DIRECTV STREAM vs. DIRECTV: What’s the Difference?

DIRECTV STREAM and DIRECTV are very similar in what they offer, but which is right for you? The live TV streaming service or the satellite TV provider?

DIRECTV STREAM is a streamable version of DIRECTV, but both services have their ups and downs. DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t require a contract, but DIRECTV gives you more channels and some included perks, like premium channels.

Enough small talk. Let’s get into the details of which service is best for you.

DIRECTV’s dollar-to-channel ratio is much better than that of DIRECTV STREAM’s, but that’s probably because DIRECTV STREAM's ENTERTAINMENT and CHOICE packages are more expensive.

DIRECTV requires a two-year contract that you can’t get around, and DIRECTV STREAM lets you cancel your service whenever you’d like. 

DIRECTV does offer lots more channels for you and the family to enjoy, and that might be worth it.

Since DIRECT STREAM doesn’t require a contract and its entry packages are a bit more expensive, we believe it is trying to push the live TV streaming service over the satellite TV service. But honestly, DIRECTV STREAM is currently the priciest live TV streaming service on the market.

DIRECTV’s pricing is $5–$10 less per month for the first year, and each package includes about double the channels than DIRECTV STREAM does.

So if you want all of the lifestyle, news, sports, kids, and entertainment channels you can think of, DIRECTV is the one for you.

As mentioned above, DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t require you to sign a contract of any kind.

On the other hand, DIRECTV has a 2-year contract. DIRECTV used to have second-year price hikes that nearly doubled your monthly cost, but now your price will return to DIRECTV's prevailing prices at the end of your contract.

By glancing at the fees table, you can see that DIRECTV STREAM has the fewest amount of fees.

This is good news for those leaning toward DIRECTV STREAM. And if you order DIRECTV STREAM online, you can get unlimited cloud DVR storage with any plan. So make sure you order online to dodge having to pay $10 per month to have unlimited hours of recording space.

DIRECTV includes the first Genie DVR with your service, which holds 200 HD hours of recordings, and you’ll want to pay an extra $7 per month if you’d like a DVR in your bedroom, as well.

DIRECTV STREAM’s streaming device isn’t necessary if you already have an Apple TV, Roku, smart TV, or any other supported streaming device. If you don’t, $5 per month isn’t too bad, but we still recommend buying a less expensive streaming device if you don’t already have one.

If you need help avoiding those early termination fees, we have some solutions for you.

When comparing both providers and the availability of the top channels, they’re very similar.

DIRECTV STREAM has most of the popular channels, which is good news since it only offers half the channels DIRECTV does.

DIRECTV has Univision, and it will most likely have the specialty channels you want, such as NASA TV and TUDN.

But during our research on channels, we realized that there are quite a lot of music channels in DIRECTV’s lineup (close to 50), which contributes greatly to the high channel count. So we encourage you to check out DIRECTV STREAM’s and DIRECTV’s complete channel lineup to make sure it has a lineup that you need.

If sports channels determine how great a service is to you, scroll down a little for the fun stuff.

Both providers have the same pricing for all of the premium channels, but DIRECTV includes more in your service.

HBO Max is included in DIRECTV STREAM’s PREMIER package, and you’ll get HBO Max in your channel lineup for three months if you order CHOICE or ULTIMATE.

When you get ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE, or ULTIMATE with DIRECTV, you’ll get a three-month membership to HBO Max, Cinemax, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and MGM+. The PREMIER package includes all of the premium channels besides MGM+ in your channel lineup.

Just make sure to cancel at the end of each subscription period so you don’t get charged the following month (if you don’t want to keep the premium channel, of course).

DIRECTV STREAM also has add-ons, like Deportes and Español, which you can find more about in our DIRECTV STREAM review.

With DIRECTV STREAM, you can get all of the sports channels listed below with the ULTIMATE and PREMIER packages.

DIRECTV STREAM only offers four sports channels in its entry-level package (ESPN, ESPN 2, Bally Sports, and NBCSN). If you can live without the Golf Channel and NHL Network, you’ll be fine with the CHOICE plan.

DIRECTV also gives you access to all of its sports channels with the ULTIMATE package and above.

DIRECTV STREAM has the following sports channels:

DIRECTV has the following sports channels:

DIRECTV has one of the best set-top box DVRs in the industry in its Genie DVR.

With the included Genie DVR, you’ll get 200 HD hours of storage space and five simultaneous streams.

DIRECTV STREAM comes with a cloud DVR storage space of 20 hours (or unlimited if you order online), and you only get three simultaneous streams.

If you have a bigger family, there is a pro and a con with DIRECTV STREAM.

• Pro: You can sign up for DIRECTV STREAM online or upgrade your DVR storage for $10 per month for unlimited storage space.
• Con: Only three family members can stream at once, but this might not be such a huge problem.

You’ll get access to over 7,000 apps with DIRECTV STREAM’s streaming box, and you can stream services like Netflix, Prime Video, Pandora, and HBO Max. DIRECTV’s set-top box won’t give you this experience.

With both DIRECTV STREAM and DIRECTV, you’ll get access to on-demand content, so check it out before you spend more money on a streaming service.

• Pricing: DIRECTV STREAM wins with its no-contract service and lack of extra fees. DIRECTV requires a 2-year contract and it comes with extra fees.
• Channels: DIRECTV will give you the most channels, but we noticed a good portion of the extra channels are music channels. Although some of us might enjoy listening to music while cleaning, it might not be worth those second-year price hikes. We encourage you to check out the channel lineups for DIRECTV STREAM and DIRECTV before you officially decide.
• Sports Channels: Both services pretty much have the same sports channel lineup. Both TV providers will give you access to all of their sports channels with the ULTIMATE plans. DIRECTV’s respective plan costs $109/month, and DIRECTV STREAM’s price tag is $109/month. 
• DVR: DIRECTV’s Genie DVR gives you 200 SD/200 HD hours of storage space and DIRECTV STREAM gives you 20. Of course, if you order online for DIRECTV STREAM's unlimited DVR storage, DIRECTV STREAM is a clear winner. If not, 20 hours of DVR storage is definitely not enough, especially if you’re wanting to record more than 10 TV episodes and three movies, so you might opt in to pay $10/month for an unlimited DVR storage space.

If you’re still unsure of either of these providers, check out our more in-depth reviews on DIRECTV STREAM and DIRECTV.

If neither sounds like the right service for you, check out our Best TV Service Providers of 2021.