I see your questions.
Each and every time I post on my Facebook page or tweet about my crusade for a clean energy future, I see them.
There are always a few of you, asking why we should care about the temperature rising, or questioning the science of climate change.
I want you to know that I hear you. Even those of you who say renewable energy is a conspiracy. Even those who say climate change is a hoax. Even those of you who use four letter words.
I've heard all of your questions, and now I have three questions for you.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
Fakebook
Facebook is taking new measures to curb the spread of fake news on its
huge and influential social network, focusing on the "worst of the
worst" offenders and partnering with outside fact-checkers to sort
honest news reports from made-up stories that play to people's passions
and preconceived notions.
Fake news stories touch on a broad range of subjects, from unproven cancer cures to celebrity hoaxes and backyard Bigfoot sightings. But fake political stories have drawn attention because of the possibility that they influenced public perceptions and could have swayed the U.S. presidential election.
To start, Facebook is making it easier for users to report fake news when they see it, which they can now do in two steps, not three. If enough people report a story as fake, Facebook will pass it to third-party fact-checking organizations that are part of the nonprofit Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network.
The fact-checking organizations Facebook is currently working with are ABC News, The Associated Press, FactCheck.org, Politifact and Snopes. Facebook says this group is likely to expand.
Stories that flunk the fact check won't be removed from Facebook. But they'll be publicly flagged as "disputed" by third-party fact-checkers, which will force them to appear lower down in people's news feed. Users can click on a link to learn why. And if people decide they want to share the story anyway, they can — but they'll get another warning that it has been disputed.
By partnering with respected outside organizations and flagging, rather than removing, these disputed stories, Facebook is sidestepping some of the biggest concerns experts had raised about it exercising its considerable power in this areas. For instance, some worried that Facebook might act as a censor — and not a skillful one, either, being an engineer-led company with little experience making complex media ethics decisions.
Fake news stories touch on a broad range of subjects, from unproven cancer cures to celebrity hoaxes and backyard Bigfoot sightings. But fake political stories have drawn attention because of the possibility that they influenced public perceptions and could have swayed the U.S. presidential election.
To start, Facebook is making it easier for users to report fake news when they see it, which they can now do in two steps, not three. If enough people report a story as fake, Facebook will pass it to third-party fact-checking organizations that are part of the nonprofit Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network.
The fact-checking organizations Facebook is currently working with are ABC News, The Associated Press, FactCheck.org, Politifact and Snopes. Facebook says this group is likely to expand.
Stories that flunk the fact check won't be removed from Facebook. But they'll be publicly flagged as "disputed" by third-party fact-checkers, which will force them to appear lower down in people's news feed. Users can click on a link to learn why. And if people decide they want to share the story anyway, they can — but they'll get another warning that it has been disputed.
By partnering with respected outside organizations and flagging, rather than removing, these disputed stories, Facebook is sidestepping some of the biggest concerns experts had raised about it exercising its considerable power in this areas. For instance, some worried that Facebook might act as a censor — and not a skillful one, either, being an engineer-led company with little experience making complex media ethics decisions.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
should you buy refurbished electronics?
If you’re looking to save money on electronics, it is smart to consider a device that has been used—or at least opened—in exchange for a significant discount. Many manufacturers and retailers offer refurbished laptops, smartphones, and other electronics that have been returned, then repaired until they’re just like new, and finally put back on sale for less than list price.
Only a small number of refurbs—about 5 percent, according to a 2011 surveyby technology consulting firm Accenture—are defective. Some haven't even been touched by the original owner; they might have been returned because a delivery guy nicked the box during shipping.
In other cases, when there is a true defect, a retailer such as Best Buy sends the item to an authorized repair center or the manufacturer for inspection, repair, and repackaging. And, of course, repricing.
For a consumer, the savings can be substantial. At Best Buy, for example, you can purchase a refurbished Xbox One console for $180, a substantial discount on the original price of $299.
Kyle Wiens, CEO of tech repair site iFixit, thinks buying refurbished can be smart, even if you don't care about getting a deal. “Every computer I've ever bought has been a refurb,” he says.
He explains that refurbished electronics get a once-over from a technician, which doesn't happen with most new products, so they might be more reliable. Refurbs are also environmentally friendly—it's far less wasteful to repair and repackage an existing product than to manufacture a new one. “People have this fixation with new, and I don’t understand it,” Wiens says. “It’s a good buy. It’s better for everybody.”
Monday, December 12, 2016
Disney shuts down VidAngel
Walt Disney Co. won a court order shutting down a Utah-based video-streaming business that lets subscribers pay $1 to watch Hollywood movies stripped of nudity, violence and profanity.
A federal judge on Monday granted Disney’s request to halt VidAngel Inc.’s services while a lawsuit continues over whether the company’s business model is, as Disney alleges, an “end run” around copyright protections.
U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte Jr. in Los Angeles said in his order granting a preliminary injunction that Disney and two other movie studios have shown they’re likely to win on the merits of their claims and that they will be irreparably harmed if VidAngel is allowed to continue infringing their rights while the lawsuit is being decided.
“Hollywood studios have followed a repeated pattern in their decades-long campaign to put movie filtering services out of business by seeking a shut-down decision in trial court,” VidAngel Chief Executive Officer Neal Harmon said in an e-mailed statement. “We will aggressively pursue an appeal and take this case to a higher level where we have always believed we will ultimately prevail.”
Disney claims VidAngel operates as an unlicensed video-on-demand service. The company buys DVD and Blue-ray disc copies of newly released titles which it purports to sell to its customers, according to Disney. But instead of shipping the physical discs, VidAngel “rips” one disc to create a master-copy that can be filtered according to a customer’s preferences and streamed to their home, according to Disney. The customer can then “sell” the movie back after watching it.
This system allowed VidAngel to offer the latest Star Wars movie for $1 a day before it was available from licensed video-on-demand services, Disney said in its complaint filed June 9 along with Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. VidAngel subscribers can watch movies with only minimal filtering if they choose to, the studios claim.
“VidAngel flaunts its interference with exclusive windows as a competitive advantage over authorized services by expressly promoting titles that are available on VidAngel but ‘NOT on Netflix,’" Disney said. "VidAngel’s unrestrained conduct thus threatens the legitimate online distribution market."
VidAngel contends its business model is legal under the Family Movie Act, a 2005 law that authorizes for-profit companies to stream lawfully obtained movies for home viewing with objectionable content filtered out. Disney and the other major studios opposed this law that was directly intended to prevent studios from using litigation to block parental filtering they disliked, according to VidAngel.
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
testing internet speed
[2/10/17] A comment in this article, mentions testmy.net which is purportedly more accurrate than speedtest.net.
I'm testing on the Steven's Vista's laptop with FireFox while CNBC is playing live on my ipad. testmy.net tests download speed as 2.4, 2.5, 2.1. Speedtest.net got 2.65, 2.58, 2.58. That's pretty slow. Usually I get around 4.
OK, let's pause the CNBC video feed. testmy.net now gets 2.3, 1.5, 2.2. This time I ran the download and upload test. So just as bad or worse. Back to speedtest.net. 3.25, 3.09, 3.16. So speedtest a little faster. Which might be expected since speedtest is testing to a Oahu server, while testmy.net is using a server in Texas (Dallas is the one I notice now).
It could be that my internet is just slow today. I've been noticing lately that my landline phone has some noise on it. Let me unplug the modem and plug it back in. The phone line seems clear when I pick up and listen to the phone now (though I'm not talking to anyone).
OK, retest. No connection. What? Unplug and replug in. Try again.
Speedtest now gets: 3.63, 4.21, 4.17. That's more like it. testmy.net gets: 4.3, 4.1, 4.1. OK, I'm happy.
OK, now play CNBC live. testmy.net got: 0.7, 2.1, 0.2. And in the meantime, the CNBC video got stuck trying to load. Not happy.
Maybe it's temporary. I'll try again later.
OK, now playing Legends of Tomorrow on the CW app instead.
testmy.net got: 3.3, 3.3, 2.9. Pause Legends of Tomorrow. 3.2, 4, 3.6. speedtest: 4.09, 4.18, 4.11. That's about as good as I get on speedtest. Don't know why testmy.net is slower. Try again.2.9, 4.1, 4.0.
Resume Legends of Tomorrow. 4.1, 3.2, 4.0.
I dunno. Whatever. Good enough for my streaming.
[12/7/16] I've been using speedtest.net and Speakeasy to test my internet speed. But last night when I did a search for speed test, I see that google now has their own speed test. Not only does it test download and upload speed, it tests latency as well.
On my home dsl, I'm getting 3.84 mbps, 0.40 mbps, 174 ms; 4.10, 0.40, 358; 3.73, 0.38, 195 from a server in the San Francisco Bay area. (I'm supposed to be getting "up to" 7 mbps.)
There's also pingtest.net from the speedtest.net folks. It measures the quality of your connection giving measures of packet loss, ping, jitter. It uses flash and java, so I run it on firefox rather than chrome. I'm getting 3%, 34 ms, 4 ms / 8%, 34 ms, 3 ms / 3%, 38 ms, 9 ms. So the results vary (except for ping) when running tests back to back.
[7/12/08] I found out from Lori that the price for hawaiiantel DSL dropped for new customers and I called to see if I could get that price (and did!) Also noted that they are offering 3 Mbps speed for the low-end customers and I was getting sub 1.5. I called tech support they (re)set it up for me. I'm now up to 2.64 Mbps on the hawaiiantel speedtest!
[4/7/07 frwr-news] Another one is Speakeasy Speed Test which enables testing from a number of servers around the country (requires Macromedia Flash)
[4/4/07 frwr-news] Here's a test from the UK
[8/15/05] I have been using the McAfee speedometer for a while. I used to get like 1.2 or 1.3 mbps on my DSL, but lately I've been getting more like 500 kbps (for the times it works after my DSL went flakey).
While in the process of troubleshooting my DSL problems, the verizon tech told me to try two other sites. InfoSpeed and Midco. They both seem to give around 1.1 to 1.2 mbps (for the times when my DSL was working today) which is about what McAfee was giving me. Hey I'd even take 500 Kbps if they can keep my DSL working.
I'm testing on the Steven's Vista's laptop with FireFox while CNBC is playing live on my ipad. testmy.net tests download speed as 2.4, 2.5, 2.1. Speedtest.net got 2.65, 2.58, 2.58. That's pretty slow. Usually I get around 4.
OK, let's pause the CNBC video feed. testmy.net now gets 2.3, 1.5, 2.2. This time I ran the download and upload test. So just as bad or worse. Back to speedtest.net. 3.25, 3.09, 3.16. So speedtest a little faster. Which might be expected since speedtest is testing to a Oahu server, while testmy.net is using a server in Texas (Dallas is the one I notice now).
It could be that my internet is just slow today. I've been noticing lately that my landline phone has some noise on it. Let me unplug the modem and plug it back in. The phone line seems clear when I pick up and listen to the phone now (though I'm not talking to anyone).
OK, retest. No connection. What? Unplug and replug in. Try again.
Speedtest now gets: 3.63, 4.21, 4.17. That's more like it. testmy.net gets: 4.3, 4.1, 4.1. OK, I'm happy.
OK, now play CNBC live. testmy.net got: 0.7, 2.1, 0.2. And in the meantime, the CNBC video got stuck trying to load. Not happy.
Maybe it's temporary. I'll try again later.
OK, now playing Legends of Tomorrow on the CW app instead.
testmy.net got: 3.3, 3.3, 2.9. Pause Legends of Tomorrow. 3.2, 4, 3.6. speedtest: 4.09, 4.18, 4.11. That's about as good as I get on speedtest. Don't know why testmy.net is slower. Try again.2.9, 4.1, 4.0.
Resume Legends of Tomorrow. 4.1, 3.2, 4.0.
I dunno. Whatever. Good enough for my streaming.
[12/7/16] I've been using speedtest.net and Speakeasy to test my internet speed. But last night when I did a search for speed test, I see that google now has their own speed test. Not only does it test download and upload speed, it tests latency as well.
On my home dsl, I'm getting 3.84 mbps, 0.40 mbps, 174 ms; 4.10, 0.40, 358; 3.73, 0.38, 195 from a server in the San Francisco Bay area. (I'm supposed to be getting "up to" 7 mbps.)
There's also pingtest.net from the speedtest.net folks. It measures the quality of your connection giving measures of packet loss, ping, jitter. It uses flash and java, so I run it on firefox rather than chrome. I'm getting 3%, 34 ms, 4 ms / 8%, 34 ms, 3 ms / 3%, 38 ms, 9 ms. So the results vary (except for ping) when running tests back to back.
[7/12/08] I found out from Lori that the price for hawaiiantel DSL dropped for new customers and I called to see if I could get that price (and did!) Also noted that they are offering 3 Mbps speed for the low-end customers and I was getting sub 1.5. I called tech support they (re)set it up for me. I'm now up to 2.64 Mbps on the hawaiiantel speedtest!
[4/7/07 frwr-news] Another one is Speakeasy Speed Test which enables testing from a number of servers around the country (requires Macromedia Flash)
[4/4/07 frwr-news] Here's a test from the UK
[8/15/05] I have been using the McAfee speedometer for a while. I used to get like 1.2 or 1.3 mbps on my DSL, but lately I've been getting more like 500 kbps (for the times it works after my DSL went flakey).
While in the process of troubleshooting my DSL problems, the verizon tech told me to try two other sites. InfoSpeed and Midco. They both seem to give around 1.1 to 1.2 mbps (for the times when my DSL was working today) which is about what McAfee was giving me. Hey I'd even take 500 Kbps if they can keep my DSL working.
Monday, December 05, 2016
no bag boys?
Amazon.com on Monday said that it will open a bricks-and-mortar grocery store called Amazon Go,
an ambitious bid by the once-online-only retailer to gobble up more of
Americans’ shopping dollars by taking the fight more directly to
traditional supermarkets and big-box stores.
The store will be powered by a web of technology that allows customers to fill their shopping bags and walk out without going through a checkout process, a concept that has long been discussed in the retail industry but that has not been implemented at major U.S. stores. The idea is that it will shave time off the shopping experience. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, owns The Washington Post.)
Here’s how Amazon Go will work: Customers download an app and then swipe their smartphones as they walk through the store’s entrance. Then they start picking up groceries. In a process that the company does not describe except to say that it involves computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence, every item the shoppers tuck into their bags or carts is tracked on the phone. If an item is put back on the shelf, it’s deleted. As shoppers exit, their bill is calculated, a digital receipt appears on their phones, and their Amazon account is charged.
The store will be powered by a web of technology that allows customers to fill their shopping bags and walk out without going through a checkout process, a concept that has long been discussed in the retail industry but that has not been implemented at major U.S. stores. The idea is that it will shave time off the shopping experience. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, owns The Washington Post.)
Here’s how Amazon Go will work: Customers download an app and then swipe their smartphones as they walk through the store’s entrance. Then they start picking up groceries. In a process that the company does not describe except to say that it involves computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence, every item the shoppers tuck into their bags or carts is tracked on the phone. If an item is put back on the shelf, it’s deleted. As shoppers exit, their bill is calculated, a digital receipt appears on their phones, and their Amazon account is charged.
Saturday, December 03, 2016
Siri not talking?
I enabled Alexa on my Fire Tablet. (I guess. I entered the app and followed the prompts.) But how to use it? Ah, you have to press down the home button.
Hey, let me try Siri on my ipad. Haven't really used it all this time. How do you activate it? Ah, you have to press down the home button.
But Siri wasn't speaking to me. Only displaying text. I didn't see any easy answers by googling. But I finally figured it out. It's the settings in voice feedback.
Go to settings. General. Siri. Voice Feedback. Set it to Always On. It had been on Hands-Free Only.
(Actually, it was the number 1 answer here.)
Hey, let me try Siri on my ipad. Haven't really used it all this time. How do you activate it? Ah, you have to press down the home button.
But Siri wasn't speaking to me. Only displaying text. I didn't see any easy answers by googling. But I finally figured it out. It's the settings in voice feedback.
Go to settings. General. Siri. Voice Feedback. Set it to Always On. It had been on Hands-Free Only.
(Actually, it was the number 1 answer here.)
streaming the NFL
[12/1/16] CBS ALL Access adds NFL games, except on phone. So you can now watch all NFL games on streaming devices (including tablets but not phones), but you will need a subscription to CBS Access (assuming you live in an area where they telecast your local station live) as well as a subscription to cable or satellite (or Sling TV or Playstation Vue or DirecTV Live if you happen to live in an area where they carry live local channels. Playstation Vue also carries CBS (live only, but not On Demand) as well as Fox and NBC in a few areas. So in these areas, you wouldn't even need CBS All Access).
Or, of course, you can try an antenna for the CBS, Fox, and NBC games to watch on your TV.
[9/25/16] Interesting. Switched to my Apple TV and I see the Sunday game on their NBC Sports app. Checking the website, now I see the game. Checking my iPad, it's now on there too. I guess they just were slow putting it up.
Now trying out NFL Redzone on the Apple TV. Pretty neat. They switch from game to game when there's something interesting to watch (like when a team gets into the red zone). I wonder if they will carry the Sunday Night game? I wouldn't think so. Stay tuned.
Nope. No coverage of the Sunday Night (afternoon where I am), but they end the telecast with every touchdown made on the day. Pretty cool. OK, time to tune in to NBC.
[9/24/16] Don't see this Sunday's NFL game on the NBC Sports app. Not on my Fire TV, Roku, iPad, or even on the website. Maybe they don't carry anymore. I guess Fox and ESPN must have paid the NFL extra, because they carry it but not CBS and now apparently not NBC.
[9/12/16] CBS to stream NFL games this season. But you have be a Comcast Optimum subscriber. I checked the CBS Sports website and tried to log in to watch the CBS Sports Network live. There were three options available: Cox, Frontier, Optimum. So I assume those will be the three options to watch the NFL games on CBS.
Disappointly still not available for CBS All Access. Apparently discussions fell through.
Besides CBS, you can watch every other NFL game live on a streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV) -- if you have a cable subscription (Time Warner Cable or HawaiianTelcom anyway).
[But if you have cable subscription, why watch on a streaming device? Well for one thing, you might not have a cable box hooked up to every TV in your house. And of course, if you're watching on your phone or tablet, you can watch anywhere you have internet access.]
The Fox Sports app (not available on Apple TV 3) will show the Fox games (Sunday afternoon games).
The NBC Sports app (available on all three devices) will carry Sunday Night Football and some of the Thursday Night games.
WatchESPN (all devices) will cover Monday Night Football.
The NFL app (currently available only on Apple TV, Roku channel disappointingly not yet updated for this season, not available on Fire TV) will carry the Thursday Night games on the NFL Network (I assume).
***
So which device to use? In the pre-season, I was using the Apple TV to watch the NFL Network. Plus the CBS Sports app on the Apple TV has better fantasy football coverage than the app on the other devices (for some odd reason). However now that the season has started, I'm switching between devices since my Apple TV (3rd generation) doesn't have Fox Sports. I might switch to the Roku more when the NFL app gets updated for this season.
***
One more option. NFL Sunday Ticket. [not available in my area because I am able to get DirectTV.]
Or, of course, you can try an antenna for the CBS, Fox, and NBC games to watch on your TV.
[9/25/16] Interesting. Switched to my Apple TV and I see the Sunday game on their NBC Sports app. Checking the website, now I see the game. Checking my iPad, it's now on there too. I guess they just were slow putting it up.
Now trying out NFL Redzone on the Apple TV. Pretty neat. They switch from game to game when there's something interesting to watch (like when a team gets into the red zone). I wonder if they will carry the Sunday Night game? I wouldn't think so. Stay tuned.
Nope. No coverage of the Sunday Night (afternoon where I am), but they end the telecast with every touchdown made on the day. Pretty cool. OK, time to tune in to NBC.
[9/24/16] Don't see this Sunday's NFL game on the NBC Sports app. Not on my Fire TV, Roku, iPad, or even on the website. Maybe they don't carry anymore. I guess Fox and ESPN must have paid the NFL extra, because they carry it but not CBS and now apparently not NBC.
[9/12/16] CBS to stream NFL games this season. But you have be a Comcast Optimum subscriber. I checked the CBS Sports website and tried to log in to watch the CBS Sports Network live. There were three options available: Cox, Frontier, Optimum. So I assume those will be the three options to watch the NFL games on CBS.
Disappointly still not available for CBS All Access. Apparently discussions fell through.
Besides CBS, you can watch every other NFL game live on a streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV) -- if you have a cable subscription (Time Warner Cable or HawaiianTelcom anyway).
[But if you have cable subscription, why watch on a streaming device? Well for one thing, you might not have a cable box hooked up to every TV in your house. And of course, if you're watching on your phone or tablet, you can watch anywhere you have internet access.]
The Fox Sports app (not available on Apple TV 3) will show the Fox games (Sunday afternoon games).
The NBC Sports app (available on all three devices) will carry Sunday Night Football and some of the Thursday Night games.
The NFL app (currently available only on Apple TV, Roku channel disappointingly not yet updated for this season, not available on Fire TV) will carry the Thursday Night games on the NFL Network (I assume).
***
So which device to use? In the pre-season, I was using the Apple TV to watch the NFL Network. Plus the CBS Sports app on the Apple TV has better fantasy football coverage than the app on the other devices (for some odd reason). However now that the season has started, I'm switching between devices since my Apple TV (3rd generation) doesn't have Fox Sports. I might switch to the Roku more when the NFL app gets updated for this season.
***
One more option. NFL Sunday Ticket. [not available in my area because I am able to get DirectTV.]
Friday, December 02, 2016
DirecTV Now
[5/25/17] AT&T Inc.’s live online video service, DirecTV Now, has seen its growth stall in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter, raising questions about consumer demand for the growing number of new web-TV services entering the market.
By the end of January, two months after its debut, the cable-like TV service had surged to about 328,000 subscribers, according to people familiar with the matter. Yet DirecTV Now lost 3,000 customers in February, and its subscriber growth was roughly flat in March, the people said.
At a recent investor conference, AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said DirecTV Now initially “caught fire” after the launch, adding about 200,000 subscribers in December. That was “much faster than we were wanting to go,” Stephenson said at a JPMorgan Chase & Co. investor conference this week. “And so, we’ve kind of pulled back.”
*** [12/2/16]
AT&T is the latest company to offer a new alternative TV package that streams live broadcasts over the internet -- it's called DirecTV Now and for a limited time, customers can sign up for a promotional deal that offers more than 100 channels for $35 a month.
The service, which launches in the US on November 30, competes directly with Sling TV (from rival satellite company Dish) and Sony's PlayStation Vue, both of which offer similar streaming video packages. They're expected to be joined in 2017 by offerings from Hulu and Google's YouTube.
There's no word yet on how long DirecTV Now's $35 pricing deal will last, but standard pricing is broken down into four tiers:
Customers can get an Apple TV included with 3 months pre-paid of any DIRECTV NOW package. Apple TV features high-performance hardware and an intuitive and fun user interface using voice and the Siri Remote. For details, visit www.directvnow.com/appletv.
Customers can opt for an Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote included with 1 month pre-paid of any DIRECTV NOW package. For details, visit www.directvnow.com/FireStick.
By the end of January, two months after its debut, the cable-like TV service had surged to about 328,000 subscribers, according to people familiar with the matter. Yet DirecTV Now lost 3,000 customers in February, and its subscriber growth was roughly flat in March, the people said.
At a recent investor conference, AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said DirecTV Now initially “caught fire” after the launch, adding about 200,000 subscribers in December. That was “much faster than we were wanting to go,” Stephenson said at a JPMorgan Chase & Co. investor conference this week. “And so, we’ve kind of pulled back.”
*** [12/2/16]
AT&T is the latest company to offer a new alternative TV package that streams live broadcasts over the internet -- it's called DirecTV Now and for a limited time, customers can sign up for a promotional deal that offers more than 100 channels for $35 a month.
The service, which launches in the US on November 30, competes directly with Sling TV (from rival satellite company Dish) and Sony's PlayStation Vue, both of which offer similar streaming video packages. They're expected to be joined in 2017 by offerings from Hulu and Google's YouTube.
There's no word yet on how long DirecTV Now's $35 pricing deal will last, but standard pricing is broken down into four tiers:
- Live a Little: 60-plus channels for $35 per month
- Just Right: 80-plus channels for $50 per month
- Go Big: 100-plus channels for $60 per month (currently available for $35)
- Gotta Have It: 120-plus channels for $70 per month
- Subscribers can also add HBO or Cinemax to their account for an extra $5 per month, which is $10 less than the cost for HBO Now.
Like its competitors, DirecTV Now is an app that works on many existing
platforms. At launch, that includes Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices,
Android phones, iPhones and iPads, Vizio and LeEco smart TVs and PCs
and Macs with standard Web browsers. Support for Roku streamers and
Amazon Fire tablets is said to be coming in early 2017.
Unlike standard cable or satellite plans, there's no annual contract or
additional hardware needed (beyond one of the devices listed above). Of
course, you'll need a good broadband plan that can support HD video
streaming. (For AT&T users, DirecTV Now streaming won't count
against any data caps.)
Customers can get an Apple TV included with 3 months pre-paid of any DIRECTV NOW package. Apple TV features high-performance hardware and an intuitive and fun user interface using voice and the Siri Remote. For details, visit www.directvnow.com/appletv.
Customers can opt for an Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote included with 1 month pre-paid of any DIRECTV NOW package. For details, visit www.directvnow.com/FireStick.
For your convenience, we've created this chart that compares channel lineups for DirecTV Now, Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. It's arranged in
alphabetical order by channel name and lists availability according to
package tier.
***
DirecTV Now will launch on Nov. 30 with four tiers service with the lowest at $35 per month for 60-plus channels. There will be a limited time $35 introductory lifetime price for the $60 package with over 100 channels which could entice early adopters. While AT&T management had previously teased a 100-plus channel package for under $40 per month, such pricing is only for a limited time while permanent pricing is in line with the current offerings from Sony’s PlayStation Vue and Dish’s Sling services.
However, we still see several flaws with DirecTV Now. First, the service is still in negotiations with CBS, whereas Vue includes CBS On-Demand and local channel in select markets. Second, DirecTV Now currently lacks a cloud DVR option and only offers a limited ability to pause live TV, which we view as major deficiencies versus the more mature Vue service.
***
DirecTV Now will launch on Nov. 30 with four tiers service with the lowest at $35 per month for 60-plus channels. There will be a limited time $35 introductory lifetime price for the $60 package with over 100 channels which could entice early adopters. While AT&T management had previously teased a 100-plus channel package for under $40 per month, such pricing is only for a limited time while permanent pricing is in line with the current offerings from Sony’s PlayStation Vue and Dish’s Sling services.
However, we still see several flaws with DirecTV Now. First, the service is still in negotiations with CBS, whereas Vue includes CBS On-Demand and local channel in select markets. Second, DirecTV Now currently lacks a cloud DVR option and only offers a limited ability to pause live TV, which we view as major deficiencies versus the more mature Vue service.
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