Direct TV vs. Comcast

DirecTV, with a subscriber base of 18 million, and Comcast with a subscriber base of 22 million, form the backbone of broadcast media in the United States. Millions of people rely on these services for their daily dose of entertainment and news. There are quite many areas in the United States, wherein the consumer has access to both the services. In such a case, it becomes difficult to choose between the two, particularly because both have their own pros and cons. In order to decide which service is better, one has to review the services rendered by both the service providers - Direct TV and Comcast.

Direct TV
One of the most prominent satellite service provider in the United States, DirecTV provides television as well as audio services to the subscribers by direct broadcast satellite method. It has its own network, referred to as The 101 Network, exclusively available to Direct TV subscribers. The services provided by Direct TV range from subscription television services to private video services, with the subscribers having access to hundreds of channels specializing in entertainment, news, sports, etc.

Comcast Corporation
Comcast, officially Comcast Corporation, is undoubtedly the largest cable operator in the United States. Other than cable TV services, this entertainment giant also provides broadband Internet and telephone services to its subscribers spanning across the United States. The 18 million subscriber base of Comcast includes residential as well as commercial customers. A variety network exclusive to Comcast subscribers, the Comcast Network, is very popular in the United States.

Direct TV vs Comcast
The severeness of Direct TV vs Comcast battle has been at all time high, since the last decade, with each service provider trying to get better off its counterpart. Comcast uses coaxial cable to provide services to its customers, whereas DirecTV is dependent on satellite dish technology to provide its services. With time, the reliability of coaxial cables has increased manifolds. In case of satellite dish technology, the services can take a severe blow during strong storms or cloudy conditions. Huge investments made to improvise the existing infrastructure and add more packages by Comcast has helped it in getting an edge over satellite TV. Services, such as 'Video on Demand', have become inexpensive as well as user friendly, as large amounts of content is stored on centralized servers, and the subscribers can access it just with a click of the button at any point of time. Although Direct TV also has Video on Demand service in place, the subscriber needs to have access to high speed Internet, in order to access this service. But DirecTV scores over Comcast, when it comes to picture quality. It provides more than a hundred national channels in high-definition (HD) video quality. Comparatively, in Comcast the number of channels in HD video quality is very low, and largely depends on whether the infrastructure in the area, wherein you reside is fully upgraded or not.

Other than these factors, you also need to take into consideration how much you would be charged for availing the services and how many channels you would be allowed access to. Comcast package includes cable TV as well as high speed Internet and phone service, for many people this tends to be the deciding factor, when it comes to choosing between DirecTV and Comcast. For other people, its the list of TV channels, these service providers showcase, which makes the difference. There is no clear winner of the Direct TV vs Comcast face-off, as both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Other than the above mentioned factors the service you choose should depend on your area of residence, and more importantly your definition of entertainment.