Do you need internet for DIRECTV?
So, to answer the question, you can have a simple DIRECTV satellite TV without internet service, or a home network connection. DIRECTV on the other hand transmits its satellite signals directly to your satellite dish placed at your home. As long as you have a specific view of the southern sky where the satellites are found and a well-mounted satellite dish there is no need for an Internet connection to get DIRECTV’s programming.
However, many of DIRECTV's advanced features and add-on services do require a home internet connection.
- DIRECTV On Demand – To use this service which has over 10,000 titles to watch at any time of the customers’ choosing, DirecTV requires a home internet connection. The On Demand service downloads to your home network the requested content to be played via your DIRECTV set-top box. Imagine being restricted to only watching what is on air on the few live television stations available.
- DIRECTV App Access – If you are a subscriber of DIRECTV, you can stream your favorite shows on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop through Wi-Fi within the comfort of your home. The DIRECTV app works with your WiFi to show all the channels subscribed to you from your DIRECTV box brought to your smartphone. It might sound obvious, but if there is no internet connection, there can be no streaming of shows to the devices.
- Out-of-Home Streaming – As long as one has internet at home, those programs can be streamed and played on their mobile devices even when they are out of the home. This operates over the internet so devices can remain connected to the home DIRECTV service while working remotely. With the internet, you can surf and watch everything while watching DIRECTV can only be done at home.
- Advanced Program Guide – INTERNET means that you get the DIRECTV interactive program guide service available on all connected TVs and other connected devices. It has a recommendation engine and includes an option to record a show or a movie by using a DVR from any gadget. This means that being offline equals losing this sophisticated capability.
- Pay-Per-View Ordering – What is required to order movies or an event through the pay-per-view channel on DIRECTV is internet connectivity for the order message from the box to go to DIRECTV. Without the internet, you could no longer order pay-per-view through the app and had to call in.
- Applications such as; YouTube & Netflix – Smart TVs and most streaming device applications like YouTube and Netflix need an internet connection to stream clips over home networks. Without the internet that is installed for DIRECTV, there would be no way in which the streaming apps could operate.
- New Features – All the new features that DIRECTV has unveiled also need internet connectivity to bring the services to home devices or TVs. If DIRECTV is to continue its innovations, you have to install internet in your home or wherever you intend to install the devices.
To sum up, the internet isn’t crucial for watching the bare-bones DIRECTV satellite service; however, almost everything new and useful that the company offers in its packages can only be used with an internet connection at home. There may not be the need for complicated technologies today, but if the firm needs the right connections tomorrow to attach to new and improved services, then they should have been put in place. To get all the features that you can get from your DIRECTV today and be prepared for future advancements in satellite technology, you need to have a DIRECTV Genie HD DVR installed and connected to your home internet network. Consult DIRECTV for professional installation offers, to make sure your home is equipped with satellite dishes, wiring, Genie DVR, and necessary internet capabilities to take advantage of all the features today and in the future.
Upgrade to faster, more reliable AT&T Fiber Internet today! Call us at +1 844-905-5002 and get connected with speeds that keep you ahead.