Editors' note, March 26: This review was last published on Feb. 20, 2019 but is no longer being updated. DirecTV Now has since announced an increase in price to $50 a month and reduced its channel count by a third. For the latest information on DirecTV Now go here.

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With a bunch of live TV streaming services competing against cable TV, the main differences are price and number of channels. DirecTV Now wins the channels game, with more top channels in its base package than every competitor.

On the other hand its price, now that AT&T's steep discounts are at an end, is similar to the competition. DirecTV Now costs $40 per month, the same as YouTube TV and $5 less than competitors PlayStation Vue and Hulu with LIve TV. Among major alternatives only Sling TV costs less at $25 per month, but it lacks local channels like ABC and CBS as well as Fox and NBC in most markets.

Read more: Compare the best live TV streaming services for cord-cutters

DirecTV Now's interface integrates the all-important cloud DVR offered by all of its competitors. The cloud DVR is still in beta, however, and it shows with only 20 hours of storage. If you prioritize DVR functionality, YouTube TV is a better choice.

Roku is the most popular streaming device platform but unfortunately for its owners, DirecTV Now on Roku is hardly the zippy, reliable cable-cutter you might expect. For example, there's no pausing live TV at all, and "Record" may or may not work -- even on channels where it's available. On the other hand, the Apple TV version is pretty much "cooked" and everything works better.

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DirecTV Now: What you need to know

Before we get too deep into it, here's the basics on DirecTV Now ($40 at AT&T Wireless), including how it's different from TV you may know, pricing, device support and other important stuff.

• It's separate from DirecTV, the satellite service, but both are owned by AT&T.
• Unlike a cable box or satellite service, DirecTV Now is streamed remotely from an internet server, and you can access it from a mobile device, web browser, media streamer or TV. 
• 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.
  
• To watch on a TV, you'll need an Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, a Roku streamer or Roku TV, an Apple TV ($179 at Walmart), a Chromecast (Android and iOS), or a Google Cast-enabled TV (like Vizio SmartCast TVs).
• To watch on a computer, you can use Chrome or Safari web browsers. Firefox and Internet Explorer can manage your account settings but cannot stream content.
• You can also watch on any any iPhone ($655 at Amazon), iPad ($280 at Amazon) (iOS 10 or better) or Android (4.4 KitKat or better) phone or tablet.
• Xbox One and Samsung Tizen Smart TV are "not yet available."
• Subscribers to AT&T's wireless service can watch without using their mobile data, but other services use data as normal.
• There's a free seven-day trial available.
• There's no contract or early termination fee, so you can cancel at any time.
• It's only available in the US.

Big Five TV streaming services compared

	Hulu with Live TV	YouTube TV	Sling TV	PlayStation Vue	DirecTV Now
Base price	$45/month for 60+ channels	$40/month for 60+ channels	$25/month for 30+ channels	$45/month for 55+ channels	$40/month for 60+ channels
Free trial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels	Yes, in many markets	Yes, in many markets	Fox and NBC only in select cities	Yes, in many markets	Yes, in many markets
Video on demand from local channels	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Step-up packages with more channels	No	No	Yes, an extra $5/month each	$50/month, $60/month or $80/month	$55/month, $65/month or $75/month
Simultaneous streams per account	2 ($15 option for unlimited)	3	1 or 3	5	2 ($5 option for 3)
Family member/user profiles	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Pause, rewind, fast-forward	Yes	Yes	Yes, except for Disney or ESPN channels	Yes	Yes
Record shows for later (cloud DVR)	Yes	Yes (keep for 9 months)	Yes ($5 per month, can't record Disney or ESPN channels)	Yes (keep for 28 days)	Yes (20GB, keep for 30 days)
Fast-forward through or skip commercials with cloud DVR	No (Yes with $15 option)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
DVR show replaced by on-demand version	No	Yes	No	No	No
Video on demand/3-day replay	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parental controls	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Bandwidth limiter	No	No	Yes	No	No

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What does DirecTV Now have going for it?

DirecTV's long history of running a satellite service shows through on DirecTV Now. Our favorite example of this heritage is the ability to swipe left or right to change channels quickly (or not so quickly for Roku users -- see below). If you want the full "flip" experience, you could even program left and right arrows into your Ch +/- buttons on a universal remote.

Beyond the service's strong channel lineup, including most local broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) in 99 of the country's major TV markets, a big deal is the ability to add HBO or Cinemax for just $5 extra (each) to any package. That's a substantial discount ($10) off the normal premium channel rate, and something competitors don't offer. Unlike a service like HBO Go or HBO Now, however, not every episode of every HBO series is included on demand. 

You can use your DirecTV Now login credentials to sign in (authenticate) the HBO Go app, however, and gain access to the full library of shows that way. DirecTV Now currently authenticates with more than 60 other apps, including NBC, ABC, ESPN and Showtime.

AT&T subscribers who stream DirecTV Now on their phones won't have the data count against their monthly cap. You can also run two independent simultaneous streams on a single DirecTV Now account, or pay an additional $5 per month to get a third simultaneous stream. More streams means more people can watch on different devices using the same account at the same time.