Update: DIRECTV Announces a New Streaming Player, But it Will Cost You $15 a Month

The Gemini streaming player is just the Osprey with a new name. That Cord Cutters article is a bit confusing b/c it says the Gemini device has satellite software on it. That is true if you are a satellite customer and want to swap your Genie for a Gemini. But, I don't think our Ospreys are getting that same software. 

To me, the point was the $15 rental fee. You no longer own the device but rent it. Just another way to add junk fees now with the streaming device. And now the $13.99 sport fee being added for DirecTV subscribers.

Odd they lowered the choice package by 15 dollars, which makes up for that 15/month fee (for now) but ultimate and premiere weren't lowered. Not sure what entertainment was before today. I think 74.99?

Interesting.  The main reason I cancelled cable was because of equipment fees and sports fees.  Looks like Directv is taking 2 steps backwards.

@ansky360 That 15 dollar a month fee is for new customers. Also, that RSN fee (13.99) is not for everyone. I went thru the signup process. Chose both Choice and Ultimate and at checkout there was no 13.99 fee. 

Is that $13.99 supposed to be an up-to because it is the Regional Sports Network (RSN) Fee, or is that separate?

Not familiar with a $800 cost.

Purchase to own DirecTV HDDVRs were the most expensive at $499, with the one-time lease cost (if you didn't have a free upgrade) of $199. Boxes like SDDVR cost less of course.

And from the acquired Primestar, that one did have a rental cost for their boxes that DirecTV didn't have.

Though I do wonder what the retail value would have been for the Genie, Genie Lite, or Genie-2. Those have never had a puchase to own option.

The $800.00 was  what a  Satellite Rep. told me they cost DTV one time when I called in, because I thought $60.00 add-on was a bit excessive for my DVR's in other rooms. It was the BS of the time.

That satellite rep quoted a much higher value then they were. And the only box that would have been close to $60 would have been the one-time lease cost of SD non-DVR with a 12 month service agreement (24 month for any other box). An SDDVR's lease discounted price was $99.

I'm guessing rep went way overboard on that quoted value to make your cost seem that much better. Lease cost certainly cheaper than the purchase to own options, but not to a cost approaching a grand.

I haven’t gotten the email about the new streaming device yet. I hope I get it soon so I can try it out.

@Pizzaboy774 Those emails were for beta testers. Only 1000 people. They aren't sending out those emails anymore b/c those slots were all taken.

At this point the new device (dongle version of an Osprey) is still fluidware (more real than vaporware, but still not real).  The Osprey beta test went on for over a year - this one might be shorter, but I wouldn't hold my breath to be able to buy one anytime soon.  Right now all that exists are Ospreys (or "Geminis") that cost what they've always cost.

And DirecTV Stream may have become another legacy product (as DirecTV Now, AT&T TV Now, and the initial version of AT&T TV did).  The DirecTV website no longer mentions it - just DirecTV via satellite or via internet.  So if that is the case, everyone with an existing Stream subscription would be grandfathered with whatever deal they currently have, but new subscribers would be subject to the new terms.  Those apparently include a 24 month price lock, but may include the $15 receiver fee (that could just be for satellite, since that really does require a receiver), a sports fee (again, not completely clear if that would be charged for internet subscribers), and 1 "free' Osprey (Gemini) for most new subscribers, with additional still costing what they have.

When you take the "watching away from home" details link, it ends up on a "satellite" page, so it isn't clear if the info applies to both types of subscribers.  If it does, they now talk about 5 stream away from home, with no mention of TV vs mobile.  (No idea if the new limit would apply to Stream subscribers or just new subscribers.)  There's no mention of in-home stream rules that I can find, so no idea if that changed.  There is an implication that in-home you need to use a "Gemini", but that may just be awkward phrasing on their part and even if true may only apply to satellite subscribers.  (It seems clear that satellite and streaming are still treated pretty differently but the updated website conflates them in places where they probably shouldn't be conflated.)

Very Interestingly, the compatible device list no longer shows Samsung (which I've argued for a long time should be the case unless they fixed the app), but again might or might not be a restriction just for satellite subscribers.

All in all, I think this is a bit of a mess until that make clearer what the changes are and who they apply to.

And I just noticed that they've confused themselves.  On the same page they have different boxes - one showing max 3 out of home streams and and one showing max 5 out of home streams.  So it isn't clear that even they know what the rules are.

Plus you can still sign up for bring your own device Directv Stream----and get a 5 day trial without requirement to have a "Gemini" device at

https://streamtv.directv.com/