Suddenlink TV Review
By Rachel Oaks
Share | 0 | Aug 23, 2019
TV-lover packages that have the right channels at the right price.
About Suddenlink TV
Unlike a lot of other providers, Suddenlink doesn’t offer television-only packages. You’ll need to get both internet and TV to watch your favorite shows.
Luckily, Suddenlink’s packages are competitively priced. And you’ll get the star treatment if you go with the Select TV or Premier TV channel lineups—those come with STARZ and SHOWTIME included.
Star treatment. Get it?
Our recommended package
This is Suddenlink’s cheapest TV, internet, and phone package—but it packs a punch.
Value TV has big-name cable channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, and Food Network. While it doesn’t have every channel, it’s less likely that you’ll go, “Wait, it’s missing that one channel I like?”
But sports fans may want to upgrade to Select TV for more sports channels, and HBO® lovers should skip straight to Premier TV and not look back.
With Internet 100, your internet will be fast enough to support multiple people using the internet at once without noticeable buffering. That is, unless you’re all streaming shows and playing on your phones at the same time—then think about Internet 400.
Suddenlink doesn’t want to let its home phone capabilities go to waste, so it’s offering them cheap—think “basically free for a year” cheap.
If you try home phone for a year and decide it’s not for you, go ahead and drop it. But we say give it a shot. Home phones help out in emergencies—and not just the finding-your-cellphone kind.
If you’re worried about going over a data cap, Internet 400 or Internet 1 Gig will be a better fit for you. Both have unlimited data.
TV package summary tables
You can’t get TV-only packages from Suddenlink, but there are plenty of affordable bundles to choose from.
Internet + TV packages
| Package | Download speeds up to | Channel count | Introductory price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet 100 + Value TV | 100 Mbps | 225+ channels | $79.99/mo. | |
| Internet 200 + Value TV | 200 Mbps | 225+ channels | $89.99/mo. | |
| Internet 400 + Value TV | 400 Mbps | 225+ channels | $99.99/mo. | |
| Internet 1 Gig + Value TV | 1,000 Mbps | 225+ channels | $129.99/mo. | |
| Internet 200 + Select TV | 200 Mbps | 290+ channels | $99.99/mo. | |
| Internet 400 + Select TV | 400 Mbps | 290+ channels | $109.99/mo. | |
| Internet 1 Gig + Select TV | 1,000 Mbps | 290+ channels | $139.99/mo. | |
| Internet 400 + Premier TV | 400 Mbps | 340+ channels | $129.99/mo. | |
| Internet 1 Gig + Premier TV | 1,000 Mbps | 340+ channels | $149.99/mo. |
* For the first 12 months.
Internet + TV + phone packages
| Package | Download speeds up to | Channel count | Phone plan | Introductory price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet 100 + Value TV + Phone | 100 Mbps | 225+ channels | Included | $79.99/mo. | |
| Internet 200 + Value TV + Phone | 200 Mbps | 225+ channels | Included | $89.99/mo. | |
| Internet 400 + Value TV + Phone | 400 Mbps | 225+ channels | Included | $99.99/mo. | |
| Internet 1 Gig + Value TV + Phone | 1,000 Mbps | 225+ channels | Included | $129.99/mo. | |
| Internet 200 + Select TV + Phone | 200 Mbps | 290+ channels | Included | $99.99/mo. | |
| Internet 400 + Select TV + Phone | 400 Mbps | 290+ channels | Included | $109.99/mo. | |
| Internet 1 Gig + Select TV + Phone | 1,000 Mbps | 290+ channels | Included | $139.99/mo. | |
| Internet 400 + Premier TV + Phone | 400 Mbps | 340+ channels | Included | $129.99/mo. | |
| Internet 1 Gig + Premier TV + Phone | 1,000 Mbps | 340+ channels | Included | $149.99/mo. |
* For the first 12 months.
Channels
Some companies have channel lineups that feel like they bumped up a favorite channel to the next tier just to squeeze money out of you.
Fortunately, you don’t get that with Suddenlink TV. Each of its packages hit a different note:
- Value TV covers all the cable basics at a low price.
- Select TV gets you extended sports coverage, including NFL Network.
- Premier TV includes all the premium channels without demanding an arm and a leg.
Check out the full channel lineups before you sign up, and make sure you’re getting all your favorites.
Perks, cool stuff, and TV deals
With competitive pricing and solid channel lineups, Suddenlink covers the basics of TV with ease. But the flashy extras . . . not so much.
It has the on-demand programming you’d expect, a cloud DVR with only 75 hours of HD storage, and an on-the-go app no one seems to like.
But if you’re not into all those high-tech additions anyway, Suddenlink is an excellent and affordable choice.
Equipment
The Altice One combines your TV box, DVR, and streaming device all in one box. It’s even a modem and router too, but let’s focus on the TV stuff right now.
On screen, the interface looks smooth and trendy, with minimalist tabs to scroll through. Your favorite shows pop up right when you turn the TV on. That saves you from hunting down Friends as you binge-watch it for the millionth time.
Suddenlink also boasts about how you can record “15 shows at once.” Let’s be real: no one has 15 favorite shows on at the same time.
Instead, we want lots of storage so we don’t have to keep deleting shows we haven’t gotten around to watching yet.
Unfortunately, you can store only 75 hours of HD shows with Altice One. Unless you want to watch low-resolution TV like a caveperson, you’ll need to be judicious with your recordings.
And that’s not what you want to hear if you’re the type of person who records 15 shows at once.
So the Altice One isn’t a great DVR, but we like it alright as a TV box (slash modem, slash router). We’ll even give it kudos for its voice-controlled remote.
Mobile apps
Suddenlink’s apps are a lot like its equipment: good in theory but lackluster in practice.
Supposedly you can watch your shows from your mobile device with the Altice One app or Suddenlink2GO®. The Altice One app even has access to your cloud DVR, so you can stream your recorded shows straight to your phone.
And all that would be super convenient if either app worked, but Suddenlink customers have left review after review saying they don’t. Yikes.
Deals specific to TV
Pros and cons of Suddenlink TV
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Strong channel lineups
- Smooth interface
- STARZ® and SHOWTIME® included
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No contracts
Cons
- No TV-only packages
- Poor DVR storage
- Buggy apps
FAQ of Suddenlink TV
What channels do you get with basic cable?
Suddenlink’s Value TV packages get you Disney Channel, ESPN, Animal Planet, all your local channels, and more. If you consider a channel essential, Value TV probably has it—it’s one of the best basic channel lineups we’ve seen.
If you want to see for yourself, check Suddenlink’s full channel lineups.
