DirecTV Now to rebrand under AT&T TV family.

[goaliebob99]

No matter what product you end up getting both AT&T TV and DirecTV satellite will be around for some time. AT&T TV will most likely be for those on Fiber / Uverse / 5G or other high speed Internet options who can support multiple IPTV streams from both AT&T and 3rd Party Internet providers. For those who don’t have access to AT&T Internet services. As always DirecTV will remain available for the long term future. This is the Osprey box that is in beta.

More info at ATT.com/tv

“AT&T TV is our newest television experience that puts you in control. With access to live TV, thousands of titles on demand, 500 hours of Cloud DVR, and access to other apps like Netflix and Pandora, AT&T TV is your one-stop shop for all things entertainment.* AT&T TV comes with our 4K-enabled next-gen device and voice remote with the Google Assistant built-in.

*Req's separate subscription/login for Pandora & Netflix. Cloud DVR recordings expire after 90 days. Viewing in 4K req’s 4K TV and separate 3rd-party subscriptions. Check provider for 4K internet requirements.”


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[Claude Greiner]

So is this supposed to make people want to get streaming from them more?

Seriously the Directv name had better name recognition and people think of it as a premium streaming service.

AT&T, you just think your going to get ripped off. Plus lots of people hate AT&T

 

[NashGuy]

So is this supposed to make people want to get streaming from them more?

Seriously the Directv name had better name recognition and people think of it as a premium streaming service.

I think how one perceives the DirecTV brand is probably age-related. I'm right in the middle of Gen X and my guess is that I'm kind of on the dividing line. Boomers and those older may think of DirecTV as a premium brand. Millennials and those younger do not and definitely associate it with outdated technology that requires a rooftop dish and a 2-year contract, which screams "stay away, stay far away!"

I'll admit that "AT&T TV" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue but I think it was the right move. The name immediately indicates that this is the company's flagship cable TV service and because AT&T is associated with internet connectivity (both wireless mobile and wired home internet), one might assume that AT&T TV is internet-based.

Also, brands communicate ideas subconsciously that a lot of consumers may not even realize. Typically, if you take an existing brand and then append another word to it, unless that extra word is a superlative of some sort (like super, max, pro, etc.), then what you're indicating is that this new brand is an inferior derivative of the original brand. Is Bud Light the real deal like Bud is? Is DirecTV Now the full-blown TV service that DirecTV is? In both cases, no. The original brand with the shorter name is the superior offering. It's the same now with AT&T TV vs. AT&T TV Now. The word "now" isn't necessarily bad; it's kind of meaningless, really. But perceptive consumers pick up that "Oh, it's not quite as good in some way. It's not the real deal."

That's why it would've been a mistake to name their new flagship service something like "DirecTV Stream" instead of AT&T TV. And there would have still been the uphill battle to educate consumers that "No, this new service does NOT require a rooftop dish or a 2-year contract but it does require an internet connection." People already know exactly what DirecTV is. It's a satellite TV service. Best to just let that brand slowly die along with satellite TV in general.

 

[Claude Greiner]

That’s the problem, the brand is slowly dying and being replaced with AT&T.

The problem is there is not going to be anything left and it will be totally unrecognizable.

I honestly think they would have been better to keep it as “Directv” and started a big campaign you no longer need a Dish.

Show it as traditional cable as with U-verse, streaming and with a dish.

 

[mdram]

I think how one perceives the DirecTV brand is probably age-related. I'm right in the middle of Gen X and my guess is that I'm kind of on the dividing line. Boomers and those older may think of DirecTV as a premium brand. Millennials and those younger do not and definitely associate it with outdated technology that requires a rooftop dish and a 2-year contract, which screams "stay away, stay far away!"

i disagree with this

directv does mean satellite. but for anyone that lives in a rural area, thats a good thing
we know we can get service. dont care about a contract, and the tech is not outdated.

if its called att, it says its in a limited area, requiring some sort of cable to your home.

 

[goaliebob99]

i disagree with this

directv does mean satellite. but for anyone that lives in a rural area, thats a good thing
we know we can get service. dont care about a contract, and the tech is not outdated.

if its called att, it says its in a limited area, requiring some sort of cable to your home.

I personally would like to see them develop a version of the Osprey box for DirecTV. Churn would be significantly lower if ATT offered something like that. The goal should be to keep ATT products on input 1. I'm sure people are more likely to watch your product if they have access to things like Netflix, Hulu, ect through your equipment. DirecTV doesn't even compare to the Hopper or Comcast's X1 platform.

 

[mdram]

I personally would like to see them develop a version of the Osprey box for DirecTV. Churn would be significantly lower if ATT offered something like that. The goal should be to keep ATT products on input 1. I'm sure people are more likely to watch your product if they have access to things like Netflix, Hulu, ect through your equipment. DirecTV doesn't even compare to the Hopper or Comcast's X1 platform.

see i would prefer they work on a sat only box, ignore all the internet and web fluff.
its not usable unless you have broadband, and not all sat customers do.

 

[Juan]

Why do they need new sat boxes?

see i would prefer they work on a sat only box, ignore all the internet and web fluff.
its not usable unless you have broadband, and not all sat customers do.

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[navychop]

I think the idea to have one box that can do satellite and also do streaming, proprietary and open, is a good one.


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[mdram]

Why do they need new sat boxes?

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because the genie 2 is horrible. a 7 tuner limit is a downgrade for many people.
and clients are just worthless imho

 

[Tampa8]

see i would prefer they work on a sat only box, ignore all the internet and web fluff.
its not usable unless you have broadband, and not all sat customers do.

I don't see them spending money and resources for a service they themselves said are not in their long term future. Losing so many subs isn't an invitation do to so either when the receiver isn't the reason they are leaving.

 

[mdram]

I don't see them spending money and resources for a service they themselves said are not in their long term future. Losing so many subs isn't an invitation do to so either when the receiver isn't the reason they are leaving.

and thats where i differ
with 15% of the country only having 2 choices, its a better area to concentrate on.
set yourself apart and above the one other option

why compete with dozens when you can compete with one

 

[Juan]

People are dropping pay tv in droves

and thats where i differ
with 15% of the country only having 2 choices, its a better area to concentrate on.
set yourself apart and above the one other option

why compete with dozens when you can compete with one

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[Tampa8]

and thats where i differ
with 15% of the country only having 2 choices, its a better area to concentrate on.
set yourself apart and above the one other option

why compete with dozens when you can compete with one

You and I may see it that way but At&t does not. I am a "Satellite for everything" person, TV, Radio, etc. It's the best method other than AM radio for communication if reliability is important. As of right now even better than OTA for many for the four networks. I want to have an alternative if some day I decide to not use DISH. There will be no more satellites launched as I understand it, the President has said satellite is not in their long term plans, I think the writing is on the wall and I would be surprised if they come out with new sat receivers now unless they were already nearly ready to be released. Even then I don't think you would see them. Obviously we don't know, I don't know but it sure looks that way.

 

[mdram]

People are dropping pay tv in droves

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where people have options

remember options are not available everywhere

people fail to understand this if they have never lived in areas without broadband.

 

[mdram]

You and I may see it that way but At&t does not. I am a "Satellite for everything" person, TV, Radio, etc. It's the best method other than AM radio for communication if reliability is important. I want to have an alternative if some day I decide to not use DISH.

and that is why att buying directv was a mistake for directv customers in the long run

 

[NashGuy]

I personally would like to see them develop a version of the Osprey box for DirecTV. Churn would be significantly lower if ATT offered something like that. The goal should be to keep ATT products on input 1. I'm sure people are more likely to watch your product if they have access to things like Netflix, Hulu, ect through your equipment. DirecTV doesn't even compare to the Hopper or Comcast's X1 platform.

Funny you should say that because, not long after Variety first reported that the Osprey C71 box had passed through the FCC and I began looking into it in fall 2017, I speculated that this box was designed to work not only with AT&T's upcoming OTT service (i.e. AT&T TV) but also with DirecTV satellite. Look at the naming convention: C71. How does DirecTV name their models? With numbers that increase by 10 with each successive generation. This strongly suggests that the C71 is the successor to the current Genie Mini C61. The original user manual for the C71 submitted to the FCC even mentioned that it might be used in conjunction with a future "HS27," which of course sounds like the successor to the current HS17 satellite TV home server that is the hub for the C61 clients at each TV in the home.

I do think that the abominable app platform on DirecTV receivers is part of the service's problem. It's simply table stakes now that a decent cable TV provider have *at least* a Netflix app built into their box (and YouTube, Prime Video, etc. are nice too). What does the Genie have? Let's see... apps for ESPN and The Weather Channel, I think? Super weak.

So we'll see if the C71 box gets deployed for satellite TV subs. Might have to be only on new installs that get a new HS27 server, or perhaps the HS17 firmware could just be updated to allow it to work with the C71. But beyond the technical questions, there's a business decision. Does AT&T want to encourage folks with home broadband (i.e. the only folks who could benefit from all those Android TV apps that the C71 can run) to use DirecTV satellite? I don't think they do. I think their reasoning is "If you have broadband, then you're a candidate for using AT&T TV. And we want to migrate as many of our customers over to this new platform as possible because we may eventually sell off what's left of the DirecTV business. So why would we do anything to make DirecTV more attractive to those folks? Let's keep the C71 exclusive to AT&T TV." And if you look at their webpage for AT&T TV, you can see that the box is a BIG central selling point for the service. (BTW, that's why they're forcing subscribers to take one of the boxes rather than just being able exclusively access it via the AT&T TV app. It's just a marketing thing. But if you hate the idea of taking the box, they'll sell you AT&T TV Now.)

 

[NashGuy]

i disagree with this

directv does mean satellite. but for anyone that lives in a rural area, thats a good thing
we know we can get service. dont care about a contract, and the tech is not outdated.

DirecTV is not going to abandon their customers, especially those in rural areas. AT&T leaders stated last year that they foresee the marketing emphasis for DirecTV shifting to rural areas. Hopefully folks who live in certain (rural) zip codes will qualify for a bundling discount if they combine DirecTV with either AT&T wireless or landline phone service. (These would be areas where AT&T doesn't offer home broadband service and they realize that perhaps no company does.)

I know that I trash talk satellite TV as outdated technology but it does have a real competitive advantage over any other form of TV delivery: it can reach folks pretty much anywhere across the USA, including lots of places without decent internet access (yet). So there will continue to be a need for DirecTV and/or DISH for years to come. But I think that fans of satellite TV should reconcile themselves to the fact that its subscriber numbers will continue to fall, much faster even than other forms of cable TV service.

 

[Don in CT]

and that is why att buying directv was a mistake for directv customers in the long run

I want my TV bill to say DirecTV, not another ATT bill that looks like a phone bill.

 

[Juan]

The entire pay tv industry is collapsing...just too dang expensive

DirecTV is not going to abandon their customers, especially those in rural areas. AT&T leaders stated last year that they foresee the marketing emphasis for DirecTV shifting to rural areas. Hopefully folks who live in certain (rural) zip codes will qualify for a bundling discount if they combine DirecTV with either AT&T wireless or landline phone service. (These would be areas where AT&T doesn't offer home broadband service and they realize that perhaps no company does.)

I know that I trash talk satellite TV as outdated technology but it does have a real competitive advantage over any other form of TV delivery: it can reach folks pretty much anywhere across the USA, including lots of places without decent internet access (yet). So there will continue to be a need for DirecTV and/or DISH for years to come. But I think that fans of satellite TV should reconcile themselves to the fact that its subscriber numbers will continue to fall, much faster even than other forms of cable TV service.

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