You can buy a 3rd simultaneous stream for an extra $5 per month.
AT&T makes 3 big changes to DirecTV Now’s live TV streaming service
After 18 years it’s time to Say Goodbye D*
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You can buy a 3rd simultaneous stream for an extra $5 per month.
AT&T makes 3 big changes to DirecTV Now’s live TV streaming service
2 streams in the base packages. 3 rd stream is extra. Currently there is no 4K on directvnow.
Oh, they'll still own it but there will be absolutely no satellite side of the business it'll just be DirecTV now service. AT&T bought DirecTV for its contracts with content TV channels and critical mass of subscribers, not for its satellites. That has been made clear by AT&T a number of times. AT&T still exhibit an antipathy, an open hostility of the satellite side of the business. They want it dead and buried as soon as possible. This is why AT&T are working so hard to make DirecTVnow look and feel and provide as much content as the satellite side of the business does now. DirecTVnow is the replacement of the satellite business because the infrastructure and other costs for the streaming service is far far less expensive than the infrastructure and other costs for the satellite business. That is a very sound business strategy.
Directv Now is a totally separate product. There will be something that is (supposed to be) basically identical to Directv except it is delivered via IP coming by the end of the year. That will be what Directv sells in preference to the satellite version since installation will cost less with no dish and no Genie, just clients, but the satellite service will continue to be sold and continue to be available for years to come.
Anyone who says they are "dropping satellite" in a mere few years doesn't know what they are talking about, or understand how cheap it actually is to deliver satellite service, even including replacement of aged satellites. Not that this will be necessary, Directv has a new satellite under construction and once that's in service their current fleet should be good until around the end of the 2020s. They probably believe satellite has no future after 2030, but I wouldn't count on Dish to be around then either.
Anyone who says they are "dropping satellite" in a mere few years doesn't know what they are talking about, or understand how cheap it actually is to deliver satellite service, even including replacement of aged satellites. Not that this will be necessary, Directv has a new satellite under construction and once that's in service their current fleet should be good until around the end of the 2020s. They probably believe satellite has no future after 2030, but I wouldn't count on Dish to be around then either.
In a lot of cases, if they drop the Real D*, they would lose many subs ....
All the RV'ers (And you might be surprised to see how many there are) and a lot of those that have the service at a Cottage or summer home due to lack of Internet available at the 2nd location.)
Like Slice said, the Real D* will be around for quite awhile ... and D* Now will continue to grow as a separate entity ....
D* Now was only built because they saw the direction of those cable cutting people that they wanted a part of.
If they don’t value the satellite delivery of programming, they should have little problem with doing a deal with Dish for what’s left of 110 & 119.
Or maybe the other spots. The gummint would have to approve, of course. But what other use could they be put to, especially since Uncle Sugar seems hell bent for leather to harm or end C band?
Repurpose Ku for cell phones?
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Or maybe the other spots. The gummint would have to approve, of course. But what other use could they be put to, especially since Uncle Sugar seems hell bent for leather to harm or end C band?
Repurpose Ku for cell phones?
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They don't have to use 110/119 at all, apparently they just have to keep 'something' up there broadcasting to maintain the license. It doesn't have to be anything useful and there don't have be any customers receiving it.
That might be difficult for 110's 3 transponders, but one of their satellites currently at 101 - which will become obsolete after T16 is launched - has fuel life until 2034. Dish better not hold their breath to get control of Directv's 11 transponders at 119.
I've said this since the beginning and this year is when AT&T is making it more evident.
Sadly I don't trust AT&T and they can pull the plug in sat when they want to. Along with switching to Dish i am also leaving AT&T prepaid. I want nothing to do with them anymore.
The bottomline for me is I'm not liking the direction AT&T is going in, satellite and wireless wise. One day they say satellite will be staying the next D* Now so good it will replace satellite not to mention they are taking cell towers down.
Have they actually spoken to you ?
A CSR usually has only the info they have been told.
You don't like the fact that they are covering all the bases, Sat they have had for many years and it will be here for many years.
Now they ADD D* Now so they can cover the Streaming fans ....
They are also adding a streaming version of D* towards the end of the year.
They also have a Slim TV streaming package for only $15 a month ....
Whats not to like ?
Sure, and Apple could decide to quit selling the iPhone. Not sure why people don't get that the only reason AT&T paid $50 billion for Directv is because it was/is making $4 billion a year in profit, and that profit comes from their satellite offering. If AT&T only wanted it for the contracts they would have paid maybe a tenth of that - and if they did they still would have overpaid.
AT&T said that their Uverse TV contracts cost them $14/month/customer more than Directv's on average for equivalent content, and they had about 6 million Uverse TV subscribers at the time of purchase. That means they were paying about a billion a year more than they "would have" if they had Directv's size, which demonstrates how insanely stupid the idea they paid $50 billion for Directv to get their contracts is. Unless you think a 50 year payback (not including interest) is a sound investment.
If ATT thought satellite was dying, they’d have little concern over “selling” slots to Dish. They wouldn’t think Dish would be much competition, and they’d rid themselves of ongoing expenses related to those satellites.
But I think ATT will be in the home satellite TV business for a long time to come.
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But I think ATT will be in the home satellite TV business for a long time to come.
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Watch any of Luis Rossman's videos on YouTube about repairing Apple products. That, combined with removal of simple accessories (analog headphone jack), and the lack of expandable memory are all enough for me to distrust Apple. I enjoy their software, but their hardware is too purposefully limited to my liking.
Sorry for the rant. You do make a good point though about AT&T's purchase of DirecTV. Just keep in mind that they aren't looking to end DirecTV, just looking to phase out method of delivering content via satellite.
I don't agree with your presumption that they intend to phase out delivery via satellite. That doesn't make business sense, it doesn't cost them very much to deliver and trying to phase out anything is disruptive and costs customers. They will sell the IP version of Directv in preference to satellite, but will continue offering it for many years. There is no advantage to phasing it out before the late 2020s, and not 100% guaranteed they would even then (depends on how many subscribers are left at that point)
They will shift to a wireless streaming solution until the next big thing comes along...right now its iot..internet of things..they want your house wired to the internet ...because YOU are the product being sold to advertisers..satellite is a one way transmission..they cant collect data as easily as a streaming service..that's why they are pushing streaming services
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I am done tonight when I get home as I am going to cancel. We signed up for Now, though we lose our locals, the price difference is worth it alone...The Locals will come around eventually so we don't really care, plus it's summer so not much viewing. And who knows, once our 3 months is over, we may try something else out...You Tube is looking good if they keep adding content...
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