DirecTV Now Price Increase

[Zookster]

I had a free trial of DirectvNOW, and I really did not see the point. I tried the "just right" package and, like cable and Directv, loaded with a lot of channels I never watch. Trying YTTV right now for a month with the roku offer they had last month. It has a good balance of channels I watch but it takes a long time to load a channel, this may be because of their expansion to nationwide availability.

What do you mean by a long time? These OTT live TV services won't tune to a new channel as instantly as cable or satellite in my experience. So if it's taking longer then two or three seconds on average then you might want to see about ensuring you're getting an adequate Wi-Fi signal or try a wired connection. It should take as long as loading a show on Netlix if not a bit faster on YTTV. I guess I've just gotten used to the delay so I don't think about it anymore.

 

[mwdxer1]

No named source, but this article sounds even worse:
DIRECTV NOW Will Reportedly Raise its Price $10 a Month Next Week & Launch 2 New Packages

Dropping from four packages to two, both with less channels for new customers. Existing can keep the package they have with $10 increase, but will lose if they drop service and come back.

The long time coming Directv service via streaming instead of satellite is said to be the same pricing as satellite, the all included prices (think $93 or more).
That's crazy - no equipment, paying the all inclusive price that they created to include HD, DVR, MRV fees, all while using your own broadband and equipment. Way overpriced.

It's almost like they needed to improve the service and capacity, so they decided to reduce their customer base and reduce their offerings (channels) so there is less demand on their service.
This isn't the case, it's solely about trying to move from a product losing money to a product that is profitable, but everyone else in the infancy streaming market it not that profit focused yet - it will continue to see AT&T bleed subscribers.

I read this and also Direct TV Now are dropping a bunch of channels too. I've got a deal with Dish for a year for $93 AT250/Movies/Supers. The $93 package from Direct does not offer many channel either for the cost. Again, no equipment, so AT&T is making big bucks on the subs. I wonder in 6 months how many they will have?

 

[ncted]

No matter how I slice it, I still struggle to put something together with streaming that meets our fairly simple requirements of channel selection (Locals + TBS + CC) and DVR functionality that actually would save us money over Dish. About the only thing that I could make work would be OTA Tivo Bolt + Sling, but that has a significant up-front hardware expense that would take along time to recoup, and I am not sure we'd be able to get good OTA reception post-repack. Right now, it isn't good, and I don't see that getting better as more stations move into VHF.

 

[comfortably_numb]

No matter how I slice it, I still struggle to put something together with streaming that meets our fairly simple requirements of channel selection (Locals + TBS + CC) and DVR functionality that actually would save us money over Dish. About the only thing that I could make work would be OTA Tivo Bolt + Sling, but that has a significant up-front hardware expense that would take along time to recoup, and I am not sure we'd be able to get good OTA reception post-repack. Right now, it isn't good, and I don't see that getting better as more stations move into VHF.

Have you considered the AirTV (black box model)?

 

[ncted]

Have you considered the AirTV (black box model)?

I looked at it. It doesn't look like I can download content to view offline, like the Dish Anywhere and Tivo apps do.

 

[wallyhts]

Directv now is total crap now it’s not a good deal.


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[Zookster]

The cord-cutting media is all over how bad these new packages are. From The Streamable: Canceling DIRECTV NOW After Price Hikes? 5 Best Options to Switch from DIRECTV NOW

And from CNET: DirectTV Now just became a bad streaming deal despite Game of Thrones

My concern is the other OTT live TV providers don't suddenly take this as an invitation to crap all over their customers and "jump the shark" with equally bad if not worse packages and pricing. Prices going up sooner than later on these services is to be expected, but what DirecTV Now is doing is simply bad business.

 

[comfortably_numb]

My concern is the other OTT live TV providers don't suddenly take this as an invitation to crap all over their customers and "jump the shark" with equally bad if not worse packages and pricing.

Luckily, I am grandfathered in at $35 for life with YTTV and wouldn't think of switching away from it. I'll sub to HBO NOW when the new season of Westworld comes out, then dump it again.

 

[Zookster]

Luckily, I am grandfathered in at $35 for life with YTTV and wouldn't think of switching away from it. I'll sub to HBO NOW when the new season of Westworld comes out, then dump it again.

I'm grandfathered with YTTV's $35/mo., but I don't for a second assume it's for life. They've never officially committed to that. When asked at the time of the announcement last year how long the $35 price would be good for, YTTV's reps would only say they currently have no plans about how long it will last. "Plans" of course are subject to change.

 

[primestar31]

This is going to back-fire SO BAD on them, they'll likely never recover. All it'll take is a 4-5 months, AND people getting extra charges from their internet company for continually going over their caps.

There's plenty of people that think NOTHING of leaving their tv set on all day, and set to a channel. However, that'll use a LOT of data now, and there will be a revolt of customers.

 

[ncted]

Yeah, I wonder how long until the pendulum starts to swing the other way. On one hand, millions of people have gotten used to the streaming paradigm, but on the other, most of them did so because of cost. If the costs go way up, how will they respond?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Kinda makes you wonder if the whole pay TV industry is in trouble. When price points become pain points, people cut the cord. Antenna use is on the rise. Maybe Directv's price increase is part of a bigger trend; not just about trying to make themselves more profitable but to actually stay afloat?

 

[primestar31]

Kinda makes you wonder if the whole pay TV industry is in trouble. When price points become pain points, people cut the cord. Antenna use is on the rise. Maybe Directv's price increase is part of a bigger trend; not just about trying to make themselves more profitable but to actually stay afloat?

Yep, the whole pay tv industry is in trouble, no doubt. This will accelerate the damage. People will stop trusting even the streaming solutions, and something quantum will have to happen to change it.

 

[Zookster]

This is going to back-fire SO BAD on them, they'll likely never recover. All it'll take is a 4-5 months, AND people getting extra charges from their internet company for continually going over their caps.

There's plenty of people that think NOTHING of leaving their tv set on all day, and set to a channel. However, that'll use a LOT of data now, and there will be a revolt of customers.

Many of the services have an auto-shutoff "Are you still watching?" function. I think YouTube TV's kicks in after four hours without interacting with the service (changing channels, pausing, etc.). I've personally never hit that mark. The only heavy streamers who seem to have issues with ISP data caps (assuming at least a 1 TB cap, which is the norm these days) are those who have multiple users watching TV all day and/or are watching a lot of 4K content. Regardless, once you hit your cap once, you quickly learn not to leave the TV on all day when you aren't really watching.

 

[ncted]

Yep, the whole pay tv industry is in trouble, no doubt. This will accelerate the damage. People will stop trusting even the streaming solutions, and something quantum will have to happen to change it.

I really struggle, but sometimes my pedantry gets the best of me, so I apologize in advance. This one just gets under my skin. Quantum means "the smallest measurable amount." I didn't realize this at one point, probably because of a little TV show from the late 80s/early 90s called Quantum Leap. Anyway, please use the word however you want. I just needed to get that out of my system. Thanks.

 

[TNGuy84]

I think it's more about AT&T gobbling up so many businesses and entertainment acquisitions to the point that they have to increase their prices to stay afloat.

 

[comfortably_numb]

I think it's more about AT&T gobbling up so many businesses and entertainment acquisitions to the point that they have to increase their prices to stay afloat.

That too. But what's the end result of all of this? What is it leading to?

 

[dolfan3033]

Luckily, I am grandfathered in at $35 for life with YTTV and wouldn't think of switching away from it. I'll sub to HBO NOW when the new season of Westworld comes out, then dump it again.

I’m grandfathered I’m at 35/month as well.. although I have it paused at the moment. I haven’t read anything that it’s for life. Unless it’s written down somewhere official, I wouldn’t depend on that price being good forever.

Just my 2 cents.


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[comfortably_numb]

I’m grandfathered I’m at 35/month as well.. although I have it paused at the moment. I haven’t read anything that it’s for life. Unless it’s written down somewhere official, I wouldn’t depend on that price being good forever.

Just my 2 cents.


Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[TNGuy84]

That too. But what's the end result of all of this? What is it leading to?

It's basically the concentration of entertainment and technology into the hands of a few. If this keeps up, you'll have a few monopolies running all of the entertainment and infrastructure. If you pay for the technology or the entertainment (even through a third party that uses them), they reap all of the benefits.