What the Tech: Streaming Wars DIRECTV Stream
Millions of cord-cutters are shopping around for other streaming packages. Many of them offer promotional discounts and incentives and most are all around the same price of $90/mo. All week I’ve been comparing the most popular streaming services to help you decide which one is right for you. I’m reading the fine print so you don’t have to. Today: it’s DIRECTV Stream.
Not too long ago there were small satellite dishes on rooftops of many houses in every neighborhood. Those dishes brought in hundreds of channels through DIRECTV. But if a rain shower popped up, the signal was blocked and you couldn’t watch anything.
DIRECTV has been around for decades, but you no longer need a satellite dish on your roof. If you’re looking for a streaming service that feels most like the cable or satellite TV we got used to, this might be the one.
The first thing you’ll notice? Channel numbers. They’re still there and still familiar. ESPN is 206, CNN is 202 (funny how many of us remember those). Flipping between channels feels just like it used to.
Unlike YouTube TV or Hulu+ Live, DIRECTV Stream still uses traditional-style tiers and optional genre packs for sports, movies, or kids’ programming. It can take a little time to understand the lineup and pricing, but once you do, it’s straightforward.
The base Entertainment plan includes more than 90 popular channels for about $90 a month after promotional discounts. The Choice plan adds more sports for around $115, and the Ultimate plan, with just about everything, runs about $136 a month. All include your local channels.
It’s more expensive than some competitors, but those plans also include subscriptions to Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ at no extra cost. Just know that higher-tier packages add a $15–$20 monthly fee for regional sports, even if you never watch them.
Every plan includes unlimited cloud DVR and unlimited simultaneous streams on your home network, so everyone in the house can watch what they want at the same time.
There’s one catch: if you sign a two-year agreement, your monthly price is locked in, but canceling early can cost you a fee, just like the old satellite days. If you prefer to go month-to-month, the price is a little higher.
DIRECTV Stream brings back the familiar feel of cable, along with a few of the quirks like contract,s and fees, only now it’s all delivered through the internet.
