# ATT TV vs ATT Now



## FLWingNut (Nov 19, 2005)

I'm a 20 year D* subscriber but I'm thinking of dumping them. Rain fade is driving us nuts, we need new boxes, it just seems like a time to look around. I've done some searches around here but I'm still confused. I see Directv Now is now ATT TV Now. What's the difference between ATT TV and ATT TV Now? One needs a box? The website for ATT TV Now says I can get the Max package for 80/month, nothing about boxes but I can have three streams and cloud DVR, plus HBO and Cinemax. Seems like a good deal compared to the 120+ (with discounts) I'm paying D*. But I feel like I'm missing something here. Can someone break it down for me?


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

There are a few threads with that info, but here’s the simple look:

ATT TV Now - no contract, no box. The Max package is a good value if HBO/Cinemax are a value to you. Same goes for the rest of the channels in that package. If they fit what you want the value in the service is there.

ATT TV - 2 year contract, you get a box. You don’t need a box, but you get it anyway and it does work reasonably well. Subscription levels and prices are similar to DirecTV though not exactly so.


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

@lparsons21 pretty much gave a good quick overview of the two here is a bit more technical overview:

*Similarites:* Both AT&T TV and AT&T TV Now use the same app for devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, Apple TV devices, Android smpartphones/tablets, iOS devices (iPhones/iPads) and Chromecast. This allows all channel streams to be the same between the two. Also all the current packages have a Cloud DVR that allows you to record 500 Hours of programming and it keeps the recordings for up to 90 days maximum. They have the same local channels and RSNs based on market so it is a good idea to check the AT&T TV Local Channel & RSN Lookup Tool.

In some areas AT&T TV / AT&T TV Now may not have the full suite of locals like D* does. AT&T TV & AT&T TV Now doesn't carry local PBS and in some markets don't carry the local CW or MyNetworkTV affiliate like D*.

*Differences*
The differences mainly come down to the packages and pricing between the two:

*AT&T TV Now* is the no-contract, cord cutter option with the Plus package costing $55/mo and the Max package at $80/mo. Max gives you more national sports channels, Regional Sports Networks, CMT, Paramount Network, HBO Max and Cinemax. AT&T TV Now also has versions of Entertainment - Ultimate available with no RSN Fee and no contract but they are billed at their full rates. 
*AT&T TV* is positioned more as a new premium pay-TV provider similar to cable and satellite providers. This service requires you to use the 1 AT&T TV device they provide to you in order to prevent password sharing and allow your other in-home devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, Apple TV devices, Chromecast) to access your AT&T TV account. You can use your AT&T TV account via the AT&T TV app outside of your home anywhere on mobile & tablet devices. The AT&T TV device also provides the best user experience for this service and services as an all in one place to access all your apps. It is compatible with the newly launched HBO Max app. 
It's packages are similar to D*'s including channel #'s which are only used on the AT&T TV devices.
This service comes with a 24 month contract, the first year is discounted with the price increasing to regular rates in the second year. (i.e. Xtra package is $64.99/mo for the first year and goes up to $124/mo in the second.)
Only the *AT&T TV* service is subject to a Regional Sports Fee for Choice - Ultimate which is up to $8.49/mo.

Currently both services do not carry the NFL Network. AT&T TV Now's Plus and Max packages are also missing MLB Network, NHL Network and NBA TV. AT&T TV Now's Plus and Max packages are also missing popular channels from A+E Networks (A&E, History, Lifetime, etc.), AMC Networks (AMC, BBC America, IFC, etc.) and Discovery, Inc. (Discovery, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel, HGTV, Food Network, Science, etc.)

If you go with *AT&T TV Now* (or even Hulu + Live TV / YouTube TV) it's best to supplement one of these subscriptions with a cheaper streaming service to fill in missing channel gaps depending on your need.

*Complete Sports Option:* *AT&T TV Now Max pkg *($80/mo) + *Sling TV Blue w/ Total TV Deal* ($50) = $130/mo - This combo is the closest to a "Pay TV" bundle as you will get in the streaming world. This gives you the most complete lineup of locals, entertainment and sports. You also get premium content such as HBO+HBO Max and Cinemax included through AT&T TV Now and Epix Drive-In included through Sling TV Blue. 
If you go with this combo you will most likely get your RSNs through AT&T TV Now and Sling TV Blue w/ Total TV Deal will fill in any major gaps AT&T TV Now has. 

If you want the AT&T TV Now Max package, don't care much about sports but are missing channels from A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, Inc. and some ViacomCBS networks then you can compliment AT&T TV Now Max by getting Phio which is $20/mo bringing the total to $100/mo for those two streaming services.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

A quick correction Techguy. ATT does provide the box for the ATT TV service but you are not required to use it.


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## FLWingNut (Nov 19, 2005)

techguy88 said:


> @lparsons21 pretty much gave a good quick overview of the two here is a bit more technical overview:
> 
> *Similarites:* Both AT&T TV and AT&T TV Now use the same app for devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, Apple TV devices, Android smpartphones/tablets, iOS devices (iPhones/iPads) and Chromecast. This allows all channel streams to be the same between the two. Also all the current packages have a Cloud DVR that allows you to record 500 Hours of programming and it keeps the recordings for up to 90 days maximum. They have the same local channels and RSNs based on market so it is a good idea to check the AT&T TV Local Channel & RSN Lookup Tool.
> 
> ...


Thanks, much! Very helpful.


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## mjwagner (Oct 8, 2005)

techguy88 said:


> @lparsons21 pretty much gave a good quick overview of the two here is a bit more technical overview:
> 
> *Similarites:* Both AT&T TV and AT&T TV Now use the same app for devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, Apple TV devices, Android smpartphones/tablets, iOS devices (iPhones/iPads) and Chromecast. This allows all channel streams to be the same between the two. Also all the current packages have a Cloud DVR that allows you to record 500 Hours of programming and it keeps the recordings for up to 90 days maximum. They have the same local channels and RSNs based on market so it is a good idea to check the AT&T TV Local Channel & RSN Lookup Tool.
> 
> ...


Perhaps the same or consistent UI but they can't use the "same" app across Android OS based devices (like FireTV and Nvidia Shield) and devices that use completely different OSes like Roku and AppleTV.


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

lparsons21 said:


> A quick correction Techguy. ATT does provide the box for the ATT TV service but you are not required to use it.


Ah I was going based on their article for AT&T TV service. I've only used AT&T TV Now which doesn't require the AT&T TV device. Although I will say if anyone is ever tempted to get AT&T TV Now Max + Sling TV Blue w/Total TV Deal and buy a used AT&T TV device from eBay I can confirm the Sling TV app works well on the AT&T TV devices. I tried the Sling TV app on the AT&T TV device when they were running the Happy Hour special lol.


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## dhkinil (Dec 17, 2006)

We switched to ATT, but only got the cheapest package. We had Directv and we were paying $160 per month which was absurd since except for PBS we never watched anything that wasn't in the cheapest streaming package, which is $50 now, and $93 next year. I would bet that PBS will eventually be available, I am pretty sure D* Dish and every cable company solved any rights issue which, as I understand it it the holdup. I have no idea how much of HBO Max we will watch, but on the odd chance we ever deem it worthwhile we can keep it in the $15/month neighborhood. 

We have no rain fade (a big problem here, even with 90+% signal on pretty much every satellite and transponder) and we also never have any gaps like we had with the genie/client system. I also doubt I will be going to the bedroom window with a bucket of hot water (often two or three buckets) to clear the dish when it snows. Believe me, carrying a bucket of water across the bedroom has a very low WAF. We also have the PBS app and it would be nice if we could watch the newshour on the same day it airs, but that is not a big issue. Some things we get on PBS, for instance Press, we are able to watch before it goes on locally and some things on the app are never available over the air here. We also have a decent antenna so we can watch the newshour, just can't pause it. 

I would like NHL Network, but the crawl is so annoying I hardly watch. On the plus side the ATT boxes are android boxes so the NHL TV app is on the box. Weird that Netflix is available but Amazon isn't but both tv's have full streaming capability. 

We got two boxes, one for each tv, one was free, the other, one year $10/month and we own it, and the boxes allow you to pause, and catch up with a commercial skip. 

Directv was shut off on Sunday, and I can't anticipate ever missing it.


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

dhkinil said:


> We switched to ATT, but only got the cheapest package. We had Directv and we were paying $160 per month which was absurd since except for PBS we never watched anything that wasn't in the cheapest streaming package, which is $50 now, and $93 next year. I would bet that PBS will eventually be available, I am pretty sure D* Dish and every cable company solved any rights issue which, as I understand it it the holdup. I have no idea how much of HBO Max we will watch, but on the odd chance we ever deem it worthwhile we can keep it in the $15/month neighborhood.
> 
> We have no rain fade (a big problem here, even with 90+% signal on pretty much every satellite and transponder) and we also never have any gaps like we had with the genie/client system. I also doubt I will be going to the bedroom window with a bucket of hot water (often two or three buckets) to clear the dish when it snows. Believe me, carrying a bucket of water across the bedroom has a very low WAF. We also have the PBS app and it would be nice if we could watch the newshour on the same day it airs, but that is not a big issue. Some things we get on PBS, for instance Press, we are able to watch before it goes on locally and some things on the app are never available over the air here. We also have a decent antenna so we can watch the newshour, just can't pause it.
> 
> ...


While Prime Video and Hulu are not naively available you can cast any program from the apps to the AT&T TV device where the Prime Video & Hulu apps support Chromecast. I watched _The Man From The High Castle_ from Prime Video on my beta AT&T TV device by casting the show from my iPhone XR to the device. The built-in Chromecast feature worked very well when I tested it.


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## FLWingNut (Nov 19, 2005)

I laid out the channel in a spreadsheet between D* , ATTTVNow Max, Entertainment. and Choice. It looks like I can get most of what I need at the Choice level, but missing PBS and CW locals, plus the NFL and NHL Networks could make this a non-starter. Rain fade has become a major annoyance for the wife. Watching the news the other day, the rain fade hit during a story she really wanted to see and I thought her head would explode. Here in FL, RF is a major issue in the summer and we've been dealing with it for more than 20 years and she's just had enough. If this was a normal year, the lack of sports on ATTV now would end all discussion, but no one is playing anyway. I may not see hockey I care about until January. I have free ST this year thru D so I wanted to keep that if they are going to play, but who knows. Thanks, all.


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

FLWingNut said:


> I laid out the channel in a spreadsheet between D* , ATTTVNow Max, Entertainment. and Choice. It looks like I can get most of what I need at the Choice level, but missing PBS and CW locals, plus the NFL and NHL Networks could make this a non-starter. Rain fade has become a major annoyance for the wife. Watching the news the other day, the rain fade hit during a story she really wanted to see and I thought her head would explode. Here in FL, RF is a major issue in the summer and we've been dealing with it for more than 20 years and she's just had enough. If this was a normal year, the lack of sports on ATTV now would end all discussion, but no one is playing anyway. I may not see hockey I care about until January. I have free ST this year thru D so I wanted to keep that if they are going to play, but who knows. Thanks, all.


If you can receive your locals via an OTA antenna then a network OTA DVR would help resolve the locals issue. I'm actually looking into a Network OTA DVR solution right now since my local NBC and CW stations expanded their sub-channel lineups and I'm tired of the D* guide just saying "Regular Schedule" for all 7 new sub-channels with the LCC. The AM21 is worse in that I have to re-run the Antenna setup 5 different times with 5 different secondary zip codes just to get them to display with incorrect guide data.


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