This week on TechHive: DirecTV Now gets DVR, a new interface, and more
As of this week, DirecTV Now is no longer the only streaming bundle without DVR service.
In a long-awaited upgrade, DirecTV Now has added a cloud DVR “beta” that stores up to 20 hours of recording for up to 30 days at no extra charge. (A $10 per month option for 100 recordings hours and 90 days of storage is coming this summer.) That’s less generous than other streaming bundles–none of which enforce storage and time limits simultaneously–but it’s better than nothing.
Alongside the new DVR, DirecTV Now is adding an optional third simultaneous stream (for $5 per month), a larger on-demand video catalog, and the ability to watch live local broadcasts from your current location while you’re out of town. It’s also getting a revamped interface that makes finding your favorite programs easier.
Last week, I announced a separate newsletter called Advisorator, which looks beyond cord-cutting to make you a smarter tech consumer. Skip the all the business reporting, industry gossip, and superfluous product coverage you find on most tech websites, and get the tips and insights that really matter.
Ad-free YouTube’s upcoming price hike: Google is taking another shot at the streaming music business with a new service called YouTube Music. Simular to Spotify and Apple Music, YouTube Music will offer a large, ad-free music catalog for $10 per month when it launches on Tuesday.
Why am I talking about this on Cord Cutter Weekly? Google has already been offering a streaming music service under the umbrella of YouTube Red, which for $10 per month also includes ad-free YouTube videos, premium YouTube shows (such as the new Karate Kid spinoff Cobra Kai), and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. When YouTube Music launches next week, YouTube Red will go away, and all its non-music features will become a $2 per month “Premium” add-on for YouTube Music.
In other words, what used to cost $10 per month will instead cost $12 per month. You still have a chance to lock in the lower price, though. Just sign up for YouTube Red before Tuesday.
Roku’s week of streaming: If you’re looking to binge-watch something this weekend, Roku is streaming the first season of several popular shows from Showtime, Fox, and Epix, among others. These programs will be available for free through The Roku Channel until May 20 in celebration of “National Streaming Day,” a holiday that Roku made up four years ago.
I normally wouldn’t cover these kinds of promotions in the Weekly Rewind, but I think it’s a sign of where The Roku Channel is going. Roku is trying to turn the free app into a major content hub, helping networks and other content providers get discovered while monetizing the video through ads. While The Roku Channel mostly consists of older movies and TV shows today, the Streaming Day lineup is a step toward offering newer, more premium programming. (Besides, you should definitely start watching Billions if you haven’t already.)
More Catch-Up
FBI Warning: Some Roku users experienced a strange outage on Tuesday.
In light of DirecTV Now’s revamp, now’s a good time to reconsider the service’s device bundle deals. Prepay for three months of service (that’s a minimum of $105) and get an Apple TV 4K, which normally costs $179. Prepay for one month (a minimum of $35) and get a Roku Streaming Stick, which normally costs $50.
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