DIRECTV

DIRECTV is a companion app for the DIRECTV service, and it allows you to watch live TV broadcasts on your Android mobile device wherever you are. You can download DIRECTV for your phone or tablet from Google Play.

Design 5/5

The app is fairly well-designed and easy to navigate. The homescreen has a lot of different sections that are definitely going to come in handy when you have no idea what you’d like to watch. The dark background helps reduce the strain on your eyes and allows the white labels to stand out so that you can instantly locate the button you wanted to tap.

Usability 3/5

The DIRECTV app could really use some bug fixes, as it sometimes refuses to let you log in and does a bunch of other things that it is probably not supposed to do. For instance, the DIRECTV app on your phone or tablet is going to display significantly less channels than are accessible through a receiver box and are included with your subscription. The same is true for movies and series. A title can easily be available through DIRECTV when watching on the big screen but never come up in the search results in the mobile app.

Broadcasting from your local streaming box to your phone is a very useful feature, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always work properly. Depending on your device and the Android version it runs, you may be unable to stream your recorded movies and TV shows, just the live broadcasts. Alternatively, the streaming feature may only work when the receiver box is connected to a Wi-Fi network, which is annoying since having a wired connection often allows for better streaming quality.

Features 5/5

With a DIRECTV subscription and the accompanying mobile app, you can watch live TV on your phone or tablet. You need an active Internet connection for that, but if you have an eligible AT&T mobile data plan, you can stream TV broadcasts as well as movies on-demand without using up your mobile data. This feature can be very useful if you commute a lot or enjoy watching your favorite shows outside from time to time.

Since DIRECTV can also be watched through streaming boxes, the mobile app can interact with them in a very convenient way. Press a single button in the app to switch to the big screen, and it works vice versa, too! In addition, you can browse the content available on your TV through the mobile app.

In-app purchases 5/5

The DIRECTV app offers no in-app purchases, but you have to be a DIRECTV subscriber to use this app. You can choose to purchase your subscription through the app in case you don’t have one yet.

The Bottom Line

The DIRECTV mobile app for Android devices has a lot of potential, which is unfortunately being hindered by buggy implementations of essential features. If you already are subscribed to DIRECTV, you can download the DIRECTV app and see if it works well on your device. Otherwise, you may want to do some online research before you get a subscription specifically for the mobile app.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 3
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 5

Pros

Many useful features;
Free;
User-friendly.

Cons

Annoying bugs.