With the success of in-home streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and HBO Now, it was only a matter of time before we would see a major cable provider jump into the game. Shortly after the announcement that AT&T would acquire Time Warner, the company announced its plans for a new streaming service, DirectTV Now, which will launch in late November 2016. While the exact channel lineup has not been disclosed, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has indicated that the service will offer over 100 channels.
Things to Know about DirecTV Now
There are many appealing features to consumers around DirecTV Now which include:
- no need for a satellite
- no installation period, and
- no cable box.
But perhaps most appealing feature of DirecTV Now is the cost of only $35 per month, an extremely competitive price for the number of channels they are boasting. SlingTV and PlayStation Vue, which are the main competitors to DirecTV Now, offer pricing of $25 – $40 per month for a fraction of the number of channels DirecTV Now will offer.
Then, for AT&T cellular customers, the deal becomes even sweeter. They will be able to stream to their mobile devices as much as they like without that streaming being counted against their cellular data limits.
There are of course some drawbacks to the service. DirecTV Now users will be limited to simultaneously streaming to only 1 or 2 devices at a time, which will be a problem for households with multiple users. And while the ability to stream to a mobile device is nice, if you’re not an AT&T cellular subscriber, it’s going to cost you. The data streaming will count against your data limits, and streaming video will rack up data rather quickly.
DirecTV Now offers a new excitement and wave of competition to the television streaming industry. It will be interesting to see who will be next to offer television streaming services.
Have questions about the new DirecTV Now or how to optimize your streaming media experience in your home? Give us a call at 704.450.4401 or email us at Corey@HTSCarolinas.com
*Photo credit DirecTV