DirecTV Stream is a rebranding of DirecTV Now. However, the service has had other names as well since 2018. These include AT&T WatchTV, Now, and TV. The company designed it to compete with other OTT streaming services. OTT services can be great for cord-cutters because the goal is to drop the expensive satellite and cable plans. However, with the prices DirecTV charges for the service, they are in line with their regular rates. The only real benefit seems to come in the form of portability. Speaking of portability, if you plan on traveling or are just on the go, we suggest you connect to a VPN. We’ll be glad to tell you why that matters in a moment. First, have a look at our list of the best VPNs for DirecTV Stream.
| Rank | VPN Service | Price | Visit | Server Locations | No Logs | Browser Extensions | Smart DNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.67 |  | 160 |  | | |
| 2 |  | $3.49 | | 87 | | | |
| 3 |  | $2.19 | | 95 | | | |
| 4 |  | $3.99 | | 73 | | ||
| 5 |  | $1.99 | | 58 | |
Though the service has not been around as long as many, it has already gone through many changes. These include not only the re-branding but also the massive price increases. When the service first came out, you could get quite a deal. It showed the big differences in what the big cable and satellite companies were charging vs. streaming services. As time has gone on, though, those prices are almost the same now.
Why Use a VPN for DirecTV Stream?
VPNs serve two purposes usually. These are to protect your privacy and help you unblock restrictions. As we mentioned, the big advantage to getting DirecTV Stream is portability. That means you can take it everywhere you are. Of course, that is great if you are in the states, but what if you travel abroad or are no longer live in the US? That is where connecting to a VPN will help you. The key is to connect to a VPN with a solid list of US providers, that way, you can watch your DirecTV Stream no matter what areas outside the US you travel to.
What is the Best VPN for DirecTV Stream?
There are several considerations and questions to answer when looking at this question.
- Does the provider have a big server list? – Specifically, the provider needs to have multiple servers in the US. Of course, the other ones are important, but since you are trying to connect to the US, multiple locations is paramount.
- Are the provider’s servers fast? – Because you are streaming content, this matters. Although buffering can be minorly annoying when streaming some content, buffering during a live sports event is a big No No. Your goal is to be able to watch what you want to watch without any buffering.
- Can the provider get you around geo-restrictions? – If a provider can’t do this, the first two bullet points don’t matter. It also defeats one of the major reasons to connect to a VPN while traveling and trying to watch DirecTV Stream.
- Does the provider have a good support team? – Even if you are having issues getting DirecTV Stream to work, you don’t have to give up. At that point, you need to contact VPN support. If the service is good, they will offer you immediate support via chat to help you watch your show or event live, no matter where you are.
Now, we’ll take a closer look at some of best VPN services for DirecTV Stream.
1. Best VPN for DirecTV Stream: ExpressVPN
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ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers in addition to its list of VPN apps. The custom apps support Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. They also offer a MediaStreamer feature. That is relatively rare in the community, but it can be beneficial, depending on your online activities. Coupled with their split tunneling feature, you can easily choose the apps or browsers you want to filter through your VPN connection. Split tunneling is a feature that many providers do not offer, but it can really be helpful.
Since ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, they have also included several privacy features to help protect you. That includes re-routing you to a more secure version of the website you entered, location spoofing so that your browser will match the IP address of the area you select, and WebRTC blocking. If you connect to a VPN without this feature, websites can still see where you are. Of course, you could always get another extension to resolve the issue, but having it inclusive is better.
ExpressVPN is our top-rated VPN service of 2023. Regardless of your goals for using a VPN, ExpressVPN combines a robust network with privacy features to keep you protected. We commonly use it to protect our privacy while traveling and to access our favorite streaming services back home. While you can sign up for monthly access, we recommend you take advantage of this exclusive deal that gives you 3 extra months free when you sign up for a year. You can also get a full refund within 30 days if you’re not completely satisfied, so you can test their network with ExpressVPN’s money-back-guarantee.
2. Best VPN for DirecTV Stream: NordVPN
With over 5100 servers located in 59 countries, NordVPN has a massive network. That is an excellent thing if you are trying to make sure you get high speeds. Of course, encryption overhead can quickly slow down your connection. They have you covered no matter what you plan on doing while using it. NordVPN does well to offer you the best possible speeds so you can enjoy the positive benefits of connecting to a VPN.
As the world has changed in recent times, a large number of people have ventured to internet streaming for their entertainment needs. The issue is that sometimes, you may want to see a different library of content. That is one of the reasons you would want to connect to a NordVPN server. Whether that library comes from the same source as with international streaming companies like Netflix, or region-specific options like iPlayer from the BBC, you will be able to access those and more by connecting to a VPN.
3. Best VPN for DirecTV Stream: PIA
If you are a gamer and you play match-based games, connecting to a VPN with Private Internet Access is a good idea. That is because most of the time, the gaming companies assign you to a server in a specific area. The way to change your area is to connect to a VPN in a different and less busy area. By doing so, you do not have to contend with many of the elements that would cause you to lag. That can be a significant benefit whether you are playing casually or competitively.
If you are not aware, one of the big reasons to connect to a VPN server from Private Internet Access is to help you gain access to content from other regions. Whether you want to watch one of the great shows from the BBC, CBC, or some of the other excellent networks around the world, all you have to do is connect to a VPN. Then, simply pick a server in the area you wish to see. That will make the blocking software assume that you are in the correct region.
4. Best VPN for DirecTV Stream: IPVanish
For everyone concerned that the setup for your IPVanish account is going to be complicated or you will not be able to get it quickly and easily established, they offer several different apps to use. Those include apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Linux, and Chrome OS. Additionally, you will find easy setup guides for your router. Of course, you will find others available as well. As you can see, IPVanish has you covered, so whichever system you use will be smooth.
If you are looking for a service with a few encryption protocols, IPVanish has you covered. Those include IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, and OpenVPN (still considered to be the gold standard in the community). While those are all excellent options to choose from, IKEv2 is very popular these days. The experts consider it to be what is known as an NGE (Next Generation Encryption) protocol. That means you can count on it to provide you with a healthy level of safety and security. It is especially helpful for mobile devices.
5. Best VPN for DirecTV Stream: PrivadoVPN
PrivadoVPN offers end-to-end encryption. When they send the data through their network, it is encrypted at the point of origin. It then continues encrypted through a tunnel and not decrypted until it reaches the destination computer. That prevents IP leaking, sniffing, and other ways of spying on communications in transit. In addition, their network uses the most trusted VPN protocols so you can be sure your communications are secure.
Popular sporting events often times offer different broadcast coverage, depending on where you are located. Fore example. if you are watching a baseball game and want to view coverage from a specific area, you need to connect to a PrivadoVPN server in that region. By doing so, you can more easily select the broadcast you wish to watch. That way, you can enjoy your favorite announcers no matter where they are located.
