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TV Provider Comparisons
In this section, we profile some the leading TV providers available in the United States. From channel lineups to high-tech receivers and promos, there's a lot to consider before you choose a new provider. The good news is most TV plans these days don't require a contract so if things don't work out, you can fairly easily switch to a new provider before your next billing cycle kicks in.
OK, let's take a closer look at some of the more popular TV providers...
Full Provider Reviews
On these pages, you'll find a full discussion of two (usually similar) providers. They include channel lineup comparisons via a detailed table, discussion of features, missing channels (vs the other) and our overall thoughts. Logos below with a WiFi icon next to them means it's a streaming provider and this one means satellite.
Here, we'll look at just the channels from two similar providers. The first "All Channels" box gives you a quick look at the channels available in all the base plans from each provider. Music and part-time channels are not included. Click the link at the bottom of the box to view the full channel lineup comparison.
The second box is all about missing channels. It's pretty easy to see which channels are included in a lineup but not always an easy process to figure out which providers or plans don't include your favorite channels. Well, we've taken care of that for you below...
DIRECTV vs DISH
As you can see, DIRECTV has quite a bit more channels, mostly due to a full suite of regional sports networks (DISH no longer carries them) and a larger percentage of premium movie channels.
Below are the channels NOT included in the other provider's lineups (from ANY base plan). Specifically, DIRECTV is missing ~40 channels that are in DISH's lineup. On the other side, DISH is missing well over 100 channels available with DIRECTV. Again, most of those are regional sports and top-notch movie channels. Gives you something to think about.
Below, you'll find our classic provider vs provider pages. Some of the key features we review include: plan features, price (promotional and regular), recent price increases, customer service, active licensing issues and much more.
295 channels
216 channels
