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Latest DIRECTV app plus upcoming online-only package is the holy grail of cord cutting

If you’ve been waiting for the all-in-one mobile TV solution that will let you finally get rid of your old-fashioned cable TV subscription, the latest DIRECTV app together with AT&T’s promised streaming services look set to at last make it a practical proposition.

The latest DIRECTV app lets you watch both live and recorded shows anywhere – including the ability to download shows from your home DVR to your mobile device to watch without a net connection. And if you’re on AT&T, DIRECTV streaming doesn’t use up your mobile data allowance.

Right now, you still need the cable connection and home DVR box, but that looks set to change in the final quarter this year …

AT&T announced back in March that it would be launching two new online packages designed specifically for cord-cutters.

DIRECTV Now
The company plans to offer a range of content packages, including much of what is available from DIRECTV today — on-demand and live programming from many networks, plus premium add-on options. Customers will be able to access the service over a wired or wireless Internet connection and on Internet-enabled devices. Consumers can simply sign-up for the service, download the app and begin watching.

DIRECTV Mobile
This affordable offer will deliver a mobile-first user experience for people wanting to watch premium video and made-for-digital content directly on a smartphone, regardless of the wireless provider. Consumers can start watching video immediately after the same simple sign-up and app-download process.

There will also be a third ‘Preview’ package which will provide limited content with ads.

The big unknown, of course, is cost. While mobile viewing is one reason people want to cut the cord, high subscription costs are another. AT&T hasn’t yet given any indication what it plans to charge for the new streaming services.

The company also hasn’t given a specific launch date beyond stating that streaming subscriptions will begin in Q4, but if you already have a DIRECTV subscription and want to be able to download TV shows from your DVR to watch on your iPad, you can download the latest app from iTunes today. You’ll need a DIRECTV HR44 Genie Server, available from Amazon for $121.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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