Direct TV / ATT care code 205.4

I found an answer on an AT&T forum. This worked for me. I am pasting below.

Hello!

Here’s an update on the issue and a solution that works (until AT&T fixed the underlying root-cause). After spending several weeks talking with DirecTV Now and AT&T U-verse TV technical support, there is an issue that occurs whenever you attempt to authenticate into the Apple TV or iOS TV Provider settings using an email address that is in the domain @att.net or @sbcglobal.net. The error: ‘you are not authorized to access this web-site’ occurs for ALL customers of DirecTV, DirecTV Now, and even AT&T U-verse TV whose AT&T User ID (formerly Access ID) is in AT&T owned domains such as @att.net or @sbcglobal.net. The issue seems to be that those domains are internal to the AT&T network and don’t have permissions to the TV Provider authentication page (somewhere within cprodmasx.att.com).

The solution is to change your AT&T User ID (formerly called the Access ID) to a domain other than AT&T, meaning external to AT&T (such as gmail or hotmail, or yahoo) or basically any e-mail address other than att.net or sbcglobal.net.  For example, I changed my AT&T User ID to my old yahoo address but you could also change it a gmail account or hotmail, etc.

Note: If you merged your AT&T accounts and services under one profile and have an AT&T Wireless number bundled with your other services, you can use your primary AT&T wireless number to authenticate AT&T as your TV Provider.

To change your AT&T User ID, follow these instructions:

1. Login to att.com
2. In the upper-right menu area, click your account name and select Profile from the drop-down menu.
3. When the Profile page loads, click on the section that says ‘Sign-in info’.
4. In the User ID section, click the link to Change your User ID.

By the way, even AT&T recommends you don’t use an AT&T email address for your User ID. They even post a suggestion at the top of the page that reads: “Want to change your ID? Keep in mind – It's best to enter an email address that isn't an AT&T email.” That suggestion seems more like a warning to me… and it should be heeded, as if you use an AT&T email address, it definitely causes this TV Provider authentication issue.

Note: This is safe to do. Changing your AT&T User ID does not change your billing e-mail address or your Member ID. If you have an AT&T email address such as @att.net or @sbcglobal.net, this will not affect those. Your ATT.NET Member ID will remain your @att.net email address.  And, you can still login to your att.com account to manage your bundled services, bill, etc. using either your User ID or your Member ID (or your phone number).  An easy way to think about this is that your AT&T User ID (formerly Access ID) is just an identifier for your profile that manages all your bundled AT&T services under one profile, but your Member ID is specific to your ATT.NET or SBCGLOBAL.NET email service. Apple has the same concept, they call it your Apple ID, and it is normally an external e-mail address like your gmail or hotmail account (although Apple recently allowed your Apple ID to be an iCloud.com email address, but I digress...).

Now that you’ve changed your AT&T User ID to something NOT at AT&T email address, let’s use your new User ID to authenticate into Apple TV or iOS’s TV Provider Single Sign-On.  Before we start, keep in mind, this error never occurred when trying to login directly to the DirectTV Now App.  The error only occurred when trying to authenticate AT&T as your TV Provider within iOS Settings on an iPad, iPhone, or Apple TV.

OMG, your work around is the solution for now.

so I have a 4th gen Apple TV, kept getting the 205.4 error when doing single sign on with direcTV.

so I signed out the TV PROVIDER account in the Apple TV Settings.

then opened each app I use to watch on demand shows, went to settings to sign on. And if it asks your to “allow subscription single sign on” I always say no, and it takes me to that screen where it shows you a code and a website to login at.

logged in each app with the directv login, works perfectly again.

thanks for your advice.

A lot of people have given their work around so I’ll add mine. Now this is after I tried other people’s ideas so not sure it will work. (Last one was selecting apps to work with my account such as HBOGO). Anyway all I did was after getting the message that it won’t work with my user ID, I went back to the previous screen until I got a code to sign online at hbogo.com. Entered the code and viola got message on tv telling me that I’m signed in. If you haven’t tried that today. Try it. Good luck

I also found this temporary solution from an older Apple discussion and it worked for me (I guess this problem has happened in the past).

I just encountered this problem with my Apple TV (4th generation). After setting up a new account with DIRECTV, I was having trouble signing into many apps. I noticed was that the single sign-on in my settings did not seem to work with DIRECTV. This also did not work when I tried to sign-in through my provider through certain apps. The way I fixed this was to sign-in NOT ON MY APPLE TV but on my computer, tablet or phone. First, I had to go to my settings on my Apple TV and go to apps; then, click each individual app and select NEVER for the TV provider option. After that, I was able to sign-in on each app (unfortunately only 1 at a time) by going to each specific website the app provides to enter in the activation code. After you enter in the activation code, you will get redirected to sign-in with your cable provider, and then you can use that app. It is very annoying to have to do this for all apps that give you this problem but at least it works.

I was having the same issue, same error code when trying to use the TLC GO app. I reset my AT&T/DirecTV password, then I deleted the TLC app, then reinstalled it. When it asks to use your Directv subscription say no. It then takes you to the selection screen where you can select your provider. I selected DirecTV, it will ask you to put in your email and password as if you are a new subscriber. Enter the same info you just used for your AT&T/DirecTV account. Sign in and there ya go. I followed the same steps on both my iPhone and my iPad. My husband had the same issue with the ESPN app. He followed the same steps and it worked for him too.

So I was signed in via Appletv for multiple AppleTVs and apps on multiple devices across my family. Last week this started happening to me with the Care Code 205.4 error message, too.

I called Directv and was traded up four levels of Tech Support over two hours until finally someone told me DTV was doing some system "enhancements" and the problem would be resolved in four hours. That was four days ago and still a mess.

I called DTV back and this person blamed Apple.

I called Apple and they sent me thru three levels of tech support before telling me they didn't know what was going on but that it wasn't just me. They're supposedly calling me back this week.

***FIXES:

Like others, I noticed, on the directTV app, if you cancel out after log in denial, and get a new log in screen, it will let you in on that one.

Also, the trick with picking OTHER as your provider and finding Directv from the second list, also works.

However for the amount of apps/devices I have signed in, it would be a nightmare to do that for every single one.

They must fix this. It's ridiculous.

I had the same problem. I found if you go into Setting - select TV provider, it’ll give a list of apps connected through DirectTv. Find the app that’s giving you trouble and deselect it. The, go back to Home Screen, and select the app again. Sign in as usual and it should work.

I've spent hours on the phone with DirecTV changing passwords and user id with no progress. So after messing around with my ipad settings here's what working for me.

In the ipad settings for TV Provider, instead of selecting DirecTV as the provider I selected AT&T Uverse as my provider. I tried signing in to that and it doesn't work but then when I hit the "Back" button it brings up the old provider selection screen. Then I selected DirecTV and sign in and it worked.

I was able to log in by changing the name of my provider to AT&T U-verse (rather than DirecTV). I hope this helps!!

>>Settings

>>Users and Accounts

>>TV Provider

>> AT&T U-verse

I used the work around posted earlier in this discussion and it worked. Apparently the single sign on process has quit working so I went into each app and signed on.

As insane as it is, this work around works. Just don’t allow the app to use the directv subscription from the Apple TV. Then go to the app activate page on a web browser. So while I thought this was directv’s fault, clearly, this is Apple’s fault. At least I can watch Nat Geo again.

I haven’t. I sent them a chat message, it was 2.5 hours of my time yesterday. There are workarounds. In the HBO Go app, you can choose “other provider” then choose the DirecTV provider from that list and it shows you the web login and it works. In the DirecTV app when presented with the iOS DirecTV single sign on dialog, hit cancel and it will present a different DirecTV login that I assume is a rendered web page. Sign in to that one and it will work. So if it gives the option for other provider, then that should work.

So guys, I’ve actually been talking to DirecTV.

it is definitely an issue with AT&T/DTV. Not Apple.

IMO it’s due to those aforementioned “Enhancements” many of us were told about.🙄

Also: they are AWARE of the widespread problem and have escalated it.

I would advise either waiting it out, using individual log in as work around for the shows/channels you want to watch.

OR

contact DTV via phone, email or twitter DM to let them know you, also, are having a problem.

the more ppl with the problem, the more people complain, the faster they will work to fix this.

For me I hit cancel on the sign in dialog and then it shows me a black directv sign in screen. That one works.

Yes, that worked for me as well but I had to delete the app first then re install the app.