Cox Communications is the third largest cable TV provider in the United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company has about 6 million subscribers, with approximately 3 million customers paying for digital cable service. As a multi-system operator (MSO), Cox also provides Internet and phone service along with TV.
Read Directtv vs Dish to get the full story.
Cox’s recently launched Contour TV product (an extra $10 per month) lets you record up to 6 programs at a time, and, lets you watch programming on Apple’s iPad. We might also note that Cox recently started selling wireless service through Verizon.
Cox offers 7 different TV packages including the least expensive TV Economy and the top-tier Advanced TV Ultimate. The packages start at $34.99 per month for 260 channels and go up to $143.99 per month for 390 channels. Of course, equipment rentals and other add-ons are extra. All of the Cox plans include free access to HD channels, but the economy plan won’t give you On Demand titles or Whole Home DVR service. DISH did well in our DISH vs DirecTV comparison, so let’s see if COX does well here, though you might want to take a look DISH’s channel offering first.
Based in El Segundo, CA, DirecTV is the largest satellite TV provider in the US with about 20 million TV subscribers. DirecTV’s distribution rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket clearly put them at an advantage with football fans who can’t miss a game. And, the company’s long-perceived dominance in having the most HD channels has made them a favorite among hi-def enthusiasts with an eye for the sharpest image quality.
DirecTV offers five different tier packages starting at $29.99 per month and up to $99.99 per month. The five packages available from DirecTV include Entertainment (140 channels), Choice (150+ channels), Extra (205 channels), Ultimate (225+ channels), and Premiere (285+ channels). These base prices, like Cox’s, do not include all equipment costs you might need for your home or office.
How do these two TV services compare? Let’s take a look.
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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1. Installation
Cox has two options for installing service in your home. Cox services can be professionally installed, as well as self-installed. Equipment can be purchased at a Cox location or have it shipped to you for a fee. Their professional service costs $60, while a self-install (equipment is picked up at a Cox location or shipped) costs $30. You may also have to pay $5 per device (including Whole Home HD Receiver, HD Receiver, and CableCARD). We’ll note that Cox does offer free installation with some bundled services. In contrast, DirecTV does not charge for installation (their 2-year contract seems to absorb those costs).
Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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2. HD Channels
Cox offers High Definition services with Tv Economy, Cox Advanced Tv, and Advanced TV Premier. HD offers the most life-like pictures and free local broadcast stations. Using a zip code in the Phoenix, Arizona market, we generated a lineup of 140 HD channels including local HD networks. The company boasts free local HD, which makes since local networks are already broadcast for free over-the-air. However, Cox does provide HD channels at no additional charge with their Advanced TV service.
DirecTV lists 166 HD channels including locals in the same Phoenix zip code area. DirecTV has several HD channels that Cox doesn’t have, including 3net, beIN SPORT (in English and Spanish), and MSG+. To be fair, DirecTV also provides free local HD channels in their promotional copy.
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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3. On Demand
Cox On Demand services provide endless selection of movies, sitcoms, music and much more. New titles are added weekly, so you’ll always have something to watch. A large selection of the free On Demand selections from your TV provider come from whatever premium networks you subscribe to. So, if you get HBO, you also get On Demand access to all past episodes of Game of Thrones and other HBO original series.
DirecTV says their On Demand library consists of over 10,000 titles you can watch at no extra charge. We score this evenly because both providers offer plenty of content to watch On Demand.
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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4. Equipment & Special Features
Cox‘s recently released Contour, branded as a “personalized TV experience,” was rolled out last month across Cox markets in the US. The Contour Record 6 DVR Package lets you record 6 shows at once (even in HD), to store 1,000 hours of SD programming (about 300 HD hours) to the DVR’s 2TB hard drive. Using an iPad and the Contour app (for iPad 2 or newer), as many as eight users can create a personal playlist, view recommendations, set DVR recordings, Pause/Resume watching on connected HDTVs, and send whatever you’re watching on the iPad to your TV. The Record 6 DVR Service costs $14.99 per DVR, and each additional set-top box costs $8.50 per month.
DirecTV’s top-tier Genie product lets you record 5 shows at once, watch two channels at the same time with Picture-in-Picture (or side by side), and record approximately 150 hours of HD on its 1TB hard drive. The Genie Mini will let you connect other TV sets in your house to the main Genie box. The Advanced Receiver Service from DirecTV will cost you an additional $25 per month, and each connected-TV requires an additional fee. They also have the GenieGO that lets you watch your DVR recordings on your laptop, tablet, or phone even without an Internet connection.
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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5. Contract Periods
Cox does not require a long-term agreement. Although, if you want to lock-in a monthly rate they have options for 1-year or 2-year agreements. DirecTV requires a 24-month contract for all new customer sign-ups.
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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6. Value Packages
Cox’s TV Economy package is priced at $43.49 per month (although, a special promotion gives you 3 months for $33.49 per mo.). The package provides over 170 channels and includes one standard receiver. Cox Advanced TV includes access to FREE HD and 220 channels.
DirecTV’s least expensive service is the Entertainment package that sells for $29.99 per month for new customers and provides over 140 digital channel options (over 50 in HD plus locals in HD), free HBO, Starz, Showtime, and Cinemax for three months, and a free Genie upgrade (although additional fees for equipment and services apply).
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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7. Top Tier Packages
Cox’s Advanced TV Ultimate package gives you over 390 channel options, includes 3 premium channels, HD DVR service, and is Contour Eligible. The package costs $125.99 per month (a promotion offers 3 months at $101.99). When choosing your service you have the option of upgrading to Contour TV for an additional cost. If you choose the Record 6 Whole Home DVR Service, you need to add $14.99 per month. And, you’ll still need to rent a rental fee of $8.50 per month any box you’re using. This is where Cox’s Contour TV really starts to add up in price if you want their top-of-the-line system. Tack $33.99 onto the $125.99 per month for Advanced TV Ultimate and you get $159.98, plus $8.50 for any additional room.
DirecTV’s Premier package gives you over 285 digital channels, HBO, Starz, Showtime, and Cinemax premium channels, watch anywhere capabilities (on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone), over 35 specialty sports channels, a Free Genie HD DVR upgrade (value $299), and a free Genie Mini (value $99) for connecting another TV to the main Genie HD DVR. Although additional receivers require additional fees, the main Genie with Genie Mini is included in the monthly service cost. Premiere normally costs $124.99 per month. But, a special sign-up promotion for new customers offers the first 12 months at $86.99 per month and the remaining 12 months at $91.99 per month in a 24-month contract. Fees include $25 Advanced Receiver Service per month, and $6 per month for each TV used. 24-month pricing for one TV starts off at a promotional rate of $60.99, but after three months goes up to $107.99 for the rest of the first year. For the second year, you’ll be paying $145.99 per month. Keep in mind, these prices are for new customers only. If you’re already a DirecTV customer, you’ll see much higher prices on these packages.
Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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8. Conclusion
DirecTV has a great selection of HD channels, especially if you’ve got a 3D TV and want to watch Discovery’s 3net 3D channel. And, they’ve got the NFL Sunday Ticket this season (although that could change next year). Even though they lost in our DISH network vs DirecTV comparison, DirecTV’s Genie DVR service is a great system, allowing you to record up to 5 shows at once to a 1TB hard drive. But while Cox falls slightly short in the HD channel count, their new Contour TV upgrade beats DirecTV’s Genie system. It may cost a bit more, but the 2TB hard drive will store twice the amount of programming. And, if you’re a TV fanatic, the ability to record six channels at once beats DirecTV’s five. For folk’s who don’t want to be tied down, Cox’s TV service doesn’t require a long-term contract. While DirecTV’s 2-year agreement may be a problem for some, the savings are worth it.
Call DirecTV to Speak to a Representative Directly: 888-859-5635
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Call Cox to Speak to a Representative Directly: 855-418-4284
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