Itwas 1995 and satellite television was the latest in a generation's worth ofone-after-another 'killer app' audio-video products. For a Philadelphia sportsfan like me living in Los Angeles, the lure of being able to get out-of-marketgames was beyond appealing. There were no online streaming packages for theNHL, NFL or other sports, as there are today. The Internet really wasn't thatrobust yet, nor did we use it like a cable provider or media source. We'd get there, but in the meantime, DirecTV quickly establisheditself as the premium player in the paid television space. I signed up on day oneand have been a client ever since.
We moved residences in 2019, and got a chance to experience what lifewithout AT&T's DirecTV was like, thanks to the non-satellite offerings inour Santa Monica, high-rise condo building. We started with Frontier for phone,Internet and their version of 'FIOS' television. The phone was never able tomake a non-local call, despite days of customer service calls and visits. TheInternet maxed out at an underwhelming, DSL-like 20 Mbps down and the TV wasthe single worst-looking, non-4K image that I've ever seen in any era. When I sharedmy frustration with other neighbors in the building, I found out that, on a'hush-hush' basis, you could get Spectrum cable brought up to the unit. We didjust that and got 500 Mbps down Internet, which was very fast, somewhatupgraded but still very disorganized TV (which did include the Dodgers and the Pac-12network, unlike DirecTV) and pretty reliable phone service. Both Frontier andSpectrum were relatively expensive and not nearly as well put together as theDirecTV roster of channels, sports offerings, premium television channels,movie channels and whatnot.
So,if AT&T's DirecTV is so much better than the cable guys, why did nearly1,000,000 people bail on it in the second quarter of 2020 alone? It isn't the first 'exodus –movement of jah people' away from DirecTV, as rumors of AT&T selling oreven closing DirecTV have been floating around the media and business world fornearly a year now.
In a COVID-19 world that features unemployment at levels not seen since theGreat Depression, Americans are looking forplaces to cut costs, and their cable or satellite bills are as bloated a placeto cut as any, thanks to copious numbers of new streaming services that comeinto your TV in 4K, right off of the Internet. At this point, do you know evenone human living in the United States who doesn't subscribe to Amazon Prime? Theirbase is 120,000,000 strong, and the goodies that you get along with your Amazonfree two-day shipping are Emmy Award-winningcontent, unlimited music, movies, TV, and so much more. How many home theaterenthusiasts do you know who don't have at least a basic, streaming-only Netflixaccount? I don't know many, and likely the same goes for you. Bring Disney +, AppleTV+, Peacock from NBC-Universal, Hulu, YouTube and others, and thelandscape has changed- and changed in favor of the cord cutter.
With rumors floating that AT&T; might close DirecTV, the news that 954,000 subscribers left the service in Q2-2020 isn't good. We're going to look at what your options are if you decide to cut the cord. AT&T is exploring parting with its DirecTV unit, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would mark a sharp course correction in strategy for the phone giant. The rumors follow reports on Thursday that AT&T could spin off the DirecTV business. He added that the recent $10 price hike to $50 per month for DirecTV Now makes the.
Directv Now Sign In
DirecTV Now competes against other cord-cutter-friendly live TV services including PlayStation Vue (our current favorite), Sling TV, the promising but not-quite-there YouTube TV and Hulu with Live. Finally, a big one for some people — DIRECTV NOW is only available in the United States. External usb ssd. Sadly, you won't find DIRECTV NOW Xbox One support, or PS4 support, for that matter. The PS4 seems to be a hopeless cause thanks to their PS Vue service, but there are somewhat legitimate rumors that Xbox One will get a DIRECTV NOW app.
Internet providers are delivering faster and faster download speeds for monthlyprices that are far lower than the typical cable or satellite bill. Don't getme wrong, there is a cost associated with the above streaming services, butAmazon Prime is easily allocated to your home shopping expenses. Netflix getsmore and more expensive, but they also are cranking out original content like 'Ozark,'which has mainstream appeal and beats anything on network TV by a country mile.Beyond Amazon Prime and Netflix, you still can sprinkle in one or two morestreaming services based on your tastes, and be well below the cost oftraditional cable. Key and mouse. People are taking this option now more than ever, tosave money, and to get even more niche, boutique content delivered right totheir 'smart TVs.'
The biggest problem with cord cutting comes for sports enthusiasts like me, asthe satellite companies, specifically DirecTV, can deliver in a big way forsports, including some early 4K content. By no means is DirecTV perfect, asthey don't have a deal with the Pac-12 Network, meaning that I would need a $75per month cable package to see a handful of USC football games. They also don'thave the Dodgers, which isn't a big deal for me, but it is absolutely a bigdeal for locals who bleed Dodger blue.
Cost is a major determining factor for cord cutters. Last week, my bill(auto-charged to my credit card) came in $67 more expensive. I have two DirecTV4K receivers (his and hers, which is a nice luxury), run into a Crestron 4Kswitcher, and to all of the 4K sets around my house via CAT-7 cable or fiberoptic. The Crestron setup is an expensive one, but DirecTV shouldn't be. I'vegot the NHL Center Ice Package, but no MLB Baseball, NFL Sunday Ticket, orother sports packages. We have the Ultimate Channel plan and a few additionalmovie channels. My bill was slated to be $208.80 per month! Really? You've gotto be kidding me. I called up and asked for 'client retention' (a key wordchoice on your part if you are going to try to re-work any cable or satellitebill). AT&T has outsourced a lot of its calls to people who barely speakEnglish, which makes the process of reworking your bill even more difficult andfrustrating. When I got someone on the phone, I politely asked to betransferred to someone in the United States, and while I wasn't sure that wasgoing to work, it did. We learned that my promotional pricing ended and DirecTVwas in the mood to jack my bill up 25 percent or more. I wasn't in that mood. Idumped all of the movie channels other than Showtime, as I can't miss out on 'Billions.'HBO got years of love from me from 'The Sopranos.' My wife watched 'Game ofThrones.' I didn't, but I didn't dare cancel. Now HBO, Starz, and the othersare out. I dumped my $9 per month warranty coverage. I downgraded to the Elite Channelpackage, which all together got me back to close to where my bill was at around$160 per month. Between that $160 and the $134 that I pay Spectrum for 1,000Mbps down Internet, I've got close to a C-Class Mercedes lease payment forInternet and satellite TV. And that is before subscribing to Netflix, AmazonPrime, and the recent addition of Disney + for my young son, who loves thecontent there.
AT&T was profitable despite DirecTV this past quarter, which should addfuel to the fire of a possible sale. Some VC or hedge fund will likely want topluck DirecTV, and even possibly merge it with Dish Network in a Sirius-XM-likeconsolidation. I don't think it would be insane for a player like Disney orApple to look at making the same move, and then selling the TV channels on amore ala carte basis, which is what most clients want. If you don't watch ESPN,it is hard to not pay a big part of your cable or satellite bill for the sportsnetwork. For performance junkies who have really good TVs and video projectors,the idea of more and more 4K content is compelling. For me, havingtechnological diversity away from an Internet-only media model is appealing.
Is it Time to Cut the Cord?
Directv Now News And Rumors 2019
Is now the time to cut the cord for you? That is a highly personal decision butwe all could look to cut a little spending here and there these days. Yourcable and satellite bill might just not meet your media consumption needs, especiallywith the options that are out there on the market today. If you are not asports junkie, and don't need hundreds upon hundreds of often questionablechannels in terms of quality programming, that scissors might be headed to theCOAX cable in your life. 954,000 people did it in one three-month period.Unless the satellite and cable providers figure out how to reinvent themselvesand their pricing, it is very fair to expect millions more to be cutting thecable. While I didn't do it after my recent call to DirecTV, I sure thoughtabout it for a few days afterwards.
My Directv Now
Are you a cord cutter? What are your main sources for media in your mainhome theater and/or house? We love to hear from you in the comments below.
