Verdict
DirecTV effortlessly transitions from satellite to cyclosis , retaining an interface that viewers new to cord cutting will treasure , while also offering deal of streaming - focused features . Now with 4 1000 content , HDR and raw skinny parcel that bring down the ever - burgeon damage of full parcel .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The old guard was never going to letYouTube television set , Hulu with Live television , FuboTV and the rest of the cyclosis - centric crowd eclipse the new era .
LikeSling television set , DirecTV is a bequest provider grabbing a piece of the live TV cyclosis Proto-Indo European . you may still get the full satellite package from DirecTV – now mostly owned by AT&T – but this alternative , render you more flexibility , minus the long contract and endless extra fees associated with legacy supplier .
With a comprehensive live channel blood - up , varied packages , a intimate canal guidebook , regional sport channels , and tons of add - on subject , DirecTV ( formerly DirecTV Now , Stream and AT&T TV ) is the help that feels most like a traditional television service , within the streaming realm .
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When I last reviewed the armed service in 2022 it was a honest but expensive streaming platform miss some high end A / V feature . Has that deepen in 2025 ?
After the prefatorial offers you get for signing up , prices start at$86.99 for the Entertainment Package , which includes 90 + line , limitless cloud DVR ( except it ’s not ) and unlimited devices ( only three out of doors of the habitation web ) . There are also fresh skinny Genre Pack bundles starting at $ 34.99 a calendar month . More on those in the Library segment .
Platforms
It ’s a mixed travelling bag with no support forLG TVsor the games console , but decent financial backing from the major arrange top boxwood provider , mobile operating system and Samsung smart TVs . There ’s also a Gemini set top boxful you could get from the caller .
This follow-up was done on anApple TV 4 K , aniPhone 16 Pro Maxand via the Safari web web internet browser on aMacBook Air M2 . Here ’s the fulllist of supported platformsfrom the horse ’s oral fissure . Perhaps the most interesting devices in the list are Apple ’s Vision Pro and Peloton workout gear .
User Experience
The live guide is the most akin to a traditional cable or satellite TV service , so it ’s ideal for people trim back the cord for the first sentence . There ’s also an choice to assort the guidebook by the traditional transmission channel enumerate those common people will be familiar with .
you could also sort out by the A - zed TV pathfinder or jump out to a specific day . Channels can also be filtered by family – All , Recent , Favourites , Sports , Kids , Movies and television shows . Or by channel identification number ordering .
It ’s also quite singular among live TV streaming services due to two - week TV EPG guide you could jump through .
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speak of favourites , they can be added to those you established during exercise set - up have the select clitoris on the remote , next to the groove image within the template .
Your favourites also corroborate the dwelling house pageboy experience in a very nonrational mode . front-runner and recently watch channels sit in a luggage carousel and moving between them load a live provender from that channel , include info on how long ’s left in the program and other inform details .
I also love being able to restart a with child incision of the channel and live programing . Restartable display are helpfully distinguish in the templet by a back arrow icon in the guide . However , it ’s still necessary to begin playing the show live to get at the restart map within the idiot box app . specially for sports game , it ’d be preferable to have the option before hitting play .
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YouTube TV has a exchangeable capability , but you need to bestow the show to your depository library and be recording to restart .
The Home page features a bang-up carrousel of your favourite channels , and with one playing in a diminished windowpane , you’re able to scan between them with only a fragile pause as the cognitive content adulterate .
Another ready to hand feature is showing “ more like ” sphere , which is useable on demand . So , if you do n’t want to tune into booster subsist on TBS , you could quick get at Modern Family , Seinfeld and more . This is preferable to showing other content from the same net .
There are also more familiar cord turn off menus within the plate pageboy . you may see a carousel of live and upcoming sports , springy TV you might wish , pop shows uncommitted on demand , and theme subject like Valentine ’s comedy and romance . There are also helpful reminders to set your cloud DVR to watch out approaching content .
Other sidebar card let in My Library that features DVR recordings and any rentals and purchase you ’ve made via your DirecTV gimmick . The helpful Sports Central hepatic portal vein brings a shortcut to your favourite teams , include recordings and next fixtures . There ’s some weird squad name conventions when selecting your teams , which will be upsetting to Brits . The Arsenal Gunners , The Manchester United Red Devils , etc ..
Finally , there ’s an On need menu that offers access to the retinue of on - requirement programming and lets you filter message via networks , flick and television shows .
decent now , rivals like YouTube TV do a better job of intelligently surfacing the content you enjoy when the clock time make out , but perhaps DirecTV meliorate with more usage beyond my calendar month - recollective test period .
When you do choose a show , there ’s a fragile pause for a form of address screen . It does n’t last more than a twosome of endorsement , usually . However , the programme usually loads at full resolution thereafter . Again , it ’s akin to the experience of turning on a television set channel and it just being there rather than waitress for it to hit full res ’ from a flow . Another bonus for those coming straight from satellite .
Features
The major update since my late 2022 recapitulation is the addition of some 4 K content . There are now three 4 K channel , although it ’s mostly unrecorded sports . The Super Bowl and all the Super Bowl Pregame content from Fox was shown in 4 K on DirecTV 4 K Live . Other message include live Premier League , NBA and NCAA basketball game .
Helpfully , when you tune up into the steady channel , DirecTV alert you the secret plan is available in 4 K with one - click accession to take you there .
It ’s dependable to see DirecTV catching up to its satellite religious service for streaming customers here . For non 4 K message Direct TV offers HD resolution ( some 720p , others 1080p/1080i @30fps , depending on the channel ) .
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choice within the TV preferences are “ unspoilt ” “ better ” and “ good ” .
HDR content , adding greater richness to color and dividing line , is now available and automatically enable on top stream devices from Roku , Apple , Google , Amazon and the company ’s own Gemini box . Depending on your gimmick there are options to manually enable HDR .
Audio formats are limited without options for change at an app horizontal surface . However , there is support for Dolby Digital 5.1 systems . And DirecTV was the first of the major over - the - top springy TV provider to do so .
DirectTV does offer unexampled customers an “ unlimited ” swarm DVR . Except it ’s actually quite modified . recording are kept for nine months , and you ’re only allowed 30 sequence of a exceptional show with the oldest delete to make way .
On the plus side , recording options often provide the home or out commentary feeds for sporting events , so you ’re not stuck with the other squad ’s annoying announcer rooting against your team .
I ’ve covered the Restart feature , but the other noteworthy option is Lookback , which is useable on selected streaming devices . It lets you watch TV from the last 72 hour on requirement .
It appears to have been significantly downgrade since the last time I used DirecTV . In 2022 it feel like you had a fourth dimension machine to look back through the templet and see almost as if most thing had been record via a DVR .
Now it only offer some modified options from the on - requirement library . For illustration , Comedy Central ’s only offerings are the last two nights of The Daily Show . This used to be a good elbow room to happen the mutation game you did n’t get around to watching , but ESPN and lashings of others offer nothing through Lookback .
DirecTV does come down a piffling flat compared to rivals in terms of visceral streaming friendly features , though . alive sport access is keen , but YouTube TV has amazing live stats options for sportswoman like the NBA and you’re able to enamor up on most others through key playing period .
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you’re able to now see sport scores ( last and post - game ) within capacity thumbnails but if you ’re to watch these games , I do n’t really see the point . Perhaps it ’s ready to hand in live game situations where you’re able to see other squad ’s sexual conquest ?
Library
Again , DirecTV is the live TV streaming service most consanguine to honest-to-god school day transmission line or planet television . Depending on the software program you opt for , there ’s very little you ’ll be without , and DirecTV has done an excellent job of parlaying its relationships with the contentedness provider into the streaming kingdom .
The large news here come in previous February 2025 when DirecTV shook up its offer with tight-fitting bundles cry Genre Packs that let in some primo steaming service .
TheGenre Packsstart at just $ 34.99 for MyEntertainment . It bundle the Disney+ , Hulu and ( middling soon ) Max with ads . Linear channels admit A&E web , Bravo , Discovery , E ! , Food web , FX , Freeform , FYI , HGTV , Lifetime , Oxygen , Syfy , The HISTORY Channel , TLC and Vice TV .
For $ 39.99 you’re able to get a MyNews bundle ( give the state of cable’s length news in the US , drink down me now ! ) . That ’ll get you CNN , MSNBC , Fox and others . In my experience those who watch Fox do n’t watch CNN ! There ’s less time value in that .
MySports is $ 69.99 , but it include ESPN+ along with the linear ESPN Channels , Fox Sports , USA , TNT , TBS , NBA web , NFL web , MLB web , but also some word channel like CNN , Fox News , MSNBC and local NBC channels . Such is the expense of a full live TV streaming divine service in 2025 that $ 70 actually sound quite attractive , although regional sport networks are extra .
The even software consanguineous to a full satellite TV inspection and repair are much more expensive . The Entertainment Bundle is $ 86.99 a calendar month + revenue enhancement and includes 90 + channel from across the content spectrum , as well as your local costless - to - air channels . In 2022 the entree level was $ 69.99 a month + tax , so it ’s a reasonably large addition . 4 K may have been append , but still !
To bring regional sport meshing showing your local teams , plus some additional sports mesh like MLB , NBA and college football you ’ll necessitate the Choice software system . However , after a $ 25 a month bank discount for the first three months , that Choice big bucks cost $ 114.99 a month + tax . And there ’s still more you may sum too in Ultimate that ’s $ 129.99 a calendar month + taxation . And if you ’re wondering , NFL Redzone is n’t include . That ’s superfluous , but at least it ’s available now . In my 2022 review it was n’t present at all .
relatively , the top bundle from Fubo is $ 94.99 ( yes 4 K , yes RSNs ) , YouTube TV is $ 84.99 ( 4 K $ 10 redundant , no RSNs ) , Hulu with resilient TV include Hulu , Disney+ and ESPN+ part at $ 82.99 a month ( no 4 K sports , no RSNs ) . catapult TVs offerings are design to be tight fitting and are more consanguineous to DirecTV ’s Genre Packs .
you may see DirecTV Steam’sfull line - up herein a helpful graph that shows the descent - up for each package with uncommitted add - ons .
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The note value is in the eye of the beholder and DirecTV does offer 4 yard live sports at no redundant cost , while YouTube idiot box charges an extra ten spot . And DirecTV is one of the few remain services offering access to Regional Sports Networks ( albeit through the expensive Choice bundle ) . Fubo is the other . RSNs are the canal that have the rights to some of the sport teams in that market . In most cases it ’s the NBA , MLB , and NHL . In South Florida , where I live , that ’s means the Fan Duel networks for Miami Heat and Miami Marlins . These meshing were always part of a traditional cable TV bundle but were a huge expiration from Live television set teem services like YouTube TV .
As with all of the resilient TV streaming religious service , Premium web likeMax , Showtime , Starz etc are usable as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - ons .
Performance
DirecTV works excellently across a bit of platform . I tested it on an Apple TV 4 K connected to anLG C1 OLED , an iPad ( 8thgen ) and the Safari web internet browser and experienced no return .
Of of course , the big your screen , the addition of 4 K and HDR means our revaluation is more favorable than it has been in the past .
To access HDR content you ’ll take a Roku Ultra ( 2024 ) , Google TV Streamer , Google TV with Chromecast , Apple TV 4K , Amazon Fire Stick 4 K Max , or one of theDIRECTV Geministreaming devices . The HDR enable content is automatically enabled at app level , allow it is enabled at equipment stratum .
The recommended speed required for stable streaming is 8Mbps per pour twist . So , if you ’re view television on ten different sets throughout the habitation , you’re able to expect to require 80Mbps . However , if you ’re stream in 4 1000 , the company advocate 25Mbps .
Regardless of the timber of the content , DirecTV current is probably the most true and uniform of all the major supplier . It was a joy to use .
Should you buy it?
If you like your traditional TV service , but want more flexibility and no binding declaration , DirecTV comes close to replicating the experience and overall interface . This is also the only swarm biz in town for the regional sport networks many bank on to watch their favored squad .
If you want 4 KB content ( although confine elsewhere too ) , you wo n’t witness it here . The $ 69.99 start price tender fewer important channel than competition , and thing can get expensive quickly once you begin adding . Unlimited Cloud DVR is far from straight-out and , if you require a more streaming - esque interface YouTube TV does it better .
Final Thoughts
DirecTV has significantly bolstered the offer since our last review article and it ’s not an equally good choice alongside YouTube TV , Fubo and Hulu .
The addition of 4 KB is the cardinal climb , alongside an interface that blends the best of TVs past with the best of TVs streaming - forward-moving hereafter . The skinny Entertainment Genre Pack softens the nose candy of price increment to received packages . Bottom line though , if you want a traditional - way TV service with some cyclosis - forward feature of speech with more freedom and less commitment , this is the live boob tube cord cutting service for you .
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How we test
We test every live TV streaming service we review for at least a month as our main agency of consuming television , using smart TV apps , mobile apps and , where available in a web web internet browser . trial run are done inside and outside of the home . overhaul are compared in detail with rival offerings to give you the good thought of which service is best for you .
FAQs
There is a limited loose trial , currently at five days for new reader
Yes , since our last inspection in 2022 DirecTV Stream has added 4 K and it ’ll even lease you know when a secret plan you ’re watching is usable in 4K. HDR is uncommitted on selected machine too .
DirecTV is one of the only cord - cutting live TV service with RSNs . you’re able to see whether yours are covered here : https://www.directv.com/stream/channel-lineup/
Full Specs
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