Which is Better, Cox or DIRECTV?
Which Service Provider is Superior – Cox or DIRECTV?
With regards to pay TV service providers, two of the most famous providers are Cox and DirecTV. This brings us to the question – which option is better for the general viewer experience? In this article, there will be an analysis of such aspects as the principal features and potential drawbacks to facilitate the decision-making process and determine whose services are more suitable.
Channels & Programming
Cox has a diverse package of the most-watched channels in different categories, including news, sports, movies, and others, as of DIRECTV. DIRECTV boasts of over 315 as being their basic package while Cox offers the usual 140+ channels as their basic package. Both allow you to make your package even more unique by adding channel packages such as movie packages, foreign stations, and others such as HBO and Showtime.
Where DIRECTV stands out is where they offer their NFL Sunday Ticket which enables the fans to view many of the NFL games that are not aired in the local market. Well if you are a huge football maniac then DIRECTV might be for you. However, to some extent, in terms of the scope of programming variety for both initial and additional options, the competition is about equal.
HD Quality and DVRs
One important factor is picture quality and the DVR aspect of the system that allows for recording and watching TV at your desire. Both providers offer high-definition channels with fairly equal picture quality – clear, bright signals that are quite on par with what is currently being offered in the market.
For DVRs, the Genie model of DIRECTV is once again superior to the Contour model of Cox in terms of space with 1TB as opposed to 500GB. This way, you can get over 200 hours of HD shows on the DIRECTV that will be suitable for lovers of television series. But both DVR systems enable simultaneous recording of different shows, mobile viewing of the recordings, scheduling, and managing recordings through applications either at home or outside. The core experience, in both histories, is very similar.
Availability & Installation
More on the aspect of service availability, Cox has a wider network coverage across the country than Bright House. The two cable operators above are both nationwide players but Cox extends its service to over 20 million homes passed compared to DIRECTV’s 4. So, depending on the location of your house, you get to have any of the two at your disposal.
But a plus for DIRECTV is that since it is delivered via satellite, you can easily get it installed as quickly as within a few weeks depending on the positioning of the dish. Cox insists on having home cable wiring for its network hence home cable wiring may take time if one needs to have it wired or rewired. In terms of rental or if the aim is to set up quickly, DIRECTV has the edge.
Weather Resilience
DIRECTV uses signals from satellites from orbit and, therefore can be more frequently interfered with by the weather factors such as heavy rainfall or snow. Light blocking by clouds rarely becomes problematic, though storms can negatively affect the signal quality and consistency. Cox cable does not have this problem, it provides cable services during power outages, if not during all such extreme cases.
As a result, customers who reside in regions where they experience intense weather conditions more often may wish to reconsider engaging satellite services. Even though DISH has enhanced the availability of satellite links in the recent past, cable has the edge over other links when it comes to all-weather provision.
Internet Bundles
Package services also influence decisions, since those that offer television, Internet, and/or phone for cheaper prices bundled together are more attractive. Here Cox gets the firm edge since it directly offers high-speed home internet through cables. While DIRECTV does offer television services only, you will have to subscribe through a partner internet service provider.
Cox bundling may be less expensive and when getting services from one company, it is easier to deal with service and assistance. But with Cox's fast Internet going for as low as $50/month on its own, the overall savings possible through TV bundling is further very significant. So if you would like to have one provider who can connect you to the world and entertain you at the same time, then Cox is the one service provider you need.
Customer Service
It is not only important to have good offers on the table for customers but also to provide them with outstanding support and service. Here, for instance, DIRECTV is likely to fare better in the eyes and mouths of most customers, at least insofar as its CATEGORIES such as communication, technical proficiency, and the ability to address customer complaints and queries within a short period is concerned. While it is also located at a higher position than the average level, the latest years recorded an increase in the number of complaints from customers.
However, this can be done with certain discrepancies from one case to another. Perhaps, one can discuss this with someone living nearby on provider interactions. However, on average, DIRECTV gets a higher result in terms of service quality indicators and acts as a positive factor in comparison with cable.
Cost & Contracts
Pricing and contracts are two more significant factors that are considered for the readiness of these solutions. It is understood that DIRECTV once required clients to sign up for long 2-year contracts, but now, they have 12-month contracts plus deals with no annual commitments. This places them in a similar range to Cox’s usual 6-12 months of ‘bulk’ contracts that are inked.
For base packages, Cox’s TV starter plan costs $90+/mo whereas DIRECTV offers a more affordable package at $69.99/mo. However, Cox promotions can help, usually Internet-related. Compare equipment costs and installation fees, multi-room DVR options, taxes, and other fees. Too should be on the lookout for new customer gift cards and cash-back options.
Finally, for cost cutters, would be to go to ACCESS Cox and order the more affordable streaming device called “Contour Stream Player”. Given that it is available at $25/month with Internet bundles, compared to DIRECTV, it is much cheaper in its bid to shave off the bills but retain live TV.
The Verdict
Again in the battle between Cox and DirecTV, the latter comes out as the winner in the areas of channel options, additional features such as NFL Sunday Ticket, speedy installation, customer satisfaction ratings, and no lock-in contracts. But Cox outshines all the others in the availability of the trophy, internet bundles, weather resistance, and the cheapest streaming deals.
For those who are avid sports lovers or are into Television, with all the channel and program options – Flexibility – DIRECTV is just right there. For the home connectivity bundles plus a reliable cable TV with low prices – Cox still has its merit as the classic go-to option. The bottom line of matching is therefore determined by knowing which attributes are relevant to your requirements.
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