Q. I’ve been watching the Smithsonian Channel on DIRECTV, but it’s not there anymore. How do I get the channel back?! It has some great documentaries! — Hank, Toledo, Ohio.
Hank, DIRECTV in March offered a free preview of about 50 channels to help Coronavirus shut-ins pass the time. However, the preview has ended, or will soon end, for many of them, and the Smithsonian Channel’s free pass expired on Saturday.
The channel is devoted to historical and nature documentaries, including such titles as Aerial America, America In Color and Air Disasters.
To continue watching the Smithsonian Channel, you will have to subscribe to DIRECTV’s Movies Extra Pack, which is $4.99 a month. The nine-channel package also includes Hallmark Drama HD (Ch. 564); Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Ch. 565); HDNet Movies (Ch. 566); MGM HD (Ch. 567); Sony Movie Channel HD (Ch. 568); Crime + Investigation Network HD (Ch. 571); MTV Live (Ch. 572); and ShortsTV HD (Ch. 573).
DIRECTV over the weekend removed several other channels from the free preview including Aspire, Awe, AXS TV, BBC World News, Cars.TV, Comedy.TV, FX Movie Channel, Fuse, Hallmark, GSN, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, MGM HD, and TV One, among others.
On July 1, the satcaster will remove more channels from the free preview, including Crime & Investigation, FYI, Lifetime Real Women, LMN, and Military History.
Note: The AT&T-owned U-verse also has offered the free preview. To see a list of the preview channels, and when they are scheduled to expire on DIRECTV and U-verse, click here.
Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
Directv did remove Movies Extra Pack, but I saw an ad banner on the guide for signing up for the “Movies Extra Pack” they’re giving 3 months of Epix for free.
the movies extra pack only has 1 or 2 channels w/o commercials….
DirecTV needs to ADD PERMANENTLY to the “SELECT” Package these few channels:
SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL, Destination America Channel,
DYI, FLIX, FXX, FXM, FYI, Great Am Country,
Lifetime MOVIE Channel, National Geographic WILD, OWN,
Science Channel, Sundance, The Travel Channel,
The REAL Weather Channel.
Phillip you have “CNN” as going away June 1, 2020.
Hope this is a misprint
Nope. No CNN in the story.
It is in this section, the expiring list: Note: The AT&T-owned U-verse also has offered the free preview. To see a list of the preview channels, and when they are scheduled to expire on DIRECTV and U-verse, click here.
That’s AT&T’s page, not mine.
Sorry, Phillip