AT&T TV is a live TV streaming service that has recently rebranded and is now known as DirecTV Stream. It provides access to hundreds of live streams in addition to ten thousand on-demand content. A question that people normally ask is if they can record shows and movies on DirecTV Stream as they would with a DVR cable box. In this article, we will discuss the features and constraints of the recording option if you are a DirecTV Stream subscriber.
What is DirecTV Stream?
First, let us explain what exactly DirecTV Stream is because it might be unfamiliar to some readers. DirecTV Stream is a cable-like live TV streaming service that is a part of AT&T. It offers its subscribers options to watch over three hundred live channels including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, A&E, Discovery, ESPN, AMC, HGTV, and many others.
However, besides live TV streaming, there are tens of thousands of movies and shows that you can watch whenever you want without having to DVR them in DirecTV Stream. This makes it a cable replacement for those who wish to stop paying for traditional cable TV or satellite TV services.
Does DirecTV Stream Come With Its DVR?
The short answer here is no – DirecTV Stream does not come with a cloud DVR feature to record live TV as some of its competitors like YouTube TV offer. However, they can provide the facility to watch some shows and movies on-demand for a certain period.
Frequently, replays let you watch the recently aired programs again.
While DirecTV Stream does not allow a viewer to “record” live TV in the way that one might otherwise think, it does offer a replay function that alleviates this issue. As for replays, this means that you can see the show or a movie that was broadcasted recently even if you didn’t have time to watch it live.
How long replays are accessible differs according to the program: 72 hours to 30 days after the initial broadcast of a show live on the channel. Thus, although you cannot save a show forever with an unlimited DVR, you are often afforded at least several days to watch lost episodes if needed.
Many Networks/Shows Now Have 30-day Replays
Replay has clearly stated that DirecTV Stream has over 20000 on-demand movies and shows from FOX, NBC, FX, Bravo, and and USA Network among others. Primetime shows are usually replayed within 30 days of their initial airing so viewers get a chance to watch it.
For instance, suppose a new episode of This Is Us is slated for live streaming on NBC at 9 in the evening on Tuesday. If you have an NBC channel in your DirecTV Stream package, then you should be able to replay that episode from Tuesday up to the next 30 days. It pretty much works like a DVR but without the need of having to program for a show.
72 Hour Replays
In addition to the 30 days, DirecTV Stream also provides a 72-hour replay from some cable networks, including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, TV Land, and several others. So if you missed a show on those cable networks, you’d have a window of only 3 days to catch replays before they were pulled off. Remember that this shorter window is for replays of major broadcasts and not the usual 30 days.
Important Limitations
While DirecTV Stream replays allow you to rewatch recently aired content rather than missing out entirely, there are still some big limitations compared to having a true cloud DVR service:
- They are not like DVR where you can save replays of the shows for as long as you want because the replays are only available for a certain time.
- This means that one can not fast-forward or even delete those commercial breaks during the replays.
- You cannot watch replays if a channel is not part of your chosen subscription package
- Some networks and live events may not be available for replay at all
Therefore, if you are accustomed to the independent DVR, you will need some changes in relying on the replay functions of DirecTV Stream only.
Recording from external devices
If DirecTV Stream’s replay options are not sufficient for your recording needs, one option is to use an external DVR or DVR software to record.
Some digital tuners, capture cards, TiVos, or other devices might allow you to manually transfer programming from DirecTV Stream to another hard drive. However, this brings in more hardware, setup complications, and restrictions to the recording of those external choices.
But for power users that demand endless recordings, it might be how because of the absence of a native cloud DVR from DirecTV Stream at the moment. Make sure you find out precisely how realistic those external recording possibilities are.
Summary
To recap the key details covered in this article:
- DirecTV Stream does not offer any native DVR features that allow for the recording of live TV as of now
- It does provide “replays” of the shows/movies that have been aired from the supported channels herein referred to as channels 3 and 4.
- Replays allow the viewer to view programs that were aired in the last 3 days up to 30 days.
- This is quite similar to a DVR but has very significant constraints compared to a real recording system
- Depending on the nature of your task, you might be able to manually record with additional external hardware/software
So yes – you can replay shows that were recently aired – but as an actual DVR for live TV, DirecTV Stream simply does not have one natively. Consider whether replay will be useful to you or if recording restrictions are an issue for you.
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