Comcast will soon offer its cable subscribers the option of subscribing to Netflix as part of the cable company’s cable television packages, the company announced Friday.
It will be the first time a Netflix subscription will be bundled like a premium movie channel into a cable company’s offerings. Analysts say the move is a defense against cord-cutting, on the theory that a Netflix subscription bundled into a video package will give cable TV customers the best of cable television and streaming media. But many cord-cutters doubt it, citing Comcast’s expensive and bloated cable TV packages that require customers to pay for dozens of networks they will never watch.
“Netflix is about on-demand viewing of just the movies and shows I want to see, not what Comcast wants me to see and pay for,” said Jack Codon, who cut the cord on Comcast in 2017 at his Georgia home after his latest promotion ended. “They were reluctant to give me a better deal so I gave myself a better one by no longer paying for cable television.”
Codon now subscribes to YouTube TV for local channels and a slimmed-down TV package and has paid subscriptions to Hulu, Netflix, and CBS All-Access Pass.
“It still adds up when you subscribe to a lot of services, but my satisfaction has never been higher because I am getting services with a lot of things I want to watch instead of hundreds of channels I don’t,” Codon said. “When you flip through the channels and run into Sanford & Son, Law and Order, home shopping, and terrible reality show trash, you just get angry because I was paying for all of it. Now I pay Netflix and they spend the money on making more shows I will probably want to watch, as opposed to reruns I don’t.”
Comcast customers have been able to subscribe separately to Netflix and watch its library of content on Comcast’s X1 set-top box since 2016. But now Comcast will bundle that subscription into a package directly billed to customers. Comcast claims subscribers will appreciate the simplified billing their new Netflix bundle will offer. Pricing and exact date of availability have not yet been announced.
Phillip DampierApril 4, 2018Consumer News, Online VideoComments Off on Cable Industry Prepares Solution for TV Password Sharing Abuse
A company is testing a solution to video subscription password abuse that will register each device authorized to access streaming video, while giving customers a Forever Login, ending the need to regularly re-enter usernames and passwords to watch.
Synacor is responding to growing concerns from some in the cable industry that subscription television password sharing is allowing unauthorized access to content viewers did not pay to view. The new system is an attempt to upgrade the authenticated TV Everywhere experience to reduce subscriber inconvenience while locking down the number of concurrent devices allowed to view online content.
Currently, when a customer accesses subscription-required content online, they are asked to select their TV provider and then enter their assigned username and password to verify they are a current subscriber to a video package that includes that network. Once authenticated, the network’s website controls how long user credentials are kept before they must be re-entered, as well as how many concurrent viewing sessions from multiple family members are permitted.
TV Everywhere services were originally designed to allow the subscriber and anyone else living within the home to be able to access networks like CNN, HBO, ESPN, and others on portable devices in-home and while on the go. But many customers also share their user credentials with extended family members and friends who do not live at the same address. Unauthorized third parties also occasionally obtain user credentials through brute force hacking and sell them on the black market. The subscriber usually only discovers a security problem with their account when they reach the concurrent viewing limit, which displays as an on-screen message stating the maximum number of viewers are already watching content through a subscription and at least one must disconnect before a new stream can be viewed.
Cable company executives hold a variety of opinions about the seriousness of password sharing. Altice and Comcast, and programmers like Time Warner, Inc., which owns HBO and Cinemax, have not shown much concern about the practice, but Charter/Spectrum executives have, and are leading the charge to lock down subscriber authentication.
Synacor’s new system introduces a new layer of cable company-defined limits on streaming: registering each device allowed to view content as well as checking how many people are attempting to stream content simultaneously.
Under the new system, a customer will be permitted to register a limited number of “trusted devices” allowed access to streamed video content. A cable company, for example, could limit subscribers to two smartphones, one tablet, and one smart/internet-enabled TV or Roku box. Even if the subscriber has other devices, they would have to unregister an existing device before being allowed to register a new one. Additionally, a cable operator could limit concurrent streams to two or three, either per network or per account, regardless of what networks are being watched. That would mean, in one example, a family of four would designate a maximum of five “trusted devices” and be allowed to watch up to three concurrent streams per account. “Bill” could watch ESPN on the bedroom television, “Mary” could watch a murder-mystery on the Hallmark Channel on her tablet on the patio, and “Dylan” could watch a movie on HBO on his phone at the same time. But if “Sara” decided to watch a show on Lifetime on her phone, the system would block the request.
In the past, it was likely all four family members could watch concurrent streams of their shows on virtually any device they like, and they could also share login credentials with “Jeff” — a family member at college, who in turn shared his username and password with the other people living in his dorm room — exactly the kind of thing Charter CEO Thomas Rutledge would like to stop.
Synacor claims its new system is still a positive for consumers because it allows user credentials to be stored in perpetuity, ending the need for frequent logins to re-verify and re-authenticate one’s account, regardless of where they are. Synacor’s executive director of identity services, John Kavanagh, suggests it is a win-win for companies and consumers.
“They wanted to deliver the same user experience benefit…and we brought the trust along with it with device registration,” Kavanagh said. “The end-user experience of home-based authentication really set a high bar. They wanted to take that high bar and extend it elsewhere.”
But many subscribers, especially those with larger families, are likely to balk at the new restrictions, especially if cable operators offer to ease them in return for additional fees. The process of registering devices is also likely to be seen as cumbersome by those not technically proficient, as well as those who own a large assortment of electronic devices.
Multichannel Newsreports a recent study from Hub Research and CTAM that monitors the TV Everywhere market surveyed 3,491 TV subscribers who watch at least five hours of television a week and discovered 28% claimed that password sharing with friends and family members was okay and permitted by their provider, although generally it is not. Another 33% believed password sharing was allowed for family members who have since moved out of the family home and live elsewhere. No provider authorizes such viewing.
The cable industry generally does not mind password sharing for family members who are traveling or attending school and live outside of the home in a dorm, or watching on a device that belongs to a friend. They do mind if that friend keeps the user credentials and watches programming without their own subscription.
Kavanagh claims the biggest concern is “commercial-level” black market sales of user credentials to third parties who have no relationship to the account owner.
“Once we’re able to register that device securely as part of the sign-in flow, we then connect that with a complete list of devices that have been used with a given subscription,” Kavanagh said. “We not only expose that master list to the end user for their own benefit on things that might be suspicious, but on the operator side, it gives them a depth of awareness they haven’t had before. It allows them to have a fine instrument to enforce their business rules and security policies.”
Both customers and cable operators can see who is currently accessing content using their account and cancel authorization for device(s) they no longer own, lost, or are being used by those who do not have an association with the account holder at all.
The new system is being introduced on an experimental basis to some current customers, starting with Service Electric Cablevision. It is likely similar rollouts will happen with Synacor’s other clients, which include:
Streaming Services: Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, HBO
Charter Communications has introduced internet-delivered cable television packages that its cable TV subscribers have requested for years, including one offering a true a-la-carte lineup of network TV channels and the customer’s choice of 10 cable channels for $25 a month.
Spectrum Choice was soft-launched this week and is a companion to a larger internet-delivered package of TV services targeting cord-cutters called Spectrum Stream, which is also available in many areas.
Although Spectrum customers can visit the order page to sign up for Spectrum Choice immediately, when we tested it this afternoon we found the website was not able to complete an order. It turns out Spectrum is initially “hand-selecting” about 100,000 customers in selected areas for Spectrum Choice, but won’t disclose exactly where those areas are. We know from some reviews, it is available in parts of Ohio.
For now, would-be customers can try building their own package from at least 65 cable networks, including several networks Spectrum usually bundles into higher cost Silver and Gold packages. For example, Turner Classic Movies, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and FX Movie Channel are all available to choose. Spectrum Choice also offers all three major cable news networks as well as Spectrum News (where available). ESPN, ESPN II, FOX Sports, NBC Sports Network, and NFL Network are also available for sports fans. Even Music Choice is included.
Spectrum Choice customers are not tied down with a bloated package of channels, except for the included large bundle of local stations, which includes ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, MyNetworkTV, PBS, and independent/foreign language over the air stations. The availability of public television is a rarity among online cable TV alternatives. In most areas, digital subchannels like Grit and MeTV are also included, depending on what networks are provided by stations in your area. You will also get several shopping channels, C-SPAN I, II, and III, and local Public, Educational, and Government Access channels as seen on your local cable system.
If you visit their website can complete an order online, you are qualified to receive their service. If there is no option to move forward to complete an order, you are not qualified to sign up at this time, but check back later or call Spectrum and ask.
The service relies on the Spectrum TV app (available on iOS, Android, Roku, and Xbox One) and the Spectrum website to stream video programming to customers, and no set-top box is required. DVR service is not worth the effort or cost. It requires a traditional DVR set top box and you can only watch recorded shows on the television connected to the DVR. Be aware there are also restrictions viewing some channels outside of the home, just as Spectrum’s cable TV customers already understand:
Linear OOH: Watching a live channel while away from home VOD OOH: Watching on-demand content while away from home TVE App Name: TV Everywhere App Name – Independent apps used by programmers or viewing on their websites VOD Parity: Cable TV and Spectrum Choice customers get access to the same on-demand programming options.
Details (click the name of the package for more information):
If you don’t mind Charter/Spectrum choosing your channel lineup, a second option offers more channels for about the same price.
7-day money back guarantee/trial, then $15 for the first month
To get the service, you must have an internet-only plan or an internet + voice plan from Spectrum. You cannot be a current traditional cable TV subscriber
After the first month, the service costs $25 per month for the first two years, including the Broadcast TV Surcharge, but excluding tax
After 24 months, price increases to $30 a month
Your assigned Spectrum TV username and password will also work on websites that authenticate you as a qualified cable TV customer
Premium channels are $7.50 each for HBO, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Starz, and Starz Encore or bundle all-five for $15 a month for two years. Epix is also available a-la-carte.
The NBC and Comcast logo are displayed on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, formerly known as the GE building, in midtown Manhattan in New York July 1, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Comcast Corp is planning to rebrand and expand a streaming video option for broadband subscribers who do not want to pay for a traditional cable package, sources told Reuters on Monday.
The service, dubbed Xfinity Instant TV, will be priced as low as $15 a month to roughly $40 a month, sources said. It will include major broadcast networks as well as sports channels like ESPN and Spanish language channels such as Telemundo and Univision.
Xfinity Instant TV is expected to be available in the third quarter to more than 50 million homes within Comcast’s footprint, which includes cities such as Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
The company is changing its video offerings to be more targeted as viewer habits evolve. Xfinity Instant TV will be aimed at high-speed Internet subscribers who cannot afford or do not want to pay for bigger cable bundles, sources said. The hope is that subscribers will eventually upgrade to Comcast’s X1 platform.
Comcast has already given a $15-a-month streaming video service known as Stream a trial run in Boston and Chicago, sources said. Xfinity Instant TV is a revamped version of that offering and will be rolled out nationwide in Comcast’s territories.
Other pay-TV providers including Dish Network Corp and AT&T Inc have started online streaming services for “cord cutting” consumers, or those who are dropping their cable packages for other options.
Comcast’s service is different in that it is limited to its territories and to its own broadband subscribers. It has yet to offer an over-the-top streaming service more broadly nationwide.
(Reporting by Anjali Athavaley; Editing by Bill Trott)
When AT&T announced it would offer 100+ cable television and broadcast network channels under the DirecTV Now brand for $35 a month, Wall Street had a fit.
Craig Moffett, an analyst with Moffett-Nathanson, speculated that AT&T would make at most a profit margin of $5 a month for its $35 a month plan, once programming costs were covered. But then AT&T announced it would sweeten the deal with a free Apple TV Player or Amazon Fire Stick for those confident enough to prepay for the new service. That makes DirecTV Now a purposefully unprofitable service, creating considerable stress for both the cable and satellite industry and their investors.
Varietynotes the average DirecTV satellite subscriber delivers about $60 a month in profit to its owner, AT&T. That led the industry magazine to speculate DirecTV Now is a “loss leader” designed to sell its parent company’s AT&T-Time Warner, Inc. merger deal to regulators on the premise of increased competition delivering real savings to consumers.
Thankfully for Wall Street’s nerves, AT&T’s usual practice of marketing things with a lot of fine print emerged in the nick of time, and the $35 dollar price has now turned out to be an introductory offer for early adopters. In the not-too-distant future, AT&T will enroll new customers for its “Go Big” package at a much more profitable $60 a month. Customers who sign up at the $35 rate and stay customers will be able to keep that price as long as they make no changes to their account after the promotion ends.
Moffett
But Moffett warned investors that the traditional cable television model is still under serious threat, and AT&T’s less-promoted “Live a Little” package offering 60 popular cable networks for the everyday price of $35 is the equivalent of AT&T “running with scissors” because it alone could cause millions of cable and satellite customers to cut the cord and stay more than satisfied with a slimmed down cable package.
“Virtually all the channels that anyone would really want, save for regional sports networks” are included in the lighter “Live a Little” package, Moffett added. Customers who loathe watching sports but want a beefier package can also sign up for a $50, 80-channel “Just Right” package that primarily omits sports-oriented channels and a handful of spinoff cable networks few would miss.
Moffett and other Wall Street analysts were hoping AT&T would bloat its cheaper package with home shopping, religion, and other little-watched, low-cost cable networks and then entice customers to upgrade to unlock more popular cable channels. Instead, AT&T’s most premium package — “Gotta Have It” which costs $70 a month adds the “can live without” networks like Boomerang, Cloo, El Rey, Centric, and other little-known channels that typically live unnoticed in Channel Siberia on 500+ channel cable lineups. The highest premium priced package is attractive only for those looking for Starz/Encore channels and the basic cable network that gets no respect — Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (a/k/a the Dick van Dyke Permanent Employment Network.)
“By stacking their base package with all the best networks — likely a requirement for getting the programming contracts at all — they still have the same problem that was highlighted initially,” by Moffett. “Put simply, they aren’t going to make any money.”
That quest for profit is further challenged with subscriber acquisition programs that dole out free Apple TV units to customers willing to prepay for three months of service at the $35 rate or an Amazon Fire Stick (with Echo remote) in return for prepaying for one month of service. Anyone in the market for either device can sign up for DirecTV Now, get the equipment at an attractive price, and consider the 1-3 months of service a free extra bonus. Customers were reportedly lining up at AT&T’s owned and operated retail outlets (not authorized resellers) to pick up devices and sign up for service today.
At these prices and with these promotions, AT&T DirecTV Now could first decimate the subscriber base of its immediate competitors Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, either of which offer a much less compelling value. AT&T can afford to charge a lower price because it has deeper pockets and enormous volume discounts on the wholesale price of cable programming — combining millions of DirecTV and U-verse TV subscribers together to negotiate what industry insiders suspect are major discounts the smaller providers cannot get.
But there are issues likely to be deal-breakers for some would-be DirecTV Now subscribers:
Local broadcast stations are available only in a handful of selected cities and only a very few include all ABC, NBC, and FOX affiliates. CBS is not participating in DirecTV Now at this time, and that is a major omission;
There is a limit of two concurrent streams and although video quality is very good, it is not the 1080/HD experience AT&T’s marketing material would suggest. The quality of your internet connection will make a difference;
No DVR option at this time.
CNET compiled an excellent channel comparison chart to help consumers figure out which, if any, of these upstarts make sense as a cable TV replacement:
DirecTV Now vs. Sling TV vs. PlayStation Vue (top 169 channels, see notes below)
Channel
DirecTV Now Packages
Sling Package
Vue Package
A&E
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
ABC
Yes or VOD
Broadcast extra
Yes or VOD
AMC
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
American Heroes
Go Big
No
Elite
Animal Planet
Live a Little
No
Access
Audience
Live a Little
No
No
AXS TV
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
Baby TV
No
Kids extra
No
BBC America
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
BBC World News
Go Big
News extra
Elite
beIN Sports
No
Sports extra
Core
BET
Live a Little
Blue (Orange lifestyle extra)
No
Bloomberg TV
Live a Little
Base
No
Boomerang
Gotta Have It
Kids extra
Elite
Bravo
Live a Little
Blue
Access
BTN
Just Right
No
Core
Campus Insiders
No
Sports extra
No
Cartoon Network/Adult Swim
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
CBS
No
No
Yes or VOD
CBS Sports
No
No
No
Centric
Go Big
No
No
Cheddar
No
Orange, Blue
No
Chiller
Gotta Have It
No
Elite
Cinemax
PREMIUM ($5/month)
PREMIUM
No
Cloo
Gotta Have It
No
Elite
CMT
Live a Little
Comedy extra
No
CNBC
Live a Little
News extra Blue
Access
CNBC World
Just Right
No
Elite
CNN
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
Comedy Central
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
Comedy.TV
Just Right
No
No
Cooking Channel
Just Right
Lifestyle extra
Elite
CSPAN
Live a Little
No
No
Destination America
Go Big
No
Access
Discovery Channel
Live a Little
No
Access
Discovery Family
Go Big
No
Access
Discovery Life
Go Big
No
Elite
Disney Channel
Live a Little
Orange
Access
Disney Junior
Live a Little
Kids extra Orange
Access
Disney XD
Live a Little
Kids extra Orange
Access
DIY
Go Big
Lifestyle extra
Access
Duck TV
No
Kids extra
No
E!
Live a Little
Lifestyle extra Blue
Access
El Rey Network
Gotta Have It
Orange, Blue
No
Encore
Gotta Have It
No
No
EPIX
No
Hollywood extra
No
EPIX Drive-in
No
Hollywood extra
No
EPIX Hits
No
Hollywood extra
PREMIUM, Elite
EPIX2
No
Hollywood extra
No
ESPN
Live a Little
Orange
Access
ESPN 2
Live a Little
Orange
Access
ESPN Bases Loaded
No
Sports extra Orange
No
ESPN Buzzer Beater
No
Sports extra Orange
No
ESPN Deportes
No
Spanish TV extra Orange
Elite
ESPN Goal Line
No
Sports extra Orange
No
ESPNEWS
Just Right
Sports extra Orange
Core
ESPNU
Just Right
Sports extra Orange
Core
Esquire
No
No
Access
Euro News
No
World News Extra
No
Flama
No
Orange, Blue
No
Food Network
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
Fox
Yes or VOD
Blue
Yes or VOD
Fox Business
Live a Little
No
Access
Fox College Sports Atlantic
No
No
Elite
Fox College Sports Central
No
No
Elite
Fox College Sports Pacific
No
No
Elite
Fox News
Live a Little
No
Access
Fox Sports 1
Live a Little
Blue
Access
Fox Sports 2
Go Big
Blue
Access
Fox Sports Prime Ticket
Just Right
No
No
France 24
No
World News Extra
No
Freeform
Live a Little
Orange
Access
Fuse
Just Right
No
No
Fusion
Just Right
World News Extra
Elite
FX
Live a Little
Blue
Access
FXM
Go Big
No
Elite
FXX
Live a Little
Blue
Access
FYI
Go Big
Lifestyle extra
No
Galavision
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
Golf Channel
Go Big
Sports extra Blue
Core
GSN
Just Right
Comedy extra
No
Hallmark
Live a Little
Lifestyle extra
No
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
No
LIfestyle extra
No
HBO
PREMIUM ($5/month)
PREMIUM
PREMIUM, Ultra
HDNet Movies
No
Hollywood extra
No
HGTV
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
Hi-Yah
No
No
Elite
History
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
HLN
Live a Little
News extra
Access
HSN
No
No
No
IFC
Just Right
Orange, Blue
Core
Ion
No
No
No
Impact
No
No
Elite
Investigation Discovery
Live a Little
No
Access
JusticeCentral.TV
Just Right
No
No
Lifetime
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
LMN
Just Right
Lifestyle extra
No
Local Now
No
Orange, Blue
No
LOGO
Go Big
Comedy extra
No
Longhorn Network
Just Right
No
No
Machinima
No
No
Elite
Maker
No
Orange, Blue
No
MGM-HD
No
No
Elite
MLB Network
Just Right
No
No
Motors TV
No
Sports extra
No
MSNBC
Live a Little
News extra Blue
Access
MTV
Live a Little
Comedy extra
No
MTV Classic
Go Big
No
No
MTV2
Live a Little
Comedy extra
No
Nat Geo Wild
Go Big
Blue
Elite
National Geographic
Live a Little
Blue
Access
NBA TV
Go Big
Sports extra
Core
NBC
Yes or VOD
Blue
Yes or VOD
NBC Sports Network
Just Right
Blue
Access
NDTV 24/7
No
World News Extra
No
News 18 India
No
World News Extra
No
Newsy
No
Orange, Blue
No
NFL Network
No
Blue
Core
NFL Red Zone
No
Sports extra (Blue)
PREMIUM (Core and up)
NHL Network
Go Big
Sports extra
No
Nick Jr.
Live a Little
Blue
No
Nickelodeon
Live a Little
No
No
Nicktoons
Live a Little
Kids Extra Blue
No
ONE World Sports
No
No
Elite
Outdoor Channel
No
No
No
Outside Television
No
Sports extra
Elite
OWN
Just Right
No
Access
Oxygen
Just Right
Lifestyle extra Blue
Access
Palladia
No
No
Elite
PBS
No
No
No
Poker Central
No
No
Elite
Polaris
No
Orange, Blue
Elite
POP
No
No
Access
QVC
No
No
No
Revolt
Go Big
No
No
RFD TV
Live a Little
No
No
Russia Today
No
World News Extra
No
Science
Just Right
No
Access
SEC Network
Just Right
Sports extra Orange
Core
Showtime
No
No
PREMIUM, Elite
Spike
Live a Little
Comedy extra
No
Sprout
Go Big
No
Elite
Starz
Gotta Have It
PREMIUM
No
Sundance TV
Go Big
Hollywood extra
Core
Syfy
Live a Little
Blue
Access
TBS
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
TCM
Live a Little
Hollywood extra
Core
Teen Knick
Live a Little
Kids extra Blue
Elite
Telemundo
Live a Little
No
No
Tennis Channel
Go Big
No
No
The Weather Channel
Live a Little
No
No
TLC
Live a Little
No
Access
TNT
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
Access
Travel Channel
Just Right
Orange, Blue
Access
truTV
Live a Little
Blue (Orange comedy extra)
Access
TV Land
Live a Little
Comedy extra
No
TVG
Go Big
No
No
Universal HD
No
No
Elite
Univision
Live a Little
Blue (Orange Broadcast extra)
No
Univision Deportes
Gotta Have It
Sports extra
No
Univision Mas
Just Right
Blue (Orange Broadcast Extra)
No
USA Network
Live a Little
Blue
Access
Velocity HD
Live a Little
No
Elite
VH1
Live a Little
Lifestyle extra
No
VH1 Classic
No
No
Elite
Vibrant TV
No
Lifestyle extra
No
Viceland
Live a Little
Orange, Blue
No
WE tv
Live a Little
Lifestyle extra
Access
WeatherNation
Live a Little
No
No
Notes
Broadcast networks including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are not available for live streaming in many cities, except where noted as “yes.” The term “VOD” means viewers can watch these shows on-demand 24 hours after airing.
Most RSNs (Regional Sports Networks) not listed; varies per locality
PREMIUM = Available for an additional monthly fee beyond base package
DirecTV Now package key: Live a Little = $35/month (Local ABC, Fox, NBC broadcasts included in select markets) Just Right = $50/month Go Big = $60/month ($35 / month introductory price) Gotta Have It = $70/month
Sling TV package key: Orange = $20/month Blue = $25/month other “”extras”” = another $5 /month each (Sports extra with Blue is $10) Broacast Extra: ABC, Univision and Univision Mas available to Sling Orange subscribers in select cities
PlayStation Vue package key: (for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Miami ONLY) Access (Base) = $40/month Core = $45/month (includes Access channels, some Regional Sports Networks) Elite = $55/month (includes Access and Core channels) Ultra = $75/month (includes Access, Core and Elite channels, plus HBO and Showtime)
(for all other cities, where ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are available via VOD only) Access Slim (Base) = $30/month Core Slim = $35/month (includes Access channels, some Regional Sports Networks) Elite Slim = $45/month (includes Core and Access channels) Ultra Slim = $65/month (includes Access, Core and Elite channels, plus HBO and Showtime)
$5 a month each for HBO and Cinemax.
Time Warner, Inc. did its part, offering a substantial deal to DirecTV Now to allow customers to add HBO and Cinemax for just $5 a month each, substantially less than what both networks charge customers signing up a-la-carte. This also unlocks access to streaming options on both networks’ websites.
In fact, as a DirecTV Now customer, you will also become an authenticated pay television subscriber, unlocking access on various cable network websites to extra streaming and on-demand options.
The implications of DirecTV Now depend on how long AT&T extends its $35 offer, which is going to be compelling for a lot of Americans. Moffett predicts DirecTV Now could sign up a staggering 11 million Americans — at least two million cannibalized from its own DirecTV satellite customer base, six million cutting the cord on their cable company (including AT&T U-verse) and another three million cord-cutters or “cable-nevers.” Most of the latter are Millennials, and research suggests $35 may be low enough of a price point to sign them up.
AT&T is also raising concerns among internet activists because online streaming of DirecTV Now will not count against an AT&T postpaid customer’s data allowance. This zero rating scheme is seen as an end run around Net Neutrality, particularly because AT&T is not as generous with its competitors. AT&T said it will offer other video streamers the possibility of being exempted from AT&T data allowances, if they pay AT&T for the privilege.
How It Works/Signing Up
AT&T DirecTV Now starts with the Google Chrome 50+, Safari 8+ or Internet Explorer 11+ (on Windows 8 and up) web browsers or the DirecTV Now app. AT&T recommends Chrome for desktop viewing. The service doesn’t work with Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or legacy browsers.
The first step is registering for a 7-day free trial. Before handing over your credit card number, if you scroll down you will find a small free preview option is also available that includes a largely useless streaming barker channel promoting the service and a respectable collection of video on demand options from basic cable networks. The free video streaming option will give you a clue about how the service is likely to perform on your internet connection and devices. For the record, DirecTV Now now supports:
Support for other devices like Roku is coming next year.
Customers must be within the United States to use the service. If you travel abroad or to any U.S. territories like Guam, the Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico, DirecTV Now will stop working until you return. When you sign up, keep in mind your billing zip code will mean a lot when it comes to accessing regional sports and local broadcast channels. DirecTV Now uses your billing zip code and your actual location to determine whether you are qualified to access regional sports networks and local stations.
Score a Free Apple TV Player or Amazon Fire TV Stick
Apple TV (4th Generation): Effectively free after prepaying for three months of service.
If you are looking to score an Apple TV (4th generation) or an Amazon Fire TV Stick, you will want to skip the 7-day free trial and enroll in a paid plan immediately, which will allow you to select which player you want. If you want the Apple TV, you will prepay for three months at $35 a month ($105). The Amazon Fire TV Stick only requires you to prepay for the first month of service ($35). One device per email address, but you can sign up for multiple accounts (using individual email addresses) and get a device for each — especially useful for larger families that could run into DirecTV Now’s two-stream limit.
Consider your choices before enrolling. If you want to add premium channels or upgrade your plan, and you select the three-month prepay option to grab an Apple TV Player, adding premium channels like HBO and Cinemax or moving to a higher plan will result in three months of prepaid charges for those upgrades as well, billed automatically to your credit card on file — which amounts to a $30 charge if you select HBO and Cinemax. After your promotional prepaid term ends, your account will continue to be billed at the $35 (plus any add-ons) rate until you cancel. AT&T covers you for the forfeited first free week by extending your bill date out by seven days. Allow 2-3 weeks for the device(s) to be shipped to you.
You can also sign up at an AT&T owned and operated retail store, but be aware AT&T “authorized” reseller stores are not participating in this promotion. That may allow you to bring home a device today.
Don’t care about the device promotions? Take the 7-day free trial, but be aware that you are giving AT&T your credit card number and charges begin immediately after the free week ends unless you cancel. Here’s how:
From your User Account overview page, select Manage My Plan.
Select the Cancel Plan link.
Choose one of the listed reasons.
Select Cancel Nowto confirm cancellation.
Your subscription will continue until the end of the billing cycle. No refunds or credits are provided for partial months. Your account will revert to Freeview demo status after you cancel a subscription. You can add a subscription package back at any time.
Oddly, AT&T is not charging sales tax for New York, California, Maryland or Virginia residents. Customers in states like Tennessee where AT&T provides local phone service were most likely to face sales taxes. Those signing up early are in the best position to exploit what appears to be an oversight, or it represents the first time the New York Department of Taxation and Finance left money on the table.
Streaming from Your AT&T Wireless Device Does Not Count Against Your Data Allowance
If you’re a DirecTV Now and AT&T Wireless customer, streaming most DirecTV Now movies and programs over the AT&T wireless network won’t count against your data usage allowance, according to AT&T. But believe it or not, AT&T’s fine print indicates advertisements and non-streaming app activity do count! There are some other important disclosures to be aware of:
You must be on the AT&T Wireless network within the U.S. (U.S. territories are not qualified for zero rating);
You must be a postpaid, not a prepaid AT&T wireless customer to qualify and must not have “data block” on your mobile line;
If you are grandfathered on an unlimited data plan, using DirecTV Now will not count against the 22GB data threshold which subjects you to speed throttling;
This offer may disappear at any time and/or is subject to change.
DirecTV Now Qualifies You as an Authenticated Pay Television Subscriber
Many cable networks require customers enter their cable, satellite, or telco TV login credentials to unlock video streaming and on-demand features. DirecTV Now is a qualified provider for these websites (more coming):
Other networks are not yet enabled for DirecTV Now. CNN, for example, has a prompt for DirecTV satellite customers to log in, but DirecTV Now has its own account registration system.
Local Channels Are Very Spotty
Local over the air channels are very limited on DirecTV Now and are geographically restricted. You can access these channels only if you are located in or very near to the cities listed below and your billing zip code is in the same area. If you travel outside of the immediate area, live streaming will stop working until you return.
ABC* NBC** FOX and Telemundo are covered by DirecTV Now in selected cities. CBS is not available on the service at all at this time.
Atlanta, GA: WAGA-TV
Austin, TX: KTBC
Boston, MA: Telemundo East
Charlotte, NC: WJZY
Chicago, IL: WLS-TV, WMAQ, WFLD, Telemundo East
Dallas-Ft Worth, TX: KXAS, KDFW-TV, Telemundo East
Denver, CO: Telemundo East
Detroit, MI: WJBK
Fresno-Visalia, CA: KFSN-TV, Telemundo East
Gainesville, FL: WOGX
Hartford-New Haven, CT: WVIT
Houston, TX: KTRK-TV, Telemundo East
Las Vegas, NV: Telemundo East
Los Angeles, CA: KABC-TV, KNBC, KTTV, Telemundo East
Miami-Ft Lauderdale, FL: WTVJ, Telemundo East
Minneapolis, MN: KMSP-TV
New York, NY: WABC-TV, WNBC, WNYW, Telemundo East
Orlando-Daytona, FL: WOFL
Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV, WCAU, WTXF-TV, Telemundo East
Phoenix, AZ: KSAZ-TV, Telemundo East
Raleigh-Durham, NC: WTVD-TV
San Diego, CA: KNSD
San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA: KGO-TV, KNTV, KTVU
Tampa-St Petersburg, FL: WTVT
Washington, D.C.: WRC, WTTG
*Not available on Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 7. **NBC live stream available on mobile and desktop devices only.
Giving the Service a Test
Stop the Cap! enrolled as an ordinary customer this morning and gave the service a rigorous test, including multiple streams over our 50/5Mbps internet connection. The service debuted today, and there is little doubt there is intense interest from consumers, so we expected some performance problems from the initial demand. We didn’t see any evidence of traffic congestion, however, and that is a good sign.
AT&T’s John Stankey explaining DirecTV Now.
A similar test of Sling TV did not perform as well during peak viewing times, when streaming problems emerged. DirecTV Now seems to be built to withstand intense demand.
One customer with a 6Mbps U-verse internet connection “in the boonies” was impressed the video quality of DirecTV Now was high even on a relatively slow DSL-like connection.
“This blows SlingTV away,” the person shared. “I only have U-verse 6Mbps internet service and it is not pixelated or buffering at all. Looks exactly like my regular DirecTV picture.”
AT&T published these recommendations for DirecTV Now customers regarding internet connection speeds:
150kbps – 2.5Mbps – Minimum broadband connection speed for Mobile devices
2.5 – 5.0Mbps – Recommended for HD quality
We’ve been led to believe DirecTV Now should perform equivalently to 1080i HDTV service (depending on the video source of course). We cannot say we agree it does right now. We noticed significant artifacts on high-motion video and picture graininess that left us feeling this was closer to a 720p HD experience. It isn’t possible to say whether the video player reduced playback quality because of internet traffic issues we were unaware of or if this is how the picture is supposed to look. It did not significantly detract from the viewing experience and the lack of buffering and pixelation was far more important to us.
AT&T store in NYC.
DirecTV Now would serve adequately as a cable TV replacement if it had local station coverage and some type of DVR. At present, DirecTV Now is limited to a “Restart” feature that allows you to restart shows already in progress on certain channels, but you cannot fast-forward or record a restarted show. Once AT&T introduces a cloud-based DVR and fills out the local station lineup, this service could be lethal to overpriced cable TV packages.
AT&T’s marketing attempts to undercut the powerful position of inertia by setting an unknown time limit for customers to enroll in the $35 a month video package. If you don’t sign up today, you may not get the “free” Apple TV or Amazon Fire Stick and a respectable cable TV package for just $35 a month — about half what cable operators are charging these days for their bloated video packages. AT&T doesn’t care if you stick with your current cable provider and signup for DirecTV Now, if only to grab free streaming video equipment while sampling the service. They get their money either way.
Had AT&T permanently kept the price at around $35, many consumers would likely sit back and wait for AT&T to sort out the streaming contract issues it has with the TV networks — CBS in particular, and come up with a DVR solution before those potential customers decided to sign up and make the change. Based on several “hot deals” websites, the mentality among many consumers is to “lock in” the $35 price now and wait for AT&T to build out the package while continuing to invest $35 a month on it. That doesn’t seem so bad when you get free electronics as part of the deal.
Our Final Take
AT&T’s DirecTV Now is a potential winner and worth signing up for because of the introductory price and free equipment offers. But if you decide not to disconnect your cable/satellite television service, it is probably safe to drop DirecTV Now after your prepayment expires and return to resume service a little later. There will probably be some warning when AT&T will end the introductory price for the service, and interested customers can hop back on board before that date arrives. DirecTV Now will be a formidable competitor, but it will fight against consumer resistance to confront the cable company and cut cable’s cord until it solves the local channels issue and has a credible DVR option. The service could also use an add-on to make adding additional concurrent streams possible and more affordable than just signing up for a second account.
Don’t count out Big Cable just yet. With data caps and other internet overcharging schemes, Comcast, Cox, Suddenlink, and others can play games with usage allowances to deter customers from streaming all of their video entertainment online at the risk of blowing past their allowance. DirecTV Now’s $35 price won’t mean much after overlimit fees begin appearing on your internet bill.
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