Tutor
•
8 Messages
Directv stream free with tethering?
I have the new 16gb plan. Also have directv. Been told that streaming to my phone no longer uses data. Very cool. But...I also have a iPad Pro wifi only. If I put my phone in tethering mode, and connect it to my iPad, and then watch directv on my iPad is that data still free??
David606
Employee
•
3.5K Messages
8 years ago
Nope. It only works on an actual device, not with tethering.
0
0
primeomega
Tutor
•
8 Messages
8 years ago
Well that stinks. But thanks for fast response!
0
0
jt212s
Professor
•
1.1K Messages
8 years ago
I'm going to go ahead and try this and see if it works. Since the app on the iPad is included in the list of apps that are excluded and it is excluded if you stream directly over cellular, it does stand to reason that it would. As far as AT&T is concerned, it's still data from the DIRECTV app on the iPad. I'll try it out now and report back later.
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.3K Messages
8 years ago
If you tether your phone to the iPad to watch Direct TV, the phone does not register the zero rated DirectTV app. It registered "Tethered data". When tethering the phone has no idea what app is being used.
1 Attachment
image.jpeg
0
0
jt212s
Professor
•
1.1K Messages
8 years ago
@lizdance40 Since the zero-rating is done on the AT&T end, it would depend on how AT&T sees the data used. Since the phone is just passing it through, and the DTV app is still being used, it's very possible that as far as AT&T is concerned, it's still zero-rated.
If AT&T is zero-rating in anyway similar to T-Mobile, they're doing it in a method based on accessed URLs and IP addresses, which would mean the app would be accessing the same location, so it would be zero-rated. Of course, I have no idea how AT&T is actually zero-rating, so that could be completely incorrect. But that's why I'm testing. I want us to have a concrete answer.
0
0
jt212s
Professor
•
1.1K Messages
8 years ago
Unfortunately myAT&T still hasn't updated with my usage for the past 24 hours, but once it does, I'll be sure to report back with the details.
I currently have 224mb of sponsored data from using the DTV app directly on my phone and have used 1.39gb of regular data. Once it updates online, I'll be sure to post an update.
Unfortunately my line is the one line on my account that only gets data usage updates every 24-48 hours compared to 3 hours.
0
0
jt212s
Professor
•
1.1K Messages
8 years ago
I can confirm now that AT&T does indeed still zero-rate the DIRECTV app if done through mobile hotspot.
It does appear that it doesn't matter which device it is, as long as you're using the version of the app that mentions that it's free for AT&T customers, it will be zero-rated and not count against your data.
So for @primeomega, I would do your own testing (just watch one episode or part of an episode) and check your usage later and see, but for me, it works as I expected it to and doesn't count against my data.
I tested various ways. I put my iPad in airplane mode (it has cellular capabilities) and used my phone's hotspot to connect it and watch an episode. I then used my phone as the device I was watching on and used mobile hotspot on a different phone on a friend's plan to see if they would end up with data charges doing it through hotspot. Theirs also appeared as zero-rated sponsored data.
@David606 may know more about the actual policy since he's an employee and be able to shed some more light or do some research for us, but right now it does seem like as long as you're using the app (not the website on a computer), it doesn't matter if it's through another device's mobile hotspot or not and that it will count as zero-rated data.
0
David606
Employee
•
3.5K Messages
8 years ago
As far as I know, it has to be through the app to get the "no data charges" offer. So if you're using the app on your device, and you Chromecast or Apple TV or something to another screen, you're fine.
I have not head anything about tethering usage with the DirecTV website or apps not counting against usage. Because with tethering there's no way to really tell if that data was used with DirecTV or not.
0
0
jt212s
Professor
•
1.1K Messages
8 years ago
@David606 it did work and count as sponsored data with my iPad tethered to my phone, but at that point it's still the same DTV app just on the iPad instead. I would assume, like you said, though that the website, and other devices wouldn't be considered sponsored data and would be counted against your data plan.
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.3K Messages
8 years ago
That tells us something more about how the system sees tethered usage.
Once in a while someone posts about being accused of tethering. It seems the system might have someway of identifying pass through data use. Hmmm.
0
0