DirecTV Now is newest option for cord cutters

Is AT&T’s streaming service a fit for you? Maybe

AT&T is making its play for cord cutters and mobile video junkies with DirecTV Now, a Net TV service that has been live more than three weeks now.

During its introductory launch period, DirecTV Now is letting newcomers check out more than 100 channels for free for seven days and after that for $35 monthly. You can keep that monthly price as long as you remain a customer.

What channels are we talking about? AMC, CNBC, CNN, Discovery, Disney, ESPN, ESPNU, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC Sports, Nickelodeon and TBS, some local broadcast channels and regional sports networks in certain markets. Eventually, that package will cost $60 monthly, with others ranging from $35 to $70 monthly. In addition to linear live-streaming channels, DirecTV Now has on-demand programming, too.

Among the pluses: No annual contract, and you don’t need a satellite dish, as with standard DirecTV, or a pay-TV set-top box.

If you are a Roku devotee, you will have to wait. So far, the ser- vice is available on Apple TV, iPhones and iPads, Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecasts, Android phones and tablets, computers and Google Cast TVs from China’s LeEco.

Watching recently, I encountered little of the freezing video and error messages some viewers reported. I watched on a tablet and smartphone connected via Wi-Fi at home and at work and on an Ethernet cable connected to my router to an Apple TV to watch on a big screen. Only a few times did I see pixelated video and once did I see video freeze. I was also able to watch my local news on Fox and NBC.

For now, CBS, as well as CBSowned Showtime, are not on the service. And if you need a DVR, you may want to wait for DirecTV Now to add that functionality.

Sports fans, take note: DirecTV Now doesn’t gain you access to the satellite service’s popular NFL Sunday Ticket service.