Mike Wuerthele
Wednesday saw the launch of AT&T's DirecTV Now internet TV service, but the first day of operation was allegedly anything but smooth.
Besides just apps on the iOS App Store not being discoverable for a few hours, a wide range of users have complained about poor performance. Some others have been completely locked out of streaming, getting "Error 60" messages displayed by an Apple TV trying to play back content.
Error 60 is the code that's displayed when a single user has too many streams going on. However, most users reporting the error are only trying to run a single stream, and getting the error anyhow.
Initial AppleInsider testing performed periodically after launch on Wednesday and in the early morning Thursday confirmed many of the issues experienced by customers. An "Error 60" we received cleared up after rebooting the streaming Apple TV, but very long streaming times, and interrupted streams persisted throughout most of Wednesday.
On early Thursday morning, problems seem rectified somewhat, with fewer instances of buffering playback stops, and no Error 60 manifestations. As the errors seem related to peak viewing times, and early service demand, it appears that the problems are insufficient streaming capacity on DirecTV's end.
Regular monthly pricing for DirecTV Now is split into four tiers: Live a Little with more than 60 channels for $35; Just Right with more than 80 channels for $50; Go Big with over 100 channels for $60; and Gotta Have it with more than 120 channels for $70. HBO and Cinemax are also available as $5-per-month add-ons.
For a limited time, customers who pre-pay for three months get a 32GB fourth-generation Apple TV with Siri remote, which according to DirecTV will take 3-4 weeks to ship. Users wanting to pay only one month in advance are given a Fire TV stick.
Further, AT&T mobile customers can stream content for free via the DirecTV Now app. In a move copying T-Mobile's Binge On, AT&T will waive in-network data fees associated with DirecTV Now or the company's existing FreeVIEW and Fullscreen on-demand services — raising concerns about net neutrality violations.
Andrew Orr
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18 Comments
I was home all day yesterday so I got to use it a lot. Worked great. Nice PQ, guide that made sense to me and quick. Really quick. Channel changes were lightning fast. That is until evening and the bottom dropped out. Got the Error 60 over and over. Give it some time though. First day hiccups.
Apple and many other companies have had a similar issue because they opened it up for everyone to try from the beginning. I signed up for 3 paid months to get a 4th gen Apple TV on the cheap, which I was coincidentally going to be buying anyway. I think these companies should follow Gmail's original plan of invitations to keep the hype up and still be able to scale usage.
Unfortunately you need Silverlight so it's a no-go for me on Safari for Mac, but on iOS it worked fine. They say it only works for the 4th gen Apple TV and up (due to the App Store), but they have an AirPlay button so you can very easily and with great results put to an older Apple TV (which I did last night). I'm not sure I'll use the service much, therefore I'm not expecting to keep it, but I did like their website's design and speed. A built-in DVR function and family accounts would be a nice addition, but seems like a decent way to cut the cord if you currently pay for cable TV.
It seems that this article is premature. Please define a wide range of users...Really seem to be scraping for content.