Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

DirecTV Now and later: AT&T plans to add offline viewing to streaming service

By Keith Nelson Jr. July 13, 2017

Directv now

If you have a DirecTV Now subscription but wish it offered more, you are in luck. AT&T on Thursday announced it is slowly rolling out a new video system for DirecTV Now that will bring a variety of new features. One of the more interesting tidbits is that AT&T is planning to roll out offline viewing to DirecTV Now subscribers next year.

The new feature is described as “download and go” in the announcement. No further details were included, but Digital Trends has contacted a DirecTV Now rep for clarification and will update this article with any new information.

DirecTV Now would become one of the first subscription streaming services to offer offline viewing. Netflix began allowing its subscribers to download TV episodes and films offline in late 2016. Showtime Anytime, the premium cable network’s stand-alone service, has done the same for its mobile app.

AT&T is also playing a bit of catch up with its online live TV competitors. AT&T also plans to finally roll out cloud DVR for DirecTV Now. The feature has been a glaring omission from the service since competitors YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, and Playstation Vue all rolled out cloud DVR. AT&T only stated that cloud DVR is planned to be out to all its U.S. customers next year. So, sorry DirecTV Now subscribers, you will not be able to save or download the new Game of Thrones season.

Other features AT&T plans to roll out next year include user profiles, 4K HDR, parental controls, and live TV pausing. Select DirecTV Now subscribers will be invited to test out the new changes this summer.

All of these new features are part of AT&T’s plan to bring a more unified video experience to its DirecTV Now subscribers. “By developing for a single video platform, we’ll deliver new features and platform innovations in a faster, more efficient way. And it will be simple and consistent wherever you watch — TV, phone or tablet, said David Christopher, chief marketing officer for AT&T Entertainment Group, in a press release.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Keith Nelson Jr.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Keith Nelson Jr is a music/tech journalist making big pictures by connecting dots. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY he…

Audio / Video

Google is making it easier to add streaming video services to Android TV

android tv google photos bug

Android TV is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the smart TV landscape. At its annual Google I/O conference, the company revealed that Android TV is now being used by more than 140 pay-TV operators worldwide, and six out of the top 10 smart TV manufacturers are working with Google on Android TV devices, according to Variety. While no major updates for Android TV were announced, Google has said it's going to make it a lot easier for people to add new streaming video apps to their Android TV devices, whether it's a set-top box or a smart TV.

At the moment, if you want to add a video streaming service to Android TV, the process is somewhat cumbersome: You search for the app on the Play Store, download it, install it, open it, sign up for the service if you haven't already done so, and/or enter your account details. In the future, it could be drastically simplified, as Google is going to let app publishers combine the sign-up, install, and log-in, into a single step.

Audio / Video

Get a free Apple TV 4K when you commit to four months of DirecTV Now

Apple TV 4K

If you've been thinking of cutting the cord, r you're ready to give a new streaming service a try, DirecTV Now has got a pretty sweet deal: Pre-pay for four months of service, at a minimum of $50 per month, and the company will throw in a free, 32GB Apple TV 4K, worth $180. Or, looked at another way, you get $200 of live streaming TV, for just $20. Either way, you have until April 30 if you want to take advantage of the offer, as long as you're a new subscriber.

DirecTV Now is AT&T's answer to products like Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV, in that it's a streaming subscription TV service that delivers both live and on-demand programming over your existing internet connection. It doesn't require a cable or satellite box, though you do need a compatible streaming device like the Apple TV 4K. It's become a popular choice for cord-cutters who want to ditch their cable TV subscription, but who don't want to leave the familiarity of an on-screen guide and premium channels they're accustomed to.

Entertainment

AT&T jacks up DirecTV Now pricing once again in subscription tier shake-up

DirecTV Now Promo Shot

If you're a DirecTV Now subscriber, get ready to pay a fair bit more for your entertainment. AT&T, which owns the streaming service, is planning to increase fees for existing subscriptions by $10 per month as part of a line-wide shake-up that'll revamp DirecTV Now's various subscription tiers, Cord Cutter Now reports.

The change shouldn't come as much of a surprise to current DirecTV Now users. The company already raised all price plans by $5 per month in late 2018 and, as TechCrunch notes, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson announced upcoming price hikes back in December. DirecTV Now Customers can expect to receive official notification about the cost increases starting tomorrow, March 12. The new prices will take effect 25 days after the emails arrive.