Create a directv.com account. Verify your account by inputting two of the three required fields below Note: If you were assigned an AT&T Access ID when you signed up for service, you don't need to create an account. Sign in using your AT&T Access ID. A new 4th generation Apple TV costs $140 to $150, and you can get one for free by just subscribing to DirecTV Now for three months and then cancel. Sure, the subscription will cost you $105, but that's still cheaper than the Black Friday price for an Apple TV. If you've been on the fence about cutting the cord, this is a pretty good time to. TV App prompt is up and running now, at least where I am, which is New York. This is how you get the prompt to come up, per the article: 'Apple TV users with a DirecTV Now subscription will see a prompt to integrate their data with the TV app after playing a DVR show for the first time.'
So I read a few things about this before I actually tried it. I'd seen may people say that the location services were required and so no DirecTV Now streaming was possible on Apple TV via smart DNS. This is normally bad, not because its a deal breaker, but because for some people it just creates more hassle than its worth. But it thought, i'll give it a go as there are always workarounds. I had a plan too.
Log into your US App Store Account
So I booted up my Apple TV, signed into my US iTunes store account.
Download DirecTV for Apple TV
I went to the App Store and downloaded DirecTV Now from the most popular chart.
Set up your Smart DNS Service
Settings > Network > DNS settings I had already set up a Smart DNS service on the device which i use for Hotstar. Expecting an error I restarted the Apple TV and then opened the DirecTV Now app. I signed in and et voila. It came straight on.
Log into your US App Store Account
So I booted up my Apple TV, signed into my US iTunes store account.
Download DirecTV for Apple TV
I went to the App Store and downloaded DirecTV Now from the most popular chart.
Set up your Smart DNS Service
Settings > Network > DNS settings I had already set up a Smart DNS service on the device which i use for Hotstar. Expecting an error I restarted the Apple TV and then opened the DirecTV Now app. I signed in and et voila. It came straight on.
Getting around location services on Apple TV
Lets say I did get an error. Location services does a number of things, all of which can be gotten around. 1) it checks the IP origination address 2) checks your geographic location 3) checks the time (maybe, I'm not sure! but some browser apps do this)
- The smart DNS gets passed the IP address
- Changing your box region gets past the geographic restriction
- Changing the time from auto to the time of the region you want gets past the time restriction
So, even if the Apple TV did enforce the location services then you can still access this or any other service. The main thing to bear in mind is if you have a number of apps that have location services enabled from different regions, then you may have to change the region on your box regularly. Its rare that region restrictions are heavily enforced. the only app on iOS that maxes this option out is the taiwanese Eleven Sports app that requires region change. So which DNS service lets you Watch DirecTV Now on Apple TV SmartDNSProxy is the service I used and I streamed a 2 hour film flawlessly (it was A Christmas Carol since you asked).
You may find other DNS services works as well since DNS normally works for most services where there is infrastructure and all these services support USA streaming services.
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In case you missed the last few times that DirecTV Now and AT&T wanted to give you an Apple TV 4K with four months of service pre-paid, now's your chance.
The company is offering up the Apple TV 4K, plus four months of service for $200 again. Considering the 32 gigabyte Apple TV 4K retails for $179 alone, the programming effectively costs $21 for four months.
How To Set Up Directv Now On Apple Tv Remote
The streaming platform provides users with a variety of popular cable channels, including properties owned by AMC, Discovery, Disney, NBCUniversal and Viacom, among others. In November 2017, AT&T struck a deal with CBS to carry streaming and on-demand content from CBS News, CBS Sports Network, The CW, Pop and Showtime.
Along with the Apple TV, DirecTV Now supports a wide variety of internet-connected devices including Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, iPhone, iPad, Android hardware, Chromecast, and Google Cast-enabled LeEco ecotvs and VIZIO SmartCast Displays. Subscribers can also access programming through web browsers.
AT&T's offer is available to new subscribers while supplies last. For more information on the Apple TV 4K, please see our hands-on review.
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