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DirecTV Stream Review | Streaming Services | U.S. News
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At U.S. News & World Report, we take an unbiased approach to our ratings. We adhere to strict editorial guidelines, maintain a separate business team, and provide transparency on our methodology.
DirecTV Stream places at No. 5 on our list of the Best Live Streaming Services of 2024 and No. 2 in our rating of the Best Sports Streaming Services of 2024. It's offered by AT&T, which also sells DirecTV satellite TV service. As such, as one might expect, it delivers a very cable-like experience.
Large households where several people want to stream at once
Users who want Spanish-language channels or international channels from countries like Brazil or South Korea
A broad selection of sports and premium channels, if you’re willing to pay for a pricier package
Budget-conscious customers looking to get a robust selection for a relatively low price
Users looking to avoid extra fees that add up
Users who want to stream with a game console or certain smart TVs
For cord-cutters who prefer cable-like viewing options, DirecTV offers a robust line-up of more than 75 channels with its base plan. That comes at a price, however, as it’s one of the most expensive live-streaming services available.
Large households where several people want to stream at once
Users who want Spanish-language channels or international channels from countries like Brazil or South Korea
A broad selection of sports and premium channels, if you’re willing to pay for a pricier package
Budget-conscious customers looking to get a robust selection for a relatively low price
Users looking to avoid extra fees that add up
Users who want to stream with a game console or certain smart TVs
For cord-cutters who prefer cable-like viewing options, DirecTV offers a robust line-up of more than 75 channels with its base plan. That comes at a price, however, as it’s one of the most expensive live-streaming services available.
Professional reviewers praise DirecTV Stream for providing the most cable-like experience of any streaming service, in particular, because you can channel surf as you can with cable. However, at $74.99 per month, DirecTV Stream ties with Fubo as the most expensive option on our Best Live TV Streaming Services of 2024 list, so cord-cutters looking to save some money may not save much depending on what they’ve been paying for cable.
Regardless, DirecTV Stream does give you a lot for your money. Its base Entertainment plan comes with more than 75 TV channels, like TLC, TNT, Bravo, and CNN. You also get unlimited cloud DVR storage so you never miss an episode of your favorite show or a sporting event, and DirecTV Stream lets you stream to an unlimited number of screens.
While you can add premium channels and a sports package, there are benefits to choosing one of DirecTV Stream’s higher-tier plans. The Choice plan, which costs $99.99 per month, features more than 105 channels, including regional sports channels, so you can catch NBA, NHL, and MLB games, and the NFL Network. DirecTV also offers the Ultimate plan, with 140 channels for $109.99 per month, and the Premier plan, with 150 channels, including Max, Showtime, and Starz, for $154.99 per month.
Professional reviewers say DirecTV Stream is generally easy to use, although your mileage may vary depending on what device/interface you are using.
Bottom Line: For those wanting a cable-like experience through streaming and are willing to pay for it, DirecTV Stream could be a good option. Otherwise, cord-cutters might find more value with another service.
DirecTV Stream’s base streaming plan, called the Entertainment plan, is priced at $74.99 per month, making it one of the most expensive live-streaming services. For that price, you get 75+ channels, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and an unlimited number of screens on which to stream simultaneously.
DirecTV Stream - Entertainment Tier
$69.99
Per Month
Unlimited
Hours of Cloud DVR Space
75
Channels
In addition to its Entertainment plan, DirecTV Stream offers three other plans: the Choice plan for $99.99 per month, the Ultimate plan for $109.99 per month, and the Premier plan for $154.99 per month. As with the Entertainment plan, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage and screens. You also get additional TV channels, including regional sports channels: 105+ channels with the Choice plan, 140+ channels with the Ultimate plan, and 150+ channels with the Premier plan. In addition, you can add on premium channels at a discounted price with the Choice and Ultimate plans, while the Premier plan includes Max, Showtime, and Starz.
DIRECTV PLAN OPTIONS
Choice
Ultimate
Premier
Cost/Mo
$89.99
$104.99
$149.99
Channels
75+
140+
150+
Regional Sports Network
✓
✓
✓
Unlimited Devices
✓
✓
✓
Unlimited Cloud DVR
✓
✓
✓
DirecTV Stream Offers as free five-day trial for all its packages.
DirectTV Stream offers a free five-day trial for all of its plans. After that, you will automatically be billed at the normal price.
DirecTV Stream’s Entertainment plan comes with 75+ channels, including popular networks like Bravo, TLC, TNT, and AMC. It also offers six add-on sports packages, as well as premium channels. DirecTV Stream’s more expensive plans include regional sports channels and other additions, while its top-tier Premier plan includes premium channels.
Yes, all of DirecTV Stream’s plans include local ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and Fox TV channels.
College Sports
Professional Sports
NFL Network
DirecTV came in second on our rating of the Best Sports Streaming Services. As the name indicates, its Entertainment plan is focused on entertainment, but even this plan offers some sports channels like ESPN, ESPN2, and FS1, and you will be able to watch sports on your local network affiliates and TNT. However, big sports fans might want to opt for one of the other plans, as they will get regional sports networks like Bally Sports, as well as the MLB Network, and NBA TV. The top-tier Ultimate and Premier plans feature even more sports channels like FS2, NFL Network, and the NHL Network. DirecTV also offers six sports packs with which you can augment the Entertainment plan.
All of DirecTV Stream’s plans include the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and Fox, so you can see local news and broadcast TV shows.
DirecTV Stream can be streamed on most common streaming devices. You can watch using its app on Amazon Fire, Google/Android, and Samsung Smart TVs, as well as Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire streaming devices. You can also stream on your iOS and Android mobile devices using the app, and on your Mac and PC in your browser. Notably, you can’t watch DirecTV Stream using an Xbox or Playstation gaming console, so gamers may want to try another streaming service.
DirecTV vs. YouTube TV
YouTube TV tied for first place on our list of the Best Live Streaming Services of 2024, while DirecTV Stream came in fifth. Although the two offer very similar services, some noticeable differences account for YouTube’s higher ranking. While DirecTV costs $74.99 per month for its base Entertainment plan, YouTube’s basic plan (the only plan it offers) is slightly cheaper at $72.99 per month.
In addition, DirecTV Stream offers only 75+ channels, while YouTube TV service comes with 100+ channels, including a greater number of sports channels. YouTube also lets you create up to six different user profiles, while DirecTV doesn’t allow for any additional profiles besides the one main profile. Both services come with unlimited cloud DVR storage.
DirecTV’s main advantage is that it lets you stream to an unlimited number of screens simultaneously, while YouTube TV limits you to just three, although you can get unlimited screens if you opt for its 4K Plus add-on. Gamers should note that while YouTube TV works with Xbox and PlayStation consoles, DirecTV doesn't.
Coming in at No. 3, Hulu + Live TV tops DirecTV Stream on our list of the Best Live TV Streaming Services of 2024, and it’s easy to see why. Hulu + Live TV offers much more bang for your buck than DirecTV Stream. At $69.99 per month, Hulu is $5 cheaper than DirecTV. You get 90+ channels, compared to DirecTV’s 75+, including a wider selection of sports channels.
Both Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream come with unlimited cloud DVR storage and an unlimited number of screens on which to stream. However, while you get six different user profiles with Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream only has one main profile.
If this weren’t enough to make Hulu + Live TV a more attractive option, there is also its ample library of on-demand movies and shows, including award-winning original programming.
Yes, DirecTV Stream has parental controls. DirecTV allows you to restrict content based on rating. The account owner sets up all restrictions and can set a password to keep anyone else from adjusting the settings.
DirecTV Stream allows an unlimited number of devices to stream simultaneously.
Although it lets you stream on an unlimited number of screens, DirecTV Stream doesn’t offer multiple user profiles. This means everyone in your household will have to use the same account to save their favorites and DVRed shows.
Log into your DirecTV account online and click on “Manage my TV Subscription". Click “Cancel” and follow the prompts provided to continue canceling your service. After you've canceled, you will still have access to DirecTV through the billing cycle you've already paid for. You can't get a refund for prepaid service time by canceling.
Yes, DirecTV Stream puts no restriction on the amount of content you can save to its cloud DVR storage.
Express VPN
Using a VPN can help prevent your ISP from throttling your internet speed and allow you to stream DirecTV while traveling abroad. Although you may find other VPNs compatible, the only two from our list of the Best VPNs of 2024 that claim to work with DirecTV are ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.
At U.S. News & World Report, we rank the Best Hospitals, Best Colleges, and Best Cars to guide readers through some of life’s most complicated decisions. Our 360 Reviews team draws on this same unbiased approach to rate the products that you use every day. To build our ratings, we researched more than 24 on-demand streaming services and 12 live TV streaming services and analyzed 31 reviews. Our 360 Reviews team does not take samples, gifts, or loans of products or services we review. All sample products provided for review are donated after review. In addition, we maintain a separate business team that has no influence over our methodology or recommendations.
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