live TV. One way to skip commercials I suppose.

Using Firestick and apple tv the show keeps playing while browsing the guide. On the computer the show pauses. Using the computer or phone it's always muted when it starts, kind of annoying.


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

I have no issues on my Gen 1 Fire TV. Haven't tried the stick yet.


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## mcf57 (Oct 19, 2012)

Dan203 said:


> This is why I think TiVo needs to get on the ball and integrate one of these OTT services with an OTA DVR. Local channels are the biggest hurdles in these OTT skinny bundle services, so being able to record your locals OTA and get the rest of the "cable" channels OTT just seems like a smart way to go.


I have read how HULU is coming out with a live cable TV streaming service sometime in early 2017 so I would think this would be great for TiVO. Unless of course they pull a Comcast move and don't allow it for TiVo integration (like Comcast with HBOGO app).


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

Chris Gerhard said:


> I am using DirecTV Now with a first gen Fire TV box. Have you tried to install it directly from a Fire TV?


No, but I will. Thanks.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

CBS could be coming to DirecTV Now soon


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## Scooter Scott (Jun 1, 2015)

I went to the ATT store yesterday to get the free ATV by signing up for 3 months.

I will say that service itself is decent. Picture quality is great. I don't care about 5.1 sound. The On Demand is pretty clunky.

Overall I don't mind paying $105 for the ATV and get to try 100 channel service for 3 months.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

wizwor said:


> Gen 2 FTV? When I check Amazon.com for compatible devices, my gen 1 FTVs are listed as incompatible.


Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. Had to restore to factory then take all updates before the app was available to install. Once I did this, the specific FTV showed up as compatible on amazon.com as well.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

I turned on the bedroom TV after work this morning. The wife had turned off the TV via sleep timer. DirecTV Now had played through the night without crashing, which is promising. Big improvement from even Sunday evening.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Chrome browser missing half of my channels & HBO. IE has all of them but get a message you can't watch Freeform on IE. Firestick working ok.


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## Scooter Scott (Jun 1, 2015)

I'm starting to get pretty frustrated with the guide data. 2 nights in a row the guide said the Pacers were playing...yet the first night it showed bull riding and the 2nd night was replay of the Big Ten football championship. Last night the guide said the blackhawks were plays but it had on the bulls. Someone needs to get their guide data fixed.

Also kind of annoying in the mornings when I open the Now app on ATV, it says the service is unavailable, try again....you can goto different channels in the guide and it does nothing. Only way we have gotten it back is by going back to the home screen and opening it again (same thing I did at the beginning) and then it magically works.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Bigg said:


> A lot of channels don't have surround sound on Comcast, so the competition isn't exactly doing so great in this space either.


Examples? All of the HD channels that I've seen on Comcast have DD 5.1, at least reported by Tivo and my AVR. Sports, locals, and all the major cable nets.

Really disappointing that none of the streaming TV services have this, that's a big deal for anyone who likes better sound.


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## Sgt Howl (Jan 18, 2013)

slowbiscuit said:


> Examples? All of the HD channels that I've seen on Comcast have DD 5.1, at least reported by Tivo and my AVR. Sports, locals, and all the major cable nets.
> 
> Really disappointing that none of the streaming TV services have this, that's a big deal for anyone who likes better sound.


I agree. No surround sound is a deal-breaker for me.

Kudos to Netflix and Amazon for providing real HD and surround sound.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

Is there anywhere you can find out what channels are available for your zip code on DirectTV now? Want to know if NBC and ABC and FOX are available.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

jcthorne said:


> Is there anywhere you can find out what channels are available for your zip code on DirectTV now? Want to know if NBC and ABC and FOX are available.


Unless you're in a major market, like NYC, with network owned locals, then they aren't available. Not sure if those are even available right now.

Which is fine with me, I have excellent OTA reception.

Google search doesn't yield much info on the subject.

[Edit: Made a liar out of myself. Go here to find locals and RSN's by zip code: att_cms_local_channels]


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

This link (att_cms_local_channels) says I have a Fox affiliate available. I don't. It also says I have a RSN available. I don't.


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## jcthorne (Jan 28, 2002)

The area I want service has NO local channels (81303). Was hoping for network coverage via the service. No dice. Still stuck with DISH.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Friday night and no direct tv now. Nothing works, computer or firestick. Oh well, I'll be selling my Apple TV when it comes to get my money back.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

This morning I was pretty happy, watched The Widow from Chicago, 1930 on TCM. Great story, they really had me going. But now nothing works.


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## cedartec_guy (Dec 7, 2013)

I heard that the $35 Go Big promotion will end March 2017. We all probably should have waited for them to iron out the Bugs. Think God I didn't cancel my cable today.


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## cedartec_guy (Dec 7, 2013)

Chris Gerhard said:


> Probably not the right place to ask this but I have an iPad with AT&T cellular ability but I have never had a data plan with it and I am not seeing anything that makes me believe there is a deal to use DirecTV Now with cellular data. Is there some sort of sweetheart deal like users of AT&T home internet service can get with DirecTV Now?


No Data caps for AT&T customer on the required cellular plan. It would be nice if they start providing No Caps for AT&T Broadband Customers but I assume the objective is to get subscribers on their Cell phone plans.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

What is zero rating?


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

I'm always surprised that people cancel cable before installing an antenna or signing up for an OTT service. I signed up for this service a week or so ago with low expectations. Initially, I had problems getting the app on two of my FTVs and terrible problems with stream quality. 

Now, all of my devices work great and stream quality has dramatically improved. It's a great SUPPLEMENT to an antenna, but, in Boston at least, there are no local channels. I guess NBC is coming and that will help with the WHDH situation, but no NFL without an antenna. 

Just the same, I am pretty happy with the product for $35 and will likely keep it for a while, at least.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

wizwor said:


> I'm always surprised that people cancel cable before installing an antenna or signing up for an OTT service. I signed up for this service a week or so ago with low expectations. Initially, I had problems getting the app on two of my FTVs and terrible problems with stream quality.
> 
> Now, all of my devices work great and stream quality has dramatically improved. It's a great SUPPLEMENT to an antenna, but, in Boston at least, there are no local channels. I guess NBC is coming and that will help with the WHDH situation, but no NFL without an antenna.
> 
> Just the same, I am pretty happy with the product for $35 and will likely keep it for a while, at least.


 It's like I was telling someone, you might need more than one OTT service at this point to get what you want. OTT is a good supplement to OTA at this point.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

TonyD79 said:


> What is zero rating?


On internet plans with usage caps, anything that doesn't count against the cap is called "zero rated".


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

hapster85 said:


> On internet plans with usage caps, anything that doesn't count against the cap is called "zero rated".


Thanks I misread the post thinking the plans were called zero rating.

I may try it for out of home streaming for a while.


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## Anotherpyr (May 6, 2015)

I took the Apple TV offer. I figure it's worth it for that alone. The Apple TV app is buggy. I had to reboot the Apple TV the next day to get the picture back. Works great on the iPad.

If the price goes up or they start dropping channels from the plan I'll cancel.


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

TonyD79 said:


> Thanks I misread the post thinking the plans were called zero rating.
> 
> I may try it for out of home streaming for a while.


To add to that, zero rating is a term that's used when an Internet provider favors its own content over that of a competitor such as PlayStation Vue; you won't be charged for data using DirecTV Now but you will be charged for data when using PlayStation Vue. It's often used as a prime example of flying in the face of the concept of net neutrality.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

keenanSR said:


> To add to that, zero rating is a term that used when an Internet provider favors its own content over that of a competitor such as PlayStation Vue; you won't be charged for data using DirecTV Now but you will be charged for data when using PlayStation Vue. It's often used as a prime example of flying in the face of the concept of net neutrality.


Thanks.

For the record, ATT said they would do no charge to the customer if a provider (like Vue) paid. Claiming directv is footing the data bill.


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## keenanSR (Oct 13, 2004)

TonyD79 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> For the record, ATT said they would do no charge to the customer if a provider (like Vue) paid. Claiming directv is footing the data bill.


Yes, that's double-dipping, charging at both ends of the pipe.


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## cedartec_guy (Dec 7, 2013)

TonyD79 said:


> Thanks I misread the post thinking the plans were called zero rating.
> 
> I may try it for out of home streaming for a while.


BAD wording on my part


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

After a On Demand episode finishes using AppleTV, DirecTV Now often gets stuck. It does Not automatically go to the next episode. Using the Watchlist to go to the next episode, it also gets stuck. Using Search for the program, going to the next episode, sometimes it works. Pausing at the ending credits, then selecting Episodes, sometimes works. But most often, after trying the next episode, I just get a blank screen, often the only options being Settings, won't even do Live tv.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

No Mute button on the AppleTV is getting really annoying for Live TV. I've been muting during commercials since my first TV. Who wants to listen to people yelling at us to buy ?


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

jth tv said:


> No Mute button on the AppleTV is getting really annoying for Live TV. I've been muting during commercials since my first TV. Who wants to listen to people yelling at us to buy ?


Use your AVR's remote, or you TiVo's remote to control your AVR....


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

keenanSR said:


> Yes, that's double-dipping, charging at both ends of the pipe.


How? The video provider is paying the user data.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

TonyD79 said:


> How? The video provider is paying the user data.


Because it's the same company! They're "paying" themselves. Zero-rating is only OK if it's applied equally to all services of a type, like T-Mobile's Binge On! service....


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Received an email with tracking for my Apple TV today.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Bigg said:


> Because it's the same company! They're "paying" themselves. Zero-rating is only OK if it's applied equally to all services of a type, like T-Mobile's Binge On! service....


I posted that ATT has said they would do it with anybody.

It still isn't double dipping. They aren't getting double the money. It does not count against the customers data. That is still a win for the customer (even if they are on an "unlimited" plan which really doesn't exist because they throttle after a certain data point.) So, they are paying themselves between their two portions of their overall company.

DirecTV and ATT Mobile are treated internally as separate profit centers, so they pay each other. I am willing to bet they have completely different bookkeeping like burden rate and appreciation, etc.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Signed up for the Apple TV deal a few days ago (waiting on a ship date). I have been using Directv Now on my iPhone and iPad and using airplay on my Gen 3 Apple TV. Streaming live channels has worked quite well, very good picture quality. Using VOD episodes have locked up into a loop during commercial breaks where the commercials just keep repeating with no way out. Have used it also via a Fire Stick on another TV in the house. Seems a little slower/clunkier on the Fire Stick. If they make the necessary improvements in stability, expand the devices it's available on, and add DVR functionality it's a very good deal for $35. I can even live with the 2 device limit if as I suspect it isn't locked into a single location as PS Vue is. I've been satisfied with only OTA for many years so I'm not sure I will keep it, but I will see after the 3 months is up.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

TonyD79 said:


> I posted that ATT has said they would do it with anybody.


But not for free, and there's your problem.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

slowbiscuit said:


> But not for free, and there's your problem.


Some people just don't have the capacity to think through what the issues are, others don't care if they perceive they are getting a momentary benefit, and of course there is the last group who understand and are part of the group trying to ultimately screw people over via limiting competition.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Another outage.


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## Random User 7 (Oct 20, 2014)

Good, thought it was just me


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

TonyD79 said:


> I posted that ATT has said they would do it with anybody.


You don't get it. First of all, paying to zero rate is a whole different problem, and not a whole lot better than zero-rating their own service. Secondly, they aren't paying for it, they are just using an accounting trick to "move" money from one unit to another, and it all washes out. The operating expenses for DirecTV and written off, which nets out the taxes on the revenue for AT&T Mobility, and the money is still theirs.



> It still isn't double dipping. They aren't getting double the money. It does not count against the customers data. That is still a win for the customer (even if they are on an "unlimited" plan which really doesn't exist because they throttle after a certain data point.) So, they are paying themselves between their two portions of their overall company.


This is not a win for customers. This is a loss, as it hurts competition. It's not the only anti-competitive thing that telecom companies do, but it's still bad. Now DirecTV has an unfair advantage over Comcast (or Sling or PS Vue or Verizon or whomever) for mobile streaming, as the Comcast app uses data, and the DirecTV Now app doesn't. Comcast is also anti-consumer, but for totally different reasons. They push TV bundles hard, and in the process hurt DirecTV. Both practices should be illegal, but that's not the way it's going to go under the Trump administration.



> DirecTV and ATT Mobile are treated internally as separate profit centers, so they pay each other. I am willing to bet they have completely different bookkeeping like burden rate and appreciation, etc.


It doesn't matter. It's still one company. And even then, how do we know that the "rate" they are "getting" is equivalent to what another company would be charged? The whole concept is insane, and clearly should be illegal. What T-Mobile is doing is debatable, since arguably any company doing streaming music or video can get in on it.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

schatham said:


> Another outage.


I get audio on ESPN but no video.


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## mobilelawyer (Jan 3, 2006)

PQ on this service is a mixed bag. I advise that those with Roku boxes wait until that hardware is supported, supposedly next month.

Through my Fire Stick, the interface is pretty, but the video can be quite choppy and jump around on action scenes. It seems that the Chromecast experience is much better. Much more stable, and, last night at least, not choppy or jumpy while watching a basketball game. 

I have a consistent 50Mb download speed, so the service ought to be crystal clear and stable. Chromecast, yes. Chrome browser, mostly. Amazon Fire Stick, not there yet. 

If the kinks can be worked out, and I assume they will be, a lock in to $35/mo would be worth it. I also tried SlingTV, both the Orange and Blue services, which totaled over $40.00/month. Sling seemed more stable, and, of course, it was natively supported on Roku. Launching the service before Roku was supported was, I think, a mistake. 

Right now, i would still be willing to pay a little more for cable and my Tivo Roamio basic, so that i have the ability to record shows to watch when I wish. But competition is getting tighter.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Received my free Apple TV 4 today from the 3 month prepaid deal (took less than a week!). Much happier with the Directv Now experience on the Apple 4 vs. using Airplay from my ipad to my Apple TV 3. It's much snappier and a little more straight forward to navigate. I've seen complaints about the new apple tv remote and it's far from perfect but so far I'm pretty happy with it. Channel changes are very quick (for a streaming service), app start up nearly instant, PQ quality is very good. So far I've only had one picture freeze up but it's been less than 24hrs so we shall see.


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## JBDragon (Jan 4, 2004)

Chris Blount said:


> I signed up for DirecTV Now myself. Took the 3 month deal for the free Apple TV. Can always use another one for the spare bedroom and it came out $50 cheaper than buying it in a store. Plus 3 months of DirecTV. Win-win and I can always simply stop the service if I don't like it. It would be really nice if Tivo gets DirecTV Now. That would be sweet.


I just signed up for this deal myself to get a second AppleTV 4. I do plan to cancel as I just won't watch much of it. If I can't skip commercials, it gets hard to watch. Getting a discount on a AppleTV, why not. They're a great streaming device and I could care less about 4K. You really need a 100"+ screen size for 4K to really matter. To many people all ready have to small of a HDTV which is why they're fine with so called 1080P streaming which isn't Blu-Ray Quality. But now highly compressed 4K? Ya good enough because the screen size is to small to see the better detail you'd get from a Ultra Blu-Ray disc.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Really surprised by the Apple TV, which I just got. I didn't think it would be that much of an upgrade over the 3rd gen that I already had.

Well Siri works well and I can type on my iPad or iPhone when I need to enter long passwords.

DirecTV Now works well, the only thing it's missing for live sports is NFL Network and Red Zone channel.

But best of all, I just installed the VLC app. and it played a ripped Blu Ray very well, streaming from a laptop, with great picture and sound quality. Think of the gymnastics you'd have to do to play back media in certain codecs on a Tivo or the old Apple TV.

User-installable apps. and the horsepower (pretty sure the A8 in the Apple TV 4th gen. outclasses the Broadcom media processor in the Tivo) to run them is definitely useful option.


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## thyname (Dec 27, 2010)

JBDragon said:


> You really need a 100"+ screen size for 4K to really matter. .


Completely disagree. Probably off topic on this , but 4K (with HDR, on a truly HDR capable display) looks great in a smaller Tv. I have a 65" Samsung KS8500 tv, and 4K/HDR is stunning (streaming and UHD discs) sitting about 6 feet away. Watched Pacific Rim on UHD BD the other day. Truly outstanding. Season 2 of the Man in High Castle just out on Amazon Prime Video. 4K HDR!


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

wco81 said:


> DirecTV Now works well, the only thing it's missing for live sports is NFL Network and Red Zone channel.


If you ignore the fact that it doesn't include all the major local channels (which have tons of live sports), sure.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

I also got my Apple TV this week. I put it on Ebay and it sold in less than an hour, enough to cover my 3 month fees. I had always planned to sell it and I am using fire-sticks for the service. I have no idea if I will keep the service after 3 months. If prime time service improves and they get a dvr I'll consider it.

The fire-sticks work very well. Mine are the newest gen quad-core version and they are close to my router.

Problems are from the server not our devices.

On the plus side, on-demand has a lot more choices now.

I think watching on a Tivo is still so much better, even better than the on-demand stuff. I use DTN for channels I don't get.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

JBDragon said:


> I just signed up for this deal myself to get a second AppleTV 4. I do plan to cancel as I just won't watch much of it. If I can't skip commercials, it gets hard to watch. Getting a discount on a AppleTV, why not. They're a great streaming device and I could care less about 4K. You really need a 100"+ screen size for 4K to really matter. To many people all ready have to small of a HDTV which is why they're fine with so called 1080P streaming which isn't Blu-Ray Quality. But now highly compressed 4K? Ya good enough because the screen size is to small to see the better detail you'd get from a Ultra Blu-Ray disc.


Yes, you need a big TV, but 2160p, with the right type of content, is stunning on my 65" Samsung, and looks a bit sharper than what I can get off of a Blu-Ray, even compressed down to 15.9mbps on Netflix. I have quite a bit of 1080p streaming that is indistinguishable from Blu-Ray.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

slowbiscuit said:


> But not for free, and there's your problem.


Why should it be free? Someone has to pay. Att is paying themselves but that is not free for them either.


----------



## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

TonyD79 said:


> Why should it be free? Someone has to pay. Att is paying themselves but that is not free for them either.


That's exactly the problem!!! They are "paying" themselves. It's ridiculous. It favors AT&T over other competitors.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

So during this trial, I would say if they added some key channels like CBS/Showtime and gave you DVR capabilities, this service would be a terrific value at these prices. Hell digital packages with this number of channels typically go for at least twice as much on many systems.

Of course, if they get any traction, maybe the picture quality declines.

They also need to get Siri support like some other Apple TV apps. have gotten so that if I say "NBA" or "ESPN" it goes to those channels. Right now, the answers are to show NBA scores and report that there is no ESPN app. in the App. Store.

In Hulu, I can say the names of shows and it brings them up.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

I am not following the logic as to why it is bad for consumers that AT&T doesn't charge for cellular data when using DirecTV Now. I can say without question it is good for me, cellular data is way too expensive to use for streaming video otherwise. If Verizon doesn't like it, it seems simple enough to do the same thing, allow DirecTV Now to be free data or offer a similar streaming service without cellular data charges. These bundled deals with Comcast or AT&T are fine with me, big savings compared to any other way to get the same services.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Bigg said:


> That's exactly the problem!!! They are "paying" themselves. It's ridiculous. It favors AT&T over other competitors.


I will repeat. They have offered the same deal to ANY provider. That is not favoring at all.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Chris Gerhard said:


> I am not following the logic as to why it is bad for consumers that AT&T doesn't charge for cellular data when using DirecTV Now. I can say without question it is good for me, cellular data is way too expensive to use for streaming video otherwise. If Verizon doesn't like it, it seems simple enough to do the same thing, allow DirecTV Now to be free data or offer a similar streaming service without cellular data charges. These bundled deals with Comcast or AT&T are fine with me, big savings compared to any other way to get the same services.


Exactly. Plus, ATT is saying they will do the same for any other provider if they foot the bill like DirecTV does.

Some people think of companies like ATT as being monolithic and think it costs them nothing to do this but since DirecTV and ATT Wireless are cost centers, it means it actually costs DirecTV to provide free data to ATT Wireless customers. It does roll up to ATT overall but it is still being paid for internally and being financed through DirecTV subscription fees. Just like it would be if Fios paid for the data for ATT Wireless customers.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

TonyD79 said:


> Exactly. Plus, ATT is saying they will do the same for any other provider if they foot the bill like DirecTV does.
> 
> Some people think of companies like ATT as being monolithic and think it costs them nothing to do this but since DirecTV and ATT Wireless are cost centers, it means it actually costs DirecTV to provide free data to ATT Wireless customers. It does roll up to ATT overall but it is still being paid for internally and being financed through DirecTV subscription fees. Just like it would be if Fios paid for the data for ATT Wireless customers.


You don't actually believe what you wrote do you?

If AT&T's Direct TV division pays 10 billion dollars for band width to AT&T's Mobil division what effect does that have on their quarterly report? Let me help you NONE no change at all.

If Sling TV pays 10 billion dollars for band width to AT&T what effect does that have on their quarterly report? Let me help you again AT&T will have 10 billion dollars of extra revenue.

If you think the above 2 are the same I have some land on Mars that would be a great investment for you.

The question isn't if AT&T willing to allow other streaming services to pay the same for band width that they claimed to be charging themselves. The question is will AT&T pay other providers the same amount for their band width so that Direct TV Now subscribers can stream the service on any provider they want. Let me help out with that answer NOT A CHANCE IN HELL.

This is the same as cable bundles - designed to prevent competition and lock customers into their services. There may appear to be current benefits to the consumer, but the long term goal is certainly not beneficial to consumers.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

TonyD79 said:


> I will repeat. They have offered the same deal to ANY provider. That is not favoring at all.


What part of 'AT&T is paying themselves' did you not think is part of the problem? *shakes head*

You're going to love the new FCC, methinks, just as soon as they trash net neutrality. I for one welcome our new corporate overlords (/sarc).


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

TonyD79 said:


> I will repeat. They have offered the same deal to ANY provider. That is not favoring at all.


You just don't get it. The problem is that it's the *SAME* company paying *ITSELF* for the data.


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## Eddie501 (Jun 4, 2004)

Anybody know what happened to Audience Network's on demand content? I'm halfway thru season 2 of Kingdom & the show just disappeared a few days ago. Along with everything else on this network. Show icons are still there, but no episodes are listed.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

Eddie501 said:


> Anybody know what happened to Audience Network's on demand content? I'm halfway thru season 2 of Kingdom & the show just disappeared a few days ago. Along with everything else on this network. Show icons are still there, but no episodes are listed.


All I see listed for Kingdom is S2E12. Very weird. Have you tried sending a DM to @DirecTVNowHelp on Twitter? No idea how helpful they actually are.


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## Eddie501 (Jun 4, 2004)

Nah, no need to waste the time. I just cancelled the service as it reminded me how stunningly inept DirecTV's on demand is. Checking some other networks and they have the most random selection of episodes. Like only episodes 3 & 6 of a 10 season show. I get licensing agreements on other networks, but thought DirecTV could manage to keep their own network's on demand content up for more than three weeks.....


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

Yeah, it's frustrating. I thought Kingdom was also available on Amazon Prime, but all episodes say "unavailable".


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

You talk as if there is no cost to AT&T to provide unlimited bandwidth. As if AT&T is just swimming in bandwidth and can absorb all this extra data without incurring cost. I can't believe YOU actually believe what you are typing. Assuming no compensation, would it be better for AT&T if DirecTV customers streamed on Verizon's network or theirs?

Reality is that providing bandwidth costs money and any ISP or telco that provides unlimited data for any reason will incur additional costs.


atmuscarella said:


> You don't actually believe what you wrote do you?
> 
> If AT&T's Direct TV division pays 10 billion dollars for band width to AT&T's Mobil division what effect does that have on their quarterly report? Let me help you NONE no change at all.
> 
> ...


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

Looking for some feedback on the service in different markets and on different streamers. In Boston, I'm not getting local channels. I'm watching on gen one fire tvs (after much fanfare) and the quality is good except at night when I sometimes suffer buffering.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

wizwor said:


> Reality is that providing bandwidth costs money and any ISP or telco that provides unlimited data for any reason will incur additional costs.


No it won't. Bandwidth isn't consumed. The cost to AT&T to maintain its network is the same whether you download 10 GB a month or a 1000. Usage caps and zero ratings are nothing more than a means of generating new revenue streams.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

hapster85 said:


> No it won't. Bandwidth isn't consumed. The cost to AT&T to maintain its network is the same whether you download 10 GB a month or a 1000. Usage caps and zero ratings are nothing more than a means of generating new revenue streams.


It's called capacity, and YES it does cost money.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

wizwor said:


> You talk as if there is no cost to AT&T to provide unlimited bandwidth. As if AT&T is just swimming in bandwidth and can absorb all this extra data without incurring cost. I can't believe YOU actually believe what you are typing. Assuming no compensation, would it be better for AT&T if DirecTV customers streamed on Verizon's network or theirs?
> 
> Reality is that providing bandwidth costs money and any ISP or telco that provides unlimited data for any reason will incur additional costs.


If you are going to quote my posts you should say something about what I said, if you just want to go off on some rant please don't quote me.

I specifically said nothing about costs because I have not idea what it costs AT&T to provide this additional bandwidth and neither do you. What we do know is it is not the wholesale or retail cost of bandwidth, it is only the actual operational cost of doing so.

When AT&T/Direct TV says they are paying themselves for the bandwidth at what ever wholesale number they are using for accounting purposes it is a flat out lie to say that is what it actually costs AT&T. Also to say they are willing to sell bandwidth to other OTT cable replacement services at the same rate to show they are treating all OTT cable replacement services fairly is also complete bull sh**. The other service would be incurring the actual cost being paid to AT&T, AT&T will not be incurring those same costs, which gives AT&T a competitive advantage in the OTT cable replacement service, based on AT&T being the ISP.

The whole idea behind net neutrality is to not allow ISPs (in this case AT&T) to use their position as an ISP to provide an unfair competitive advantage for themselves in other Internet based business (which is exactly what AT&T is trying to do). If you disagree with net neutrality that is your business and I will feel free to disagree with you.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

wizwor said:


> It's called capacity, and YES it does cost money.


Bandwidth determines how many simultaneous connections (users) the network can support without lowering the effective speed of the connection. This is an entirely separate issue from how much data an individual user pulls in a given timeframe. Again, data caps and usage limits are arbitrary, with the sole purpose of generating revenue, not relieving network congestion.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Anyone able to get Dolby Digital from DirecTV Now app in Apple TV 4?


I only get 2/0/.0 so my Denon AVR converts to Dolby PL C II.

Tried several different channels, which are DD on my Comcast feed played on my Tivo Roamio.


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## dharlow (Mar 27, 2016)

wco81 said:


> Anyone able to get Dolby Digital from DirecTV Now app in Apple TV 4?
> 
> I only get 2/0/.0 so my Denon AVR converts to Dolby PL C II.
> 
> Tried several different channels, which are DD on my Comcast feed played on my Tivo Roamio.


There are several threads on this at Reddit, only VOD content has 5.1.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Ah OK, so one more area D* is going to have to shore up if they want to grab a lot of videophiles away from cable.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

wizwor said:


> Looking for some feedback on the service in different markets and on different streamers. In Boston, I'm not getting local channels. I'm watching on gen one fire tvs (after much fanfare) and the quality is good except at night when I sometimes suffer buffering.


I'm in Dayton OH and have had Directv now (DTN) for a couple of weeks. No live local channels here from DTN, but I get them all perfectly via antenna on my TiVo so I'm fine with that. I have used DTN via a 1st generation Amazon Fire Stick, also via airplay from an iPad to a 3rd generation Apple TV, but mostly on a gen 4 Apple TV which I got from the 3 month prepaid deal. The experience has definitely been the best on the gen 4 Apple TV. I found using airplay streaming to my older Gen 3 Apple TV to be less reliable and harder to use, and the 1st Gen Fire Stick seams underpowered for it, taking extended periods of time to load and navigate. Once its up and streaming on the Fire Stick it seemed to do OK. Now that I'm used to the navigation of the app on the Gen 4 Apple TV I'm pretty happy with the speed and layout and find the touch pad works pretty nicely with the DTN app. I am having some definite picture freeze up, stuttering, and even complete loss of stream at times, more so in the evenings. Seems to be worse when streaming video on demand vs. live channels. I expected some of those issues with a brand new service but they will need to work pretty quickly to resolve those. I think a few of my problems may be my internet as it's been a little unreliable on occasion (standard 15Mb service from TW/Spectrum) but there are times that my internet speed is fine and I'm still having glitches with DTN. (in contrast my Netflix very rarely has issues) Besides those issues I'm pretty happy overall with the DTN service and the value. Assuming they get the infrastructure more stable in the next month or two I'll likely keep it. First time in 7 years that I've had access to cable channels (have been strictly OTA other than a couple of trials of Sling and PS Vue). I've never been opposed to having cable it just has cost too much for the value it has for me. With DTN at $35 for over 100 channels the value proposition has gotten better enough that it just might work for me. At DTN's non promotional price of $60 for the 100+ channel package I'd definitely pass. Having just 2 streams is a bit limiting for some but if that keeps the price down, I'm fine with that. I believe DTN allows you to stream from different locations simultaneously which I like (someone at home could watch while I could watch on my iPad if traveling). I'm pretty sure PS Vue allows 5 streams but all have to be from the same location. (someone correct me on that if I'm wrong). I know Sling varies from 1 to 3 streams depending on the plan you have but I don't know if that has to be from one location or not. I'm happy to see signs of at least a little competition starting to develop in the TV market. It's long overdue!


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

List of things that DTN needs, long-term.:

1. CBS and Showtime, including local affiliates
2. DVR features, including commercial skipping.
3. DD 5.1 on live channels.
4. Chromecast support from mobile devices, with 5.1 audio.
5. 4K HDR content or channels as soon as available.
6. More than 2 streams simultaneously. Need to be able to record at least 4 streams at a time if and when they have DVR features.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

On Demand using an AppleTV during the days has gotten so bad to be unusable. The picture freezes but the sound keeps going. Using my PC (with HDMI) instead, the picture quality adjusted quite quickly going from very good to unbelievably low resolution and back. It seemed to correspond to where commercials were/are. With the PC, I was able to watch the few On Demand episodes I was interested in. There is practically nothing left I want to see, even though the app stores say 10,000 titles.

In contrast, yesterday I tried sampled Hulu using AppleTV and it was fine all day long. 

So its unlikely the problem is my equipment or internet provider, it's probably DirecTV Now's On Demand.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

Service seems to have been more stable of late. Buffering much less often during peak hours. Rarely during off peak. Using Fire TV with latest firmware.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

I've been playing for over a week. My connection at home is via fire stick (Apple TV is on its way at some point). Away from home, I've used wifi and LTE. 

The PQ at home is better than other streaming services but the fire stick is just not a great device for PQ. The PQ on my iPhone and iPad is stunning. 

The speed of search and channel changes on iPhone and iPad is pretty amazing. Almost analog cable speed. That is both on wifi and lte. The channel change on fire stick is much slower. 

On demand works well on iPad and iPhone but buffers and is jerky on fire stick. 

Will be interested in seeing experience on Apple TV.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

TonyD79 said:


> I've been playing for over a week. My connection at home is via fire stick (Apple TV is on its way at some point). Away from home, I've used wifi and LTE.
> 
> The PQ at home is better than other streaming services but the fire stick is just not a great device for PQ. The PQ on my iPhone and iPad is stunning.
> 
> ...


I have a first gen firetv stick and it's 10 to 15 seconds for channel change. On the new Apple TV it's about 2 seconds. Almost like changing channels on digital cable or TiVo OTA.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

I've given up on it. Canceled service and sold the free ATV and firesticks I bought. I'll watch occasionally on the computer or phone and the Roku for HBO go until my paid subscription expires in March.


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## Sgt Howl (Jan 18, 2013)

schatham said:


> I've given up on it.


Please let us know why you didn't like it. Lack of surround sound and 1080 is a non-starter for me.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

Sgt Howl said:


> Please let us know why you didn't like it. Lack of surround sound and 1080 is a non-starter for me.


My receiver displays the type of sound, so that's easy enough to determine, but how has the picture resolution been determined? My Sony TV's always say 1080p as the output for my Fire TV boxes, so I've no way of knowing the actual resolution of the content. Most apps I've used are useless in this regard.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Doesn't Tivo info. show some details about the source signal?

It definitely indicates if it's a Dolby Digital soundtrack.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

wco81 said:


> Doesn't Tivo info. show some details about the source signal?
> 
> It definitely indicates if it's a Dolby Digital soundtrack.


Not sure how that's supposed to help with DirecTV Now or any other app on my Fire TV boxes.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I've had the service for a few days now and am pretty satisfied. My biggest concerns are reliability and on demand. So far those appear to be ok. Has it been pretty reliable since the initial issues at launch?

$35 deal expires next week on 1/9, so I need to pull the trigger soon. If I get the free ATV, I should be able to sell it and pay for a couple of months of service.


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## ncbill (Sep 1, 2007)

My original FireTV sticks became unusable with DTVN last week - sound garbled (software update?)

Other apps (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) work fine.

Didn't see a way to adjust sound output options in the DTVN app.

DTVN still works fine on the new version (voice remote) of the FireTV stick.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

ncbill said:


> My original FireTV sticks became unusable with DTVN last week - sound garbled (software update?)
> 
> Other apps (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) work fine.
> 
> ...


Sounds like the hardware. Not a problem with my iPad or Apple TV 4.

Only thing I've seen is sometimes saying my RSN or NBA TV is not authorized for my area but I change channel and change it back and it's fine.

They need to add a lot of features though but it seems to be pretty usable.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

I've been having a pretty terrible time of it on a new AppleTV. It usually takes something like 5 minutes to get it going each day. It won't tune to the first (last watched) channel, so I try another, then back to the first, takes a few times of doing that until it works. Maybe a reboot or two of the AppleTV. During the USC-Penn St game, it just froze up twice. I've watched all I want to that they have On Demand. I've pretty much given up, though I feel I should try to get something of value for the $105 so I try to find something to watch each day. But there is nothing on I want to watch. Even the news shows are boring, nothing but junk about Trump.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Haven't gotten my Apple TV yet (it is slow and buggy on my Fire Stick, but that is old).

The one thing that is annoying is the guide. Without numbers, it is hard to move from a channel at the top of the guide to one at the bottom. If you are watching something on AMC and want to change to a program on VH1. That is a pain. Not pad on iPhone or iPad since the guide scrolls by quickly but on Fire Stick, oh boy.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

My stick scrolls really fast if you hold the button.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

mdavej said:


> My stick scrolls really fast if you hold the button.


I wouldn't call it "pretty fast" on my Fire TV. Haven't timed it, but I'd estimate 30 seconds to go from the top of the guide to the bottom while holding the button. PS Vue, on the other hand, flies by in a small fraction of that.

With each new update, I become hopeful that the buffering and other problems will finally be resolved, only to be disappointed again. DTV Now could be a really great product, but my patience has begun to wear thin. Basically, at this point, I'm just holding out until Hulu Live launches.

PS Vue, while far more stable, doesn't have all of the channels we like to watch. Sling, stable or not, has a horrible interface in my opinion.

If Hulu Live fails to perform, I may just give up on live streaming all together, and just stick with OTA, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.


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## BadMouth (Mar 1, 2016)

I got a month's free trial a couple weeks ago. Tried to use it on an HTPC. Flabbergasted at how horrible it was. I watched maybe 3 hours over a few days and haven't bothered with it since. Prior episodes say they're available, but won't play. The video quality sucks. I noticed that I could start a show at the beginning that was already in progress and though it was a nice feature. But then the commercials came on at the wrong points and the show cut off at its actual end time while I still had 10 minutes left to see.

I think PS Vue TV is the best service, but I hate the interface on the roku.

I'm pretty happy with OTA, Netflix, & Plex on the TiVo, then Kodi on the HTPC which also serves as the Plex server.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

hapster85 said:


> I wouldn't call it "pretty fast" on my Fire TV. Haven't timed it, but I'd estimate 30 seconds to go from the top of the guide to the bottom while holding the button. PS Vue, on the other hand, flies by in a small fraction of that.


6 seconds from top to bottom on my stick. Haven't tried it on Fire TV box yet, but that should be even faster. Maybe I have one of the newer generation sticks.

I agree PS Vue is still far superior overall.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

mdavej said:


> 6 seconds from top to bottom on my stick. Haven't tried it on Fire TV box yet, but that should be even faster. Maybe I have one of the newer generation sticks.
> 
> I agree PS Vue is still far superior overall.


I put the stopwatch to it. 33 seconds. I believe I have a 2nd gen Fire; bought new from Best Buy in September '16. I guess a lack of channel numbers is the one thing I miss from cable/satellite. I always knew the numbers of my favorite, most watched, channels, so getting to them was always quick and easy.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

hapster85 said:


> I put the stopwatch to it. 33 seconds. I believe I have a 2nd gen Fire; bought new from Best Buy in September '16. I guess a lack of channel numbers is the one thing I miss from cable/satellite. I always knew the numbers of my favorite, most watched, channels, so getting to them was always quick and easy.


I'm the opposite, never paid attention to numbers, almost never watch live TV. But DTN has a favorites filter you could use to speed up browsing.

Speed difference could also be due to internet speed. Mine's around 65Mbps. Memory usage could be a factor too. All I know is mine is "pretty fast".


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

mdavej said:


> I'm the opposite, never paid attention to numbers, almost never watch live TV. But DTN has a favorites filter you could use to speed up browsing.
> 
> Speed difference could also be due to internet speed. Mine's around 65Mbps. Memory usage could be a factor too. All I know is mine is "pretty fast".


Definitely not connection speed. I have 300 Mbps, and the Fire's wired connection is 100 Mbps, so it has access to all the speed it can handle. Which, of course, it never pulls anywhere near that.

It must be the differences in the Gen 2 Fire and the new Fire Stick.

The Favorites view is indeed a nice feature, but I usually end up not bothering since it takes multiple clicks to access each time. It really needs a way of being made the default view. Maybe it will. Eventually.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I just tried another really old stick, first generation, and it's also 6 seconds. Maybe a regional server thing is causing your slowdown.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Have had DTN for about a month now. It has improved some in picture freeze ups etc. but it's no where near where it needs to be yet. I fully expected the service to be a bit rough starting out but they definitely need to be making quick improvements or they will lose lots of customers. At the initial offering price with the Apple TV deal I'm willing to give them a good bit of grace. I have the most problems with the on demand programming as it's barely useable at times. Problems are worse during peak internet times in the late evenings, so I think internet speed and stability are definite factors. During the day my standard cable internet (15 to 17mbps down) can easily stream it to two different TV's in HD without difficulty. But in the evenings when speed fluctuates it has difficulty with just one stream. I check my speeds any time I'm having problems and most of the time there isn't enough slow down that should affect my ability to stream it. Netflix typically will stream just fine. I think possibly DTN hasn't set things up well enough to deal with less than perfect internet speeds at this point. Hope they get there as I'm planning to keep the service if it proves to be viable.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Sorry I wasn't clear in the speed. Yes, I can fly through them to a point (10 or 11 seconds) but I can do that in far less on an iPhone and also still see what is scrolling by. The fire stick doesn't populate while scrolling until it catches up.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

mdavej said:


> I just tried another really old stick, first generation, and it's also 6 seconds. Maybe a regional server thing is causing your slowdown.


Finally figured out that it's because I use my TV remote, via my TV's HDMI CEC, to operate my Fire TV. Using the actual Fire remote, the guide scrolls at high speed. Must be a quirk in the API. Didn't have that problem with PS Vue.

It's a minor annoyance, far outweighed by the convenience of having one less remote to juggle.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

FWIW, my remote works fine over CEC (Vizio), just as fast as the Fire remote.


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## Sgt Howl (Jan 18, 2013)

Ouch - DIRECTV Now Has Hit The Iceberg


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Sgt Howl said:


> Ouch - DIRECTV Now Has Hit The Iceberg


I wonder how many of these stories are ginned up by AT&T competitors.

Not saying it doesn't have problems but it's only been a couple of months. Give it a chance to see if it scales up or not.

If it gets traction, at the prices it's charging, that's a threat to the networks and to competitors.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

I'm hanging in there for now at least. There are times when all works reasonably well for a period of a few hours (non-peak times) but I am very disappointed that it doesn't seem that much progress is being made in correcting problems. I pre-paid for 3 months of service and i'm now approaching the half way point. I'll definitely have to reconsider if things aren't significantly improved by the end of my prepaid subscription. I have resorted to watching some on demand shows on alternate sites such as NBC since my DTN subscription gives me access. Even if I dump DTN I still got the Apple TV 4 at a great price, so the service really didn't cost me anything other than frustration.


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## redrouteone (Jun 16, 2001)

They do have their problems, but the price is really good. So I'm willing to stick it out. I don't really watch it during prime time, so maybe I haven't ran into the bulk of the problems everyone else ran into. The main thing I don't like is the lack of a DVR, but they said that was coming this year. The shows I really care about don't start up for a couple of more months, so I've got some time. If they don't get the DVR in time, I can just use the various networks Apps on my Roku.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Live TV isn't bad. On Demand and rew/ffwd is a disaster though. I've learned to avoid that for now anyway. Since I sold my free ATV4 (sold within 15 minutes of listing on ebay), I've essentially got 3 months free after the free month I got via another email account. So I'm hanging in there at least 3 more months. Hopefully they can get their act together by then.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

So many complaints, unfavorable comparisons to Sling TV and PS Vue. It does appear that Sling TV and PS Vue work better, far fewer issues but neither has the channels I want for a price I am willing to pay, not even close compared to the $35 promo package which I don't think AT&T can continue, it has to be a money loser. I am delighted with the service and the free data usage with the iPad, all other similar services are a joke if you compare prices right now and none of the others are of any interest to me, solely based on price alone. When the price goes to $60/month, none of the live TV streaming services will be of any interest to me but for now, DirecTV Now is a dream deal.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

wco81 said:


> I wonder how many of these stories are ginned up by AT&T competitors.
> 
> Not saying it doesn't have problems but it's only been a couple of months. Give it a chance to see if it scales up or not.
> 
> If it gets traction, at the prices it's charging, that's a threat to the networks and to competitors.


 Look up old Sling and PS Vue articles, all the streamers that do live streaming go through this, (are still going through this). Outside of the computer mags, a lot of the so called tech press is .....click baiting junk. Who cares what they think.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

And from all this I see the streaming future is going to be SO much better than a simple DVR with full control over recordings and playback...

not.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Anyone else using a lot of data for DTN streaming?
Hard to imagine streaming is using almost 40 GB 
The Comcast Xfinity app shows I've use almost 800 GB in 20 days am at my computer. To Ike this'll month.

I stream a couple of hours a day, using my iPad. Never used VOD with DTN, just a couple of channels.

I also have a Hulu subscription but I maybe watch 3-4 hours a week.

As the only user of my Comcast account, I have a couple of computers and 4 mobile devices that I update regularly with apps and podcasts.

However, I have been around 150-250 GB a month over the past year. In the last 3 months it went from 312, 175, 507 and now 780 so far in Jan.

Now the main changes in the last couple of months are Hulu and DTN. So I went from 5-8 GB a day ( even that seems high) to almost 40 GB a day?

Like I said, I'm not running DTN all day, just a couple of hours while I am at the computer, I run it on my iPad.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

One of the annoying things about DirecTV Now is that per my modem lights it continues to get data for a minute or two after the AppleTV is put to sleep. It also continues to draw data when I try to stop it via pause or look through menu's or pretty much anything. Stop/End is not part of its nature. I think it will continue to draw data anywhere within the DirecTV Now app even when paused and switch to another input on my TV, say Tivo. If I forget to sleep it, I have taken to unplugging the AppleTV. 

I switch my modem off at night via a powerstrip very conveniently placed.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

wco81 said:


> Anyone else using a lot of data for DTN streaming?
> Hard to imagine streaming is using almost 40 GB
> The Comcast Xfinity app shows I've use almost 800 GB in 20 days am at my computer. To Ike this'll month.
> 
> ...


 Just a thought, give Comcast a call and have someone get you a real reading of your usage. There may be something going on with that app.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I discovered something that makes DTN a little more bearable. When it occasionally gets stuck in a loop where it buffers a lot, you can use the R/L arrows to change the channel then change back. That usually does the trick and is faster than leaving the app entirely and starting over.

I haven't noticed any unusually high data usage on my Fire sticks.


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## schatham (Mar 17, 2007)

Are you closing the app when your done? If not the TV is running up data the same as if you were still watching. You can't just turn the TV off.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Yeah when I push the home button, it's not streaming.

Other video apps will shrink the picture to a small window, from where you can close it or make it full screen again.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

The past several days I've tried keeping DTVN up and running most of the day and it's been nearly flawless for live streaming. I watched a show VOD last night and it too had NO problems. I have not risked doing fast forward or rewind but did pause the VOD show a few times for a brief period without issue. The "look back" feature doesn't seem to be available still.

Bottom line is I'm encouraged that they are making progress with the stability of DTVN and at this point I'm satisfied with the functionality and value. I'm am hoping they will make good on their statements that Roku will be supported in the near future and that they will eventually have a DVR function.

I don't think they have figured out how to scale the DTVN stream to work well on more marginal internet connection speeds. A friend of mine is still unable to maintain a DTVN stream on a budget 2Mbps connection. Granted that's not completely surprising at that speed but he is able to stream Netflix etc. without much difficulty (albeit at lower resolutions). Hopefully they will figure out those issues over time as well.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I've seen the same. Also afraid to ffwd/rew on VOD, but seems more stable otherwise. Happy to see the improvement. 

Just cancelled PS Vue. Although Vue still beats DTVN in most respects (cloud DVR, VOD, profiles, custom caption text options), I have a unique issue with billing location versus watching location that is very difficult to deal with. DTVN has no such issue. In fact, my account is routinely used at different locations, something which is not possible with Vue. Also Vue recently dropped a significant block of channels including many that I watch.


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## Jim1348 (Jan 3, 2015)

mdavej said:


> ...Also Vue recently dropped a significant block of channels including many that I watch.


That is good to know. One of my criticisms of Sony PS Vue was certain content was mobile restricted.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Yes, the location freedom with DTVN is another reason I decided to give it a go. We just spent 9 days out of state with family and I took my Apple TV along and had full access to my programming. Makes it nice for folks who travel or spend part of the year at a second residence. It's likely why they limit it to just 2 streams (vs. PS Vue's up to 5 streams at one location) so there is less risk of account "sharing". For me I'm OK with 2 streams if that is what allows the freedom to watch wherever I am.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

I've hit that weird VOD problem where video would freeze but audio would keep running. It was horrid a week ago, rew/ff would not fix that the problem, now it's rare. Not unlike Hulu problems (and Hulu still has problems to this day on all platforms.)
Other than the VOD, like the video quality, grid/schedule options are nice too. DVR would be nice, but I'm willing to let them get it right. Yes PS Vue I'm talking to you..


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Sgt Howl said:


> Ouch - DIRECTV Now Has Hit The Iceberg


Yeah, between the rights issues, and the technical issues, and the lack of functionality (i.e. DVR), they have a total loser on their hands. They have the scale to get a lot of content at an attractive price, but this isn't going to replace their DBS system anytime soon. I think they need to go back to the drawing board. Streaming might be able to replace cable a year or two down the road, but for right now, it's DOA. Time to keep investing in the DBS system!


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## No1hedberg (Mar 14, 2013)

With the impending demise of net neutrality I'd say these services are doomed anyway. So many people can only get broadband through cable providers. Once they are no longer required to provide high enough speed for these services that will pretty much kill them off.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

No1hedberg said:


> With the impending demise of net neutrality I'd say these services are doomed anyway. So many people can only get broadband through cable providers. Once they are no longer required to provide high enough speed for these services that will pretty much kill them off.


While I consider the impending demise of net neutrality a BIG negative for consumers, I think it will play out differently then you think.

The ISPs will do several things at once. On the consumer side we will likely see higher prices and/or caps. However on the commercial side the ISPs will likely cut deals with services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Direct TV now, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, etc. where these service pay to assure their service works well on the ISPs network and perhaps even to have the ISP exempt them form their consumers caps which will of course result in higher costs for these services to the consumers. In return these services will become an important enough revenue sources for the ISPs to assure the ISPs continue to improve their networks to meet demand.

In the end the consumer is going to pay more for everything and web sites/services that don't pay ISPs for preferential treatment will not likely work well.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

TeamPace said:


> The past several days I've tried keeping DTVN up and running most of the day and it's been nearly flawless for live streaming. I watched a show VOD last night and it too had NO problems. I have not risked doing fast forward or rewind but did pause the VOD show a few times for a brief period without issue. The "look back" feature doesn't seem to be available still.
> 
> Bottom line is I'm encouraged that they are making progress with the stability of DTVN and at this point I'm satisfied with the functionality and value. I'm am hoping they will make good on their statements that Roku will be supported in the near future and that they will eventually have a DVR function.
> 
> I don't think they have figured out how to scale the DTVN stream to work well on more marginal internet connection speeds. A friend of mine is still unable to maintain a DTVN stream on a budget 2Mbps connection. Granted that's not completely surprising at that speed but he is able to stream Netflix etc. without much difficulty (albeit at lower resolutions). Hopefully they will figure out those issues over time as well.


I think that is because Netflix is far ahead of most people with encoding and adaptive bit rates. I can cast it to a 32inch TV in a hotel at 512kps and it looks fine.


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## Chris Gerhard (Apr 27, 2002)

DirecTV Now hasn't been working with my first gen Fire TV box for a few days now. It still works fine on Apple TV and a Windows 10 PC. On Fire TV it takes a long time to load then freezes in a few seconds, I tried rebooting and uninstalling and re-installing the app, neither did anything to fix the issue. The Fire TV still works for everything else I have been using it for.


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## No1hedberg (Mar 14, 2013)

atmuscarella said:


> While I consider the impending demise of net neutrality a BIG negative for consumers, I think it will play out differently then you think.
> 
> The ISPs will do several things at once. On the consumer side we will likely see higher prices and/or caps. However on the commercial side the ISPs will likely cut deals with services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Direct TV now, PlayStation Vue, Sling TV, etc. where these service pay to assure their service works well on the ISPs network and perhaps even to have the ISP exempt them form their consumers caps which will of course result in higher costs for these services to the consumers. In return these services will become an important enough revenue sources for the ISPs to assure the ISPs continue to improve their networks to meet demand.
> 
> In the end the consumer is going to pay more for everything and web sites/services that don't pay ISPs for preferential treatment will not likely work well.


You may well be right...however content providers won't bother dealing with smaller ISPs, which in lots of cases is the only viable option for broadband. In my case I can get suddenlink with 50-100 mbps with a 250-500gb monthly data limit. (Depending on how much I pay) The other option is 3-12mbps DSL. I'm actually lucky. Suddenlink is a fairly large cable provider. Many surrounding towns have really small, regional cable providers that don't have the resources or subscriber base for content providers to have any interest in. I don't know what it's going to take for people to wake up and pay attention to this. I guess when providers start charging more to access Facebook or blocking people's access to porn maybe they will wake up. Of course by then it will most likely be too late.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

I'm wondering when people will realize they don't need the speed that many of them are paying for. I have 3Mbps and with the exception of DirecTV Now, it works great. Netflix is often "1080" per the TiVo info button and I have Not had problems with Hulu or Amazon Prime. Sure with more people using a line, more speed is needed but 60Mbps ? It is hard for me to believe that most people use that.


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## No1hedberg (Mar 14, 2013)

Netflix requires about 24mbps to stream 4k videos.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

smark said:


> I think that is because Netflix is far ahead of most people with encoding and adaptive bit rates. I can cast it to a 32inch TV in a hotel at 512kps and it looks fine.


Yes, Netflix seems to be the Gold Standard for streaming service. I hope others can learn from them.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Heads up to prepaid DTVN subs. Free HBO, MAX and STARZ now through Monday 2/20. Looks like they also pushed a new Fire TV app update a few days ago. Haven't really noticed any change in performance.

Details:
FREE Premium Preview Weekend: HBO, Cinemax, and Starz


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

mdavej said:


> Heads up to prepaid DTVN subs. Free HBO, MAX and STARZ now through Monday 2/20. Looks like they also pushed a new Fire TV app update a few days ago. Haven't really noticed any change in performance.
> 
> Details:
> FREE Premium Preview Weekend: HBO, Cinemax, and Starz


Thanks. Is it only available through the DTVN guide in the app (i.e, only live content)?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

javabird said:


> Thanks. Is it only available through the DTVN guide in the app (i.e, only live content)?


My feed has HBO, MAX and Showtime clear this weekend. So check your cable channels.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

javabird said:


> Thanks. Is it only available through the DTVN guide in the app (i.e, only live content)?


Not sure since I sub to HBO already and can use my DTVN credentials on HBO GO anyway. However, I did try the STARZ app and was unable to login with DTVN credentials. So with STARZ at least, it's live only. I didn't see anything of interest on MAX, so I didn't try that one.

I think Joe misspoke about Showtime. It's not included, just STARZ.


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

mdavej said:


> Not sure since I sub to HBO already and can use my DTVN credentials on HBO GO anyway. However, I did try the STARZ app and was unable to login with DTVN credentials. So with STARZ at least, it's live only. I didn't see anything of interest on MAX, so I didn't try that one.
> 
> I think Joe misspoke about Showtime. It's not included, just STARZ.


Thanks.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

mdavej said:


> I think Joe misspoke about Showtime. It's not included, just STARZ.


From my cable bill:
*"*HBO & CINEMAX FREE PREVIEW: 2/17-2/20! Enjoy addictive series, entertaining movies, and family favorites. Use parental control features to block adult-only content. A converter, media player or cable card is required to view free preview. Visit secv.com for details.

SHOWTIME FREE PREVIEW: 2/17-2/20! Watch original series, hit movies and heart pounding sports. Use parental control features to block adult-only content. A converter, media player or cable card is required to view free preview. Visit secv.com for details*."*

Others have questioned why Showtime and not Starz, but I never can figure out what my cable company does. Did I mention they are clear QAM and not copy protected?

Just learned:
NHL Center Ice free preview Feb. 18-24


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Joe, thanks for the info about the SHO preview on cable. I thought you were talking about DVTN initially and was trying to reiterate that only STARZ, not SHOW, was on DTVN. My cable company (Charter) never participates in the free previews. That's the biggest thing I miss about DirecTV sat service. They had free weekends so often, I could watch and record everything I ever wanted to see on all the premiums without ever subscribing.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Got word from Direct tv that they are now giving me HBO free for a year. I have the intro deal of 100 channels for $35 and now HBO. Maybe they are trying to offer a perk for hanging in there while they work the bugs out of the service. It also gives me access to HBO Go! I'm pretty happy with DTVN despite still having a few bugs.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

I appreciate all the freebies like a year of HBO. But I would like on demand, trick play and DVR functionality a lot more. PS Vue already does all of that, so it can't be that hard. DirecTV already has internet based on demand and a cloud DVR of sorts with their satellite service. Seems like they could leverage the heck out of that. But they appear to be trying to reinvent the wheel instead. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

TeamPace said:


> Got word from Direct tv that they are now giving me HBO free for a year. I have the intro deal of 100 channels for $35 and now HBO. Maybe they are trying to offer a perk for hanging in there while they work the bugs out of the service. It also gives me access to HBO Go! I'm pretty happy with DTVN despite still having a few bugs.


 I agree I got the same offer, they still also offer Viacom channels that Sony has given up on. This matters because Viacom content is being pulled from Hulu so your legal options are shrinking.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Cordcutter news reported today that DTVN won't make it RoKu players before the end of the first quarter as has been promised by them for months. This is in contrast to other recent reports indicating that the DTVN Roku app would be available March 31st. I'm still reasonably happy with my DTVN service but have to say that AT&T has done a terrible job with the roll out and communication. I think a shake up of some top executives needs to be considered. They have done irreparable damage to the brand name (not that it was all that good anyway) and DTVN Now in particular. The main reason I'm still hanging in with the service is their intro deal was unbeatable and to keep it you have to remained subscribed. I'm just really disappointed in how poorly even very large companies are run these days.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

TeamPace said:


> The main reason I'm still hanging in with the service is their intro deal was unbeatable and to keep it you have to remained subscribed. I'm just really disappointed in how poorly even very large companies are run these days.


It was a good deal, but that alone wasn't reason enough to stay with what was, for me, a nearly unusable service. The fact that it's no longer available would be the main reason for my not going back, no matter how much service improves. They may eventually have to budge as more players enter the market, and competition heats up.


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## redrouteone (Jun 16, 2001)

I moved on from linear TV about 5 years ago, I've pretty much been Netflix and Amazon since then. I do have a OTA TiVo that I use to record a few things. For me the value in DIRECTV Now is access to the network apps and hockey games on Fox sports. I did have NHL Gamecenter live, but the blackout restrictions was annoying. I could get around them with a VPN, but it wasn't the most user friendly setup.

I just waiting for them to add the AMC and BBC America apps and I'll have everything I need. If they keep adding apps and building the on demand library I don't have much need for a DVR.


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## hapster85 (Sep 7, 2016)

redrouteone said:


> I just waiting for them to add the AMC and BBC America apps and I'll have everything I need. If they keep adding apps and building the on demand library I don't have much need for a DVR.


My main issue with those apps is that they usually force commercials on you. They usually cut them down after 3 days, to 1 or 2 each break, but they're still not skippable. Even worse, it's often the same 3 or 4 commercials, over and over again.


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## redrouteone (Jun 16, 2001)

Yes I have noticed the repetitions on the commercials. I don't mind commercials as long they are short. I tend to watch things on my own scheldule so it can be a few weeks after the initial airing so there usually isin't too many commercials.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Welcome to our streaming future - limited recording/saving/view windows and unskippable commercials.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Directv now is working well for me for what I want it for. Which is mostly free streaming outside of home. But it works fine on my Apple TV. On my fire stick, not so much. If only it had both my local RSNs, it would be great with baseball starting. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## dave13077 (Jan 11, 2009)

TonyD79 said:


> Directv now is working well for me for what I want it for. Which is mostly free streaming outside of home. But it works fine on my Apple TV. On my fire stick, not so much. If only it had both my local RSNs, it would be great with baseball starting.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


I was thinking of getting a Firestick for DTN streaming. What issues are you seeing?


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

dave13077 said:


> I was thinking of getting a Firestick for DTN streaming. What issues are you seeing?


Tons of buffering. It happened on my friend's as well. I think it is the lack of memory.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## redrouteone (Jun 16, 2001)

I have a second gen Firestick, a first gen Firestick and an AppleTV. 

It is a little slow on the first gen Firestick. One the second gen it is pretty snappy, almost as quick as my AppleTV.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

redrouteone said:


> I have a second gen Firestick, a first gen Firestick and an AppleTV.
> 
> It is a little slow on the first gen Firestick. One the second gen it is pretty snappy, almost as quick as my AppleTV.


That is possible. Mine is older. Don't know what generation my friend's is. I do know it is unwatchable on both.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Scooter Scott (Jun 1, 2015)

My neighbor bought a new firestick just for DTVN and it works perfectly on his. As good as my AppleTV


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Seeing reports today that AT&T is revamping its platform across all products and will be starting with the Directv Now streaming service. Part of the revamp will be the promised cloud based DVR. Selected users will be offered a beta version yet this summer with hopes of a wider rollout in the fall. Glad to see those plans are still in the works even though there aren't any details about how much storage is included, how long recordings can be kept, if you can FF thru commercials, or if there will be an additional charge.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

TeamPace said:


> Seeing reports today that AT&T is revamping its platform across all products and will be starting with the Directv Now streaming service. Part of the revamp will be the promised cloud based DVR. Selected users will be offered a beta version yet this summer with hopes of a wider rollout in the fall. Glad to see those plans are still in the works even though there aren't any details about how much storage is included, how long recordings can be kept, if you can FF thru commercials, or if there will be an additional charge.


Yep. Some interesting stuff going on there at AT&T. Looks like they're building a unified platform -- a cloud-based virtualized network -- that will first power DirecTV Now but will eventually underpin all their consumer-facing video services, including OTT, managed IPTV and satellite. All those platforms will eventually have a consistent UI/UX.

AT&T Betas Virtualized TV Infrastructure

AT&T's 'next-gen' TV platform rollout will start on DirecTV Now

Cool to see that UHD HDR is on the docket for rollout in 2018.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Hope they plan to support surround sound streaming.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wco81 said:


> Hope they plan to support surround sound streaming.


Surely they will. That would be weird to offer UHD HDR but not even 5.1 sound. Although, then again, I think Hulu currently offers UHD (for very limited content on only a couple of devices) but still doesn't support 5.1 at all...


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## MikeBear (May 21, 2015)

TeamPace said:


> Seeing reports today that AT&T is revamping its platform across all products and will be starting with the Directv Now streaming service. Part of the revamp will be the promised cloud based DVR. Selected users will be offered a beta version yet this summer with hopes of a wider rollout in the fall. Glad to see those plans are still in the works even though there aren't any details about how much storage is included, how long recordings can be kept, if you can FF thru commercials, or if there will be an additional charge.


Then once they are done and everybody is on it, followed by a big price increase across the board...


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

What I want from this is to be able to authenticate across all the channel apps pretty much like you can with DirectTV. 

I like a lot of the channel apps and like how easy it is to watch previous episodes going back a few weeks on average thru the apps.

Right now no channel app recognizes this service at least as of early June or so.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

trip1eX said:


> What I want from this is to be able to authenticate across all the channel apps pretty much like you can with DirectTV.
> 
> I like a lot of the channel apps and like how easy it is to watch previous episodes going back a few weeks on average thru the apps.
> 
> Right now no channel app recognizes this service at least as of early June or so.


Are you talking about DirecTV Now? I am able to authenticate to my DirecTV Now account for several apps such as ESPN, NBC, ABC, HBO Go. There is a whole list on my iPhone.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

What is going on with DirecTV Now On Demand for SYFY ? I re-signed up for first a month for $17.50 but the On Demand offering seems stuck at August 3rd (Wynona Earp, Killjoys, Dark Matter). And syfy.com won't take my credentials.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Their On Demand is horrible across the board. Try the Syfy NOW app. It should take your DirecTV NOW credentials (NOT DirecTV).


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

New article discusses a cable replacement streaming service from AT&T. Separate from Diredtv Now? Not sure why they'd go this route. Any other takes on this?
AT&T CEO: Bye-Bye DirecTV, Hello AT&T OTT Video - Telecompetitor


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Comcast will throttle his OTT service.

Or make AT&T customers pay for going over the cap, even if they don't come anywhere close.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Johncv said:


> He, like #45, is delusional, there are about 20 million satellite dishes and not everyone has hi speed internet, or will want to surrender the DVR to the cloud.


AT&T is taking the same position as Verizon. They both believe that they will be able to deliver "cable" TV via IPTV tech over 5G that is as good or better than cable delivered via QAM or Satellite. What this article misses is this is not an OTT service as we currently thing of OTT services. There will be no need for a ISP connection and it will be delivered via a dedicated AT&T owned and operated 5G system.

Does anyone really care how their cable TV service is delivered (other than TiVo users)? I think not, people care how much it costs, what is provided, and how well it works. The same is true for local versus cloud DVR. So until the actual services are released anyone talking about it is really just blowing smoke up someone else's a**, because they don't know anything about what it is going to cost, the content that is going to be offered, and how well it is going to work.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Johncv said:


> He, like #45, is delusional, there are about 20 million satellite dishes and not everyone has hi speed internet, or will want to surrender the DVR to the cloud.


Satellite TV has been in decline for awhile now and that will only continue. A lot of DirecTV satellite customers can be lured over to the next-get IPTV version if it works well and is priced right.

That said, yes, there are a lot of satellite customers, especially in rural areas, who don't have broadband and couldn't switch. Plus, there are always customers (particularly elderly ones) who are content with what they have and resist change. Hard to imagine AT&T de-commissioning those satellites for at least another decade.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

You wouldn't expect it to be cheap, especially if they're using 5G to deliver it.

AT&T will probably force you to subscribe to Internet, TV, wireless and even landline with them.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

NashGuy said:


> ...
> Hard to imagine AT&T de-commissioning those satellites for at least another decade.


I think we are in an evolutionary not revolutionary phase for lots of things. Meaning the old is going to co-exist with the new for an extend period of time. I don't really think we are going to see anything like the hard/forced switch from analog OTA broadcasts to digital OTA broadcasts with any of our communication technologies.

QAM, OTA brodcasts, satellite, AM/FM radio, 3G, 4G, etc. are likely to be around for extended periods of time and be gradually fazed out as equipment needs to be upgraded and tech advances. 30+/- years from now my guess is most all data (video, voice, text) will be delivered via the same common advanced IP type tech with the "last mile" being some advanced form of wireless.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wco81 said:


> You wouldn't expect it to be cheap, especially if they're using 5G to deliver it.
> 
> AT&T will probably force you to subscribe to Internet, TV, wireless and even landline with them.


Well, what little we know about the planned service is mostly based on the AT&T CEO's comments about it earlier this week. He seems to think the big, expensive cable TV bundle is becoming a thing of the past. He plans to make this new service less expensive through a smaller (entry-level) bundle, a virtualized/cloud-based back-end (cheaper to operate long-term), cheaper STBs (with no hard drives), and also through targeted ads, which will be more profitable for AT&T. All that will allow them to charge lower prices for TV service. We'll see.

I had figured this new service wouldn't be OTT (since they already have DirecTV Now for that), but would require you to have AT&T internet service (either 5G fixed wireless, fiber, or DSL). But he's saying it will be available for anyone, regardless of your ISP. So I'm not sure how it will differ from DirecTV Now (which the CEO says is more aimed at mobile devices) -- maybe it will simply differ in name and in that it will come with a dedicated STB and remote.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Fierce Cable is reporting that Directv Now "2.0", which is what they are calling the complete revamp of their streaming platform (to include cloud DVR services & other improvements) won't roll out until first quarter 2018. Direct had been stating for some time now that this new platform would be rolled out this Fall. While I would prefer they wait to release until it is truly ready, it does seem DTVN has developed a pattern of over promising and under delivering. That's not the best way to win friends (customers) and influence people. I've been a DTVN customer since it came out and it's been a disappointing experience. I have hung in there because the channel package deal of over 100 channels for $35 was too good to pass up. The only way to keep that deal is to remain signed up. I do find the live channel viewing to be quite good now (after a very shaky start), but other areas such as on demand, look back, etc. has not lived up to expectations. Having no DVR capability makes it much less useful to me. Also the article seems to shed suspicion that the DVR capability is likely to cost extra as they mention the move to DTVN 2.0 will help increase revenue. Despite Direct's missteps they have still been able to grow DTVN subscribers to around 800,000 in under a year. That's all the while their DirecTv satellite service is bleeding customers at a record pace. They do claim though that only about 10% of the DTVN now customers were prior customers, so the growth of DTVN isn't simply people switching from Satellite to streaming. The next few years are going to be interesting!


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

So they're running another Apple TV promotion, this time for Apple TV 4K:

Apple TV 4K | Limited Time | DIRECTV NOW

$140 is $39 less than what it costs retail. But for new subscribers only. Many of us took advantage of the promotion last year, with the 4th gen. ATV. Some suggested using a different email address would work ...


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wco81 said:


> So they're running another Apple TV promotion, this time for Apple TV 4K:
> 
> Apple TV 4K | Limited Time | DIRECTV NOW
> 
> $140 is $39 less than what it costs retail. But for new subscribers only. Many of us took advantage of the promotion last year, with the 4th gen. ATV. Some suggested using a different email address would work ...


This is a no-brainer deal for anyone considering buying an Apple TV 4K. Get it cheaper than retail price, plus with 4 months of DirecTV Now to boot! Makes sense that they're doing this in conjunction with the new ATV 4K since DTVN will support 4K HDR at some point in 2018. (How much content they'll actually offer in that format is questionable, though.)


----------



## MikeBear (May 21, 2015)

NashGuy said:


> This is a no-brainer deal for anyone considering buying an Apple TV 4K. Get it cheaper than retail price, plus with 4 months of DirecTV Now to boot! Makes sense that they're doing this in conjunction with the new ATV 4K since DTVN will support 4K HDR at some point in 2018. (How much content they'll actually offer in that format is questionable, though.)


If they did this with the NVidia Shield, I'd jump on that deal like a fat guy on a pound of bacon! LOL


----------



## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

DTVN app won’t run on Shield.


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

Patiently waiting for the DirecTV Now DVR feature to be activated.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

MikeBear said:


> If they did this with the NVidia Shield, I'd jump on that deal like a fat guy on a pound of bacon! LOL


Yeah, I'd like a Shield TV too but I'm holding out, hoping that they'll add Dolby Vision to it since my TV supports that HDR format. Maybe a new model will come out next year. If not, I may well end up going with the Apple TV 4K, especially since it will soon get support for automatic native frame rate switching (which the Shield TV still lacks).

Only similar kind of deal I've seen for the Shield TV is from Google Fiber in a few cities. If you sign up for it plus their new YouTube TV service, they'll give you a free Shield TV.



mdavej said:


> DTVN app won't run on Shield.


Weird that AT&T developed an Android TV app for DTVN but only released it for LeEco smart TVs running Android TV. Maybe it's because they're going to release their own dedicated set-top box running a custom version of Android TV. Although, based on what I've read, I'm not sure if that box will be for DTVN or a similar DirecTV-branded OTT service to be launched soon. Or possibly only for use with satellite DirecTV, although that would be weird.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

So has anyone successfully double-dipped with the DTN Apple TV 4 promo from last year and the current Apple TV 4K promo?


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wco81 said:


> So has anyone successfully double-dipped with the DTN Apple TV 4 promo from last year and the current Apple TV 4K promo?


I've read confirmation on other forums that all you need to do is use a different email address. An AT&T employee supposedly even confirmed that to one poster!


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

DVR service will be released later today.

AT&T launches cloud DVR, new version of streaming service DirecTV Now | Technology | Dallas News


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

Nice. Only on apple and chromecast for now.

Good to see additional streams for $5 each and locals availability outside of home zip.


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## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

Only 20 hours and delete after 30 days - although promise to increase in the future - also not all channels


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

How many streams can you record simultaneously?

You have to pay for more than one stream at a time?


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## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

ManeJon said:


> Only 20 hours and delete after 30 days - although promise to increase in the future - also not all channels


The "delete after thirty days" thing is a problem. We have recordings on our TiVo that are several years old.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

It says that is free so I’d imagine there will be a pay version that allows more hours and duration.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

TonyD79 said:


> It says that is free so I'd imagine there will be a pay version that allows more hours and duration.


Yeah, the rumor is that you'll be able to extend the cloud DVR to 100 hrs storage with a 90 day expiration for an extra $10.

Also, they're going to launch another higher-end OTT service late this year which will be positioned as basically equivalent to DirecTV satellite. I had been thinking it may be branded as AT&T TV but today's news makes it sound like it will share the DirecTV brand. I would imagine its cloud DVR will have ample storage and no compromises like all the current cheaper vMVPDs have.

AT&T to Introduce Broadband-Delivered OTT DirecTV Product


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

My guess is it's only a fraction of users who need unlimited access to recordings, recording multiple streams, etc.

Most people are probably content with the crap X1 and other cable company DVRs, wouldn't even dream of spending hundreds out of pocket for a Tivo with 5 tuners.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

The DVR part is still in beta, except now you don't have to be in the beta program to use it. I've been in the beta program.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

ManeJon said:


> Only 20 hours and delete after 30 days - although promise to increase in the future - also not all channels


In the beta program we can record anything within the 20 hours. All channels can be recorded. There is a 72hr rewind on certain channels and that has never been been on all channels.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

tenthplanet said:


> The DVR part is still in beta, except now you don't have to be in the beta program to use it. I've been in the beta program.


I've done it too. It will be better now that it is open beta. More likely to not lose recordings when they update the software. I've stayed away from depending on it because of that. I will use it selectively for things I want to watch on the move.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

NashGuy said:


> Yeah, the rumor is that you'll be able to extend the cloud DVR to 100 hrs storage with a 90 day expiration for an extra $10.
> 
> Also, they're going to launch another higher-end OTT service late this year which will be positioned as basically equivalent to DirecTV satellite. I had been thinking it may be branded as AT&T TV but today's news makes it sound like it will share the DirecTV brand. I would imagine its cloud DVR will have ample storage and no compromises like all the current cheaper vMVPDs have.
> 
> AT&T to Introduce Broadband-Delivered OTT DirecTV Product


This may be the one service that gets me off Comcast and TiVo if they do it right.


----------



## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

The new app is a big improvement so far.


----------



## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

Currently, you can do 2 simultaneous and supposedly going to 3 with new software - which may not be enough for many. Remember,for each of those you'll need a ROKU or Apple TV or?? I think,


----------



## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

ManeJon said:


> Currently, you can do 2 simultaneous and supposedly going to 3 with new software - which may not be enough for many. Remember,for each of those you'll need a ROKU or Apple TV or?? I think,


If you are going to use directv now heavily, I recommend Apple TV over Roku. It is more responsive.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Thus may be the one service that gets me off Comcast and TiVo if they do it right.


Start watching you data . Actually it shouldn't be an issue for most people unless multiple tvs are running and/or you have heavy usage somewhere else.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

TonyD79 said:


> If you are going to use directv now heavily, I recommend Apple TV over Roku. It is more responsive.


Agreed. While it's still available, I definitely recommend pre-paying for your first three months and getting a free Apple TV 4K. Heck of a deal.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Pretty odd. I have lost my test recordings several times during beta updates. This release brought back a recording from several updates ago.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> Agreed. While it's still available, I definitely recommend pre-paying for your first three months and getting a free Apple TV 4K. Heck of a deal.


That's what I did a while back. Kept it because it is a cheap way to watch tv when I'm not home and being an att mobile customer, it doesn't count against my data. Very helpful for things like the NCAA tournament at work.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

smark said:


> Start watching you data . Actually it shouldn't be an issue for most people unless multiple tvs are running and/or you have heavy usage somewhere else.


As of today, my Comcast internet plan is uncapped (located in Philly suburbs). I've seen other people post they have caps and maybe someday we all will.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Lucky you with valid HSI competition, most Comcast areas have a 1TB cap.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Yeah once UHD HDR streams are more common, those caps are going to be issues.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

slowbiscuit said:


> Lucky you with valid HSI competition, most Comcast areas have a 1TB cap.


Not so sure about most. A lot, yes, but a lot do not.


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## sar840t2 (Mar 1, 2003)

My Comcast (Seattle area) has a 1TB cap, and they *do* have competition (from Frontier, for what that's worth).


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

TonyD79 said:


> Not so sure about most. A lot, yes, but a lot do not.


It's just about every area in their footprint outside the NE, that qualifies as 'most'.

Is my household included in the Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan?


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

slowbiscuit said:


> It's just about every area in their footprint outside the NE, that qualifies as 'most'.
> 
> Is my household included in the Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan?


That is sad. However, Pennsylvania, Maryland, most of Virginia and Delaware are not on the list and they are major areas in terms of subscribers.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

TonyD79 said:


> That is sad. However, Pennsylvania, Maryland, most of Virginia and Delaware are not on the list and they are major areas in terms of subscribers.


Yeah I was going to reply as well that we don't have the Comcast cap yet here in our small town in western VA with no competition.

Scott


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

TonyD79 said:


> That is sad. However, Pennsylvania, Maryland, most of Virginia and Delaware are not on the list and they are major areas in terms of subscribers.


Maybe those areas have FiOS or some other fast Internet competition.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

wco81 said:


> Maybe those areas have FiOS or some other fast Internet competition.


I don't think it is that simple.


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## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Well Comcast and other cable companies have shown they respond to competition. One of the surest correlation or causation between whether a market got its infrastructure upgraded was whether there was competition.

For instance, some communities which rolled their own fiber often found Comcast increasing their speeds in response.

I guess we'll see if cord-cutting accelerates whether Comcast tries to stem the losses from TV by imposing caps.

The other thing is if Verizon and AT&T really makes a push for the home market with 5G. If they bring competitive speeds and prices in markets where Comcast or cable has a big speed advantage (such as where I live, in the SF Bay Area), we'll see how they respond.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Well, plenty of competition where I live and Comcast infrastructure is still in the Stone Age. I seriously doubt that in the heart of Comcast country (philly area) they are reacting to Fios being available. And I’m sure there are some jurisdictional concerns as well. Local government entities do have some control as they grant the charters comcast needs to exist. 

I’m not saying it isn’t a factor, only that it is not a simple equation.

I’d bet the infrastructure itself also plays a part.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

TonyD79 said:


> I don't think it is that simple.


Eh, we've had AT&T (first DSL, then Uverse, now Fiber) here in the Nashville area for years and I think we were one of the first markets where Comcast rolled out the 1 TB cap. (AT&T then followed suit.) Comcast seems to use our market as one of the first where they introduce new things. We were among the initial D3.1 markets too.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

wco81 said:


> Well Comcast and other cable companies have shown they respond to competition. One of the surest correlation or causation between whether a market got its infrastructure upgraded was whether there was competition.
> 
> For instance, some communities which rolled their own fiber often found Comcast increasing their speeds in response.
> 
> ...


Don't hold your breath, field trials in fixed 5g are showing penetration problems into houses, outdoor antennae can fix that problem, but only if you are allowed to have one. OTA/Satellite problems all over again. Competition is good, but it needs to happen with fiber as much as wireless.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

tenthplanet said:


> Don't hold your breath, field trials in fixed 5g are showing penetration problems into houses, outdoor antennae can fix that problem, but only if you are allowed to have one. OTA/Satellite problems all over again. Competition is good, but it needs to happen with fiber as much as wireless.


Who would've guessed? Oh, maybe everyone with a cell phone?


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## sangs (Jan 1, 2003)

TonyD79 said:


> If you are going to use directv now heavily, I recommend Apple TV over Roku. It is more responsive.


My Roku Ultra screams with DTVN. I tend to use it more than the Apple TV 4K because the Roku remote is SO much better.


----------



## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

I use a universal anyway. I will see how the new version runs on roku. It isn’t released yet.


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

Thought about starting a new thread but decided to stick with this tried and true one regarding DTV Now. I've had DTVN from their first month and have mostly been a strong supporter. Yes it has definitely had its issues especially those early months. My comment though is it seems they take forever to make improvements to the service. I'm thinking their DVR beta has been going on around a year now and it's still in beta and clearly still needs to be. I find it rather difficult to use and still quite glitchy. In fact I really don't count on it to work. I've been trying to record the Tour de France and it has been hit or miss thus far. Tried to watch one of my recorded programs of The Tour and it quit working part way thru the recording and then even the live channel feed NBCSN went down right before the sprint finish of the race. Isn't this a long time for a beta when it's so critical as part of their service? And especially for the beta to still be so unreliable? Every other streaming service seems to have figured this out! In fact I wound up watching the stage from a recording on my son's Sling account which worked flawlessly. Honestly if I didn't have the original great deal of the "Go Big 100+ channel package for the price of their lowest tier I would be checking out other services. Am I wrong about them being extremely slow and inept for something that is clearly a high priority?


----------



## dave13077 (Jan 11, 2009)

TeamPace said:


> Thought about starting a new thread but decided to stick with this tried and true one regarding DTV Now. I've had DTVN from their first month and have mostly been a strong supporter. Yes it has definitely had its issues especially those early months. My comment though is it seems they take forever to make improvements to the service. I'm thinking their DVR beta has been going on around a year now and it's still in beta and clearly still needs to be. I find it rather difficult to use and still quite glitchy. In fact I really don't count on it to work. I've been trying to record the Tour de France and it has been hit or miss thus far. Tried to watch one of my recorded programs of The Tour and it quit working part way thru the recording and then even the live channel feed NBCSN went down right before the sprint finish of the race. Isn't this a long time for a beta when it's so critical as part of their service? And especially for the beta to still be so unreliable? Every other streaming service seems to have figured this out! In fact I wound up watching the stage from a recording on my son's Sling account which worked flawlessly. Honestly if I didn't have the original great deal of the "Go Big 100+ channel package for the price of their lowest tier I would be checking out other services. Am I wrong about them being extremely slow and inept for something that is clearly a high priority?


I think Direct TV Now as it stands now was just designed to be used mostly on the go. Mostly designed for tablets and phones using ATT wireless. They are supposedly coming out with a satellite type service (delivered via broadband) to fill the spot where the true satellite service sits now. I think this service will be more "Tivo like" and come with a set top box. It should run the same software that Direct TV Now has but I think more stable for stationary TV viewing. I think Direct TV Now is kind of the BETA for this new service. Just my 2 pennies.


----------



## coopertwist (Jul 6, 2007)

sar840t2 said:


> My Comcast (Seattle area) has a 1TB cap, and they *do* have competition (from Frontier, for what that's worth).


I live downtown and I can not get Frontier. If Seattle would pull their pants up and stop giving everything to the homeless and spending money on special junkie shoot-up rooms....open that dark fiber all over Seattle either to Seattle govt ran or outsource it. I would actually not have any problem paying a extra $200 a year on my property tax just to cut Comcrap outta my life.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

TeamPace said:


> Thought about starting a new thread but decided to stick with this tried and true one regarding DTV Now. I've had DTVN from their first month and have mostly been a strong supporter. Yes it has definitely had its issues especially those early months. My comment though is it seems they take forever to make improvements to the service. I'm thinking their DVR beta has been going on around a year now and it's still in beta and clearly still needs to be. I find it rather difficult to use and still quite glitchy. In fact I really don't count on it to work. I've been trying to record the Tour de France and it has been hit or miss thus far. Tried to watch one of my recorded programs of The Tour and it quit working part way thru the recording and then even the live channel feed NBCSN went down right before the sprint finish of the race. Isn't this a long time for a beta when it's so critical as part of their service? And especially for the beta to still be so unreliable? Every other streaming service seems to have figured this out! In fact I wound up watching the stage from a recording on my son's Sling account which worked flawlessly. Honestly if I didn't have the original great deal of the "Go Big 100+ channel package for the price of their lowest tier I would be checking out other services. Am I wrong about them being extremely slow and inept for something that is clearly a high priority?


I think DTVNow is a beta test for the larger service to come. I wouldn't be surprised if the two services end up being Watch TV and then the DTV replacement.


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## ManeJon (Apr 14, 2018)

Probably don't remember but GMAIL was in Beta status for several years before they formally announced it was for real. I think companies do that to diminish the complaints and to avoid the 10 billion lawyers who are waiting to sue anything and anyone.


----------



## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

ManeJon said:


> Probably don't remember but GMAIL was in Beta status for several years before they formally announced it was for real. I think companies do that to diminish the complaints and to avoid the 10 billion lawyers who are waiting to sue anything and anyone.


True, but Gmail you didn't pay for.

*Waits for someone to post about how you paid with your privacy, etc, etc.*


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

smark said:


> True, but Gmail you didn't pay for.
> 
> *Waits for someone to post about how you paid with your privacy, etc, etc.*


Well, the beta is the dvr. Which they are not asking for money for. Yet.


----------



## Robin_Banks (Mar 31, 2016)

I'm looking at YouTube TV. They have the channels I watch other than Food..
The app on Tivo opens and signed in but don't see offer off Tivo app..Seems it uses Chromecast which I have FS


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

Robin_Banks said:


> I'm looking at YouTube TV. They have the channels I watch other than Food..
> The app on Tivo opens and signed in but don't see offer off Tivo app..Seems it uses Chromecast which I have FS


The TiVo YT app does not work with YouTube Live.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

TonyD79 said:


> Well, the beta is the dvr. Which they are not asking for money for. Yet.


Yeah. Although I expect them to raise the cost of every package by $5 here pretty soon now that they have the cloud DVR (and given that all the competitors upped their starting prices from $35 to $40 this year). Maybe that $5 bump will coincide with the DVR exiting beta status and/or additional new features slated for 2018 getting added (e.g. expanded VOD, 4K HDR support, user profiles, etc.).


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## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

smark said:


> True, but Gmail you didn't pay for.
> 
> *Waits for someone to post about how you paid with your privacy, etc, etc.*


And my recollection is that gmail worked pretty well in its beta stage. DTVN's DVR is still quite buggy.


----------



## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

I recently tried ATT's WatchTV. I think someone on the internet said they only have 80 shows On Demand, not the 15000 ATT says, for me it seemed like it was even less. Only one show On Demand was interesting and trying to skip commercials was too much effort with an AppleTV. 

Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu Commercial Free and even Tivo commercial skip is just so much better. It is hard to understand why anyone puts up with being yelled at by commercials these days.


----------



## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

Has anyone noticed that the picture on DTVNow, although very crisp, is dimmer than the same channel on linear QAM cable? At least it is for me on Comcast compared to DTVNow on my Apple TV. I’ve seen the same lack of brightness on other streaming apps for cable channels on Apple TV as well, eg. CNBC, ESPN, FS1, etc. It’s odd seeing a cleaner image but one that is less bright.


----------



## TeamPace (Oct 23, 2013)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Has anyone noticed that the picture on DTVNow, although very crisp, is dimmer than the same channel on linear QAM cable? At least it is for me on Comcast compared to DTVNow on my Apple TV. I've seen the same lack of brightness on other streaming apps for cable channels on Apple TV as well, eg. CNBC, ESPN, FS1, etc. It's odd seeing a cleaner image but one that is less bright.


I assume your watching DTVN on a different input than QAM. Have you checked to see if the video settings are set the same for each of those inputs?


----------



## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

TeamPace said:


> I assume your watching DTVN on a different input than QAM. Have you checked to see if the video settings are set the same for each of those inputs?


Good question and I have same settings applied to all sources for color, brightness, etc.


----------



## wco81 (Dec 28, 2001)

Story on the first Verizon 5G home service deployments.

Verizon 5G home Internet: $70/month, 300Mbps to 1Gbps speeds, no data caps

Very high speeds with low latencies, though nothing about what kind of upload speed.

Most interesting is the claim of no data caps, no throttling. They also mention they may use antennas in some homes to deliver this service.

Could be a boon to streaming as well as introduce some competition to home broadband if they deliver on the speed and no data caps. I'm on Comcast and I started a trial of Hulu at the beginning of this month. My first couple of days, I was on pace for over 600 GB of their 1 TB cap. Now mind you Hulu is 720p and stereo sound and I generally average 300 GB or less per month, according to their app. I think Comcast plays games when they detect streaming packets because in previous trial service with Hulu and DTN, I was hitting 800-900 GB, without even watching them every day.

If they bundle it with TV packages, it might even bring more competition to streaming.

ATSC 3.0 is slowly going to be deployed but I think if you want streaming 4K HDR content, with possibly advanced multi-channel audio like Atmos, streaming services are more likely to deliver them than OTA or cable TV companies.


----------



## PJO1966 (Mar 5, 2002)

I'll be checking first thing tomorrow morning to see if I'm in an area of LA that will be covered. I hope so. I'm ready to give Spectrum the boot. Their service is fine and I've had very few problems streaming DTVN, but I'm paying $183 for 200Mbps, plus cable, and phone.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

This is more than what I pay for high speed broadband and it's wireless, two strikes right there. Wireless will have problems( fixed 5g still needs an outdoor antennae for some people) and 5g won't be bringing the price wars people are predicting.


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## jth tv (Nov 15, 2014)

tenthplanet said:


> This is more than what I pay for high speed broadband and it's wireless, two strikes right there. Wireless will have problems( fixed 5g still needs an outdoor antennae for some people) and 5g won't be bringing the price wars people are predicting.


My apartment is wired for Charter/TWC and ATT DSL. I doubt very much the owner would allow any other company to add wiring. But with 5G, it is possible that No wiring would be required.

Retail (Rate card) prices:
ATT DSL $70 18Mbps
Charter $65 100Mbps

So $70 for 5G is right in line with the others.

If I could turn it off and on via the web, I will go for it. Well, if I could get it at all.

This is probably a better place to talk about it:

Verizon 5G
https://www.tivocommunity.com/community/index.php?posts/11604634/


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Good question and I have same settings applied to all sources for color, brightness, etc.


Hey man, just now saw this. If you're still having the problem, make sure that you set your Apple TV 4K (assuming that's what you have) to use 4K SDR 60Hz as its main standard form of output. And then set Match Dynamic Range to On so that it will automatically switch to Dolby Vision or HDR10 output when that kind of video is available. (If you like, also set Match Frame Rate to On too, so that the output switches to 24Hz for 24 frames-per-second content.)

If you have the main output setting at the default 4K HDR 60Hz, then it will take traditional SDR content from the DirecTV Now app and turn it into "fake HDR". The result is that highlights will be brighter but dark areas look darker, with a loss of shadow detail. It seems to just crank up the contrast. I wonder if that's what you were seeing as the difference in brightness between the same channels in DTV Now on the ATV vs. QAM cable on TiVo.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wco81 said:


> Could be a boon to streaming as well as introduce some competition to home broadband if they deliver on the speed and no data caps. I'm on Comcast and I started a trial of Hulu at the beginning of this month. My first couple of days, I was on pace for over 600 GB of their 1 TB cap. Now mind you Hulu is 720p and stereo sound and I generally average 300 GB or less per month, according to their app. I think Comcast plays games when they detect streaming packets because in previous trial service with Hulu and DTN, I was hitting 800-900 GB, without even watching them every day.
> 
> If they bundle it with TV packages, it might even bring more competition to streaming.
> 
> ATSC 3.0 is slowly going to be deployed but I think if you want streaming 4K HDR content, with possibly advanced multi-channel audio like Atmos, streaming services are more likely to deliver them than OTA or cable TV companies.


Any competition for either broadband or pay TV service is a good thing!

BTW, Hulu streams at least some on-demand content in 1080p now, while some may still be at 720p. Pretty sure their live TV streams max out at 720p but, as for their core on-demand service, my guess is that their original content and movies are in 1080p; content from 1080i broadcast and cable nets (e.g. NBC) stream in 1080p; and content from 720p broadcast and cable nets (e.g. ABC) stream in 720p. But that's just speculation on my part. See here: https://help.hulu.com/en-us/video-quality

As for this new Verizon 5G broadband service, they're giving away free Apple TV 4Ks and three months of Google's YouTube TV with the service (which is itself free for the first 3 months!). No idea if the partnership with YouTube TV extends beyond that to include unified billing or some sort of ongoing bundle discount. If so, they haven't said.

As for ATSC 3.0, it'll be a slower rollout than we'd probably like to see and, even when it arrives, all signs are pointing to 1080p HDR as being the high-end video format that the broadcast networks will target, not 4K or 4K HDR. Vast majority of 3.0 stations will be co-hosted with a partner station on the same tower, which means splitting their bandwidth. Hard to justify provisioning 3-4 times as much bandwidth for 4K HDR vs. 1080p HDR when a lot of people can't see much difference. That said, I'm sure that ABC (and probably Fox) will put the new 1080p HDR versions of their shows on Hulu and CBS will of course do the same on CBS All Access.


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## mdavej (Aug 13, 2015)

NashGuy said:


> Any competition for either broadband or pay TV service is a good thing!


Amen to that. Just saw a post where a mom and pop broadband provider moved into a Spectrum market. And surprise, surprise, people started getting offers in the mail for discounted Spectrum internet. I'll never see that in my market because Spectrum has a monopoly and can charge whatever they want.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

mdavej said:


> Amen to that. Just saw a post where a mom and pop broadband provider moved into a Spectrum market. And surprise, surprise, people started getting offers in the mail for discounted Spectrum internet. I'll never see that in my market because Spectrum has a monopoly and can charge whatever they want.


Don't be so sure. I think the future we're moving toward is that all the big cable and telecom companies will be competing against each other for both home and mobile service in lots of places. (And hopefully there's still room for some smaller players like Starry Internet to compete too.)

T-Mobile recently said as much. They've revealed that they're going to begin offering wireless home broadband to millions in 2019. They say that the potential number served as well as the potential speeds will be significantly greater if they merge with Sprint. They're also going to have an optional pay TV service (built on core tech they gained with their Layer3 acquisition) that they'll try to bundle with their home broadband.

Meanwhile, we already see AT&T and Verizon offering *wired* home service in different footprints (Verizon mainly in the NE, AT&T in the south, midwest and CA). But with the advent of 5G, Verizon is saying that they're going to offer home service in more markets. If they get a good reception in the initial markets, I can imagine seeing it roll out to every metro as their mobile 5G service arrives there in 2019-20.

AT&T isn't as gung-ho about wireless home service for now, concentrating at the moment on expanding their fiber-to-the-home network, but it looks like they might have big things in store come 2020-21 to expand their footprint by combining their new AirGig technology, which transmits high-speed internet through the air around power lines, with 5G connections from the utility pole to the home. If the economics are right (and AT&T is engineering it to use cheap parts), that could be a game-changer that really expands the availability of 100+ Mbps internet into more rural areas, while also providing another alternative to those homes not yet served by AT&T.

Meanwhile, we've already seen #1 and #2 cable providers Comcast and Charter jump into the mobile service game with their MVNO deals that combine Verizon's LTE with their own broadband wifi spotspot network. And #4 cableco Altice USA is set to enter next year with a similar deal with Sprint.

So, basically, everyone is trying to drink everyone's milkshake.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

NashGuy said:


> Hey man, just now saw this. If you're still having the problem, make sure that you set your Apple TV 4K (assuming that's what you have) to use 4K SDR 60Hz as its main standard form of output. And then set Match Dynamic Range to On so that it will automatically switch to Dolby Vision or HDR10 output when that kind of video is available. (If you like, also set Match Frame Rate to On too, so that the output switches to 24Hz for 24 frames-per-second content.)
> 
> If you have the main output setting at the default 4K HDR 60Hz, then it will take traditional SDR content from the DirecTV Now app and turn it into "fake HDR". The result is that highlights will be brighter but dark areas look darker, with a loss of shadow detail. It seems to just crank up the contrast. I wonder if that's what you were seeing as the difference in brightness between the same channels in DTV Now on the ATV vs. QAM cable on TiVo.


Wow thanks so much, that did the trick! Watching the Apple Special Event now and could see immediate change in the quality, even the background of the menu screen looks better. Good advice to turn of HDR which I had set to initially based on the Apple 4K TV setup prompts.


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## sxmfan2018 (Aug 31, 2018)

i'll be watching this as i am in LA . i would love to dump spectrum all together!!!


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