Optimum vs. DIRECTV STREAM

Optimum is a traditional cable TV provider with hundreds of channels, no contracts, and a contract buyout—but its DVR service is costly and available in only four states. In our guide to the Best TV Providers for 2021, it has the fourth highest rating (3.71 out of 5).

DIRECTV STREAM is a streaming service with fewer channels, no contracts, and unlimited DVR. But it’s expensive, and still clings to old cable-TV complications—like second-year price increases—that real streaming services don’t have. We rated DIRECTV STREAM 3.13 out of 5.

Jump to:

• Head-to-head comparison
• Prices and plans
• DVR
• Installation
• Streaming apps

Optimum vs. DIRECTV STREAM pros and cons

✓ Bundles w/ high-speed internet
✓ No contracts
✓ Up to $500 contract buyout
✗ Limited DVR storage
✗ High DVR prices
✗ Limited availability

✓ Free premium channel trials for new customers
✓ No contracts
✓ Easy self-installation
✗ High prices
✗ Low channel count

Compare Optimum and DIRECTV STREAM head-to-head

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* Plus taxes, fees and other charges. Includes Auto Pay and Paperless Billing.

Optimum has a contract buyout (up to $500), no contracts of its own, affordable plans, high channel counts, and premium channels included in its top-tier plan. But Optimum’s prices are high and its DVR storage is low and expensive, so you’ll have a hefty monthly payment.

DIRECTV STREAM has no contracts, but its channel count is far lower than Optimum’s. But you don’t have to rent a TV box if you already have a supported streaming device, and you can add unlimited DVR storage for $10 per month.

Enter your zip code below to see if Optimum and DIRECTV STREAM are available in your area.

Optimum vs. DIRECTV STREAM prices and plans

Since we’re comparing two vastly different services in Optimum and DIRECTV STREAM, we’ve done a little extra digging to show you the best deals for each. And we even give you an alternative.

Optimum internet-and-TV bundles pricing (mix-and-match)

When you sign up with Optimum, you can mix-and-match to find an internet and TV bundle that meets your needs for download speeds, live TV channels, and price. First, you’ll choose an Optimum internet plan.

1) Choose an Optimum internet plan

Now, choose an Optimum TV plan to see your total monthly payment for the bundle.

2) Choose an Optimum TV plan

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* Plus taxes, fees and other charges. Includes Auto Pay and Paperless Billing.

Smaller households and casual internet users will be fine with Optimum 100, which will allow you to do a lot of HD TV streaming and even a good amount of online gaming. If you want to do 4K streaming, we recommend Optimum 500 or Optimum 1 Gig.

Now you just need to decide how many channels you want. We think that Optimum Basic, like other providers’ basic cable TV plans, is a waste of money. You can get the same local channels and subchannels with an over-the-air (OTA) TV antenna. You can get a good antenna for $25.00–$60.00—and that’s all you’ll pay, ever. So why pay $30.00 a month for Optimum Basic?

If you want the most channels—with free premium channels, Premier TV has 420+ channels including HBO Max^TM, SHOWTIME®, and STARZ. It’s the most expensive plan, but it has the most bang for your buck.

That said, Select TV’s 340+ channels include the MLB Network, NFL Network, and STARZENCORE®—so if you like sports more than movies, you’ll save $20.00 a month with this TV plan.

DIRECTV STREAM prices and plans

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

DIRECTV STREAM has free premium channel trials, including HBO Max, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, and EPIX. Just remember that these deals don’t have an expiration date, but the terms are subject to change. That’s a pretty good deal, either way.

Like we mentioned earlier, DIRECTV STREAM has a fairly large channel selection, a more traditional channel guide, and so-so pricing. We recommend it for folks transitioning from cable and satellite TV.

That said, if you’re comfortable with live TV streaming already, however, we recommend going with another service like YouTube TV or Hulu Live.

DVR

Both Optimum and DIRECTV STREAM offer confusing cloud DVR pricing and features. Cue the comparison table.

Optimum Altice One vs. DIRECTV STREAM streaming box

Data as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Optimum has three tiers of DVR service—Cloud DVR ($8.00 a month, 25 hours), Cloud DVR Plus ($10.00 a month, 75 hours), or Cloud DVR Max ($20.00 a month, 150 hours). For your TV box, you can choose either an Altice One Mini (first one’s free, extras are $10.00 a month) or Apple TV 4K (rent-to-own, $10.00 a month for 18 months). These are pretty high prices for both the storage and the boxes, especially when Optimum’s internet-and-TV bundles are already fairly expensive.

DIRECTV STREAM includes 20 hours of cloud DVR, and you can upgrade to unlimited DVR for an additional $10 per month. And unlike Optimum, you don’t need to rent a TV box—you can use your own streaming device if you have one. (If you don’t have one, you can buy or lease DIRECTV STREAM’S streaming TV device.)

All three tiers of Optimum DVR service include up to 15 simultaneous recordings and you can keep them for as long as you have your account.

With DIRECTV STREAM, all plans give you up to 3 out-of-home streams plus a whopping 20 in-home streams (that you might never need), and recordings expire after 90 days.

While we don’t love that DIRECTV STREAM’s basically forcing you to pay for the upgrade (seriously, who can live with only 20 hours of DVR storage?), it’s still better than what Optimum offers.

Installation

Since Optimum is a cable TV provider, you’ll have to set up an installation appointment where a technician will come over and hook everything up for you. At this writing, installation is free for Select TV and Premier TV plans. All other plans have a $59 installation fee.

Installation is much easier with  DIRECTV STREAM—you can do it yourself. If you already have a supported device, you just download the app, sign in, and start channel surfing. If you decided to go with the DIRECTV STREAM box, it’s as easy as connecting it to your TV with an HDMI cable and following the onscreen prompts.

Streaming apps

If you’re always on the move, both Optimum and DIRECTV STREAM have mobile apps that allow you the freedom to watch movies and binge shows on the go.

With the Altice One app, you can watch your Optimum live TV channels and on-demand content; watch, manage, and schedule DVR recordings; and use it as your remote control. It’s compatible with the Amazon Kindle Fire, and Android and iOS devices. But user ratings are poor-to-mixed on Google Play (3.3 out of 5) and the Apple Store (2.2 out of 5), citing issues with connectivity and speed.

DIRECTV STREAM app home page

The DIRECTV STREAM app lets you do all of the above, but the remote function requires a Roku streaming device and the Roku mobile app. The DIRECTV STREAM app works with Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple/iOS, Google Chromecast, Roku, and select Samsung smart TVs, and has much better ratings on Google Play (3.9 out of 5) and the Apple Store (4.4 out of 5).

Final take

Cable apples and streaming oranges aside, Optimum is better than DIRECTV STREAM. It has the best channel counts, bundles, and value—especially when you consider its no-contract plans and $500 contract buyout. But it’s also the more expensive of the two services.

DIRECTV STREAM has easier installation, great perks, better DVR options, and a superior mobile app, but you can find better deals with actual streaming services like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.

Methodology

Our expert staff spent dozens of hours doing hands-on testing and number crunching to evaluate Optimum and DIRECTV STREAM’s features, reliability, and value. We then compared the two providers head-to-head to determine which one offers the best product and service. For more information on our methodology, see our How We Rank page.

Optimum vs. DIRECTV STREAM FAQ