X

DirecTV Now lands on Roku devices

AT&T's live TV streaming service hits the popular big-screen streaming platform today.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
2 min read
directv-now-on-rokuhome-screen.jpg
Roku

Roku owners who cut the cable TV cord, you now have another live TV option to consider.

AT&T's DirecTV Now service, which offers live TV channels streaming over the internet starting at $35 per month, is now available on Roku devices.

Owners of Roku boxes, sticks and TVs can download the DirecTV Now app in Roku's channel store starting today. New subscribers can get a month free.

When it launched in November 2016, DirecTV Now promised it would come to Roku in the first quarter of 2017. The first quarter ended in March, so by that measure it's almost two months late.

It was also beset by early complaints, which AT&T executives blamed on having a larger number of initial subscribers than anticipated. Subscriber growth has stalled recently, according to a Bloomberg report.

DirecTV Now competes against other cord-cutter-friendly live TV services including PlayStation Vue (our current favorite), Sling TV, the promising but not-quite-there YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV. In CNET's review we lauded DirecTV's channel selection but noted that other services' cloud DVRs give them an advantage overall. DirecTV has promised to add a cloud DVR but has not announced when.

Roku is one of the most popular streaming device platforms in the Unites States and its devices, such as the $50 Streaming Stick, routinely top CNET's product recommendation lists. Roku also powers our favorite Smart TV platform.

Sling TV and PlayStation Vue are also available on Roku, but YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV are not. Here's how the various services compare across devices.

Live TV streaming service device availability

DirecTV NowSling TVPlayStation VueYouTube TVHulu with Live TV
Android YesYesYesYesYes
iOS YesYesYesYesYes
Windows YesYesYesYesNo
Mac YesYesYesYesNo
Chromecast Android onlyYesYesYesYes
Android TV NoYesYesCast onlyCast only
PS3/PS4 NoNoYesNoNo
Xbox One NoYesNoNoYes
Roku YesYesYesNoNo
Apple TV YesYesYesNoYes
Fire TV YesYesYesNoNo
Fire tablets NoYesYesNoNo
Channel Master DVR NoYesNoNoNo

The DirecTV Now Roku app uses the same big-screen interface seen on other TV devices, like Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. That's an improvement over the PlayStation Vue app on Roku, which uses a stripped-down interface compared to that service on other devices.