A couple of months ago, DIRECTV gave us all an early holiday gift. They took the existing DIRECTV Stream app and updated it so that it works for DIRECTV Satellite customers. (I wrote a review here.) The app is great, honestly. It’s almost all the channels in your programming package, without having to switch inputs on your TV. You can even watch most programs you’ve recorded on your home DVR. Considering the app is 100% free and can be used on 5 devices at once, it’s a heck of a benefit.
This is why we can’t have nice things
Even though this app is free, and it works great, there are folks who aren’t 100% satisfied. Yes it’s true, you don’t get every channel and you can’t watch every recording. What’s more, when you do watch recordings, you’ll find that in most cases you can’t skip commercials! I can imagine some folks getting pretty upset about that, especially if they’re considering the app as a replacement for a Genie client or receiver. There’s a reason, though.
When you are watching using the DIRECTV app on your streaming box, you’re not getting information from your own DVR. You’re streaming it from DIRECTV’s servers. You see, the app may act like a client box in many ways, but it’s not interacting with your home satellite equipment at all. That’s also why you can’t get every single channel in your programming package.
I suspect it was done this way to get the app into people’s hands faster. Building an app that actually connected to your home equipment probably took more time than they had.
So, when you watch something on your playlist from the app, you’re accessing the on-demand version of that program. DIRECTV’s contracts with the different content providers sometimes include rules that mean you can’t skip commercials. It’s just the built-in cost of having that big on-demand library, and it’s something you see in other pay-TV providers as well.
Will this ever change?
I think it will. I believe DIRECTV is working on a true client app for streaming devices. At this point it would be kind of silly for them not to be, honestly. Their pay-TV competitors have such apps like that already. They save the company money by cutting down on manufacturing costs, and people want these apps.
I think it’s only a matter of time until the DIRECTV app for streaming devices actually connects to your home satellite equipment and lets you watch things recorded on your DVR. At that point I also expect that the app will let you watch all the channels you get on satellite, since you’ll be getting them from your own satellite dish.
In the meantime…
If you’re ready to upgrade your DIRECTV experience or you just need something like a spare remote, there’s one place you can go! Shop at Solid Signal for the same exact parts and accessories that DIRECTV techs have in their vans. If you want personal attention, call the experts! We’re DIRECTV dealers and have access to the same computer systems as the overseas call centers. The only difference is, we’re here in the US and we’re ready to give you the kind of service you deserve!
Call 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours and we’ll make sure you’re taken care of. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
