directv
Latest
AT&T gives new DirecTV Now subscribers a year of HBO
AT&T is determined to build early momentum for DirecTV Now, and it just found another way to sweeten the pot. The telecom has launched a promo that gives you a year of HBO access if you sign up for Now's "Go Big" or "Gotta Have It" packages as a new customer by March 30th. And that's in addition to an existing deal that gives you a free Apple TV if you pre-pay for 3 months of service in a similar timeframe. It's not the most tempting deal, but it might be enough to bring you over if you like HBO and want to save a bit of cash versus alternative services.
Community group: AT&T 'digitally redlines' poor neighborhoods
Cleveland-based community groups have issued a report accusing AT&T of engaging in a process known as "digital redlining" with regards to its broadband service in the city. The groups, Connect Your Community and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), allege that AT&T has purposefully and "systematically discriminated against lower-income Cleveland neighborhoods in its deployment of home Internet and video technologies over the past decade."
Apple's 'single sign-on' feature now works with HBO Go
Apple's "single sign-on" feature has only been live since mid-December but it's already attracted some impressive services. In addition to A&E, Bravo, NBC, Syfy and USA, which launched with the feature, WatchESPN added the functionality in January and, on Thursday, HBO announced that its HBOGo app will now support it as well.
T-Mobile slams DirecTV Now in free Hulu offer
T-Mobile recently offered DirecTV Now for a year free to AT&T subscribers who switched to its T-mobile One plan, and now says it will offer Hulu Limited, too. In one of the more John Legere-esque news releases yet, the company took the opportunity to lambast its rival, using critical quotes that called DirecTV "a total disaster," a "complete mess," and more. "It turns out DirecTV is barely watchable ... so every former AT&T customer who took us up on our offer now gets a free year of Hulu on us," Legere said in a statement.
DirecTV will show soccer in 4K this weekend
NBC Sports and AT&T are teaming up to offer the first live American broadcast of a Premier League match in ultra high-definition. In fact, two games will be pumped out in 4K this weekend, assuming you're a DirecTV subscriber with the right hardware. The first will be on Saturday, with Manchester City taking on Tottenham, while Sunday's game is Arsenal's deeply-exciting tussle with Burnley.
AT&T's deal with Nielsen promises more accurate TV ratings
For years, TV ratings data has revolved around a small number of households using specialized gear to track their viewing habits. That's not completely representative of what the broader public is watching, is it? However, the accuracy is about to jump by leaps and bounds. Mere months after a deal with Dish, Nielsen has forged a multi-year agreement with AT&T to use set-top box data (thankfully, anonymized) to help determine ratings. Info from DirecTV and U-Verse subscribers will supply Nielsen with large-scale viewing patterns on top of its existing samples, providing a clearer picture of the American TV landscape.
AT&T to conduct 5G streaming tests with DirecTV Now
In a simultaneous test of wireless broadband and net neutrality, AT&T will test its upcoming 5G tech with DirecTV Now video streaming. Trial customers in Austin, Texas will be able to stream the services on a variety of devices over fixed 5G connections at several sites. The goal, the carrier said in a press release, is to see how "wireless millimeter wave technology handles heavy video traffic.
DirecTV Now's $35 special offer goes away January 9th
DirecTV launched its AT&T-backed online-only streaming service, DirecTV Now, last month with a special introductory $35 price for its 100+ channel option. But that "Go Big" offer is set to expire on January 9th, when it jumps to $60 to settle between the other three service tiers. If you want that many channels at that price, get it now.
DirecTV spreads 4K around to more customers, businesses
If you're trying to get access to 4K video through DirecTV, now you don't have to pick up its most expensive TV packages for access. TVPredictions confirmed with AT&T that almost all customers (anyone with the Select plan or higher) can watch the three 4K channels with NBA and other content. You'll still need a Genie HR54 DVR and an Ultra HD television, of course, but previously, for 4K customers needed Ultimate or Premier service plans that could cost twice as much.
T-Mobile giving AT&T customers a free year of DirecTV Now
T-Mobile is trying to counter AT&T by offering AT&T customers a year of its rival's own DirecTV Now streaming service if they switch to magenta. The offer has some flaws: You'll just get a $35 monthly credit, which represents the lowest tier of DirecTV now, for one. You'll also need to pay $120 per month (minimum) for two lines on the new T-Mobile One "unlimited" plan, which doesn't include LTE tethering or high-definition video.
Apple's TV single sign-on feature goes live in the US
Apple just made your TV watching much easier... if you subscribe to the right services, that is. After dropping some hints in November, Apple has activated its promised single sign-on feature for Apple TV and iOS users in the US, but only for a handful of offerings. DirecTV, Dish and cord-cutter service Sling TV are the highlights among providers. Only some channel-specific apps can use SSO as well: A&E, Bravo, NBC, Syfy and USA are among the choices, and the option isn't always available on both Apple TV and iOS gear.
The first 4K NBA broadcast in the US happens tonight on DirecTV
NBA fans in the US will get their first chance to check out a live game in 4K Ultra HD on Saturday night when the Utah Jazz visit the Denver Nuggets. The broadcast will be available via DirecTV if you have the proper package and equipment (Genie HR54 DVR), as AT&T is working with NBA TV on the broadcast. In early 2015 (pre-Porzingis), the NBA did a very limited test 4K broadcast of a Knicks game, and in January it tried one on UK and Canadian TV, but this is apparently the first one available widely in the US. Keen-eyed forum posters noticed another Nuggets home game listed as 4K in November, but it's unclear whether that one was actually in 4K. Additional 4K games are planned, although there's no word yet on which ones.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 16: Feds Watching
Managing editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about the week's biggest tech news, including Nike's new self-lacing shoes, Netlix's offline mode and "yelfies." Then they'll rant about what's been bother them this week, whether that's DirecTV, crappy touchpads or Amazon's convoluted pile of apps. Lastly they'll try to unravel the complicated mess that is Rule 41 and what it means for privacy in America.
DirecTV Now is a good start for AT&T but nothing truly original
If you've seen Sling TV or PlayStation Vue in action, AT&T's DirecTV Now streaming service won't offer many surprises. Like the competition, it'll let you stream live TV and on-demand content across a wide variety of devices -- all you need is an internet connection. But right now, on the day of DirecTV Now's launch, that's pretty much all it does. There's no cloud DVR functionality, which Vue has had for a while and Sling will soon start beta testing. And strangely, there's no support for Roku devices yet, which excludes a significant chunk of its potential audience.
AT&T pushes Fullscreen, FreeVIEW service in DirecTV Now's wake
AT&T's internet TV plans don't stop with DirecTV Now, as it also highlighted two Go90-ish services during an event today. The already-available Fullscreen (previously mentioned as DirecTV Mobile) offers a $6 per month subscription video service intended to be social- and mobile-first (read: this is where some of those Vine stars went), and now AT&T mobile customers will be able to get a year of free access bundled with new or existing plans.
AT&T's DirecTV Now streaming service launches on November 30th
Add another streaming television offering to the fray. AT&T officially unveiled DirecTV Now today, its attempt to take on Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue. It was first revealed way back in March, but now we've got the fully skinny: It'll start at $35 with 60 channels and will launch on November 30th. As a promotion, early adopters will be able to lock in 100 channels for that price (that package will normally cost $60 a month). In comparison, Vue starts at $30 a month with around 45 channels, while Sling TV starts at $20 with fewer networks.
AT&T's online-only DirecTV service will cost $35 a month
It's been just a few days since AT&T announced that it would be buying Time Warner for $85.4 billion. Now Time Warner CEO Jeffrey L. Bewkes and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson are on stage at WSJD Live to talk a little more about their plans going forward. In particular, Stephenson announced that AT&T is going to release a new OTT offering called DirecTV Now for $35 a month. It'll be an "all-in" service with 100 channels, and it's coming by the end of this November.
AT&T's internet-only DirecTV service launches in November
You don't have to sit on pins and needles wondering when AT&T will launch DirecTV Now, its flagship internet-only streaming service. As part of a discussion of the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson has revealed that DirecTV Now will be ready in November. It might be a bargain, too -- Stephenson vows that it will carry a price "radically lower" than competing offerings. Just what that means isn't certain (which services and tiers are included in this comparison?), but it's promising.
AT&T to buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion
After no small amount of anticipation, it's official: AT&T has announced that it's acquiring Time Warner for the equivalent of $85.4 billion in cash and stock. The move gives one of the US' largest telecoms control over some of the biggest names in movies and TV, including HBO, Turner and Warner Bros. That includes rights to broadcast MLB, NBA and NCAA March Madness games, we'd add. If you ask AT&T, this is a "perfect match" that mates top-tier content with a ton of distribution points. It can easily deliver quality shows over the internet (especially on mobile), conventional TV or in theaters. AT&T won't have to jump through hoops to license material for playback on your platform of choice, and it can create original material just for a specific medium -- say, bite-sized videos for your phone.
DirecTV Now streaming rumored to supplant satellite by 2020
AT&T is planning to release a DirecTV-branded streaming video service later this year, but according to Bloomberg, it also expects for that to become its primary video platform soon. Earlier this week, its CEO Randall Stephenson confirmed the DirecTV Now launch is still on track for 2016, calling it an exclusively over the top product, with no truck roll, no set-top box or anything else. The report claims that at launch it will be limited to two simultaneous streams, with pricing similar to the $40 - $55 per month PlayStation Vue service.
