You’ll get a chance to take a look at their prices, both apparent and hidden. What’s more, you’ll see a comparison of the quality of their contracts, the number of channels, and more. So without further ado, let’s start with the ultimate TV provider comparison!

How Much Will DIRECTV and Xfinity Services Cost You

Price is probably the most important factor when choosing your provider. Besides the obvious cost of the plan, there are also additional fees that you should take into account. For example, some providers have installation and activation fees, and you can’t forget the cost of extra features. So you should look into every aspect of pricing before you decide.

DIRECTV: Prices of Various Plans

DIRECTV gives customers the ability to choose from six different plans. You can get the smallest package for $35 a month, and you’ll be able to watch over 155 channels, which is more than enough for the price. The largest plan goes for $110, and it comes with over 330 channels. So even if you are the biggest TV fans, you definitely won’t have an issue with the number of channels in any of DIRECTV’s plans.

Furthermore, a great thing about DIRECTV is that even the smallest package has the most popular channels. Thus, if you don’t want to pay too much for TV service, you’ll still have enough channels to keep things interesting.

Another upside to opting for DIRECTV is the fact that it doesn’t have any hidden fees. Since the monthly expenses include most of the features, there won’t be any surprises, unlike for Xfinity. But more on that later.

However, you should know that you’ll have to sign a two-year contract with DIRECTV. In addition, after the first year, you can expect a major increase in price. Thus, DIRECTV’s offer does sound attractive, but can you commit to it for two years? What’s more, will you be able to pay more after the first twelve months?

Xfinity: Prices for Various Plans

For the same price, Xfinity offers a smaller number of channels than DIRECTV. Moreover, there are a lot of extra fees for additional features that DIRECTV won’t charge you for. You’ll read more about them later in the article.

When it comes to available plans, Xfinity lets you choose from three different packages. The smallest plan goes for $49.99 a month, and you’ll get over 140 channels. On the other hand, the Premier package comes with more than 260 channels, and it’s available for $104.99 per month. Additionally, there shouldn’t be any price increases for a one-year contract. That’s a huge advantage over DIRECTV.

Furthermore, the fact that you don’t have to sign a contract is also a great upside. That would be especially useful to those who aren’t sure whether they’ll stay in their apartment for a year or more. But you should know that this option is available for an extra $10 a month. So if you’re able to commit to a year of Xfinity’s TV service, you should definitely go with a contract.

Additional Fees

Besides the regular monthly fee, there are a couple of additional ones that people usually don’t think about until the bill arrives. So in order to avoid last-minute surprises, let’s go through every fee that you’ll have to pay besides the one for monthly service.

Firstly, you can expect prices to go up after a year if you opt for DIRECTV. This provider will charge you more than a double of what you paid for the first 12 months, so you should take that into account.

The next step after you sign a contract is, of course, the installation of the service. Xfinity will charge you $89.99 for a professional installation. However, you can get a self-install kit for $15 if you don’t want the help of a professional. On the other hand, DIRECTV doesn’t have the installation fee.

When it comes to the activation costs, DIRECTV will charge you $24.95. But you have the option to sign up for paperless billing and autopay and, if you choose that, you’ll pay $5 less.

Next, you can get the Xfinity DVR feature for $9.95 a month and Broadcast TV for up to $10 per month. On the contrary, these features will be included in your monthly fee in case you opt for DIRECTV. But if you want to add an extra TV, you’ll have to pay $7 more every month per TV.

If you’re a sports fan, you’ll probably be interested in the regional sports feature. DIRECTV will charge you $8.49 or less a month, while Xfinity’s fee can go up to $8.25 monthly for this special addition.

Contracts

Another important thing to think about when choosing your desired service is the contract and how many options it gives you. When you sign a contract with DIRECTV, you’ll be obligated to pay more after the first year of using it. Furthermore, the company will charge you a fee of $20 a month for the remainder of your contract in case you want to stop using their services early. To make matters worse, even if you decide that DIRECTV1 isn’t working for you during your first year, you’ll still be obligated to pay up to $240.

On the other hand, Xfinity gives you the possibility not to sign a contract, which is a great option to have. However, you’ll be charged $10 more every month if you opt for that option. But it’s not the worst thing in the world, especially because you won’t be forced to use their services for years or pay additional fees in case you want to terminate the contract early.

Thus, as a much better and safer option, Xfinity is the clear winner when it comes to contracts. After all, it won’t limit your options, and there are no price increases.

Channels

As previously mentioned, you’ll get more channels with DIRECTV for basically the same price. However, if you take into account the fact that you’ll have to sign a two-year contract and pay double the second year, the situation doesn’t sound as good, right?

However, the good thing is, even if you pick the cheapest plan, you’ll still get the most popular networks such as HGTV and TBS. In addition, you can watch channels like The CW, FOX NEWS, and USA without paying more for a bigger plan.

On the other hand, channels such as ESPN and Univision will be available to you for a small extra monthly fee. But you’ll still be able to get them, unlike MSNBC, for example, which surprisingly, isn’t a part of DIRECTV’s offer.

When it comes to Xfinity, you’ll enjoy the popular ESPN channel with the Starter plan or above. What’s more, if you choose the Limited Basic package, Univision and the CW are channels away. Furthermore, you’ll unlock channels such as FOX NEWS, USA, and MSNBC if you opt for the Economy plan or above.

As you can see, Xfinity does offer MSNBC in one of its plans. So in case you need this network’s political coverage, then Xfinity is the provider for you.

Local Channels

The number and the quality of local channels depend on your ZIP code. Thus, you’ll need to check this part for yourself. A good upside to both of these providers is the fact that they let you type in your ZIP code and see what they have available for your area. That way, there won’t be any surprises when you start paying for their TV service.

Premium Channels

If you’re a fan of SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, STARZ, and HBO, you’ll be happy to know that DIRECTV lets you watch them for free for the first three months of the contract. However, after the trial period, you’ll need to pay almost $60 per month for all of these channels. In case you want just one of them, HBO is available for $17.99 a month, whereas you can get SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, and STARZ for $13.99 per month each.

Xfinity does things a little bit differently. You won’t get a trial period, but you’ll be able to add premium channels to your list for a lower price. For example, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, and STARZ go for $12, while HBO is $15 a month. What’s more, Xfinity offers EPIX, which is unavailable at DIRECTV, for $5.99 per month. Overall, prices per channel aren’t that different. But if you want all of these channels, you’ll pay $9 less every month than what you would with DIRECTV.

Sports Channels

When it comes to sports channels, DIRECTV beats out every other TV provider out there. With this platform, you’ll get exclusive access to the NFL Sunday Ticket, as well as Red Zone and Fantasy Zone channels. So if you are a football enthusiast, DIRECTV is the way to go.

However, even though Xfinity’s offer isn’t as good, this provider still offers the most popular sports networks. ESPN, NFL, and NBC Sports are just some of the channels that you’ll be able to watch with this platform.

TV + Internet Bundles

If you need both TV and internet, there are bundles that can save you a lot of money in the long run. For example, bundling the internet at DIRECTV will save you $10 a month, which is $120 a year.

So in case you sign a two-year contract with DIRECTV, you can get the internet download speed of 100 Mbps with over 155 channels for $75 a month. The largest plan, with more than 330 channels, goes for $150 a month, which is a bargain since the biggest package for just a TV service goes for $110 per month.

Xfinity, on the other hand, offers a faster internet download speed and has a bigger bundle discount. The internet speed can go up to 2GB and has a high data cap. Thus, if you’re working online or you just like to have a fast and stable internet connection, Xfinity is your best choice.

When it comes to combining internet and TV services, you can save from $25 to $35 every month, depending on the package that you get. So Xfinity gives you the possibility to save at least $15 more than its competitor.

The cheapest bundle, in which you get 150 Mbps of download speed and over 140 channels, goes for $79.99 a month, whereas you can get the most expensive one, with over 260 channels, for $134.99 per month. As you can see, the prices are higher than DIRECTV’s. Furthermore, you should keep in mind that there are still additional Xfinity fees for DVR and HD features.

DIRECTV vs. Xfinity: Customer Support

Neither DIRECTV nor Xfinity passed the customer service ratings with flying colors. But that doesn’t come as a surprise since most TV providers aren’t known for their amazing customer support.

If you take a look at the ACSI report, which is short for the American Customer Satisfaction Index, you’ll see that DIRECTV has 64 points, which is 7 points more than Xfinity. Therefore, you’ll get better help if you opt for DIRECTV. But bear in mind that the difference isn’t that big to make you give up on Xfinity just based on its customer support.

DIRECTV vs. Xfinity Review: Conclusion

If you followed the article closely, you already know that there isn’t a clear winner. In case you need a good TV service, then DIRECTV is the way to go. In addition, this provider doesn’t have as many hidden fees as Xfinity. However, you should keep in mind that you’ll have to sign a two-year contract. What’s more, the prices will go way up after the first 12 months.

On the other hand, Xfinity provides much better internet service. Furthermore, this provider gives you the option to sign a one-year contract or not to sign anything at all. Thus, it’s a great choice for those who don’t want to commit to a 24-month service.

So the choice depends on your own personal preferences. Don’t worry; you really can’t go wrong with either of these TV providers since high-quality service and great features are guaranteed.

While most prefer DIRECTV NOW packages in general, you have to appreciate Sling TV’s low prices. Although DIRECT NOW costs more, you get more channels and more premium content. However, don’t think that Sling TV’s low prices signify an inferior service. Even though you get less content, the provider includes many popular and premium channels. Next, let’s compare the prices, equipment, and capabilities of Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW services.

DIRECTV NOW:

• $40–$80 a month
• 60–120+ channels
• 2–3 simultaneous streams
• Cloud DVR included in the price; 20 hours that you can watch for 30 days
• $5 a month for an HBO add-on

Sling TV:

• $25–$45 a month
• 30–50+ channels
• 1–4 simultaneous streams
• DVR not included in the price; $5 a month for 50 hours — forever
• $15 a month for an HBO add-on

If you’re not on a budget and want the largest variety of channels money can buy — DIRECTV NOW is the one for you. However, If you need a more cost-effective TV subscription service, Sling TV is the best option. Unfortunately, even with Sling TV’s low prices, it simply can’t compete with DIRECTV NOW’s variety of content.

Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW — Prices and Packages

These two providers offer different services and are tailored to different types of users. Sling TV’s packages are great if you aren’t a demanding viewer and only need a few channels. DIRECTV NOW, however, has all the channels you can think of and is made to fit many viewing preferences. No other TV provider on the market can match DIRECTV’s variety of options and pricing. Also, keep in mind that DIRECTV includes the price of their DVR with every package, which allows for higher savings.

DIRECTV NOW plans and prices:

• Live a Little — $40 a month for over 60 channels
• Just Right — $55 a month for over 80 channels
• Go Big — $65 a month for over 100 channels
• Gotta Have It — $75 a month for over 120 channels

Sling TV plans and prices:

• Sling Orange — $25 a month for 30 channels
• Sling Blue — $25 a month for 35 channels
• Sling Orange + Blue — $40 a month for over 50 channels

As you can tell, Sling TV’s highest-priced package offers fewer channels than DIRECTV NOW’s cheapest package. Even though they cost the same amount of money, DIRECTV NOW’s packages also include the costs of a DVR, while Sling TV’s don’t. However, with lower prices comes a smaller channel selection. Unfortunately, Sling TV excludes a few top channels like Telemundo, The CW, Fox News, and many others.

Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW — Channels

The premium channels and pricing schemes that DIRECTV NOW offers can’t be matched. You will also get the Sunday Ticket channel with every package (yes, even the cheapest one). Their packages also include more channels overall and make it easier to find content you want to watch. None of this comes as a surprise considering that DIRECTV NOW has an overall better offer than Sling TV.

However, Sling TV is great if you crave for more channels in foreign languages. The provider offers a handful of international channel options and includes add-ons in many languages, including Mexican and Hindi.

Don’t write Sling TV off just because the numbers are lower. You can view their channel lists and see if they offer any of your favorite shows. And if you’re not a demanding viewer, there’s a good chance you will get all of the channels you need — at a lower price.

Premium Content

Both providers have an excellent selection of premium channels. However, Sling TV, as well as the majority of streaming services, can’t compete with DIRECTV’s content. Most providers will charge you about $15 a month for HBO, but DIRECTV NOW offers this service for a monthly fee of $5.

DIRECTV NOW’s Premium Channel Fees:

• HBO — $5 a month
• SHOWTIME — N/A
• CINEMAX — $5 a month
• STARZ — $8 a month
• EPIX — N/A

Sling TV’s Premium Channel Fees:

• HBO — $15 a month
• SHOWTIME — $10 a month
• CINEMAX — $10 a month
• STARZ — $9 a month
• EPIX — $5 a month

Both providers offer a great selection of premium channels at reasonable prices. Although DIRECTV NOW’s fees are lower, it doesn’t include as many channels as Sling TV does. So if you want EPIX or SHOWTIME, you should opt for Sling TV.

Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW — Sports Coverage

If you’re like the average sports lover, you can’t go wrong with either of these services. You can enjoy the college football recaps whenever you want as both providers offer ESPN and ESPN2. However, if there are some specific channels you want to watch, you might be out of luck. Although DIRECTV has great coverage of sports channels, it’s not the best. Both providers have overlooked some major networks, and you might be better off with a different provider entirely if all you want are sports channels.

• NFL Network — only on Sling TV
• NFL RedZone — only on Sling TV
• Big Ten Network — only on DIRECTV NOW
• MLB Network — only on DIRECTV NOW
• CBS Sports Network — only on DIRECTV NOW

Great news for all sports fans! DIRECTV NOW offers the NFL Sunday Ticket channel in selected areas. So hopefully, you live in one of these cities, but even if you don’t, the provider is constantly adding more of them to the list.

Local Channel Support

The selection of local channels is based on the area you live in. However, DIRECTV NOW has a bigger number of affiliates compared to Sling TV. Thus, DIRECTV NOW and its 218 affiliates are more likely to grant you access to ABC and other local channels. Sling TV only works with 36 local affiliates, so their channel selection is much smaller. You can also buy an HD antenna if you want to watch more local channels.

Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW — User Experience

Both DIRECTV NOW and Sling TV offer a pleasant viewing experience. Unfortunately, neither of the providers allow you to pause, fast forward, or rewind live shows. DIRECTV NOW does allow you to pause on-demand and DVR content, but the pause button is huge and sits in the middle of your screen. That puts a damper on the whole viewing experience. Also, their interface isn’t extremely user-friendly, and every time you move your pointer, the controls will pop up on your screen. That is unfortunate, as it can interrupt you mid-show and doesn’t allow you to focus solely on the content.

You probably won’t experience any major bugs with DIRECTV NOW’s platform, but some customer complaints have issues with the favorite shows list failing to load. That might be a temporary glitch, but it worsens the viewing experience even further. Also, there have been some customer complaints about the frequent video buffering, no matter how high their internet speed was.

You will likely prefer Sling TV’s interface, as it allows you to sit back, relax, and watch your shows without interruptions or annoying tabs and buttons appearing all over the place. The controls are located in the lower part of the screen; they’re not in your face, but are still within easy reach. However, Sling’s Orange package isn’t impressive with its channel selection.

Sad news for all the TV buffs — if you want to have a variety of shows to watch, Sling TV might not be the best option for you. However, even though the cheapest package leaves much to be desired, you can expect more versatility with the more expensive options. Also, it would be great if both providers offered the option to watch their content without any commercials constantly popping up, but sadly, that isn’t the case.

Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW — Device Compatibility & Streaming

If you prefer using a PlayStation 4, you are out of luck, as neither Sling TV nor DIRECTV offers support for PS4. However, you can still stream whatever you want on computer desktops or a number of other streaming services. Although both providers support most major streaming services, Sling TV is compatible with two more than DIRECTV.

DIRECTV NOW Can Be Streamed On

• Apple TV
• Amazon’s Fire TV
• Chromecast
• Roku
• Android mobile and iOS
• PC and Mac

Sling TV Can Be Streamed On

• Apple TV
• Amazon’s Fire TV
• Chromecast
• Roku
• Android mobile and iOS
• Mac and PC
• Xbox One
• Windows phones

Sling TV and DIRECTV NOW have different approaches to simultaneous streaming. Every DIRECTV package features two simultaneous streams, and you can pay an additional fee of $5 a month to add a third one. Sling TV offers different streaming capabilities depending on the package you have selected. With Sling Orange, you can stream from only one device. However, you will be able to stream on three devices at the same time with Sling Blue. Moreover, Sling Orange + Blue allows the entire family to join in on the fun, with four simultaneous streams.

Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW — DVRs

DVR is essential if you want to binge-watch your favorite shows. DIRECTV NOW adds the DVR into the prices of all packages, but you will have to pay an additional fee if you want to use it with Sling TV. Although this can be seen as a disadvantage, the higher price tag comes with more perks. Let’s take a look at how Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW handles their DVR services:

• DIRECTV NOW Cloud DVR — Price included, 20 hours of HD streaming for 30 days
• Sling TV Cloud DVR — $5 a month, stream up to 50 hours and keep it as long as you want

It’s a bummer that Sling TV excludes the DVR from its packages and that you need to pay an additional monthly fee of $5 if you want to use it. However, this provider offers 50 hours of HD recordings that you can keep for as long as you like. The fact that you’re able to store your shows forever is incredible, and Sling TV gets extra points for this feature.

Although DIRECTV NOW includes the DVR in every package, you can only record a maximum of 20 hours of content and can’t keep it for longer than a month. That doesn’t mean their DVR is bad by any stretch of the imagination; however, it’s not as good as Sling TV’s.

The Winner — DIRECTV NOW

Sling TV put up a good fight, and no other provider can match their affordable prices. Even though DIRECTV NOW’s packages are more expensive, they include more channels and the DVR for the price. Also, the provider offers a plethora of inexpensive add-ons to choose from, including HBO.

DIRECTV NOW features 120+ channels, and Sling TV offers only 50+. Let’s not even mention how great the addition of the coveted NFL Sunday Ticket is. That is an incredible feature that makes the price worth it for all sports lovers.

However, the platform’s user interface is a different story entirely. Only a few things in this world are as annoying as DIRECTV NOW’s player controls showing up on the center of your screen and blocking the picture. However, Sling TV offers an uninterrupted, pleasant viewing experience with controls sensibly located at the bottom of your screen.

On the other hand, the DVR race is a close one. The providers offer different features, and what you decide on depends mostly on your needs. DIRECTV NOW throws in the price of their DVR with every package, but you can only record up to 20 hours of content and can keep it for a limited time. Even though Sling TV charges an additional fee for its DVR, you can store up to 50 hours of content — forever.

With all that in mind, in the battle of Sling TV vs. DIRECTV NOW, DIRECTV NOW is the winner. Both providers allow you to watch a variety of content at reasonable prices. Also, if you can’t live without HBO but don’t want to overpay for it, DIRECTV NOW is the best fit for you.