First on BATV: DirecTV Now to soon offer up to 120 hours cloud DVR

The streaming service DirecTV Now will soon expand its cloud-based digital video recorder feature to store up to 120 hours of content, moving its service out of beta and beyond the 20 free hours of service it currently offers.

BESTAppleTV has learned DirecTV Now’s parent company, AT&T, is ready to expand its True Cloud DVR service in the next month and expand it to offer multiple tiers ranging from 50 hours up to 120 for an additional fee.

Multiple sources report the DVR feature – currently in beta since the third quarter of 2017 – will drop its ‘beta’ status and announce the expansion of its recording capabilities soon. Sources could not verify with certainty the pricing structure and levels of the service to be offered, but in May the company confirmed one such tier would be 100 hours of recordings for an extra $10 per month, saved for up to 90 days.

An AT&T spokesperson on Friday denied the report of multiple DVR tiers beyond the initial May announcement.

The confirmation of the True Cloud DVR expansion comes as DirecTV Now subscribers who have been part of the beta testing program have started receiving emails informing them their 100 hours of storage will “transition” to 20 free hours effective August 29th.

DirecTV Now currently offers 20 hours of cloud DVR storage at no additional cost. Sources have confirmed the service plans on continuing that offer after the expansion of True Cloud DVR.

At present, DirecTV Now representatives are recommending to subscribers needing more than 20 hours storage to consider a paid, third-party option to fulfill their needs, despite the fact it will not working seamlessly with Apple TV.

PlayOn Cloud is a cloud-based streaming DVR service enabling users to record shows that never expire and watch later offline, skip over commercials and use fast-forward and rewind when watching. The service is available in a cloud or desktop PC version ranging from $5 a month to a one-time price of $70. While the service offers an iOS app, it is not available for Apple TV. Subscribers using it with DirecTV Now would have to use AirPlay to stream recorded videos to their Apple TV, a transmission system that is often less than reliable.

DirecTV Now launched in November 2016 using the Apple TV app. The service has an entry-level package price of $40 per month for over 65 channels.