Verizon Fios TV vs. Stream with DIRECTV

Neither Verizon Fios TV nor Stream with DIRECTV is the perfect TV service. Like most other live TV streaming services, Stream with DIRECTV requires an internet connection and streams live at only 720p. Verizon Fios TV’s landline service has a much better picture quality but comes with oodles of equipment costs.

If you have to choose one, we say go with Verizon Fios TV. It will probably cost you just the same as Stream with DIRECTV, but it looks better and has more flexibility in choosing the channels you want.

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• Head-to-head comparison
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Verizon Fios TV vs. Stream with DIRECTV pros and cons

Compare Verizon Fios TV and Stream with DIRECTV head to head

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Sometimes numbers are a great way to understand what a service can offer you. And sometimes—like this time—there are more numbers under those first numbers that spoil the whole thing.

On the surface, Verizon Fios TV costs less and has more channels. But what you don’t see here is that Verizon Fios TV comes with tons of equipment costs (including a router—even if you’re not getting internet). And that enormous channel lineup is inflated by a truly untenable number of duplicated SD and HD channels.

DIRECTV’s streaming packages are more expensive than Verizon Fios TV’s, but don’t necessarily offer more value. Sure, its largest package comes with all the premium channels included, but you can add those to Verizon Fios TV’s biggest package and still pay less.

And those unlimited DVR hours from Stream with DIRECTV? Recordings will delete themselves after 90 days anyway. Horrible.

No siree, we do not like either provider’s sneaky costs and shortchanges. We try not to be downers around here, but we recommend you consider Verizon Fios TV only if you’re bundling it with internet—at least then the router charges make sense.

Or, if DIRECTV’s streaming appeals to you, try just about any other streaming service. There are so many good ones out there, and they won’t tie you down with contracts.

Verizon Fios TV vs. Stream with DIRECTV prices and plans

Verizon Fios TV may offer less plans than Stream with DIRECTV, but they pack a punch. You’ll get lots of HD channels with Verizon Fios TV, something Stream with DIRECTV can’t offer for live TV.

Verizon Fios TV pricing and plans

**with Auto Pay + taxes & equip charges.
Data effective as of post date. Not all offers available in all areas.

Your Fios TV package is a lot more flexible than most other TV packages you’ll see these days. You pick five channels to get, and Verizon fills up the rest of your channel lineup with similar channels. It’s a great choice if you know what you like.

Or, if you’re struggling to choose one package out of the three, Verizon Fios also has a special Fios TV Test Drive package. For $85 per month, you have 60 days with access to all 425+ channels that Verizon Fios TV carries. Watch whatever you want, and at the end of the trial period, Verizon recommends a plan that fits how you watch.

Stream with DIRECTV pricing and plans

Data effective as of post date. Not all offers available in all areas. See full disclaimer for details.

If you want Stream with DIRECTV and you’re not sure which package to get, go with CHOICE™. It comes with all the basic channels, plus a few more family favorites and a three-month HBO Max subscription.

You won’t have to worry about extra equipment costs when you stream with DIRECTV, but its plans cost more than Verizon Fios TV’s to begin with. We love to come up with odd-ball suggestions on who might want an underdog service like this, but beyond the HBO Max trial, Stream with DIRECTV is so lackluster that we’re coming up blank.

DVRs

Both Verizon Fios TV and Stream with DIRECTV offer DVR service. Verizon Fios TV attaches many hidden fees to its equipment, so expect that to add up. Stream with DIRECTV’s unlimited cloud DVR doesn’t cost much, and it has some cool features, but your recordings last only 90 days.

Fios TV One vs. Stream with DIRECTV Cloud DVR

Fios TV One

There’s a big price range for the Fios TV One. What you’ll pay depends on which TV package you get (the bigger the package, the more equipment discounts) and which DVR service you sign up for.

If you get Your Fios TV, you’ll have to pay $12 per month for each HD set-top box. With the More Fios TV and the Most Fios TV, you get your first set-top box included, with all additional boxes costing the regular price.

Once you have your HD set-top box, you can sign up for a DVR service. Here are the specs and basic prices, but Verizon gives you a discount with The Most Fios TV package:

• Standard DVR ($12/mo.)—watch on 1 TV at once, record 2 shows at once, store 50 hrs. HD
• Enhanced DVR ($20/mo.)—watch on 5 TVs at once, record 6 shows at once, store 100 hrs. HD
• Premium DVR ($30/mo.)—watch on 10 TVs at once, record 12 shows at once, store 200 hrs. HD

If you have more than 5 TVs, you won’t be able to sign up online for that many HD set-top boxes at once. You’ll need to call a Verizon agent to add them.

Stream with DIRECTV Cloud DVR

With the Stream with DIRECTV Cloud DVR, you don’t have to worry about all those extra fees Verizon Fios puts on its equipment. You don’t even need an HD set-top box to watch Stream with DIRECTV—you can bring your own streaming device or rent one from DIRECTV for $10 a month.

Another cool trick with the Stream with DIRECTV Cloud DVR is that you can record as many shows as you want at once. That will really come in handy when 20 of your favorite shows are playing at the same time.

What we don’t love is all the limits Stream with DIRECTV imposes on your cloud DVR recordings.

You get only 20 hours of HD recordings included unless you pay an additional $10 a month for unlimited storage. Plus, all Stream with DIRECTV Cloud DVR recordings stay for just 90 days. And if you’re trying to record an entire series, good luck.

After 30 episodes from the same show, DIRECTV starts deleting your earlier recordings, even if you recorded them in the last 90 days.

Woof—Stream with DIRECTV’s cloud DVR was its chance to shine, and it totally biffed it.

Installation

Verizon Fios TV installation costs a whoppin’ $99—unless you order online, in which case installation comes included. You can opt for a professional to install your TV equipment or do it yourself if you’re handy (and your house already has fiber wiring).

Aside from arming your TV with a streaming device (and making sure you’ve got an internet connection), Stream with DIRECTV doesn’t require any installation. Just download the DIRECTV app, and you’re good to go. At least they win one round.

Streaming apps

While Stream with DIRECTV is available only as a live TV streaming service, Verizon Fios TV offers both traditional TV service for your home entertainment and an app for on-the-go streaming. Nice flexibility, Verizon.

Fios T‪V app

If you’ve got an iPhone, you can download the Fios TV app on the Apple App Store, where it currently has a 4.5 out of 5.0 rating. On Google Play, the app has 3.8 out of 5.0. Or you can get it on Amazon for Android, where it has 4.2 out of 5.0. Those high scores put the Fios TV app in third place for the top three traditional TV streaming apps.

DIRECTV app

Most major streaming devices have DIRECTV available in their app stores. For your mobile devices, find DIRECTV on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon for Android.

Internet bundles

You can get internet from Verizon Fios, but DIRECTV doesn’t currently offer internet bundles. While Verizon Fios doesn’t offer bundling discounts, its internet packages usually come with promotional gifts, so you can still count on some free stuff if you get TV and internet together.

Check out our internet deals to see what freebies you can expect from Verizon Fios right now—we update this page every month.

Is Verizon Fios TV or Stream with DIRECTV better?

In the contest between Verizon Fios TV and Stream with DIRECTV, Verizon Fios’s high-definition picture and flexible channel lineups win out. But we’re not fans of either service because they both come with lots of hidden fees.

We recommend you check out other traditional TV or streaming TV options before you settle.

Verizon Fios TV vs. Stream with DIRECTV FAQ

Methodology

Our experts carefully compared Verizon Fios TV and Stream with DIRECTV’s prices, plans, and specifications to each other and dozens of traditional TV and live TV streaming services. We combed through the sign-up process to find every hidden fee, and we listened to what customers are saying about their service.

To learn more, check out our full explanation of how we rank on CableTV.com.

Disclaimer:
Stream with DIRECTV:
ENTERTAINMENT: ($99.99/mo. w/$10/mo. Gemini lease fee) Cancel anytime. CHOICE: ($124.98/mo. w/ req’d Regional Sports Fee of up to $19.99/mo. & $10/mo. Gemini lease fee). Cancel anytime. ULTIMATE: ($154.98/mo. w/ req’d Regional Sports Fee of up to $19.99/mo. & $10/mo. Gemini lease fee). Cancel anytime. PREMIER™: ($199.98/mo. w/ req’d Regional Sports Fee of up to $19.99/mo. & Gemini $10/mo. lease). Cancel anytime. OPTIMO MÁS: ($94.99/mo. w/ $10/mo. Gemini lease fee). Cancel anytime.