TV Answer Man, I was waiting all month for DIRECTV Stream to start up, thinking it would have a bunch of new features like 4K and the Sunday Ticket. But it looks like it’s no different except for the name? I’m an older guy so I remember that old song, Is That All There Is, and this is what DIRECTV Stream reminds me of. Is that all there is?! Well, is it?– Jerry, Toledo, Ohio.
Jerry, you are referring to the 1969 hit song, Is That All There Is?, by Peggy Lee, penned by the great songwriting team of Stoller and Lieber. But yesterday’s rechristening of AT&T TV as DIRECTV Stream apparently has many people wondering if that’s all there is.
I received several reader e-mails yesterday and this morning asking if DIRECTV Stream has the same features as DIRECTV, such as the NFL Sunday Ticket, 4K programming, and a 200-channel lineup that includes the NFL Network. But DIRECTV Stream is exactly the same as it was under the AT&T TV moniker. No Sunday Ticket. No 4K. No NFL Network. A smaller lineup of channels. And so on.
Update: Why DIRECTV Stream Does NOT Offer the Sunday Ticket
On the plus side, DIRECTV Stream does not require a two-year contract, as DIRECTV does. But that was already part of AT&T TV’s offering, too. So, again nothing different.
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The reader e-mails suggested people were expecting something quite different, at least a few new features such as 4K. After all, rival live streamers YouTube TV and FuboTV now offer select sporting events in the new picture format. But DIRECTV Stream didn’t even add that. And it remains a mystery why AT&T hasn’t offered the Sunday Ticket on its live streaming service. (Note: It did in select markets in 2018 when AT&T TV was called DIRECTV Now, but hasn’t since.)
The DIRECTV Stream renaming, of course, comes from the new alliance between AT&T and the private equity firm, TPG. The two outfits have formed a new company for DIRECTV, which includes the satellite TV service, U-verse, and AT&T TV, now DIRECTV Stream. AT&T and TPG said earlier this month that AT&T TV would be renamed.
DIRECTV’s new management team, which includes former AT&T executive Bill Morrow as CEO, must believe that a mere name change is sufficient to generate interest in the live streaming service which has been losing subscribers over the last few quarters. (The relaunch was accompanied by an expensive ad campaign featuring tennis great Serena Williams.)
But it seems to me, and at least some readers of this site, that yesterday was a lost opportunity to add a few features to truly ramp up the excitement.
Is that all there is? is an apt description here. But there’s another old saying that applies as well:
You only get one chance to make a first impression.
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
WHAT “MORE Evidence” does it take for ppl to realize that AT&T and DIRECTV is DEAD !!
JUST because they are “still here” in LIFE SUPPORT MODE (as is the REST of AT&T) does NOT MEAN ANYTHONG will EVER get improved.
No more than your DEAD GRANDMA gettin up out of the coffin to do the JIG !!
WTF is up with you idiots in “AMERICA” THE SATELLITE TV days are NUMBERED and NOTHING is going to bring them back.
IT IS OVER .
AT&T is and ALWAYS HAS been ALL LIES and found complacent idiots to serve while they overcharged you for less and less.
ANY that HAD both DISH and DIRECV all KNOW that as of the last few years,YOU WILL NOT WATCH ANY SATELLITE TV when it is storming OR HAVE heavy cloud cover.
THAT, will ONLY GET MORE AND MROE prevalent.
WAKE the F up IDIOTS !!
IT IS OVER !!
DIRECTV is on DEATHS DOOORSTEPand NOTHING is going to “save” it !!
I disagree with this other frequent negative poster here with his broken record comments. I happen to think that DirecTV is going to survive. The often times rumored DISH merger I think is destined to happen. But to expect any meaningful changes right now when the name change just happened I think is expecting too much at this time. We remain happy in our home with YouTube TV.
“BOB” can ” disagree” all he wants…NOT GOING TO CHANGE A TNIHG…THEY WILL NOT launch ANY new satellites to replace the OLD sats now dieing in orbit.
AT&T knows NOTHING of the business (LOSS of OVER 9 MILLION customers and counting, PROVES this point even for slo-learner “BOB” types !!) AND TPG is NO BETTER…they are MILKING a DEAD COW and you can dream all you want but I FOGOT MORE then A&T and DIRECTV knows about the cable/and SAT business and after 40 YEARS ol’ “BOB” can play old TROLL and die wishfully thinking !!
Yes, you are the Mr. Negative of this comments section as mentioned elsewhere. So I do not read them anymore.
Nothing has Changed with Satellite DirecTv either.
I just called AGAIN to check on my “Replacement Receiver
that was Promised on Aug. 16, 2021 to be delivered in “3” Days.
NO delivery as of 8-27-21 (11 Days Later)
As usual got an “Overseas” operator,
Tried to speak English. but was Jumbled, Babble,
She knew nothing about it and says
she can NOT Transfer the call to the US
and hung up.
I thought the “NEW” Company was going to have
Customer Service in the USA again.
Sounds like the New company is Not going to be any better.
There is no new DirecTV company it’s the exact same old BS with different names. AT&t DirecTV and satellite are all on death’s doorstep
Mr. Direct negative, never has anything good to say about satellite, cable or even streaming… I guess Dave listens to his radio and works for CNN
Sounds like Thom R. Doesn’t subscribe to DirecTV.
Thom is uninformed about DirecTV. and is WRONG
Thom should try and contact DirecTV,
he would get a COMPLETELY Different prospective about them.
He is circling around in a cloud.
Thom has had DirecTV since 1998, and you could not be more wrong.
Sure there have been bumps along the way, but Direct has always found a way to keep me happy.
Dish loses networks 5 times more than any other tv provider… cable in my area sucks, plus i would never change to cable…. streaming? full time only GFL…. Sorry you aren’t happy, maybe the problem, Mr. Taylor, isn’t DirecTV, just maybe it’s YOU!
Thom, WHY has ATT/DirecTV
LOST over 7 Million Customers ?
WHY are Most of these comments NEGATIVE ?
Have You Thom, ever tried to CALL them ?
The biggest problem I have had with Direct TV Stream (formerly AT&T TV NOW, formerly Direct TV NOW) are ongoing sound issues and the inability to speak to anyone there unless you have a billing issue. Online bot conversations assure you that your issue is being worked on but my new issue of hearing a “clicking” sound around every 30 seconds and distorted sound that can only be fixed by hitting channel up or down then going back to the original station has been constant for a few months.
I use it because it has the Marquee Network for Cubs games and YouTube TV doesn’t.
I have been a Direct TV customer for 18 years. Like many Direct TV customers, I live in a rural area with a DSL line that generates a speed of 2.11, which is equal to two cans and a string. I also have a cable company slowly makes it way to my front door that offers the same channels as Direct TV plus fiber at speeds of 50-100.
There is no choice for me about dropping Direct TV for cable because of the streaming speeds offered plus access to Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video and etc.
My question is if Direct TV has developed a streaming unit why is it not offering a bundle of what I currently have plus streaming with speeds equal to cable?
That also presents another question: Direct TV Stream requires customer to provide its own internet access, which means the speed will be equal to DSL or Hughes which are both slow compared to cable companies.
Direct TV has done nothing to protect its future and really set itself up for failure.
ONE word describes AT&T (now TPG) and DIRECTV
incompetence !!
They are DIEING and NOT COMING BACK…EVER…(unless SEARS can then MAYBE there is a chance..get it ?)
Randal “the slur per” Stephenson was GOOD AS FIRED from AT&T for buying DTV and warner, the CLOWNS are WALMART (Arkansas HILLJACKS, hired that moron as THIER new CEO)…since that time AT&T has lost (and continues to LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE)
OVER 9 MILLION subs (NO END IN SIGHT)…DEATH for them is …inevetable !!
Mr. Taylor…. Dave…. I call Direct regularly to get extra promotions, ie. free upgrades, as a long time sub, lower bills…. the honor program… When you treat them with respect, I have found I get treated much better than the few naysayers here…
P.S. Thanks, Direct, for another free season of the NFL Sunday Ticket
I’ve been with DirecTV for 23 years. It was once great, by far the best picture quality and very few outages except in the most severe storms. Also was able to t are tailgating. Since AT&T acquired it, it has gone downhill fast and now sucks. I’m stuck with it though, until a legitimate NFL Sunday Ticket alternative presents itself. I suspect once the current NFL/DirecTV contract expires, so will the life of DirecTV.
Kinda right there with you Dan. Customer since ’95. Really the only reason is because of NFL Sunday Ticket.
That said, DTV and Dish will survive in the interim without NFL Sunday Ticket. To many people who either don’t watch FB or can’t get adequate reception without Sat. Apartments, bars, etc.need a Sat connection too.
AT&T put the death knoll on what was already a listing DTV ship. At least DTV had a niche which people STILL need because of their location. AT&T never cared about the business. Just another buyout. Just another purchase by a big conglomerate. The only things keeping DTV afloat are the “yonder” folks and the NFL Sunday ticket. Yonder being folks who can’t get a decent internet connection because of their location. It would blow my mind if DTV does not offer the NFL Sunday ticket on their Directv Stream platform. Why? Why would you not offer an already exclusive Sunday Ticket package on the stream platform? There you have an avenue to bring back customers who have left. I suspect that they will just before the season starts. If they don’t, they deserve to go down and go down hard.
Just ONCE! I would love to hear what you negative nanny’s watch? You hate satellite, cable, streaming….. You never ever say, i watch tv this or that way because it’s cheaper, better or anything! Nothing but NEGATIVE…. Bury your head in the sand Mr Taylor, Dave….
I have a long range UHF VHF preamp antenna and get 78 channels of all digital TV for f r e e put that in your pipe and smoke it
I doubt you and I watch the same channels….. not competitive with Direct at all!
You’re clearly not a sports fan.
Let’s face it Tom your mother dropped you on your head too much as a child you’re here just to cause controversy with a company that’s on death row you can rant and rave all you want but the people who left DirecTV left for a very specific reason or pile of them and the people who stay with DirecTV stay out of complacency or lack of a better option either way your comments mean nothing to the people who already know what DirecTV is all about and especially and I mean especially AT&t so go ahead and rent and rave all you want there’s nothing good to say about either of those companies they’re finished
To DARRYL
N-O I am NOT a lo-life “sports fan” and neither is 90% of the TV viewers in this country.
SPORTS PG have RIPPED OFF the cable and satellite companies carriage fees because you little punk clowns think YOU are “entitled” to get a lot of EXPENSIVE and USLESS programming PAID FOR on the backs of the 90% that could care LESS about “sports”.
NOW that the economics of the useless over hyped pos “sports” channels is coming crystal clear, your days of paying next to nothing to watch that crap will be over VERY SOON.
IF you are stupid enough to pay out the wazoo for that NFL stuff and others then I am sure the TRILER that you live in needs a new roof too…IF this pees you off… GOOD !
YOU assclowns have had your day and now the LO COST RIDE is OVER…
DirecTV is showing it’s age. The picture quality on satellite can’t compare to streaming and their streaming package is not worth the monthly subscription. I dropped DTV a few years ago and haven’t looked back.
DIRECTV and ESPECIALLY AT&T are headed for chapter 11 in your foreseeable future.
DIRECTV has NOW lost OVER 11 MILLION and counting and Charlie is not gaining any new fools either ! SATELLITE TV days are SO NUMBERED (yep EVEN for the hill-jacks that are in the boonies !!)
THE ONLY thing that will replace SATELLITE is a shift in VIEWING whichs is N-O-T going to happen ANY TIME soon !
STREAMING will be the ONLY OPTION for those who do not get free digital off air TV and have NO INTENTION of paying CABLE bills that border 100 to over 200 a month !
SPORTS will be a thing that you WILL HAVE to buy ala-cart too (unless it is some worthless highschool team stuff)
AT&T HAS to SELL Assets just so the CLOWNS that run the palce can keep their paycheck coming UNTIL the bottom falls out and they are OUT the door in bankruptcy too.
See AT&T has NOTHING to sell that will come close to the OVER 150 BILLION that clown “Stephenson” blew OVER PAYING for a ALREADY DEAD HORSE. (Walmart hired that idiot too LMAO!!)
SO NOW you can sit back and watch the comedy unfold.
TPG is owned by “ex” AT&T ppl (so in reality, AT&T financed it’s OWN sell off to get around the FTC and DOJ but that will blow up in their face too.
The INCOMPATENCE at that company i one for the clown book too !
So “enjoy” whats left of the “satellite” ride and pray that T,Ver, or even dish get some 4 or 5 G signals to you cuz AT&T will have to SELL what ever they have left in the chapter 11 fallout.
Idiot Dave, boy… you will be dust inthe wind long before there is no longer a DirecTV, or a Dish for that matter, personally I hope Charlie never gets his paws on DTV, and by the way.. As I promised years ago…ala carte will kill the business, as it did the big dish back in the 90s
YOU can BEt I WILL BE rubbin your UNEDUCATED REPLIES IN YOUR FACE when REALITY HITs…YOU…willl NOT be watching DefectTV for much longer…AND if you had ANY brains at ALL (wince youR “mission” is to bla BLA…I have dealt with ppL like you MANY TIMES),You would See that the FIRST SIGN oF a FAILING company is…SELLING ASSETS…the NEXT in this play is that they have L-O-S-T over 11 MILLION subs and CLIMBING but you obviously have NO IDEa that it takes a MINIMUM amount to keep ON THE AIR and they are QUICKLY approaching the NO RETURN POINT and no one know s it BETTER the DefectTV.
STEAMING will NOT “SAVE” what is left of AT&T and they WILL be “ACQUIRED AT THE FIRE SALE BY ONE OF THE COMPETITORS THAT are THRIVING BECAUSE those COMPANIES know what they are doing…at&t IS dead.