Roger Fingas
People truly wanting to cut the cord now have three major internet TV services to choose from: Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now. All of them support iOS devices and the Apple TV, among other platforms — which one if any should you consider subscribing to?
Sling TV
Sling, owned by Dish, offers three different packages. The "Orange" level costs $20 per month and includes over 30 channels, most notably three ESPN stations for sports fans, and crowd favorites like AMC, Comedy Central, and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim.
For some people this will probably be enough — the $25 "Blue" tier includes over 40 channels, with additions like Syfy, FX, NFL Network, and National Geographic, but sacrifices such as ESPN, Disney, and Free Form. There is a $40 "Orange + Blue" option, but that's probably overkill for what it delivers.
What may make more sense is adding one or more of the service's "Extra" bundles, covering areas like news, sports, and movies. Most of these are priced at $5 per month. "Premium" additions are more expensive however, costing up to $15 per month in the case of HBO, which is as much as that network charges for its standalone HBO Now service.
Sling offers a 7-day free trial, and discounts on streaming devices if you choose to prepay for a few months in advance. This includes the fourth-generation Apple TV, which can be had for $89 — much less than the normal $149 — if you sign up for three months.
There can certainly be drawbacks to the service. DVR functions are coming, but aren't here yet, and streaming quality has sometimes been rocky — it can be perfect one day but interrupted the next. This has improved over time, thankfully.
Some people also aren't a fan of the service's carousel-style interface, which can make it awkward to see what's on and quickly flip between channels. It works, but just enough.
PlayStation Vue
Don't let the name fool you, this isn't a gaming-centric service. In fact this may be the strongest option for many people, if more expensive for the deluxe treatment.
A basic plan costs $29.99 per month but offers over 45 channels, including some that Sling reserves for its higher-end pacakges, like FX and Syfy. There are three other bundles, culminating in the $64.99 "Ultra Slim," which offers HBO and Showtime among its 90 channels.
The only add-ons necessary are usually Epix — which is included in the top two tiers anyway — and some Spanish-language channels from the likes of CNN and NBC. HBO and Cinemax are $15 each if they're not in a bundle, while Showtime is $10.99. Discounts are available for PlayStation Plus customers.
The Vue interface is likely preferable over Sling, highlight trending shows and making it easier to browse through favorites. Critically, Sony was the first to offer cloud DVR functions, saving shows for up to 28 days past their air date. This has been glitchy in the past — and some shows may be off-limits, due to channel, program, or location restrictions — but it's hard to ignore the convenience.
Like Sling, Vue offers a free week-long trial, but don't expect to pick up any free or cheap streaming devices as a bonus.
DirecTV Now
On paper, DirecTV Now should be an ideal service if you want quantity — even its $35 plan covers more than 60 channels, in a lineup that looks more like a conventional cable bundle. Three other bundles offer over 80, 100, and 120 channels, costing $50, $60, and $70, respectively. HBO and Cinemax are simply $5 each, though you're already paying cable-like prices.
You can even get a fourth-gen Apple TV for free if you prepay for three months, which may certainly be tempting if you're in the market for a new service anyway.
DirecTV Now has been plagued with problems since it launched however, ranging from error messages and random sign-outs to streams simply stopping during peak hours. Problems got so bad that T-Mobile decided to drop the service from a promotion in favor of Hulu. There's no DVR functionality to boot.
AT&T is of course working to sort things out, but right now it's likely too much of a gamble for viewers. As usual, there is a 7-day trial, so it might be worth testing the waters as things improve.
The verdict
At the moment PlayStation Vue seems to be the best overall choice, especially because of its DVR support. Sling may still be worth checking out as the cheapest option, especially once it adds recording. DirecTV Now is best avoided unless it comes through in personal testing.
Remember also that yet more streaming services are on the horizon, such as YouTube Unplugged and Hulu's planned option. Apple's once-rumored service appears to have been stymied by negotiations, so don't expect that anytime soon, if ever.
Andrew O'Hara
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41 Comments
I have used Sling for several months. I despise the interface. While generally stable, it does have its bad moments. To get the channels I watch, I have to go with the Orange package plus. Costs me about $60. I am beta testing the DVR... which, at first blush, appears to work for some channels but not sports, where it would be truly useful. I can watch Sling on my phone, tablet, computer, or TV but only one divine at a time.
I am am currently testing Direct TV now, utilizing the introductory price plus Cinemax and HBO. Total cost of $45 plus a free Apple TV for paying 3 months in advance. With this package, I get a few channels that I like but cannot get on Sling. The interface, while not perfect, is a bit better in locating channels but less so in looking for prior shows that are still available. As noted, it had no DVR. Unitially, reception was very bugging with frequent interruption on Apple TV. But, on my iPhone, the service has been fairly stable all along. During the last month, the service has been acceptably stable. Like Sling, Direct TV Now is available on multiple devices. It can be viewed on two devices at the same time, which is particularly useful if one needs a bathroom break on a live event.
Both services work work well on LTE, WIFI and the internet. Sling seems to have better coverage for movies and previously aired shows. One oddity, an occasional film on TCM is not available for viewing on SLING. But, the same film can be viewed on DIrcet TV Now.
Most likely, I will dump Sling and keep Direct TV Now.
I was wondering if there were limitations on the number of simultaneous streams. At a minimum, I would like to save on multi-box rental fees. I could work with 2 TVs streaming at the same time.
I took the DirecTv Now for 3 months but have already canceled it my last day is March 9th I won't be sad to leave it because it's not a good service with no DVR...
Apple users should use which ever service they which to use, which includes none at all and multiple services.
There are limitations to Direct TV Now because you cannot use the account to log into many of the network apps. For example, you cannot log into Comcast Sports Net. If you can log into the network apps, you might find that the show you missed is available and decrease the need for a DVR. For example, I don't even bother with the live channel of HBO. I just log into their app and watch there.
I subscribe to Direct TV Now so I can stream on AT&T's cellular network without bandwidth limitations. Because of the inability to log into network's apps, I come to the conclusion that I can't give up Comcast.
@AppleUfmyl, If you are talking about cable, there is a box called HD Homerun Prime where it will give you 3 tuners on your network and accessible from phones, tablets, computers, and Apple TV. It will require a cable card from the provider. Only drawback from this is no on-demand.