AT&T Just Killed Off DirecTV For Good

[Bader]

I give it 5 years and streaming services will be approaching current satellite prices, with worse performance.

OTT services have to actually compete with each other. YouTubeTV, Hulu Live, Sling, whoever else comes along have to fight for subscribers nationwide. When the price goes up I can cancel and hop to someone else with a couple of clicks, or just resub during fall/winter and not pay anything during the summer.

Cable providers carve out their own territory and agree to stay out of each other's way. Dish just lost it's main competition. This decision by AT&T will make traditional and satellite customer's lives worse.

 

[ruxCYtable]

AT&T's ownership of DirecTV has been a textbook example of mis-management. They'll probably screw up HBO before they're done as well.

 

[dmclone]

I thought I heard that the AT&T streaming requires a 2 year contract? Are they really that clueless? Sounds to me like they are trying to just move everyone to a directv type service without having the physical Dish.

 

[Bader]

I thought I heard that the AT&T streaming requires a 2 year contract? Are they really that clueless? Sounds to me like they are trying to just move everyone to a directv type service without having the physical Dish.

Looking at their website yea 24 mo agreement, price goes up in the second year, and they're still hiding regional sports fees so the sticker is lower. Hilarious.

 

[acoustimac]

I have always kept Dish for two reasons. First, tailgating. Having a dish on the RV was the cheapest way to get TV in the lots. Yes, you can do it via a phone (one connection at a time) but the data usage kills ya. Second, I tried out YouTube TV and even with high speed internet (I have 100MB) the audio and video rarely sync'd up. YouTube is clunky and having to scroll through all the channels to change (versus punching up a channel number) is a pain in the ass.

 

[cycloneG]

I have always kept Dish for two reasons. First, tailgating. Having a dish on the RV was the cheapest way to get TV in the lots. Yes, you can do it via a phone (one connection at a time) but the data usage kills ya. Second, I tried out YouTube TV and even with high speed internet (I have 100MB) the audio and video rarely sync'd up. YouTube is clunky and having to scroll through all the channels to change (versus punching up a channel number) is a pain in the ass.

You use the channel guide? I've had YouTube TV for a year and I don't think I've used the channel guide once.

 

[Isualum13]

I give it 5 years and streaming services will be approaching current satellite prices, with worse performance.

That's how this works, you kill the competition with lower prices and once you have a monopoly you raise the prices. Hopefully there are enough providers to keep prices relatively low.
Have to consider the cost of internet too though. When people got satelite tv high speed internet was non existent so that wasn't a cost families had. Now when paying for high speed internet and being able to use it to stream with a cheapish streaming service, it makes zero sense to have satelite tv too.
It does help that streaming services dont have the cost of launching satelites into orbit to keep prices down.

But until high speed internet becomes more available to rural areas, satelite tv will still have a market. It wasn't until a few years ago fiber optic got out to my parents house. Granted they got rid of their satelite service in the mid 90's so it wasnt a cost to them. Still had to mow around the giant satelite dish in the yard though. Racked my head so may times on that thing.

 

[brianhos]

I give it 5 years and streaming services will be approaching current satellite prices, with worse performance.

But the barrier to compete is so much less. Actual competition will keep prices down.

 

[BryceC]

Second, I tried out YouTube TV and even with high speed internet (I have 100MB) the audio and video rarely sync'd up. YouTube is clunky and having to scroll through all the channels to change (versus punching up a channel number) is a pain in the ass.

Honestly we had Century Link w/ 20 MB down and it was fine for us. No buffering ever and the picture was crystal clear. I was amazed at how well it works.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

I'd like to get rid of the dish that is still on my roof...they will probably be trendy collectables someday.

 

[heitclone]

I'd love to not have DTV but our rural internet and the fact that really only 1 streaming service offers anything close to what they do will keep us with them. Streaming services are catching up but they are hit or miss with the programming my family prefers. It's too pricey but we'd need to subscribe to multiple services to get what we get from DTV and that would make it a wash.

 

[aeroclone]

But the barrier to compete is so much less. Actual competition will keep prices down.

I think it will do so better than we have seen historically with cable, but i think the current streaming prices are an illusion. I think the streaming services are keeping prices artificially low to carve out market share. A huge chunk of your cable bill is covering the cost of programming. The cost to carry ESPN or HGTV or Disney is going to be about the same regardless of cable versus streamer. We are living in the good old days for streaming.

 

[NickTheGreat]

So, food is free if you have quick hands?

I once made a comment on a forum (maybe CF) about cord-cutting not completely working without pirating content. And I got lit up.

Seems like it's still true. Maybe a little less true, but still true.

 

[Jer]

I like Hulu a lot and pay ~$45/mo instead of $200/mo with DirecTV. We had them for probably 20 years and service kept decreasing as prices kept increasing. Without showing any loyalty to long-term customers, there was absolutely no reason to remain when we switched 9 months ago. I think AT&T made an even bigger mistake by announcing their new streaming service with basically the exact same costs and limitations as DTV... the only thing missing is the dish on the roof to get out of alignment.

 

[CTTB78]

We'd love to get rid of Dish but because of our internet service it just isn't possible.

This is where we are at. Slow Internet in the hills of SW Wisconsin doesn't allow us to stream, so we're stuck with Dish. $66.12/month.

 

[jbhtexas]

I give it 5 years and streaming services will be approaching current satellite prices, with worse performance.

Since consumers are addicted to TV, yeah, that will probably be the case.

 

[SoapyCy]

You use the channel guide? I've had YouTube TV for a year and I don't think I've used the channel guide once.

what do you do to change channels?

 

[cycloneG]

what do you do to change channels?

Select the show I want to watch from the Home screen or Library screen.

 

[STATE12]

Select the show I want to watch from the Home screen or Library screen.

Mine has gotten better over time with suggestions on the home screen based on viewing habits. Still spend the majority of time going through the guide if I don't have a specific DVR'd show I'm trying to watch. Key there is to rearrange/edit your guide to your preference. Throw the sports at the top of the list and hide anything you won't ever use.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

So, food is free if you have quick hands?

Someone else is broadcasting. Not my fault.