This week on TechHive: All about DirecTV Now

After months of hype with little substance, AT&T has launched DirecTV Now, a bundle of streaming channels that will compete with Dish’s Sling TV and Sony’s PlayStation Vue.

The launch price is unbeatable–$35 per month for more than 100 channels–but it turns out that’s just a limited-time deal. Although you can lock in the low rate by signing up now, DirecTV Now is a work in progress, with no DVR features, no Roku app, limited availability for live local channels, and the usual glitches that come with a brand-new streaming service.

I’ll be working on a review of DirecTV Now this month, but in the meantime I put together an explainer with all the channel listings, details, and caveats. Read the full column at TechHive.

Weekly Rewind

DVR for Sling TV: Just before AT&T’s big DirecTV Now reveal, Sling TV dropped some news of its own: The service is getting a cloud DVR feature, letting users save programs online and watch them from any other supported device. And unlike the cloud DVR that’s part of Sony’s PlayStation Vue service, Sling TV recordings won’t have a 28-day limit.

There are some catches, though: As Variety reports, DVR won’t be available on ABC, Disney, or ESPN channels, and users will have limits on how much they can record. It’s also unclear whether Sling will charge extra for the service. For now, the company is giving Roku users 100 hours of recording time as part of an invite-only beta this month.

Android TV home screen bloat (and how to fix it): The best time to write a geeky, self-indulgent column is when no one’s reading. So last week, just before the Thanksgiving break, I wrote all about how to bend the home screen to your will on Android TV devices, such as the Xiaomi Mi Box and Nvidia Shield. Both devices use their home screens as promotional opportunities, giving certain apps higher billing and preventing users from putting everything in one place. But with a little work, you can rearrange things to your liking, or even install an alternative home screen launcher, just like you can on Android phones.

More Catch-Up

Save More Money

If you missed all the streaming device deals from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Sling TV is giving you one shot at redemption: You can now get a free 2016 Roku Streaming Stick with just one month of prepaid service. Sling’s service starts at $20 per month, and the Roku stick retails for $50, effectively making this the biggest discount we’ve seen on my favorite budget media streamer.

Thanks for reading!

December is usually when the tech industry starts to wind down for the year, but we’ll have plenty to talk about in the coming weeks between DirecTV Now and Sling TV’s DVR feature. Good thing I’m feeling recharged after last week’s break.

Do you have any stories you’d like me to tackle? Need advice on your cord cutting setup? Have a success story you’d like to share? Feedback on this newsletter? Drop me a line by responding to this email.

Until next week,
Jared