Category: Reviews

Best Satellite TV Providers: DISH or DIRECTV—Who Wins?

by Randy Harward and Logan Jones | Oct 13, 2025 | Best Of, Reviews

DISH is our Editor’s Choice for the best overall TV provider for the last three years due to its high channel count, industry-leading DVR, and three-year price guarantee.

DIRECTV has more channels and better sports offerings than DISH, plus a new two-year price guarantee—but DIRECTV also has higher prices and hidden fees.

DISH Hopper 3 vs. DIRECTV Genie

by Randy Harward | Oct 13, 2025 | Equipment Guides, Versus Reviews

When you sign up for DISH or DIRECTV, you’re not just choosing a TV package—you’re choosing a DVR/receiver, which is your portal to all that delicious, mind-rotting eye candy.

Feature-rich and powerful, the DISH Hopper 3 is consistently named the best TV box in the biz. DIRECTV’s Genie is well-regarded, but not as mighty, and consistently second-banana to the Hopper 3. If you want more details, keep reading to see what we’ve dug up on both boxes.

DIRECTV VS. Optimum

by Eric Chiu | Oct 13, 2025 | Versus Reviews

From contracts to channel counts, we break down everything you need to know about Optimum and DIRECTV plans.

DIRECTV vs. Cox: Which TV Provider is Better?

by Amy Young and Logan Jones | Oct 13, 2025 | Versus Reviews

DIRECTV and Cox have comparable prices, but DIRECTV takes the cake with bigger channel lineups and a free DVR. Our review gives you all of the details.

DISH vs. DIRECTV: Cost, Plans, and More

by Randy Harward and Logan Jones | Oct 9, 2025 | Versus Reviews

DISH and DIRECTV square off in this match-up of satellite TV titans. Get the pros and cons of TV service from DISH vs DIRECTV in an unbiased comparison from CableTV.com. Spoiler alert: we give the edge to DISH.

Spectrum vs. DIRECTV

by Randy Harward | Oct 7, 2025 | Versus Reviews

Spectrum offers cable TV and internet services to select regions across the US without a contract. Its TV plan is affordable, flexible, simple, and bundles well with Spectrum’s high-speed internet service.

DIRECTV satellite TV service is available almost anywhere in the country, includes the Genie DVR at no extra cost, and is the best TV provider for sports. But DIRECTV is losing NFL SUNDAY TICKET this fall. It’s too bad, though, that DIRECTV has contracts, high prices—including a steep second-year price hike—and limited bundling options.

Optimum vs. Stream with DIRECTV

by Randy Harward | Oct 7, 2025 | Reviews, Versus Reviews

Cable apples and streaming oranges aside, Optimum is better than DIRECTV’s streaming service. It has the best channel counts, bundles, and value—especially when you consider its no-contract plans and $500 contract buyout.

Spectrum vs. Stream with DIRECTV

by Randy Harward | Oct 7, 2025 | Versus Reviews

Our TV experts’ research shows that Spectrum’s affordable, premium-jammed plans beat Stream with DIRECTV’s poor value.

Stream with DIRECTV vs. DIRECTV: Live Streaming or Satellite TV Service – Which Is Better For You?

by Randy Harward | Oct 6, 2025 | Reviews, Versus Reviews

DIRECTV’s streaming and satellite products both have some excellent features, but they’re both way too expensive to be worth it for most folks. Forced to choose one over the other, we’d pick DIRECTV’s streaming plans since they’re the most flexible (no contract means an easier escape) and avoid DIRECTV’s ridiculous second-year price hike.

What’s the Best Alternative to Optimum?

by Eric Chiu and Olivia Bono | Sep 22, 2025 | Reviews, Versus Reviews

If you’re finally ready to jump ship from Optimum, here’s what you need to know about alternatives to Optimum TV and internet service.