Spectrum TV Service Review

Get no-contract TV service that includes 150+ channels we think you can get behind

Spectrum
Spectrum TV
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
  • pro
    No contract
  • pro
    Widely available across the US
  • con
    Low DVR storage space
Chantel Buchi
Feb 08, 2024
Icon Time To Read5 min read

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Spectrum TV®’s package is reasonably priced, its channel lineup has most of your favorite popular channels, you can opt into receiving an Apple TV, and (to put the cherry on top) it’s a contract-free service.

Spectrum is available in select cities in 41 states, making it one of the US's most widely available cable TV providers (similar to Xfinity TV).

Without further adieu, let’s get into the details to find out if Spectrum TV® is your next cable service.

How much does Spectrum TV® cost?

Spectrum TV®’s dollar-to-channel ratio is excellent

Spectrum TV® won’t break your bank, and you’ll get a solid channel lineup with TV Select Signature's 150-channel package. 

You could be in for a surprise, though. Depending on where you live, you could get over 210 channels! That's the case for some cities in New York. So, take a look at the complete channel lineup in your area. 

We should warn you: these advertised prices are only good for the first 12 months of your service. After your first year, Spectrum isn’t clear as to what your monthly bill price will be.

How much are Spectrum TV®'s packages?
Plan
Price
TV channel count
TV service type
Details
Spectrum TV® Select Signature$64.99/mo. for 12 mos.*150+Cable
Spectrum Mi Plan Latino$39.99/mo. for 12 mos.145+Cable
* * Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum TV Select Signature promotion price is $59.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr 1. Taxes, fees, and surcharges (broadcast surcharge up to $23.20/mo) extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.
* Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum Mi Plan Latino: Price is $39.99/mo for yr 1; standard rates apply after yr 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges (broadcast surcharge up to $23.20/mo) extra and subject to change during and after the term; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra.

You can bundle with Spectrum internet®, so you only have one hassle-free bill for both services.

Combining your TV, internet, or mobile payments into a single bill can be confusing, but thankfully, it's easy-breezy with Spectrum. Spectrum's site allows you to easily explore each TV, internet, and mobile plan both individually and bundled with another service. 

If you choose to bundle, expect to pay an extra $50 per month for download speeds of 300 Mbps for your home.* This is an ideal speed if you have multiple people in your household who work from home, download content, and stream simultaneously.

Spectrum’s Internet is our second favorite cable internet provider because it gives you unlimited data caps without a contract.

Does Spectrum TV® have a contract?

One of the beauties of Spectrum TV®: there’s no contract. So you can cancel whenever you’d like.

Whether you move, need to save money, or choose to try a live TV streaming service, you can cancel without paying any cancellation fees.

Does Spectrum TV® have fees?

It’s common for a cable TV provider to charge monthly for the TV receiver and DVR service, and Spectrum’s cost is fair.

We recommend getting the DVR service package if you plan to put a TV receiver in your living room, bedroom, and kid’s bedroom.

If you like to keep up with your local news, you won't be able to get away from the broadcast fee. The broadcast fee for Spectrum is $4 less than Xfinity’s ($26), but cable TV providers, like Verizon Fios TV and Optimum TV, don’t charge this fee.

At least Spectrum doesn’t charge a regional sports fee like some cable providers do. (But the caveat to that, fellow sports fans, is Spectrum isn't the best option for watching sports).

How much are Spectrum TV®'s fees?
Fee
Monthly price
HD box$10.99/mo. each
Apple TV 4K$5.00/mo. for 18 mos. or on-time payment of $90.00
DVR fee$4.99–$9.99/mo.
Broadcast feeUp to $23.20/mo.

Data effective 1/25/2024.

Keep in mind, that Spectrum’s fine print says, “installation and activation fees are extra”, but Spectrum doesn’t specify how much they are.

What channels does Spectrum TV® have?

All of Spectrum’s channels are in HD, and no other cable TV service offers more HD channels than Spectrum does. And you’re most likely going to find your favorite channels with Spectrum.

(If you're looking for the sports channels, scroll down a little for the best section.)

Spectrum's TV Select Signature package comes with over 150 popular channels. You can then choose from Spectrum's add-on channel packages or add premium channels a la carte to customize your channel lineup. 

Spectrum’s TV® Select Signature package includes the following channels:

  • ABC
  • A&E
  • AMC
  • CBS
  • Animal Planet
  • BBC America
  • BET
  • Bravo
  • Cartoon Network
  • CNN
  • Comedy Central
  • Discovery Channel
  • Disney Channel
  • Food Network
  • FOX News
  • Freeform
  • FX
  • FX Movie Channel
  • Hallmark Channel
  • HGTV
  • HISTORY
  • Investigation Discovery (ID)
  • Lifetime
  • MSNBC
  • MTV
  • Music Choice channels
  • National Geographic
  • NBC
  • Nickelodeon
  • Paramount Network
  • PBS
  • TBS
  • TNT
  • USA Network

Spectrum gives you up to 80,000 on-demand movies and TV show episodes on top of your service! As you upgrade from one package to another, you’ll have access to even more titles to watch while waiting in the grocery store line or on a Saturday family movie night.

Does Spectrum TV® have premium channels and add-ons?

Yes. Like we said earlier, after subscribing to TV Select Signature, you can choose from Spectrum's premium add-on channel packages or pick specific premium channels to add individually.

How much are Spectrum TV®’s premium add-on channels?
Add-on
Channels
Monthly price
MaxHBO, HBO Zone, HBO Family$15/mo.
CINEMAXMax, Max Zone, Max Family$10/mo.
Paramount+ with SHOWTIMEParamount+ with SHOWTIME®: Family Zone and Showcase$10/mo.
STARZ + STARZ ENCORESTARZ, STARZ Cinema, STARZEncore$9/mo.
THE MOVIE CHANNELSTARZ, STARZ Cinema, STARZEncore$5/mo.
Not all products, pricing and services available in all areas. Restrictions apply.
Spectrum TV®'s add-on packages
Channel package
TV channel count
Monthly price
Sports View20+$7/mo.^
Entertainment View80+$12/mo.^
Latino View70+$12/mo.^
^ Not all products, pricing and services available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Not available with TV Essentials

Which Spectrum TV® package is best for sports?

Spectrum's Sports View add-on will be the best choice for sports lovers.

Because without it, your sports-channel game will be as weak as the 2023 Jets offense. 

With your TV package only including eight sports channels, you can get 19 additional channels for only $7 extra. This is the best deal we've seen for a sports add-on.

And to make the deal even sweeter, the add-on comes with the NFL RedZone Channel! Why we're so excited here is because you cannot find this magnificent channel for cheaper anywhere else.

So we highly recommend adding 19 sports channels to your TV Select Signature plan for a grand total of 27.

Spectrum’s TV Select Signature package includes the following sports channels:

  • ACC Network (ACCN)
  • ESPN, ESPN2
  • FOX Sports (FS1)
  • MSG, MSG2 (in NY)
  • MotorTrend
  • SEC Network
  • Spectrum Sports
  • SportsNet

Spectrum’s Sports View package includes the following sports channels:

  • BeIN SPORTS, BeIN en Español
  • ESPN College Extra
  • ESPNEWS
  • FS2
  • Golf Channel
  • MAVTV Motorsports Network
  • MLB Network
  • MLB Strike Zone
  • NBA TV
  • NFL Network
  • NFL RedZone Channel
  • NHL Network
  • Olympic Channel
  • Outdoor Channel
  • Tennis Channel
  • The Cowboy Channel
  • TVG
  • Willow TV

If you're a college sports fan, we have some other suggestions you could consider:

DISH TV offers ESPNU, ACCN, Big Ten Network, Longhorn Network, PAC-12 Network, and SEC Network. Yep, all of the NCAA channels. 

Hulu + Live TV is the only other service we've seen to have ESPN College Extra. This live TV streaming service also has ACCN, BTN, and SEC Network for the NCAA fans.

Spectrum’s has two very different DVR options

Your two DVR options with Spectrum are as follows:

  • Order as many set-top boxes as needed for $11 per month each and get DVR service for $5.
  • Pay $5 per month for each Apple TV for only 1.5 years and receive 100 hours of Cloud DVR storage for $10 per month. 

If you don't mind navigating a streaming device, the second option is the best

100 hours of DVR storage allows you to record 14 movies, 15 NCIS episodes, 11 NBA games, and 20 episodes of Paw Patrol. Just keep in mind that your recordings will be saved for only one year.

As for the first option, we're confused about the $5 DVR service. How many storage hours does it give us? How many simultaneous recordings can the DVR handle? 

We'd like transparency, Spectrum. 

Spectrum doesn't specify if each four family members can record their favorite show that airs between 7–8 p.m. and we'd like to know how many Hallmark movies we can record.

How much is Spectrum’s DVR service?
Fee
Monthly price
HD set-top box$10.99/mo. each
Apple TV 4K$5.00/mo. for for 18 mos. or one-time payment of $90.00
DVR service for TV box$4.99/mo.
Cloud DVR$9.99/mo.

Which devices are compatible with Spectrum TV®?

The Spectrum TV® app allows you to watch live TV on the go while waiting for your kid’s baseball practice to finish or on your lunch break.

You can even use the Spectrum TV® app as a TV remote and browse through channels, set up recordings, and access parental controls.

Spectrum TV® is compatible with the following streaming devices:

  • iPhones, iPads
  • Android smartphones and tablets
  • Roku devices (second generation and higher)
  • Apple TV
  • Fire TV
  • Amazon (Kindle) Fire 6 and higher
  • Xbox One
  • Samsung Smart TVs
  • Vizio Smart TVs

Recap: Is Spectrum TV® worth it?

Fair pricing, solid channel lineup, and no contract? It’s worth it for some.
Spectrum
Spectrum TV
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
Monthly price
$64.99
Channel Count Range
145-150
Starting from
$64.99
Data as of 04/05/2023. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.

Spectrum TV® may not provide the best DVR option for those who don't want a streaming device, but at least its fees are reasonable compared to other cable TV providers.

The part we like the most about Spectrum TV® is that you can access about 30 sports channels for just $7 more per month. That’s the price of one hotdog at an MLB game!

Most TV providers charge about $10 for their sports add-on, and we're happy that Spectrum is on the low end because it doesn't have nearly enough sports channels in its lineup. 

Another excellent perk to this cable provider is you don’t have to worry about a contract. Although the second-year pricing is unclear, you can cancel without any repercussions if it's out of your budget. 

If you want a decent number of channels for a fantastic price and live in one of these cities of the 41 states it’s offered, you might have found your next cable TV service.

If Spectrum TV® isn’t available in your area or you need more DVR storage space, check out our top cable TV providers for other options.

Chantel Buchi
Written by
Chantel Buchi
Chantel is all about finding the best tv or streaming service to watch as many football games as possible to keep her Fantasy Football team in check. Prior to being a TV and Streaming Tech Reporter for Reviews.org, she worked for NFL Network and The Alliance of American Football. Before that, she received a B.A. of Communication at the University of Utah and an M.S. in Sports Journalism at USC. Go Utes and Fight On. Contact her at chantel@reviews.org

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