How to get DirecTV Now
Compatibility List for the content-rich streaming service.
In May 2019, AT&T began offering $15 off for the first two months of DirecTV Now. (Promo code 15OFF2) – This streaming service, once full of errors and buffering problems is now actually quite good. You need two things to take advantage of DirecTV Now; robust internet service and compatible hardware.
We recommend at least 30 megabits per second internet speed to use DirecTV Now, but don’t be misled. That’s just for streaming the content. If you use internet for anything else like surveillance cameras, surfing the web, playing online games, smart-home functionality etc. then you would want a higher speed. A good rule of thumb is 10 Megabits/second per person per device for regular users and 20 for power users.
The DirecTV Now service requires a lot of computing horsepower and some proprietary circuitry. Not every smart device can handle it right out of the box. Even some devices that could potentially handle the processing load aren’t designed to do so. Sony for example has one of the fastest processors ever built into a television but it’s Android operating system doesn’t support DirecTV Now. What this means is you may not be able to download the app even if you have the latest and greatest TV. So what should you do?
TVs become obsolete. So do AV receivers and DVRs. That’s just technology. For this reason you should always consider using an external device sometimes referred to as a streaming appliance to deliver your content. They are often much faster and when parts of your system become obsolete you can replace the appliance with the latest model. Currently we recommend the fourth generation AppleTV 4K. It has a powerful A10X Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture. It’s the same chip found in the Apple iPad Pro and it clocks faster than the BRAVIA 4K chip. It also clocks faster than every other chip on the following DirecTV Now compatibility list:
- Amazon Fire TV Edition Smart TV
- Amazon Fire TV streaming player (2nd generation)
- Amazon Fire TV Cube
- Amazon Fire TV Stick (2nd generation)
- Chromecast Built-in TV (Select models only)
- Chromecast (2nd generation and higher on AndroidTM and iOS devices, Chrome browser)
- Roku (select models)
- Samsung 2017 & 2018 Smart TV models
The fourth generation AppleTV 4K can be integrated into virtually every system. In systems with soundbars or AV receivers one may also need some additional hardware and/or proprietary cabling to take advantage of the latest features. Control of the AppleTV interface is typically done with the included Apple touch-surface remote control but you may prefer to have a single, custom-programmed, universal, remote-control that controls the whole system.
The last question is content. What’s available on DirecTV Now and the upgrade DirecTV Now Max? Here’s a handy list for you:
| DirecTV Now channel lineup: | |
| DirecTV Now Plus: 40+ channels | DirecTV Now Max: 50+ channels |
| Cinemax | |
| HBO | HBO |
| HBO Family | HBO Family |
| HBO Latino | HBO Latino |
| ABC* | ABC* |
| AccuWeather | AccuWeather |
| Audience | Audience |
| BET | BET |
| Boomerang | Boomerang |
| Bravo | Bravo |
| BTN | |
| Cartoon Network | Cartoon Network |
| CBS* | CBS* |
| CBS Sports Network | |
| CMT | |
| CNBC | CNBC |
| CNBC World | CNBC World |
| CNN | CNN |
| Comedy Central | Comedy Central |
| CW* | CW* |
| Disney Channel | Disney Channel |
| Disney Junior | Disney Junior |
| Disney XD | Disney XD |
| E! | E! |
| ESPN | ESPN |
| ESPN2 | ESPN2 |
| ESPNEWS | |
| ESPNU | |
| Fox* | Fox* |
| Fox Business Network | Fox Business Network |
| Fox News Channel | Fox News Channel |
| Fox Sports 1 | Fox Sports 1 |
| Fox Sports 2 | |
| Freeform | Freeform |
| FX | FX |
| FX Movie Channel | FX Movie Channel |
| FXX | FXX |
| Golf Channel | |
| Hallmark Channel | Hallmark Channel |
| HLN | HLN |
| Longhorn Network* | |
| MSNBC | MSNBC |
| MSG* | |
| MSG+* | |
| MTV | MTV |
| My Network TV* | My Network TV* |
| Nat Geo WILD | Nat Geo WILD |
| National Geographic Channel | National Geographic Channel |
| NBC* | NBC* |
| NBCSN | NBCSN |
| Nickelodeon | Nickelodeon |
| Nick Jr. | Nick Jr. |
| Olympic Channel | |
| Ovation | Ovation |
| Oxygen | Oxygen |
| Paramount | |
| Pop | Pop |
| Revolt | Revolt |
| SEC Network | |
| SYFY | SYFY |
| TBS | TBS |
| TCM | TCM |
| TNT | TNT |
| TruTV | TruTV |
| TV Land | |
| Universal Kids | Universal Kids |
| USA Network | USA Network |
| VH1 | VH1 |
| YES Network* |
*To get a local network, your billing address must match that local market and your streaming device must be in the same location.
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