DIRECTV vs. Spectrum TV Review

Is DIRECTV or Spectrum TV a better TV service?

DIRECTV is the TV provider that offers the highest channel count, you’ll get a sufficient DVR storage space, but you’ll have second-year price hikes. Yikes.

Charter Spectrum TV has an inexpensive starter package, you won’t have to sign a contract, but your DVR storage will be scarce.

The winner is Spectrum TV, but just by the narrowest of margins.

DIRECTV is for those who want a high channel count, and with that comes more expensive pricing than what you’d see with Spectrum.

The pricing is still fair for the number of channels you’ll receive, but the pricing increases by 30–40% during year two.

We go into more detail below, but you’ll have to sign a 2-year contract with DIRECTV, which includes second-year price hikes (why, DIRECTV, why?).

We like the channel lineups in all of DIRECTV’s plans, but we could do without spending close to double the following year.

Spectrum TV doesn’t require a contract, but it’s unclear how much your pricing goes up after your first year of service.

The advertised pricing is what you’ll be paying monthly for year one, and we especially like Spectrum TV® Select’s pricing.

In fact, the TV® Select plan is one of our favorite cheap cable TV packages (that’s a mouthful). For $60 per month, you’ll get a full channel lineup with over 125 channels, including most of the popular channels like Disney Channel and ESPN.

Spectrum is one of the largest cable TV and internet providers in the country. If you're considering Spectrum TV in your area, then Spectrum Internet is probably an option for you too. Check out Spectrum's Internet plans to see if it makes sense to bundle your services. 

DIRECTV has the dreaded second-year price hikes that only a few TV service providers still have.

DIRECTV likes to sweeten you up with access to more than 340 channels, and a 200-hour DVR, and then bam! your monthly bill increases by nearly double.

Spectrum has its own type of game.

No, you don’t have the second-year price hikes, but you do get some kind of hike. Spectrum just isn’t transparent as to how much your monthly bill increase.

At least DIRECTV gives you an idea of how much you’ll need to budget.

But on the upside, since you don’t have to sign an annual contract with Spectrum, you can always cancel your service if you don’t find it worth the inflated price.

DIRECTV wins in the fees department.

DIRECTV includes the first set-top box into your plan, and then each additional boxes are $7. So you could be paying $14 for three TV receivers for your living room, bedroom, and kid’s bedroom.

For Spectrum, you’d have to pay $27 per month for three set-top boxes along with $10 for the DVR service fee.

And lastly, DIRECTV’s regional sports fee is significantly lower than Spectrum’s broadcast fee. You can’t get away from these fees if you want to watch sports or the news.

Both DIRECTV and Spectrum have most of your favorite sports, news, lifestyle, kids, entertainment, and movie channels.

You’ll get most of the popular channels in the entry-level packages with both TV providers, but you’ll get more with DIRECTV’s ENTERTAINMENT plan.

Before you commit, check the full channel lineups of DIRECTV and Spectrum to see if this could be your longtime service.

DIRECTV and Spectrum throw in some great freebies, and we’re more than OK with that.

But don’t forget to cancel your subscriptions after your free trials are up. Set a reminder in your phone for when you’ll need to call DIRECTV to cancel your subscriptions before you’re charged (because you know you’ll forget if you don’t).

The first thing we should mention here is that DIRECTV used to be the only TV service with NFL SUNDAY TICKET, making it one of our top picks for sports fans. As of 2023, NFL SUNDAY TICKET is moving exclusively to YouTube TV. 

Without the benefit of NFL SUNDAY TICKET, DIRECTV only offers 19 sports channels. With Spectrum, you could get 26 (including Español sports channels).

DIRECTV includes only three sports channels (ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3) in its entry-level package, while Spectrum includes eight (including NBC Sports Network and Big Ten Network).

So we think DIRECTV is best for the NFL fans, and if you’re an all-around sports fan, Spectrum might be your No. 1 pick.

Both have their ups and downs, and you can check out our reviews on DIRECTV and Spectrum to get an idea of which package is best for you.

DIRECTV has the following sports channels:

Spectrum TV has the following sports channels:

To find the best DVR, we compare storage hours, the number of simultaneous recordings, and price.

DIRECTV’s Genie DVR has more than 4x the storage space, more than double the simultaneous recordings, and it costs $2 less per month. (Enough said, right?)

According to Spectrum, there is a DVR with 150 storage hours available. We couldn’t find this option at checkout online, so if you choose Charter Spectrum TV as your next provider, we’d suggest calling to order the enhanced DVR.

• Pricing and Contracts: Spectrum TV has better pricing overall. Spectrum’s pricing ranges from $49–$99 for 125+ channels, while DIRECTV ranges from $65–$155 for 165–340 channels. We do suggest getting DIRECTV if you’d like the most channels, but you’ll have to worry about second-year price hikes during your 2-year contract. Spectrum TV doesn’t require you to sign any type of contract, so you can cancel at any time, however it does have a mystery price hike in year two.
• Fees: DIRECTV’s fees cost less per month than those of Spectrum’s. DIRECTV includes the first set-top box into your plan, and then each additional box is $7. Spectrum charges $9 for each of its TV boxes. You’ll also have to pay a $10 DVR service fee each month.
• Channels: You’ll get lots of popular channels with Spectrum for a price we like. DIRECTV offers more channels in each of its packages, and that does mean you’ll get more of your favorite channels with this satellite TV provider, but you have to consider if it’s worth the price. Check out DIRECTV’s and Spectrum’s channel lineups to get a better idea of which one could be your next TV provider.
• Sports Channels: Spectrum offers eight more sports channels than DIRECTV does (including college, soccer, and Español sports channels). Overall, Spectrum is more well-rounded with its sports channels and will satisfy any type of fan.
• DVR: DIRECTV’s Genie DVR blows Spectrum TV’s DVR out of the water. The Genie has more than 4x the storage space, more than double the simultaneous recordings, and it costs $2 less per month. If you’re leaning toward cable TV, we just recommend calling Spectrum to get the enhanced DVR with 150 hours of storage space.

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