As one of the most popular providers, DIRECTV and Xfinity have demonstrated the quality of their service throughout the years. If you’re not sure which one to choose, the truth is, you can’t go wrong with either of these platforms. However, in case you really want to get to know the upsides and shortcomings of both of them, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s the biggest showdown between DIRECTV and Xfinity!
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.