Compare Comcast Cable with DIRECTV
Direct-Deals.com is not affiliated with Comcast and is operated by DirectStarTV, a DIRECTV authorized dealer.
About Comcast Cable TV
With more than 22 million customers, Comcast Cable controls the single largest share of the U.S. cable television market. Coverage area includes 40 states and the District of Columbia.
Comcast Cable started as a small cable operation in Mississippi in the early 1960s. Key acquisitions over the next four decades yielded more customers and allowed expansion into the areas of high-speed Internet and digital phone. In 2010, Comcast’s residential TV, Internet and phone services were re-branded under the name XFINITY. The Comcast Business brand provides these services to commercial clients.
In addition, the XFINITY Home plans offer home security and automation services.
Comcast Cable is the largest division of the Philadelphia-based Comcast Corporation, whose subsidiaries also include NBCUniversal. In February 2014, the parent company agreed to a proposed merger with Time Warner Cable.
XFINITY TV from Comcast
XFINITY cable offers products and features similar to those of other TV providers, such as programming packages, DVR components and mobile app technology. The following section offers a look at XFINITY TV services.
Channels
Categories include local, national news, entertainment and sports, digital music and family. Premium movie networks are available with some packages and may be added to other packages. International channels feature programming from countries and regions including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Russia, Israel and South America.
Channel lineups and availability vary by package and location.
Programming packages
The selection of base packages includes:
- Limited Basic – 10+ channels, including local broadcast affiliates and government channels, shopping and religious-themed channels
- Digital Economy – 45+ channels. Lineup includes local programming, A&E, Discovery, CNN and more
- Digital Starter – 140+ channels, including ESPN, Nickelodeon, MTV and more
- Digital Preferred – 220+ channels. Lineup includes NFL Network, ENCORE®, NBA TV, MLB TV and more
- Digital Premier – 260+ channels, including SHOWTIME®, HBO®, Cinemax® and STARZ®. Also includes Sports Entertainment Package
Spanish-language packages include TV 150 Latino (130+ channels), TV 200 Latino (150+ channels), TV 300 Latino (190+ channels) and TV 450 Latino (200+ channels).
XFINITY also offers the Sports Entertainment Package, which features NFL RedZone, Fox College Sports, ESPN Goal Line, Pac-12 Networks, Tennis Channel and other channels
Features
Available features, which vary by package selection, include:
- XFINITY On Demand™, with more than 82,000 movies and shows
- 100+ high-definition channels
- Mobile apps for remote viewing, DVR control and other functions
- Pay-Per-View sporting events, including MMA competitions
DVR service
Options for digital video recording include DVR, HD DVR and TiVo devices (TiVo not available in all areas). DVR recording capacity is up to 45 hours of standard-definition (SD) format. HD DVR recording capacity is up to 300 hours SD and up to 60 hours HD.
X1 Entertainment Operating System®
This platform, available with select programming packages, offers multi-room HD DVR service along with a cloud-based interface.
Users can search live TV, XFINITY On Demand™ and their DVR recordings by title, genre or performer. Other features include preloaded episodes of top 100 shows and personalized viewing recommendations. The X1 system also features voice commands and connectivity with Facebook, Pandora, Twitter and other sites.
X1 DVR features include recording up to four shows at once while watching live TV.
XFINITY Bundles
Multi-service bundle plans available from Comcast’s XFINITY brand include Double Play (TV + Internet, TV + Voice, Internet + Voice) and Triple Play (TV + Internet + Voice).
Evaluating Comcast Cable Against DIRECTV
Your options for TV service aren’t limited to the Comcast XFINITY brand. If you make comparison shopping part of your process, include satellite TV services like DIRECTV to get a broader perspective on your various options.
Sources and Research:
Data collected 12/3/2014 from http://www.comcast.com
