Directv Now DVR Reviews
Directv Now Reviews
Directv Now Dvr: After an extended period with a beta service, DirecTV Now rolled out its True Cloud DVR service in August 2018. The service offers 20 hours of cloud DVR and the option to upgrade for additional space.
DirecTV Now has undergone significant changes in recent weeks, introducing two new channel packages and raising the cost of its existing offerings. Thankfully, the service will continue to offer free cloud DVR, but the feature still has room to grow. Here’s everything you need to know about DVR on DirecTV Now: how much it costs, how it works, and where it falls short.
Does Directv Now Have Dvr
Currently, DirecTV Now’s DVR service is free for all subscribers, giving everyone 20 hours of space. Extra recording space is reportedly going to be available in the future for an additional fee, but details on pricing are pending. Membership to DirecTV Now starts at $40 per month.
How DirecTV Now DVR features work
DirecTV Now has a cloud DVR that works across all your devices, letting you watch on-the-go or at home with ease. DirecTV Now’s DVR uses the same familiar DVR interface as classic Direct TV and other traditional DVRs. Users select the program they’d like to watch, hit record, and wait until later.
The 20-hour limit is frustrating, but there’s a way around it to catch your favorite show. For the times you forget to set your DVR, or you’re running out of space, DirecTV Now also has a DVR-like feature called 72-hour Lookback. If you forget to record something, many channels on DirecTV Now support this feature, which lets you watch programs that have aired in the last 72 hours. At press time, only the following DirecTV Now channels support 72-hour.
DirecTV Now DVR limitations
We’ll repeat this: 20 hours of DVR recording space isn’t enough. Of course, you won’t have a ton of time to fill it, since recordings get deleted after 30 days. When you run out of DVR space, your oldest recordings will be automatically deleted to make room for new shows. If you run out of space and want to protect a favorite show, you can delete old records in the My Library section of your account.
According to DirecTV Now customer support, the company is planning on adding a second-tier offering 100 hours of DVR space soon, but no pricing details are currently available.
DirecTV Now DVR local channels
DirecTV Now’s cloud DVR doesn’t face any hard local channels restrictions, but that doesn’t mean you won’t run into blocked shows. Some sporting events are blacked out from local affiliates by the teams. Also, DirecTV Now doesn’t have deals in every market that include DVR for local affiliates, so your local channels may not be able to record. Unfortunately, DirecTV Now doesn’t list which areas are subject to these restrictions. Thankfully, DirecTV Now does offer a free trial subscription, so you have time to see if this is an issue for your family.
Directv Now Dvr Release Date
DIRECTV NOW could stand to offer better promotions and more channels, but instead, it’s chosen to increase prices while thinning out its content. It used to be one of the best live TV streaming service providers, but after the recent changes, we’re left scratching our heads.
On the plus side, if you’re switching from traditional cable or satellite TV, you won’t have to pay extra fees or sign up for a contract—but does that make DIRECTV NOW a good deal?
DIRECTV NOW packages and pricing
More packages, but higher prices.
You can still get some of the top channels in its lower-priced packages, but currently, DIRECTV NOW’s base package is the most expensive out of any we’ve reviewed.
Unlike Sling TV’s pricing structure, DIRECTV NOW makes sense because the more you spend, the more you’ll get without losing channels in lower-priced packages.
DIRECTV NOW packages and pricing
| Plan name | Price | Channels | Details |
| PLUS | $50/mo. | 47+ channels | Free 7-day Trial |
| MAX | $70/mo. | 80+ channels | Free 7-day Trial |
| ENTERTAINMENT | $93/mo. | 100+ channels | Free 7-day Trial |
| CHOICE | $110/mo. | 120+ channels | Free 7-day Trial |
| XTRA | $124/mo. | 130+ channels |
Free 7-day Trial |
| ULTIMATE | $135/mo. | 141+ channels |
Free 7-day Trial |
*Price and channel inclusion vary according to location.
DIRECTV NOW has a straightforward pricing structure where the more expensive a plan is, the more channels you’ll get, and all without sacrificing channels included in the lower-tier packages along the way.
Game of Thrones fans, rejoice! Two of the least expensive packages include HBO (for the time being). Unfortunately, this offer doesn’t extend to the higher-priced packages. HBO is currently an $11 per month add-on for those packages.
MAX also includes CINEMAX, which can save you another $11 per month.
DIRECTV NOW’s PLUS plan
We like that the lowest-priced plan, PLUS, includes ESPN, Cartoon Network, TNT, and other top channels. It even includes HBO (which is usually $11 per month or more), but out of any live TV streaming provider, it charges the most for its base package.
Despite that, DIRECTV NOW can still be a great alternative to cable or satellite TV. You get DVR and video on demand, and if you want a new 4K Apple TV, you can get it for free when you prepay for four months.
It’s a decent deal, but we still ain’t happy that DIRECTV NOW’s lowest-priced package recently increased an extra $10 per month for 13 or so fewer channels than it used to have.
What DIRECTV NOW package is the best for me?
- PLUS: You’ll get the best value for the price with PLUS, the lowest-priced package. It includes HBO and the most popular channels. It is missing AMC, Discovery, Food Network, and some other favorites, but it’s almost half the price of the ENTERTAINMENT package, which includes these.
- MAX: Includes more sports networks than PLUS, and still includes HBO, but adds CINEMAX. These additionals may warrant the extra $20 for some sports and movie fans, but it’s still spendy.
- ENTERTAINMENT: This is the first package that includes a lot of popular channels like AMC, but for its price, we’re not sure it’s worth it compared to other streaming providers.
What about the rest? We have a hard time recommending the higher-tier plans for anyone besides the “who cares about price? I want it all!” crowd.
Even the ULTIMATE package’s high price stands out only because it comes with STARZ ENCORE channels—not worth it, in our opinion.
At that price point, unless you’re contract-phobic, you might as well go with regular DIRECTV and get a season of NFL SUNDAY TICKET included.
Directv Now Cloud Dvr
After months of testing, DIRECTV NOW launched its much-awaited DIRECTV NOW 2.0 App and their True Cloud DVR.
While the DVR is technically still in beta, it has publicly rolled out on Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, iPhone, iPad, Android, and web.
All subscribers get 20 hours of free storage included in their subscription. You will be able to upgrade to 100 hours of storage later this summer for $10 / month.
DIRECTV NOW True Cloud DVR Overview & Review
- You can record 20 hours to save for up to 30 days (or upgrade to 100 hours later this summer)
- You can fast forward or skip ahead through most recordings
- You can record either an individual episode or an entire series
- You can’t pad events, so you may miss part if they run over their scheduled time
- The recording will start from when you hit record, even if you were already on that channel
Can you DVR on DirecTV now?
The new DVR feature supports 20 hours of recorded shows and movies on DirecTV Now across devices — including Apple TV and iPhone/iPad — at no additional cost. When users record a show on the DVR they will be able to skip through commercials, but DirecTV Now noted that the DVR is “not available for select channels.”
How do I record shows on DirecTV now?
- Press the Record button on your TV remote to record a single event.
- Press the Record button twice to record an entire series.
How much is DirecTV now DVR?
Prices range from $40 to $75 per month, depending on channels. The price includes a DVR to record up to 20 hours of programming, which is stored in the cloud.
