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Direct TV Stream is a live TV streaming service with a cable-like look and feel
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Today, I'll walk you through the basics. This is the ultimate beginner's guide to DirectTV Stream
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In this video, you'll learn how to navigate DirectTV Stream's live guide
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home screen, and the library, which is where you access your DVR
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For this training, you'll need a DirectTV Stream account. Sign up directly on DirectTV Stream's website using the link in the description
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And this is important. You want to sign up for DirectTV stream online, not by phone
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Because at recording time, the service offers unlimited cloud DVR storage only to people
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who sign up over the internet. To get started, you'll also need other streaming basics, a TV set, an internet connection
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and a supported streaming device. I'll be using a Roku Ultra for this tutorial, but this training will still be useful
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if you're using another device to stream, including the optional DirectTV stream device
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which I cover in a separate video. Let's begin. Signing in to DirectTV Stream
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There are several ways to access DirectTV Stream, a web browser, the mobile app, and your TV set
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From your TV set, which is what I'm going to focus on in today's video, search for the Direct TV app if it's not already installed
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When you load the app for the first time, you'll need to sign in
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Use the same username and password that you created when you subscribed on DirecTV Stream's website
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And if you have a Roku with a microphone, speaking your username and password may save you a bit of time
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DirectTV Stream Navigation Basics. When you first open the DirectTV Stream app, it'll pick up with the channel where you left off
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If you click down on your Roku remote, the primary navigation appears
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And there are a few main sections for you to bring. Guide, Watch Now, Library, Sports, and On Demand
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Live Guide. This is the DirecTV stream Live Guide from a TV set As I scroll through the channels notice the description at the top of the screen changes along with it
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Select OK on any program airing right now and you're taken directly to it
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But to preview content that's coming up later on, you have a few options
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Scroll to the right using the arrow key on your remote. Select the channel logo for a specific network and see what's coming up for that network only
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or use the Jump Today feature to preview content up to two weeks in advance
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When you select an upcoming program, you will see an option to record it and add it to your DVR
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and I'm going to talk more about recordings in just a moment. Direct TV Stream's Live Guide gives you the option to view channels in A to Z order or by channel number
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If you've got a Roku like me, alphabetical order makes the most sense
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But if you paid for the optional DirecTV stream device, there is a number pad with that device's remote
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so in that case, you may want to sort by channel number. I'm back on my Roku with the alphabetical view
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You see the option to favorite a channel. Longhold the OK key on your Roku remote to favorite a channel
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Then just use the channel sorting options panel on the left side of the screen to view only your favorite channels
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Watch now section. From the live guide, watch as I click back on my Roku remote to return to the primary navigation
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And if you're watching live TV, you can find this option by clicking down
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We're moving to the Watch Now section. This is DirecTV Stream's version of a home screen
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It starts with the What's On Now section and Live TV recommendations
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Take a look as I scroll to the right through the thumbnails and there's a shortcut right back to the live guide
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This is also where you'll find the continue watching section where you can pick up where you left off
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But further down on the WatchNow screen, there's a trending on social section
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plus you'll find the set your Cloud DVR area with recommendations for content to record
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My Library Cloud DVR To the right of Watch Now is My Library This is your Cloud DVR I want to show you how to view your recordings but first let talk about options to set those recordings in the first place
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While watching Live TV, I click Play Pause on my Roku remote
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This menu appears on the bottom of the screen, arrow to the right and select the record option
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Now your recording options will vary depending on the program that you choose
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In this case, I was able to record new episodes of a series
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Now that's how to record something airing live. But to record something airing later on, go right back to the live guide
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I touched on this in the previous section. Let's take a deeper dive
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When you select a program that's airing later on, a screen will appear with the option to record it
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Depending on the type of program, you can choose to record a single episode or an entire series
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You can choose to record all episodes or new episodes. new episodes. And for sports, you can choose to record a single game or record all games for that team
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If you know exactly what you want to record, skip the guide. Use the search feature to quickly
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find a program or a game that you want to record. Just browsing, well, you can set recordings
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from the Watch Now, Sports, and On Demand sections. Watch as I click on a thumbnail from one of these
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sections and you can see the option to record the program. As long as you've got unlimited cloud
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DVR storage, it is better to set a recording than watching the on-demand content because you can
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skip the ads on programs in your DVR. Now let me take you back to the library tab to view your
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recordings. You see thumbnails for some recent recordings and as I scroll to the right
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there's a shortcut to all recordings. From this section, you can view upcoming recordings
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delete recordings and see how much storage you have left. My account has unlimited DVR storage
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but recordings expire after nine months. If you want to delete recordings anyway, you can select
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the trash can from this main DVR screen and all episodes will be deleted For example I selected Shark Tank and 25 episodes are gone But to delete individual episodes click through to a program law and order in this case
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and then from this program page, you can delete episodes one at a time using that same trash can icon
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Playback features. There are a few additional features for playback that I want to share with you, so let me play a program to explain
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When you press the Play Pause key on your Roku remote, more options will appear along the box
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of your screen. I showed you how to set a recording already. We'll skip that, but you also see
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options to pause, rewind, and fast forward. This works with live TV and recordings. Also, when you
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click Play Pause on a Roku, scroll to the far left for the information section, and here you can
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manage recordings or view on-demand episodes. Scroll to the far right on the Play Pause menu
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for the option to turn on closed captioning. While watching a program, click down to access the
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primary navigation menu, you can also click the up arrow while watching a program to view a list
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of recent channels. The left and right arrows are also useful with this service. Using a Roku device
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you can arrow left and right while watching live TV to channel serve. Account settings. Follow me from
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the main navigation on a TV set to the account settings, and that's the gear icon to the far right
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Click preferences to adjust parental controls, close captioning, change the live guide sort order, and more
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For example, here you can choose to display or hide live sports scores
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And if you're having trouble with the account settings or really anything I've covered today from a TV set
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you can always make changes from a web browser or the mobile app
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Canceling Direct TV stream. You will need to sign in from a web browser to cancel online
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And after you log in from DirecTV Stream's website, select Account Overview and then manage my subscription
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Next, click Cancel My Subscription and this screen will appear. As of this recording, DirectTV Stream still requires you to chat with a customer service representative to cancel
