Free Movies with On Demand But Now Cost?

Our sales guy told us the same thing.  He said there was a "hidden" way to access apps and on-demand and we could access them any time and watch for free.  He lied.

I'm not sure what "techy terms" you are referring to or quite what you are unhappy about here.  DirecTV, like other video services, contracts with the networks to get content that they can offer to their subscribers.  They pay a fee to be able to offer live streams, they pay a fee to be able to offer on-demand, they pay a fee to be able to offer access to the network's app.  On-demand is often limited to the current season, even on the networks' own apps, because the content owner (sometimes the network, sometimes outside companies) frequently makes older episodes available only on the network's (or network owner's) premium service or exclusively licenses them to other companies (like Hulu) after a season ends, in which case it isn't possible for the network to even offer it to DirecTV.  (That appears to be the case here - all of SpongeBob is available on Paramount+.)

That doesn't mean that there isn't "free" (included with your subscription) on-demand content on DirecTV Stream - there is a lot.  It is mostly current (or recent) season shows that have played on networks they carry or movies currently in rotation on those networks.  They certainly aren't free in the sense that just anyone can watch them - only people who pay for a DirecTV Stream subscription can.  Would you expect otherwise?  They don't offer anything to anyone for free - they are a business.

I don't know what "hidden way" is supposed to mean.  There is a tab on the DirecTV Stream app home screen labeled "On Demand" - it isn't exactly hidden.  And the network apps aren't part of DirecTV - (depending on the streaming device and app) you need to get them yourself and log in, but the supported ones show DirecTV Stream as provider you can sign in from - it isn't a secret, it's the way it works for any video provider.

DirecTV Stream, like YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling, and some others, is mainly a live service - it gives you access to linear TV streams from networks, the same as cable or satellite.  (For all intents and purposes, it offers exactly the same service as a cable or satellite service, and serves as a replacement for one.)  It (like those services) isn't mainly an on-demand service, like Netflix or Prime Video are.   The on-demand it offers is mostly to catch up on current season episodes you missed, or to let you watch them when you want.  If what you want instead is lots of older episodes, movies, or "original content" on demand, then the live streaming services are likely not a good fit for you.

DirecTV Stream has recently added a new feature to the above - not taking anything away.  They now offer something they never did in the past - additional content, normally found only on the on-demand services (older programs, first-run movies, etc.) as pay-per-view - that is, for an additional fee.  Nothing that was previously included for no additional fee costs extra.  It is not really different from the fact that they offer HBO as an option, but certainly not for free.

As far as believing what a salesperson says - I don't know what you were told, but I never trust salespeople on details.  Even if they are completely honest (and most are), they often aren't that well trained or up on details, and frequently will say what they think is true, rather than what is actually true.  But if you do some checking of your own, you can usually find out the facts.

(And for the record, if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, there is a lot you can listen to, view, and read that is included "free" with the subscription.  But it doesn't include everything that Amazon sells, and they don't claim it does.  Actually, I don't think it provides access to additional things you can pay extra for that people who don't subscribe can't get - at most it offers a discount for those things.)

You are correct they were free until recently and I am about to cancel my stream and get the individual apps. Because paying 200 and still must buy is outrageous.

I don’t know what service you have, but I don’t think it’s DirecTV Stream - the most expensive package they have is well under $200.  And while they recently added a new plan with additional fees (and some benefits), the older plan is still available at the price it had.

And there’s been no change to the availability of the content - what was “free” (included as part of the subscription) still is. So could you explain the change you see?

Not true. Please do not comment unless you are 100% sure.  I've had this since September of 2020. I know what I am talking about.

I’ve had this (DirecTV Now=>ATT TV Now=>ATT TV=>DirecTV Stream) since 2016, so I’m somewhat knowledgeable also. If you know of specific changes related to formerly free content no longer being free, please post them.  (And confirm that you have DirecTV Stream and not a different service.)

That doesn’t include on-demand content that “aged out” - generally the current season of a series which is available via on-demand stops being available (as part of the subscription) at some point after the season ends.  The content owner usually licenses it exclusively at that point to a dedicated on-demand service (Hulu, Netflix, etc.) or to its own service (Paramount+, Discovery+, Peacock, etc.), so it is no longer available to DirecTV as part of their contract with the network. The same thing is true of on-demand movies - those are generally available (as part of the subscription) only as long as the “sponsoring” network is showing the particular movie on their linear stream.  

The thing that changed within the last year is that some content that wasn’t available as part of the subscription (some older seasons of shows, some movies that aren’t currently playing on a linear channel) has been made available as PPV.  That is content that had never been available from DirecTV Stream before that change. So it is an addition, albeit not a free one.

@Afronomics 

Paying $200? Unless you have a bunch of add-ons, it sounds more like DirecTV (satellite) instead of DIRECTV STREAM.

Add ons or whatever. It's still 200.  Could you all think outside the box instead of trying to be right.  Whesh this generation is so argumentative. 

I don’t understand your comment. If you are actually paying $200/month for DirecTV Stream service (which is barely possible but unlikely), what did they promise that you aren’t getting?

DirecTV (whether satellite or streaming) is not the service you go to for “access to a vast library of content”.  For that you go to the Netflix, Prime, AppleTV+, etc. type services.  DirecTV Stream (like YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling, etc.) is a “live” service, offering lots of “linear” channels like cable offers. If you are looking for a library of movies, old TV, or specific originals, get one (or more) of those other services. If you want live local broadcast, and the “live” feeds of AMC, TLC, Food Network, Discovery, etc., etc., etc., including some amount of on-demand for those networks, and some on-demand movies those networks are currently showing, then you get a live streaming service like DirecTV Stream (or get satellite or cable). The 2 types of services are not directly comparable.   All of that is included with a DirecTV Stream subscription for no additional fee.  What they added with the rent/purchase fees is access to additional content - more movies and (generally older) episodes - that they hadn’t previously offered. They didn’t take anything away - they just added some extra stuff you can choose to access (for an additional fee) or not.  Their reason for being as a service is still the “live” feeds. If that isn’t what you are principally looking for, then it is the wrong service for you, regardless of what on-demand content they offer (bundled or for an extra fee). 

The difference is live channels vs a library of content. So DirecTV and DIRECTV STREAM are subscribed channels. There may be some additional content from a small library (On Demand). For a full library of content, that is where you get something like Netflix, Hulu, etc. which is like a digital video rental place but a monthly subscription instead of individual rentals.

So think of DIRECTV STREAM more like satellite or cable TV, you just get it through internet. You have your subscribed channels and there is additional optional content you can pay for. For the kind of streaming you want that is a pure library instead of 'live' content, that would be a different kind of provider.

And before anyone comes in with their generational snobbery like a couple months ago, being in disagreement or argumentative is no better or worse per the generation. And this is coming from someone who has chosen not to retire yet, so I've got a few decades under my belt.

Sounds like an AI generated comment!

@bcbsncjlj 

Well at least AI comments are usually more polite than those that try to generation people.

It disappeared shortly after I saw it, and I didn't knife it.  Did one of you, or did the forum filter finally catch it?  (It was originally posted at ~4:30am, I saw it at roughly 8:30, and it was gone very shortly after.)

Not me!