AT&T TV today has officially been renamed, DIRECTV Stream, although the live streaming service’s lineup and features apparently have not changed.
AT&T announced earlier this month that the streamer would be renamed after it closed on the sale of a 30 percent minority stake in DIRECTV to private equity firm, TPG. The two companies have established a separate company called DIRECTV, which includes the satellite TV service, U-verse, and AT&T TV, which is now DIRECTV Stream.
What’s the major differences between DIRECTV and DIRECTV Stream?
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* The satellite service has the NFL Sunday Ticket while the streamer does not. (DIRECTV Stream subscribers are encouraged at its web site to determine if they are eligible for the streaming edition of the Sunday Ticket. The eligibility requirements include university students, residents in areas where satellite service is not available, and select metropolitan markets with limited availability to non-DIRECTV subscribers who are able to get DIRECTV service. (The requirements have not changed with the name switch to DIRECTV Stream.)
* DIRECTV Stream does not require a contract, which DIRECTV does. (The satcaster requires a two-year agreement for new customers in exchange for incentives such as free Sunday Ticket and three months free of several premium channels, including HBO Max.)
* DIRECTV Stream’s price for its entry Entertainment plan is $5 a month more expensive than the entry Entertainment package offered by DIRECTV. Otherwise, the plans for both services have similar pricing, although DIRECTV Stream has fewer channels and certain key omissions such as no NFL Network.
* DIRECTV offers 4K programming while DIRECTV Stream still does not.
The TV Answer Man will update this story later today if we discover more significant differences in the ‘new’ DIRECTV Stream.
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Will AT&T U-verse be officially renamed very soon?
Adam, no. U-verse is keeping it’s name, according to Directv’s Jon Greer, and there will be no upgrades or improvements to the system and equipment, and no new subscribers will be sought. U-Verse will simply be maintained as is until the infrastructure deteriorates. It is crucial that all U-Verse subscribers contact bill(dot)morrow(at)directv(dot)com, and demand that their monthly bills be slashed if there will be no upgrades to U-Verse. Or request they sell U-Verse to either Charter Spectrum or Verizon Fios TV.
What do you mean, until the infrastructure deteriorates?
DIRECTV is DEATH WAITING…by the time they admit it YOU will already KNOW…
You go ahead and continue buying ala carte till you end up paying double what Direct charges to get the few you actually watch.
Ala Carte killed the big dish back in the early 90’s It will do the same again
Is DirecTV done with upgrades of HD? I notice the streaming service has HD to programmers like BET Her and Sportsman Channel while the same is not true with the satellite system.
I wish Direct tv would come back all the way and put the music back on cmt and all the music channels and movies back like it use to be and not the show taking over our movies channels I love Direct TV and there equipment was better.