1. Does it let you record live tv to the appleTV like a regular DirectV device?
They have a virtual DVR service. These are generally not as full featured as the real DVR you probably already have. However, it's easy enough to TRY this kind of service and see if it's good enough for you. Be sure to research the DVR service via online info to see if it will scratch that particular itch for you. Things you take for granted in a traditional DVR may not be there in some of these virtual DVRs (stuff like skipping commercials, being able to watch some things same day, not having a recording "expire" until
you want to delete it, etc).
2. I see that it shows you can only watch on up to 2 screens, is there any way around this?
No. General advice is you buy
another subscription for 2 more streams. Note that this is
simultaneous streams, meaning you can set up access to 20 screens in a home and watch on any of them... but only 2 of them can be watching something at the same time.
3. I see that you can pick channels like HBO for $5 more a month, I currently have like 7 different HBO channels, though most of what is shown is garbage and I'm only interested in certain shows. Will the HBO channel that I pay for show the main shows and movies?
The HBO subscription is like the SATT version- you get the bundle of HBO channels. The $5 is not buying just one HBO channel at a time.
4. What are the other downsides of using DirectvNow vs regular satellite DirectV?
- If you are set up for Dolby 5.1 surround sound, none of these streamers have it- just stereo or mono sound.
- If you like the full features of your DVR you may not like the fewer features & limitations of a virtual DVRs
- If you have a broadband cap, HD video can run you up and into it, which may result in a higher broadband bill
- If your broadband is not robust, you may get some stuttering. If you have a lot of people using wifi and you want to stream to your
TV via wifi, you may overrun your wifi capacity and thus get stuttering. If you can wire these with ethernet, you can get around the wifi overload issue.
- Write down all of the channels you want to receive. Then check your list against the packages available. You may not be able to get the channels you want. Scrutinize carefully- sometimes the marketing implies availability but you are not actually getting what you think you are getting (more on that below).
- When broadband is down you have NO TV and NO DVR access.
- Do you care about getting your local channels? Be sure this can provide them. Note that seeing the major network logos does not necessarily mean you are getting your local channels. You have to dig in here.
- Must have your regional sports network? Be sure a provider can provide that too. Again, a logo such as a Fox Sports logo doesn't necessarily mean it's YOUR regional sports network.
- Do you maybe have DirecTV for Sunday Ticket? DTV NOW doesn't offer it as an add-on package like the SATT service.
- Here's a pretty good (quick) comparison: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/directv-now-difference-faq,review-4142.html There are plenty more online if you do a search
At $200/month you are very likely paying way too much for a TV subscription. However, Directv NOW is not the only game in town. As a former DISH subscriber, I recently did my own evaluation of all of these services and was very close to going with PS Vue, as seemingly best of this bunch (IMO). You might want to take a look at PS Vue, Sliing, etc to see if you can get your desired channels that way. Yes, those don't have a discounted
TV but you may wash the savings in only a few months if one of those turns out to be a better match.
Note you also can go the individual app way to fill in some gaps. For example, if a cheaper streaming service provided everything you wanted except- say- HBO, you can always subscribe direct to HBO through the HBO app. Then use it for your HBO shows. Some people will hop in and out of apps like that: subscribe at strategic times, binge watch all their shows, then cancel the subscription. Repeat in a few months. Etc.
Unless you are paying up for some very specific programming only available from that SATT service or maybe you need to feed a LOT of TVs and thus a big slice of your $200 is paying for leased boxes, a change will likely save you a lot of money and still deliver most- if not all- of what you want. Key: shop around and dig into reviews & descriptions so you know what you are getting and what you may be losing.
Also know that the traditional alternatives are not ignoring the competitive pressures. You may want to shop DISH (Satt service) and even local cable offers to see if you can significantly cut your costs without necessarily going all the way to streaming services. Often $200/month rates means all promotional discounts have expired. Change to ANYONE else and you may save money without making as many compromises. Then be ready to change again when THEIR promotional rates expire. Many traditional competitors now offer 2 or 3-year price locks, so they won't creep up the pricing for a few years. Just be ready to jump when those terms are nearing their end.
Ultimately, all things considered my jump from the traditional (SATT) landed at a combination of
TV +
HDHomeRun boxes + the
Channels App with DVR service:
- I fed a HDHomeRun Prime a Comcast cable card for cable channels.
- Other HDHomeRun boxes receive the locals over the air (though the cable service includes locals too).
- Both cable & locals are unified in a single on-screen guide (just like traditional SATT on-screen guides). I can easily hide channels I don't want and even organize the channels in the order I want them.
- All channels are HD with 5.1 DD.
- The DVR is fully featured (IMO). It can be any size for DVR storage- just add hard drive space. DVR'd programs don't auto-"expire" after a number of days, nor make me wait 24 hours to watch something first run, etc. Commercial skip is there too (not always the case with virtual DVRs).
- I don't burn one byte against a Comcast broadband cap because this is still a cable TV subscription.
- The Comcast double play and triple play offers make the overall cost including broadband less costly than going Comcast broadband only + streaming services to get the programming I want.
- No lease boxes on any TV- they all access TV via TVs
- If broadband is down, I will still have at least local networks over the air and full access to all DVR'd shows. If broadband is down but it doesn't take cable with it, I still have full access to all channels.
- The Xfinity app for mobile devices flows the cable channels to mobile devices. The Channels App crew has a Channels app for mobile devices too for a unified service and easy mobile access to the DVR.
- I don't have to train the fam to hop app to app or even box to box to watch this or that. It doesn't take IT-like service to watch stuff.
- No limit on number of TVs watching different things- I can add more and more tuners with more HDHomeRun boxes if I needed them.
This can look a bit intimidating to pull together- especially since it can have an upfront cost of a few hundred dollars to get similarly equipped- but at $200/month spend, you can quickly cover the one-time hardware spend and sort of "hybrid" the cord-cutting objective. You could even start pretty small with maybe only a HDHomeRun Prime and then add other HDHomeRun boxes based on your household needs (per how many screens want to display different things at the same time). You might want to look into and consider this option too since it sounds like you desire more than 2 simultaneous streams in your home.
