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

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.