DIRECTV Stream (previously known as AT&T TV) offers live television and movies and television shows that you can watch through the internet instead of through a satellite dish. But how exactly does DIRECTV Stream deliver content? Throughout this guide, you will learn important aspects of DIRECTV Stream operation.
Getting Content Through the Internet, Not Satellite
While DIRECTV satellite is a linear pay-TV service where the content is transmitted through satellite signals, DIRECTV Stream is an entirely streaming service that relies on the internet. That means all your content, live linear channels, on-demand libraries, and DVR recordings are delivered over your home broadband connection or mobile network.
So instead of pointing a satellite dish to receive signals from the sky, all you need for DIRECTV Stream is:
- A home or mobile broadband internet connection
- It can be used with a streaming device such as a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, or an Android/iOS smartphone.
If you have a good and stable internet connection, then streaming services like DIRECTV Stream can offer the quality of the content that cable or satellite providers offer, but without equipment installation.
How Content Delivery Works?
DIRECTV Stream works with the help of the “over-the-top” platform that is used for broadcasting videos through the internet. Here's an overview of how it works:
1. DIRECTV Stream allows you to sign up for a package through their website or via the company’s app.
2. Your account enables you to log into the cloud content servers of DIRECTV Stream.
3. The DIRECTV Stream app accesses these servers through the Internet.
4. The servers then encode and transmit videos according to your device compatibility and Internet connection speed.
5. Your device demultiplexes and plays the video stream on your TV
This fully IP-based solution enables DIRECTV Stream to offer thousands of live channels and tens of thousands of on-demand assets across nearly any Internet-connected device.
Streaming Packages That Mirror Cable
Unlike some streaming services that offer only on-demand libraries, DIRECTV Stream focuses on live TV streaming in packages that closely resemble traditional cable or satellite:
Entertainment - 60+ channels like TNT, ESPN, HGTV, Cartoon Network
Choice - 90+ channels adding regional sports, news channels, kids channels
Ultimate - 130+ channels with all the top cable networks
Premier - 140+ channels featuring premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime
You also have a choice to include Spanish packages and/or other premium channels. This gives you cable-like bundles focused on live broadcasts including news, sporting activities, and entertainment.
Cloud DVR Functionality
Another benefit of the internet-streamed DIRECTV Stream is that users can record as many shows and movies as they want to an unlimited cloud DVR that is compatible with all devices. Here are some of its capabilities:
- Record several programs at the same instance
- They can be accessed from anywhere with the help of a mobile application or a web interface.
- Suggestively, retain the recordings for 90 days.
- Live TV with replay, pause, and rewind options
As there is no requirement to have DVR equipment, viewers can accumulate a large amount of shows and movies in the cloud to be enjoyed on a viewer’s time preference which is one of the key advantages of OTT delivery.
Streaming Capabilities to Match Your Connection
One disadvantage of internet delivery is that streaming performance is dependent on your network conditions. DIRECTV Stream uses adaptive bitrate video streaming that helps it adjust the quality of the stream depending on the network available bandwidth and devices used.
What that means is that DIRECTV Stream will adjust the quality of streaming, or the frame rates to ensure that the client does not encounter issues such as buffering and playback issues. While the pictures on the site may be clear or blurry at times, the overall service is still functional and one can still navigate through the site even with a slow internet connection.
Bringing a Full Cable Experience Over the Internet
Started as a satellite TV company, DIRECTV has grown into an internet TV company by way of DIRECTV Stream and technology. Combining live cable packages with on-demand cloud DVR, all delivered efficiently through IP, DIRECTV provides cord-cutters with almost all they would expect from a top-notch pay-TV service.
So in summary that is a high-level overview of how DIRECTV Stream uses today’s streaming and broadband facilities to broadcast a powerful cable package to consumer’s most used gadgets.
Transform your viewing experience with DirecTV! Call us today at +1 855-213-2250 to explore our plans and find the perfect package for you. Our experts are ready to assist you and get you set up with top-notch entertainment. Don’t wait—contact us now!
