OT: Directv vs DirectvNOW
- Thread starter Dawgbyte
- Start date
I jumped to DTVNow from U-verse back in July and have had absolutely zero issues thus far. Our U-verse TV would go out regularly and DTVN has yet to give us issues. And I’m saving roughly $80-$90 a month. I can see no difference in quality.
The ONLY “negative” I have with streaming vs conventional providers is the lack of a true DVR feature. However, you can mainly get around this by utilizing various apps. Also, Amazon recently came out with an OTA DVR, and DTVNow has a built in DVR, however, you lose a little quality when using it.
The ONLY “negative” I have with streaming vs conventional providers is the lack of a true DVR feature. However, you can mainly get around this by utilizing various apps. Also, Amazon recently came out with an OTA DVR, and DTVNow has a built in DVR, however, you lose a little quality when using it.
Have not used Directv now. But I use Hulu with Live TV and assume the experience is similar on at least some level.
We "paused" our dish service a couple of months ago to test the waters. Signed up with Hulu live. I knew I was giving up NFL RedZone, which was a sacrifice. I also missed one prime time game that I cared to watch because it was on NFL network. My wife was unhappy when she found out we didn't have CMT because she missed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (also because I made this decision without consulting her- 8 years in you think I'd know better). Other than that, we haven't missed it. It's a little annoying being 30 seconds or so behind live action when you're reading Twitter for commentary (OK maybe a lot annoying- but you get used to it).
I absolutely loathe the idea of paying equipment fees every month when I have a device on every TV (not to mention in my pocket) that is capable of streaming what I want to watch. It's an antiquated business model that needs to die.
I love the idea that I have the same access to my television programming no matter where I am, as long as I have decent WiFi or LTE. I've stayed in AirBNBs without TV service before- but they always have WiFi.
ETA: I also do really miss the "PrimeTime Anytime" feature of the Hopper. We get all the same shows obviously, but that was an easier way to see all the new shows that aired in the last week without looking for a specific show.
We "paused" our dish service a couple of months ago to test the waters. Signed up with Hulu live. I knew I was giving up NFL RedZone, which was a sacrifice. I also missed one prime time game that I cared to watch because it was on NFL network. My wife was unhappy when she found out we didn't have CMT because she missed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (also because I made this decision without consulting her- 8 years in you think I'd know better). Other than that, we haven't missed it. It's a little annoying being 30 seconds or so behind live action when you're reading Twitter for commentary (OK maybe a lot annoying- but you get used to it).
I absolutely loathe the idea of paying equipment fees every month when I have a device on every TV (not to mention in my pocket) that is capable of streaming what I want to watch. It's an antiquated business model that needs to die.
I love the idea that I have the same access to my television programming no matter where I am, as long as I have decent WiFi or LTE. I've stayed in AirBNBs without TV service before- but they always have WiFi.
ETA: I also do really miss the "PrimeTime Anytime" feature of the Hopper. We get all the same shows obviously, but that was an easier way to see all the new shows that aired in the last week without looking for a specific show.
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I’ve tried them all besides YouTubeTV , because it is not available in my area.
I recently switched from Sling to Hulu Live. I couldn’t be happier even though Sling is a solid service as well. Directv now is **** to put it nicely. Constant buffering and not reliable.
I recently switched from Sling to Hulu Live. I couldn’t be happier even though Sling is a solid service as well. Directv now is **** to put it nicely. Constant buffering and not reliable.
I’m with ya. We cut the cord and have Hulu, amazon prime, and Netflix. Haven’t missed a thing. I do miss the nfl network and red zone. But the best thing about cutting the cord is as new streaming services come out, you can switch easily. No long commitments. No penalties. I think sooner rather than later we are gonna get those nfl channels on Hulu though.
I have had Directv now for 18 months and I will tell you that the worst part about it is big events like the Super Bowl and national championship games get bogged down and you can’t watch them. Had that issue with direcrvnow and watch ESPN the last two years
I have tried out every live TV streaming service out there. DTVNow is the most expensive but potentially the best. They offer more channels (that I rarely watch), and this is subjective but I think they provide the best video. It is the only service that streams live TV in Dolby Digital, which is important to me.
The downside is I experienced several buffering issues, and the cloud dvr system is too limited and wonky.
I save $5 a month and use Playstation Vue. I think they will provide Dolby Digital sound someday.
The downside is I experienced several buffering issues, and the cloud dvr system is too limited and wonky.
I save $5 a month and use Playstation Vue. I think they will provide Dolby Digital sound someday.
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YouTube tv is available in my area and after 2 weeks I love it. I got Philo for my wife and we’re set. Already had Amazon Prime, Netflix and for Hulu basic for .99/month on sale. I share YouTube tv with my 3 sons, legally, and still save half what I was paying Dish. You should see the pile of equipment I’m sending back to Dish. I do miss NFL Redzone but it’s not worth $700/year.
Had buffering issue like others, error QP1503 is burned in my mind. That’s was when it first came out, so likely fixed. DTN, Hulu, Vue, YouTube, etc all similar regarding lineup, but some apps won’t authenticate with all. Bride is fan of HGTV and Food Network, Vue is an option but DTN wasn’t, at least a while back. Only matters if you use apps, but something that I figured out on this “journey”.
How much are you saving over Dish, not counting Redzone (had no idea it cost that much though ... that's over $100/mo during the season)?
I tried YouTube TV back when it was still $35 and still have it and love it. Had DirecTV and was tired of paying so much for channels I didn't watch. My kids streamed most of what they watched already anyway, so I had no content complaints from them. I thought I would get more content complaints from my wife, but didn't. She apparently watches mostly content from the big 4 broadcast networks.
My first hurdle was getting those local channels. I had plans to get a whole home OTA antenna or some antennas that I could hide (I hate seeing cables or media devices; all my equipment is in nearby closets to my TV's). I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to get my locals on YouTube TV. This saved me time and money. Plus, I hadn't worked out how to DVR OTA channels from an antenna. I did find that I could get DVR boxes for this, (I think true TiVo boxes do this natively, but I've never had one) but still more hassle to get it setup to the point that access to it was seamless.
I rely on having devices with RF remotes to hide my electronics. One more hurdle to overcome that DTV had. I now have a Roku on every TV, so the remote issue was solved. Also, my wife didn't like having to use her phone to change what she was watching on our Google Chromecasts, so 2 birds with one stone. I didn't mind the Chromecasts and we lost the DTV remotes constantly anyway, but having quick access to more content and Amazon Prime (Google and Amazon are not friends) is very convenient.
Access to locals could be a problem for some areas with YouTube TV, but I was fortunate.
We relied heavily on DVR, so that was a must. We only watched sports live. YouTube TV has UNLIMITED cloud DVR, so that box was easily checked. I have no hesitation recording anything. I have ALL college sports set to record. I miss NOTHING that is on a sports channel, excluding NFL Redzone type channels.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find every sports channel that I relied on with DTV. Access to sports content was my biggest concern, box checked. Also, YouTube TV is a legit content provider, so I use it to sign in to ESPN for games not on the main ESPN channels.
The portability is also very convenient. I have all 5 members of my family on my YouTube TV account so they each have individual access to their own content. This was an issue with DTV for us. We didn't want R rated and inappropriate content easily accessible to the kids. YTTV also has a filter built in for kids, box checked.
You get access to YTTV on 3 devices, which has not been a problem for us. DTVN only has access to 2 devices and SlingTV only gives you one, but you can pay for more with Sling.
The good thing about most streaming providers is that they give you a free trial. I found YTTV, DTVN, and Sling to be the top options for me. Hulu TV wasn't available at the time, but that could be a viable option. The price, DVR, family accounts, sports channels, locals access and device access won me over to YTTV.
Buffering was an issue, but my internet connection was just slow. I got faster internet and now have no trouble, even during big games. I wonder if this is the problem for the folks who experience buffering.
I have found a few channels that I don't get on YTTV, but I don't miss them and nobody else complains about it. I thought my wife would miss a couple cooking and home improvement type channels, but apparently not or there is something comparable on YTTV.
I don't miss DTV. Bad weather never affects my broadcasts or DVR content now. Hated trying to watch a DVR recording that got interrupted by weather. DTV is dead to me. Even they see that they are losing customers to streaming services, hence, they offer their own!
Update: Just looked at Philo and it has every channel I had with DTV and has unlimited DVR with 3 devices. It looks like the anti-YouTube TV service. Lots of channels YTTV doesn't have, no sports, and most of the other features. This addition with Netflix covers almost all of the bases possible.
My first hurdle was getting those local channels. I had plans to get a whole home OTA antenna or some antennas that I could hide (I hate seeing cables or media devices; all my equipment is in nearby closets to my TV's). I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to get my locals on YouTube TV. This saved me time and money. Plus, I hadn't worked out how to DVR OTA channels from an antenna. I did find that I could get DVR boxes for this, (I think true TiVo boxes do this natively, but I've never had one) but still more hassle to get it setup to the point that access to it was seamless.
I rely on having devices with RF remotes to hide my electronics. One more hurdle to overcome that DTV had. I now have a Roku on every TV, so the remote issue was solved. Also, my wife didn't like having to use her phone to change what she was watching on our Google Chromecasts, so 2 birds with one stone. I didn't mind the Chromecasts and we lost the DTV remotes constantly anyway, but having quick access to more content and Amazon Prime (Google and Amazon are not friends) is very convenient.
Access to locals could be a problem for some areas with YouTube TV, but I was fortunate.
We relied heavily on DVR, so that was a must. We only watched sports live. YouTube TV has UNLIMITED cloud DVR, so that box was easily checked. I have no hesitation recording anything. I have ALL college sports set to record. I miss NOTHING that is on a sports channel, excluding NFL Redzone type channels.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find every sports channel that I relied on with DTV. Access to sports content was my biggest concern, box checked. Also, YouTube TV is a legit content provider, so I use it to sign in to ESPN for games not on the main ESPN channels.
The portability is also very convenient. I have all 5 members of my family on my YouTube TV account so they each have individual access to their own content. This was an issue with DTV for us. We didn't want R rated and inappropriate content easily accessible to the kids. YTTV also has a filter built in for kids, box checked.
You get access to YTTV on 3 devices, which has not been a problem for us. DTVN only has access to 2 devices and SlingTV only gives you one, but you can pay for more with Sling.
The good thing about most streaming providers is that they give you a free trial. I found YTTV, DTVN, and Sling to be the top options for me. Hulu TV wasn't available at the time, but that could be a viable option. The price, DVR, family accounts, sports channels, locals access and device access won me over to YTTV.
Buffering was an issue, but my internet connection was just slow. I got faster internet and now have no trouble, even during big games. I wonder if this is the problem for the folks who experience buffering.
I have found a few channels that I don't get on YTTV, but I don't miss them and nobody else complains about it. I thought my wife would miss a couple cooking and home improvement type channels, but apparently not or there is something comparable on YTTV.
I don't miss DTV. Bad weather never affects my broadcasts or DVR content now. Hated trying to watch a DVR recording that got interrupted by weather. DTV is dead to me. Even they see that they are losing customers to streaming services, hence, they offer their own!
Update: Just looked at Philo and it has every channel I had with DTV and has unlimited DVR with 3 devices. It looks like the anti-YouTube TV service. Lots of channels YTTV doesn't have, no sports, and most of the other features. This addition with Netflix covers almost all of the bases possible.
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