AT&T Again Giving New DirecTV Now Subscribers an Apple TV at No Cost

[dbwie]

I have been very happy with my DirecTV Now service on my Apple TV, as I got in on the original promotion (including $30 per month for Go Big package) and got a free Apple TV. The Go Big package (100+ channels) is THE package for sports lovers. You get ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN News, FS1, FS2, tennis channel, golf channel, NBC Sports Network, NBA TV, MLB TV, NHL TV, TBS, TNT, the Olympic Channel.... and soon CBS Sports Network. When I first signed up there was some stuttering, but that has improved greatly and now I'm quite happy with the service. And, if you have AT&T iPhone plan you can watch this in SD quality, data free, on your phone over their LTE network.
[doublepost=1502969032][/doublepost]

I thought the service was bad, and I'm unhappy with the apple tv. I was hoping to use that or sling or vue (does vue work on the apple tv?) but my father can't navigate the apple tv controller, its too easy for him to mis-swipe and he's very tech challenged. So we're stuck with regular direct tv for a while.

You can use any Harmony Remote to control the Apple TV. Or you can use the Apple TV app on iOS.

 

[kenny911]

I've had DTVnow since day 1. Rocky in December and January but now its been super stable and love it. $35 for the Go Big package. It can't be beat, not sure why people don't have more patience in life.

 

[shareef777]

And if AT&T is giving them away, they are getting them at a discount, so new hardware is coming soon.

People said the same thing last year when they had this deal.

 

[belvdr]

It also helps that Apple ships globally where as the competition fail to realise that the world doesn't stop at the shores of the United States.

Does Roku not ship overseas? I did not realize that.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

People said the same thing last year when they had this deal.

Yeah but if you keep saying it, eventually you’ll be correct!

 

[wsbsteven]

I also have had DTVN since the service opened to the public. There were big issues in the first week and minor issues the first month but since then it has worked problem free for the most part. The worst issue I've had was during the airing of the first episode of Game of Thrones this season where the stream required me to hit refresh 8 times. One of them resulted in a cliffhanger when Arya said, "Tell them.."...unable to stream..hit refresh...scene over.

 

[jwhazel]

To get the free Apple TV, new subscribers will need to sign up for DirecTV now at an AT&T Retail or Authorized Retail Store, or through an AT&T Call Center. The deal is not available online.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail with the tracking info and estimates delivery date.

Really? So I'm not allowed to do it online, I have to go to an actual retail store just so they can do it online and turn around and ship it to me?

 

[chriscrowlee]

I love DTVN. 35 bucks a month for the go big package. Free Apple TV, free HBO and CBS coming soon. Beats $135 for cable.

$135 for cable? I pay $99 plus tax for 220 channels, 150mbps internet, and unlimited home phone. Have lived in Comcast, cox, and time warner territories all over the US and always paid $89-109 for the 3 services.

Are people so stupid they don't know any cable company on the planet will negotiate price if they want your business?
[doublepost=1502978196][/doublepost]

I've had DTVnow since day 1. Rocky in December and January but now its been super stable and love it. $35 for the Go Big package. It can't be beat, not sure why people don't have more patience in life.

Cause most people pay for internet and if you have a $40 internet through the cable company they'll add on 220 channels of real tv service for about $30-40 more. I have 99 plus tax for tv internet and phone. Have for 10+ years. $35 for a half baked streaming service is no deal. Nothing compares to an actual tv service. Any of the big cable companies give you streaming anyway but the experience of these streaming tv services in no way measures up to real tv.
[doublepost=1502978338][/doublepost]

Really? So I'm not allowed to do it online, I have to go to an actual retail store just so they can do it online and turn around and ship it to me?

They want you in front of their sales people. I am getting to hate att. I called with a billing issue on my family plan last month. The rep on the phone was more interested in trying to sell me directv than to get my issue solved. Two weeks ago I was in the store adding a line and the guy pulled out a sell sheet and was going full on used car salesman with directv now. I hate when companies put up selling before fixing problems. Just makes them look bad.

 

[dewski]

Maybe DTV Now is not such a hit. I originally subscribed and after the initial 3 month trial, I stopped the subscription. The service was good but the lack of content was awful. I had the HBO and most of the networks and they would only offer few seasons and episodes of the best shows. A big deal breaker.
Unless they fix that, I think they will have hard time switching people in masses to their platform.

Same here. I cancelled cable and jumped on this when it came out for the apple tv. Just cancelled the service this month. It worked fine, I just find my self going weeks without using it once, just every now and then on my phone when I'm killing time. The apple tv makes it worth it though. I might do it again under a family member's name to get an apple tv for another room. My problem with streaming packages is no access to regional sports. Whoever gets that contract figured out will probably have success.

 

[jwhazel]

They want you in front of their sales people

That's fine. I'm on the near top tier of family plan so not sure what they're going to sell me since I'm there to get in on the directv deal. What irks me is they don't stock apple tvs (if I'm reading that right) so I can't sign up and go home and watch it. Have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.

Are people so stupid they don't know any cable company on the planet will negotiate price if they want your business?

This is a bit myopic. Where I live TWC just merged with charter to become Spectrum. They're the only game in town. As such they've done away with "price haggling". Don't like the $200 connect fee to upgrade a service you already have? Don't want to pay full price for internet and cable? Go pound sand. They will call your bluff and send you billing when you threaten to leave and *will* cancel you without a fight.

 

[dewski]

$135 for cable? I pay $99 plus tax for 220 channels, 150mbps internet, and unlimited home phone. Have lived in Comcast, cox, and time warner territories all over the US and always paid $89-109 for the 3 services.

Are people so stupid they don't know any cable company on the planet will negotiate price if they want your business?
[doublepost=1502978196][/doublepost]

Cause most people pay for internet and if you have a $40 internet through the cable company they'll add on 220 channels of real tv service for about $30-40 more. I have 99 plus tax for tv internet and phone. Have for 10+ years. $35 for a half baked streaming service is no deal. Nothing compares to an actual tv service. Any of the big cable companies give you streaming anyway but the experience of these streaming tv services in no way measures up to real tv.
[doublepost=1502978338][/doublepost]

If you can get cable and internet for 100 a month, then that is awesome and makes sense. My promo year was $125 and went to $180 a month for 20mpbs internet and 2 HD cable boxes. I cancelled all that and went to 100mbps internet only for $75 a month and I just stream everything from sites and hbo go now. I tried to negotiate and told them I wanted to cancel after they said no. They just cancelled my plan. lol

 

[tennisproha]

This is absolutely ridiculous and incorrect . I've had DTVN since the beginning with Apple TV -- I have my Apple TV wired with an Ethernet cable and I never have issues, and is the only steaming service that streams buttery smooth.

Well I'm not the only one that feels this way. An considering the fact that this is your first post, your statements don't carry much weight. "Buttery smooth"? Really? You must have some ****** butter curdled with grits.

All the massive issues with DTN are well documented everywhere online. Even if you miraculously have "buttery smooth" streaming, it doesn't change the fact that on-demand sucks, the UI and guide layout are a joke and their Apple TV remote integration is just a lame joke (they got cute and incorporated channel swiping in the touchpad, turns out it's a really pain in the ass b/c it changes the channel every time to touch the remote).

Edit: On-demand content stops playing abruptly or skips randomly. The watchlist items mysteriously disappear. Your favorite channels unfavorite themselves. Even watching live tv it abruptly cuts feed and gives an error. It's a mess.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

With vudu coming next week and Amazon in a few months, have to say Apple TV is finally the de facto steaming box

Yeah, it's "steaming" alright...but "de facto"? If you mean finally catching up with other streaming boxes that have been out for quite a while (like the 4K Amazon Fire TV that our house is filled with and works wonderfully) then OK...catch-up is what Apple does best. I'll take a more "open" streaming box that I don't have to play in Apple's walled garden with...

 

[nburwell]

Just to chime in on my experience with DTV NOW, it sucks. The web app, Apple TV app, it all sucks. Constant freezing and bitrate drops. On-demand is non-existent and unplayable for the most part. iPhone app is somewhat bearable.
[doublepost=1502940444][/doublepost]
Why are people leaving Vue?

I was not part of subscribers who had their rate increased by $10/month since I already got the local TV stations.

To me, Vue is the best streaming service for my wife and I. Plus, they just gave me a free upgrade to their "Elite" package for six months. So I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

Glad to see DTV is giving away ATV's again. That's how we got our second ATV for the bedroom. It's a shame their service was terrible for the three months we had it. It seems to have improved though.

 

[belvdr]

This is a bit myopic. Where I live TWC just merged with charter to become Spectrum. They're the only game in town. As such they've done away with "price haggling". Don't like the $200 connect fee to upgrade a service you already have? Don't want to pay full price for internet and cable? Go pound sand. They will call your bluff and send you billing when you threaten to leave and *will* cancel you without a fight.

Agree with your statement and I'll add they won't budge even with competition, which most of us have with satellite.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

Really? So I'm not allowed to do it online, I have to go to an actual retail store just so they can do it online and turn around and ship it to me?

That’s why I am not doing it. I have Verizon and my guess is these poor kids that work in the stores were told to hit every person up to switch when they come for the Apple TV. Which is what I do not want to do.

 

[ManUnited8989]

This is absolutely ridiculous and incorrect . I've had DTVN since the beginning with Apple TV -- I have my Apple TV wired with an Ethernet cable and I never have issues, and is the only steaming service that streams buttery smooth.

Maybe it's your internet that sucks .
[doublepost=1502943196][/doublepost]

Trust me from someone who's had the service since the beginning. It def is better on a Apple TV rather than a "stick" , it's quicker and more responsive on a powerful streaming device. DTVN streams the smoothest and has the best value. I've tried them all.

Streaming services use a CDN (Content Delivery Network), which is a system of distributed servers. Because of that, everyone can have a very different experience. If there are not enough servers near me, the quality of the service will suffer. While one user is buttery smooth, another can have constant buffering.
I've had DirecTV Now since the first week. Most of my usage is on the Apple TV from the original promotion. My Apple TV is connected with an Ethernet cable. If I use it during the day, it's usually perfect. If I use it during prime time, it's almost never perfect. HBO GO is always perfect, so the problem is not my Internet connection.
AT&T rolled out a service, before it was ready to go. They added too many users,far too fast. They still don't have a DVR option, and I don't think that option is even in beta testing yet. There are many things that DirecTV Now needs to improve.
The one thing that DirecTV gets right is the picture quality. The bit rate for DirecTV Now is around 6 Mbps at 60 fps (frames per second). Playstation Vue is a little lower, at around 5.2 Mpbs. SlingTV is under 3 Mpbs, and only 30 fps. If you watch a hockey game, you can really see the difference. Most sports looks much better at 60 fps.

 

[adepew]

$135 for cable? I pay $99 plus tax for 220 channels, 150mbps internet, and unlimited home phone. Have lived in Comcast, cox, and time warner territories all over the US and always paid $89-109 for the 3 services.

Are people so stupid they don't know any cable company on the planet will negotiate price if they want your business?
[doublepost=1502978196][/doublepost]

For the most part I agree with you. In my area I can get 220+ channels, 100mbps internet for $89.99. However, if I want HD channels ($10), a 2nd box ($10), DVR ($10), regional sports fees ($12), my cost has just ballooned up to $130 or more.

 

[BlandUsername]

They must be real desperate. I did the original deal and quit after the 3 months, the service kept freezing.

Also Apple TV just plain sucks and boring, the remote touchpad is plain terrible. I had to ebay it. I got both Roku and Firetv and think they are alot better, especially Firetv is good when you load Kodi and other such Android apps by sideloading them.

Destroy the remote, it is useless, The remote app on a Ipad mini is perfect.

 

[chriscrowlee]

That's fine. I'm on the near top tier of family plan so not sure what they're going to sell me since I'm there to get in on the directv deal. What irks me is they don't stock apple tvs (if I'm reading that right) so I can't sign up and go home and watch it. Have to wait for it to arrive in the mail.


This is a bit myopic. Where I live TWC just merged with charter to become Spectrum. They're the only game in town. As such they've done away with "price haggling". Don't like the $200 connect fee to upgrade a service you already have? Don't want to pay full price for internet and cable? Go pound sand. They will call your bluff and send you billing when you threaten to leave and *will* cancel you without a fight.

I agree 100% on the ATV box. Can you imagine when you sign up for cellphone service, if you went into the store, got all excited for the new service, signed up, then they said ok now go home and wait 7-10 days for the phone to arrive to be able to use the new service? That's an insane business model, but this is ATT we're dealing with... logic isn't their strong suit....


Dunno bout your second comments, I think you're a very unusual case... I've had TWC, Cox, CableOne, and Comcast... they all negotiate. Cable companies aren't stupid. They know it's a dying business (which is why a lot are merging\partnering with wireless\content providers)... there are more options today than there ever has been. Those who think the cable industry is a monopoly are stuck in a 1990 mindset. If the cable company won't deal, go to satellite. Can't get satellite? Get streaming... Hulu, Netflix, DTVnow, etc etc etc.. Think you rely on the cable company for internet? Get fiber... no fiber available? For sure anyone can get 5mbps DSL. Sure it's not as nice as cable internet, but it's perfectly acceptable for streaming. Want more options? Get a mobile hotspot and use it for internet. Again, maybe not as fast, but how fast do you need? 1.5 mbps for non-HD, 3 mbps for HD is fine. People think speed is the end-all and in reality the requirements for online streaming are pretty low.

As I said, you have TONS of options. Don't know about Spectrum as I've never dealt with them, but all of the above still applies. If you talk to them and they won't negotiate, cancel. The national trends support my points, so if they're not negotiating, you live in a very atypical region which somehow is bucking the national trend to cut the cord.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

Compared to Canada those prices are like stealing. I pay 150$ a month to 80 channeled and 50mbps wifi with 2 recievers.

This does not include the internet package. That is separate - typically at least $60/month + taxes and fees internet (that's what I pay).

 

[chriscrowlee]

If you can get cable and internet for 100 a month, then that is awesome and makes sense. My promo year was $125 and went to $180 a month for 20mpbs internet and 2 HD cable boxes. I cancelled all that and went to 100mbps internet only for $75 a month and I just stream everything from sites and hbo go now. I tried to negotiate and told them I wanted to cancel after they said no. They just cancelled my plan. lol

When you have to rent boxes you're at their mercy. For me I have Tivo Boxes and whole-home MoCA streaming. I pay the cable company NOTHING in box rentals as I own my Tivos, I own my cable modem... This makes it harder not to take me seriously when I say I'll leave. Cause they know i'm not paying rental fees for boxes I'd have to return.

The other issue at play here is online forums... they know people are more savvy about calling and threatening to cancel even when they're not serious, just to get a better price. When I was with Comcast, I found that even when talking to their "customer loyalty department" (aka retentions), they'd often call my bluff. I'd say fine, cancel. How soon can you shut me off. They'd say they don't pro-rate cut-offs, so I'd say fine, schedule disconnect at the end of the cycle. They'd say ok. Then 24 hours later someone would call me, ask why I'm cancelling, and I'd give them 10 reasons. They'd always offer a better deal, and cancel my cancellation. Too many people bluff. Maybe if you seemed more serious, or took action, they'd take you seriously
[doublepost=1502995897][/doublepost]

For the most part I agree with you. In my area I can get 220+ channels, 100mbps internet for $89.99. However, if I want HD channels ($10), a 2nd box ($10), DVR ($10), regional sports fees ($12), my cost has just ballooned up to $130 or more.

Never heard of any cable companies charging extra for HD, that's so 2005... lol. I know comcast\cox\TWC\cableone doesn't charge an HD fee. If you rent their boxes those are TOTAL gotcha fees. Tivo boxes go for about $500 with lifetime service, and when you don't want the box anymore you can usually get about 2\3 what you paid for it because the lifetime subscription goes with the box. And you don't need a full box for each tv, you just need one for the whole home then each TV is a mini box. So up front cost for your setup would be about $600 and save you $30 a month, $360 a year, so in 1.5 years you break even and if u have the box for 4 years then sell it, you save nearly $1500 !!! No brainer, especially not having to deal with the cable co's buggy, crap boxes. Even the brand new fancy ones have horrid remotes, bad smartphone apps, crap programming guides, and don't offer out of home download\streaming. Yuck, I'd never go back to cable company boxes.
[doublepost=1502996162][/doublepost]

Compared to Canada those prices are like stealing. I pay 150$ a month to 80 channeled and 50mbps wifi with 2 recievers.

Sounds pretty good to me. When people quote pricing in the US, it's before the taxes and fees. So like my $99 a month is for tv\internet\phone... no receivers as I own my own modem and Tivo boxes. After taxes I think it's about $120... $150 CAD is a bargain I'd say. That's $118 USD per month. Remember Canada's got the weak dollar, but more importantly, cable companies in Canada don't have the scale that US companies do.... so they don't have the bulk\quantity purchasing power of the content. It's like when people compare the cellular markets in the UK with that of the US. The UK is physically half the size of the single state of CA, of course they can offer a more robust network at a lower cost as they only need 1\1000th the number of towers to cover the entire country.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I agree 100% on the ATV box. Can you imagine when you sign up for cellphone service, if you went into the store, got all excited for the new service, signed up, then they said ok now go home and wait 7-10 days for the phone to arrive to be able to use the new service? That's an insane business model, but this is ATT we're dealing with... logic isn't their strong suit....


Dunno bout your second comments, I think you're a very unusual case... I've had TWC, Cox, CableOne, and Comcast... they all negotiate. Cable companies aren't stupid. They know it's a dying business (which is why a lot are merging\partnering with wireless\content providers)... there are more options today than there ever has been. Those who think the cable industry is a monopoly are stuck in a 1990 mindset. If the cable company won't deal, go to satellite. Can't get satellite? Get streaming... Hulu, Netflix, DTVnow, etc etc etc.. Think you rely on the cable company for internet? Get fiber... no fiber available? For sure anyone can get 5mbps DSL. Sure it's not as nice as cable internet, but it's perfectly acceptable for streaming. Want more options? Get a mobile hotspot and use it for internet. Again, maybe not as fast, but how fast do you need? 1.5 mbps for non-HD, 3 mbps for HD is fine. People think speed is the end-all and in reality the requirements for online streaming are pretty low.

As I said, you have TONS of options. Don't know about Spectrum as I've never dealt with them, but all of the above still applies. If you talk to them and they won't negotiate, cancel. The national trends support my points, so if they're not negotiating, you live in a very atypical region which somehow is bucking the national trend to cut the cord.

The cable companies DO know it is a dying business -- which is why they're trying to maximize subscriber dollars while they CAN!

I'm in NYC - and in my neighborhood, downtown Manhattan, the heart of the westside...I have ONE high-speed internet and cable TV choice: Spectrum (was TWC). Across the street, some neighbors have additional choices (in HUGE buildings, which Verizon wired for FiOS). But small buildings like mine - Verizon contacted us ALL to say that everyone in the building would need to subscribe AND sign a five-year contract before they would consider offering us the service.

I was not that interested in FiOS!

Spectrum does try (incessantly) to get me to subscribe to traditional cable TV - which I won't - because I do not want the stupid required boxes, DVRs, etc and then the taxes and fees on top of that (NYS/NYC, local surcharges).

Before TWC was purchased, they offered me a 'special' digital-only 'cable'(not-cable) TV subscription - whereby I receive all of my local stations + PBS + some other channels, and On-Demand for the networks. I access all of this via my Roku (which came free with the subscription). The service cost $12/month for the first year (with fees etc). It is now $29.99/month - still worth it for the on demand availability of all major networks - ABC, NBC, CBS, The WB, FOX...all with LIVE and On-Demand streaming.

I keep looking at the various digital TV services, and while in some ways I would get many more channels - most of which I would never (ever) watch, I would lose two of the major broadcasters. And they still don't offer digital DVR access. I know that DirectTVNow is 'testing' such a feature...but come on! It is quite ridiculous that they can't manage to offer this to subscribers. Aereo TV was able to do that at launch time (and it worked very well).

I have looked at DTVNow and while it appears to be morphing into a full-featured offering, I am concerned with the quality issues (which have been widely shared on other forums as well). Same with Vue, Sling, etc. All of them seem to have issues.

My Spectrum app has actually been pretty good, with noticeable problems only when there is MASSIVE viewing - like during last year's Presidential debates.

 

[ProphetX]

I’ve had DTV now since day 1. The service was so so in the begining but now i consider it the best game in town as long especially if you have att wireless or the $35 go big promo.

I’m currently paying $43 a month. That is $35 go big, free lifetime HBO and $8 for starz. Once showtime is available i’ll add that as well.

 

[chriscrowlee]

The cable companies DO know it is a dying business -- which is why they're trying to maximize subscriber dollars while they CAN!

I'm in NYC - and in my neighborhood, downtown Manhattan, the heart of the westside...I have ONE high-speed internet and cable TV choice: Spectrum (was TWC). Across the street, some neighbors have additional choices (in HUGE buildings, which Verizon wired for FiOS). But small buildings like mine - Verizon contacted us ALL to say that everyone in the building would need to subscribe AND sign a five-year contract before they would consider offering us the service.

I was not that interested in FiOS!

Spectrum does try (incessantly) to get me to subscribe to traditional cable TV - which I won't - because I do not want the stupid required boxes, DVRs, etc and then the taxes and fees on top of that (NYS/NYC, local surcharges).

Before TWC was purchased, they offered me a 'special' digital-only 'cable'(not-cable) TV subscription - whereby I receive all of my local stations + PBS + some other channels, and On-Demand for the networks. I access all of this via my Roku (which came free with the subscription). The service cost $12/month for the first year (with fees etc). It is now $29.99/month - still worth it for the on demand availability of all major networks - ABC, NBC, CBS, The WB, FOX...all with LIVE and On-Demand streaming.

I keep looking at the various digital TV services, and while in some ways I would get many more channels - most of which I would never (ever) watch, I would lose two of the major broadcasters. And they still don't offer digital DVR access. I know that DirectTVNow is 'testing' such a feature...but come on! It is quite ridiculous that they can't manage to offer this to subscribers. Aereo TV was able to do that at launch time (and it worked very well).

I have looked at DTVNow and while it appears to be morphing into a full-featured offering, I am concerned with the quality issues (which have been widely shared on other forums as well). Same with Vue, Sling, etc. All of them seem to have issues.

My Spectrum app has actually been pretty good, with noticeable problems only when there is MASSIVE viewing - like during last year's Presidential debates.

You're confusing Fios (fiber) with their traditional copper service (DSL)... your building has DSL.. every building in NYC has copper ... and most of the manhattan neighborhoods have 25-30mbps DSL, so it's decent DSL. Just because you don't have fiber doesn't mean you don't have alternatives. You might not like the alternatives, but they exist.