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5.2

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: July 14th, 2023

DirecTV has an entrepreneurial spirit about the company that carries through their company values. Their values consist of: leadership, decisiveness, agility, teamwork, and integrity. DirecTV is mostly known for their satellite television, but that is not all that they offer. By partnering up with other networks DirecTV is able to serve many customers that have satellite internet needs. They have been in business since 1990. 

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The Good

  • Customer satisfaction
  • Benefits
  • Plan options

According to the 2014  American Customer Satisfaction Index, DirecTV is number 1 in customer satisfaction over all cable and satellite providers. The network works with other companies to create internet bundles for consumers. DirecTV has only partnered with two satellite internet providers, Exede, and HughesNet. We will attempt to cover features and benefits that Exede and HughesNet are offering. Please keep in mind that DirecTV requires its customers seeking satellite internet to couple their package with satellite TV and that pricing will change with both companies depending on where you live.

HughesNet

HughesNet is paving its way through the satellite internet industry to be a top contender. They offer download speeds up to 15 Mbps which is higher than competing companies without having to pay for a speed boost of some sort. They also have upload speeds up to 2 Mbps. Their data allowance is also higher than most competing companies at up to 70 GB per month. To help stretch out the data you have for a month, HughesNet has a bonus bytes period of 50 GB from 2 am to 8 am. A benefit you can look forward to taking advantage of with HughesNet is its SmartTechnologies including SmartFetch, SmartCompression, SmartResources, and SmartBrowsing. SmartFetch will help you load your web pages faster so you can continue doing what you love with the internet and have it keep up with you. SmartCompression shrinks the data you see on the web by up to 30% allowing you to use less data. SmartResources helps you monitor how much data you are using with a status meter. With SmartBrowsing, you'll be able to continue using the internet for emails and browsing even if you've gone over your data limit. SmartBrowsing is only available with certain plans, though. We like that HughesNet offers a variety of plans depending on your needs. For equipment, you can either purchase it or lease it. If you have additional questions, they provide an excellent FAQ section to help you.

Exede

Exede is owned by ViaSat, a company that has been in the business for over 20 years. They are leading the industry with new plans that offer data plans of up to 150 of priority data (data that you can use anytime during the month). Most of Exede's plans offer download speeds up to 12 Mbps and upload speeds up to 3 Mbps. You'll want to take advantage of Exede's SpeedBoost feature it it's available in your area, which can boost your download speed to up to 25 Mbps. 25 Mbps download speed with satellite internet is unheard of in the industry as of today. If you're looking for plans that feature more data then Exede has you covered. They have a special plan (only in certain areas) called the Freedom Plan which features 150 GB of priority data for the month. Competing companies have plans available that offer unlimited data but only for emailing and web browsing. 150 GB of data that you can do whatever you want within a month is the first of its kind in this industry. We like it when companies offer choices to their customers. When paying for your satellite equipment, Exede gives you a few options. You can prepay all of your equipment for $299.99, prepay for 24 months for $199.99 or do a monthly payment of $9.99. While it's not fun to have to pay for the equipment, at least you are given options. If you are needing additional data for the month then you can use the Liberty Pass which is featured with almost all of Exede's plans. The Liberty Pass gives you download speeds up to 1 to 5 Mbps even after you've used all of your priority data.

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The Bad

  • Upload speeds
  • Equipment
  • Contracts

HughesNet

When doing research on HughesNet, we had a few concerns. They offer upload speeds up to 2 Mbps only. If you plan on uploading pictures or videos then you may want to use a satellite internet provider that offers higher upload speeds. Another concern we had is that they don't offer any data plans over 70 GB. Some competing companies like Exede offer the Freedom Plan which features 150 GB of data for the month. With equipment, you can expect to pay a little more than other satellite internet providers. HughesNet gives you two options. Either purchase the equipment or lease it. Purchasing your satellite internet equipment costs $399.98 and leasing it costs $9.99 per month plus a one-time charge of $99. Equipment prices with other companies give more than one option like HughesNet does but doesn't charge a one-time payment of $99 for the equipment if they decide to do a lease. Lastly, we feel that it would be beneficial for customers of HughesNet if they were offered some kind of free unmetered time like competing companies offer. It's nice to have the 50 GB of bonus bytes between 2 am and 8 am, but there's still a chance that you could run out of data for the month and then need to buy more if you want to continue using the internet. Also, HughesNet states that download and upload speeds are likely to be much slower than their normal speeds during the day.

Exede

Exede offers a slower download speed of only 12 Mbps. If you know that you are going to be streaming a lot of content online such as movies, TV shows, videos, then you may want to consider using a different satellite internet provider that offers a faster download speed. Exede does offer the SpeedBoost feature however which can boost your download speed up to 25 Mbps, but this feature can only be used with priority data and will most likely cost you an additional $10 per month to use. Their Freedom Plan is limited to certain areas so you might not even qualify for it. If you don't then you will be limited to their data plans which could feature a data cap of only 30 GB per month. This is less than half of what HughesNet offers for their data cap which is available in more areas. While you are able to make your data stretch by using the Liberty Pass after your data has been used up, your downloads will be reduced significantly.

Concerns For HughesNet & Exede

We don't know how much it costs for an additional GB of data from either company. It would be nice to know so that you can plan to buy an appropriate plan that best fits your needs. Both companies require a 24-month commitment. Beware of cancelling early because you will be charged an early cancellation fee which can make things really start to add up.

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The Bottom Line

DirecTV is a reseller of multiple internet service providers but we focused on satellite internet specifically. You are able to bundle your satellite TV package from DirecTV and get satellite internet with either HughesNet or Exede. HughesNet offers faster download speeds overall but Exede offers faster upload speeds. Exede is setting the bar with huge data plans like the Freedom Plan and giving customer the choice to boost their download speed up to 25 Mbps. However, HughesNet offers SmartTechnologies which help customers have an awesome experience using satellite internet. As you can see, there are pros and cons to both companies and they are both top contenders in this industry. We recommend both and want to leave you with as much information as possible so that you can make an educated decision. Check out our HughesNet Review, or Exede Review for more information on these satellite internet providers that DirecTV offers.

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Star Rating

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3.5

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73 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

25%

4 grade

26%

3 grade

29%

2 grade

12%

1 grade

8%

Sentiment Criteria

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Quality

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Service

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Deborah Dyer Hendersonville, TN

As we have had Direct TV where we lived prior to moving to another city. We had no issues with it, except sometimes their Customer service was sometimes slow. However by a full explanation of my TV issue, and by the end of the call, the customer service Representative was able to fix my TV problem with me the customer being very happy. ☺️

8 months ago

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Kevin Ortiz

It’s such a competitive market I still don’t understand how this company has not been able to improve their technology to the point where rain does not impact their service. As recent as 2021 I had to discontinue my service because it was not reliable and living in an island where it rains constantly I found myself without service more than with. My mini experiences with Customer Service were excellent, and I always felt that they were trying to help me, however, the technology limitations went beyond what they were able to solve to customer service. Maybe it’s a case of good service bad location. Contract lengths seem a little bit drastic as I had to get out of a three-year contract paying a penalty.

9 months ago

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Amanda George IL

DirecTV for some reason just doesn't have a very strong internet signal. It takes a long time for pages to load on my browser, when I try to stream shows it lags really heavily and when you call if you get someone that speaks English they may try to help but they always wanna transfer you to multiple people for the same thing. Only reason I have 2 stars was because my price each month was lower than many.

8 months ago

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Sydney Charleston South Jordan, UT

I have had DirecTV for many years. DirecTV is much more price effective than Comcast. They offer 150 channels in there basic package for less than Comcast. You can get 150 channels for $29.95 for 12 months, plus 3 premium movie channels. After the 12 month period the price for there basis package goes up to $59.95, which is still cheaper than other companies. DirecTV is great!

2 years ago

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bobby deter Cumberland, MD

I have had DISH and DIRECTV. I prefer the setup that DISH has. They also billed my bank account for receivers that were returned on time and overdrew my checking account.. When I called to fix the problem all the said was sorry. It took a supervisor to get them to pay the overdraft fees. Not happy with customer service at all

2 years ago Edited February 8, 2022

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Angela Chesapeake, VA

We have had DirecTV for over 10+ yrs. with multiple moves. In all that time I have never had any issues with billing or their service. Their prices and television programming are quite competitive. And even as an existing customer they're willing to work with you on cost. I would recommend.

2 years ago

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Thomas Hullinger Pleasant Grove, UT

I have been a DirecTV customer forever and like that now they are partners with AT&T and they have all the programming that I need at a great price and have wonderful customer service.

5 years ago

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Michael Lyman Salt Lake City, UT

I currently have DirectTV, and while I don't use it all that much, I really do like it. I mostly use them for their great sports package and HBO. I think they are a little expensive, and the contracts are a bit of a joke. But overall, it is better than other satellite television providers.

6 years ago

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roberto arcia Columbia, MO

I have been a member of DirecTV for the past ten years. Although their plans have significantly increased over the years, I received the same great service. Additionally, I contact customer service at least twice a year and my issues always get instantly resolved. I would recommend DirecTV to anyone looking for a new television provider.

2 years ago

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Anna Meadville, PA

Very Good range of channels, but I am very disapointed about the Fox 66 issue currently. For the price we should not have to have channels blocked out.

10 months ago

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Rick Hebert Clinton, LA

I live in an area of Louisiana where it’s either get directTV or the local mom/pop family cable. I pretty much had no choice but to go with direct because I needed the WiFi for phone and ADT home security. The service SUCKS, it’s outrageously expensive and if I could tell people one thing, it’s if you have a choice then go with their competitor. I’ve been with direct for 10 years now and as their service declines - their price goes up. I don’t even have optic fiber but rather am still on cable. I have the BARE MINIMUM cheapest package they offer and my bill just INCREASED yet again to $186.00 a month. This is just for the tv, WiFi and nothing to do with AT&T which is a totally separate bill. Their bill for 3 phone lines is $194.00 a month. I swear it’s a monopoly

2 years ago

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Morgan Tennant Idaho Falls, ID

When we first got DirecTV we had some issues getting a good connection, but once we had the dish moved we were able to watch tv without issues. When we get really heavy rain storms or snow we have a hard time getting channels, but it otherwise works well.

2 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Doyal Stewart Salt Lake City, UT

DirectTV was pretty good when we had them. We had free HBO for a few months which I really liked, they have some really great shows. While DirectTV is good, it's not worth the high price. I ended my services after prices went up.

6 years ago

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Lydia Hackler Bryant, AR

Was paying to much for direct tv and internet so decided to cancel. I suspended it instead and when I called back to cancel they gave me a really good rate. I don’t think you should have to tell them you are going to cancel for them to try to get you a better rate.

2 years ago

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anna blaser CA

I used DirecTV for a long time, but just recently switched off. It’s a great service, but it’s just so much cheaper to pay for streaming services instead. Still, it’s very easy to use and the employees have always been very helpful.

2 years ago

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CJ Milke Olney, MD

My parents have always used DirecTV for our internet. As a kid, I would play online video games and it was wonderful having a fast internet that would allow me to play fast paced games online with my friends.

2 years ago

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Lisa C Johnson Washington, DC

We had DirecTv for a while. Their prices kept increasing each year with the same service. We finally decided to look elsewhere. It had gotten too expensive. Its perfect for new customers getting introduction prices. Also, tv was interrupted doing rain storms and snow storms because of the dish on the roof. They offered discounts for us to stay but we still decided to leave.

2 years ago

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Tammy West Valley City, UT

DirecTV is a reliable cable services ce. They have a number of packages to choose from but the cost is too high. If they had customizable packages where you could pick out your own 50 channels or something along those lines I’d be willing to pay the prices they charge.

3 years ago

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Aallen Katy, TX

We have had directv for many years. I am satisfied with the customer service. There is a great variety of channels. Our package is valuable for how many channels we get. They are always willing to troubleshoot and send someone e out. Sometimes there is a service fee. I do t like how we have to resent the equipment.

3 years ago

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Mason Allen Provo, UT

DirecTV has great satellite internet. We usually don't have any problems and it is nice that we can modify our contracts instead of just buying it once and having to keep it like other satellite internets.

3 years ago

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Caitlin Fayetteville, AR

DirecTV has always been the most aesthetic and clean looking platform on the market. The system has always been easy to navigate and provides lots of channels at great deals! Easily the best TV service on the market!

3 years ago

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Jesse Hennigan Baytown, TX

Direct TV likes to bundle a bunch of channels no one watches in to a "package". They get to talk about the channel options, and we get to pay more money for things we don't need. Maybe it's time to cut the cord.

2 years ago

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Claudine Doyle CA

Directv seemed to gouge money out of us. Their programming was adequate but costs continued to rise. I called customer service twice asking for a better price and they said no. Apparently only new subscribers get the better deals. I told them I was going to switch if they couldn’t help me but the didn’t want to. After switching they reached out to me multiple times trying to get my business back. Too late!

2 years ago

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Nyla C. Tallahassee, FL

DirecTV has been the tv network that has been in my home for 10 years now. However, DirecTV used to offer free trials of HBO or Showtime during the holidays, yet they have stopped doing this. Also, whenever it begins to storm the cable will go out so quick.

2 years ago

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Gabe Burton Riverton, UT

WiFi is usually good, sometimes if it's thundering. Ever since they were bought out from AT&T they've gone to the pits. their customer service doesn't even speak English and it takes 15 days to get a refund on a double charge.

2 years ago

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soporia moment Tallahassee, FL

I’ve had Direc Tv since I was a kid and I love it still. It’s really easy to use because I have a huge family and for my younger siblings and Grandmother they were able to use it with no help

2 years ago

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Cris Balmanno Riverton, UT

I've had DirecTV for 18 years. So sad what AT&T did to them. Killed customer service, jacked the rates up, had more channels under dispute than ever before. If it weren't for NFL Sunday Ticket I'd probably have dropped them years ago.

2 years ago

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Yanesezah Fenelon Delray Beach, FL

I like the prices and bundle deals that DirecTv offer for their internet services. However, I found that sometime with the satellite internet there were problems with the connection and speed of the internet in bigger size homes.

2 years ago

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Cal Hunter Riverton, UT

Long time DirectTV subscriber. Customer service has always been responsive. Pricing is a little rich, but internet options are starting to creep up to similar levels.

3 years ago

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Luke Swierczynski Troy, MI

The service itself wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either. For the price it's just not worth it compared to traditional cable or other steaming services.

2 years ago

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TheTennant 5 Salem, VA

Way too many advertising channels and the price is way out of line versus competitive options. We discontinued our service recently and I wish we had done it sooner.

2 years ago

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Ron Durfey Orem, UT

DirecTV internet was not good for me. I tried to use it as it was part of my bundle but it felt like I was always having buffering issues. TV service is great but avoid the internet service.

2 years ago

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Luke M Herriman, UT

With a great price, DirecTV has made it so easy to watch television. Their guide service makes it very easy to see what's on.

2 years ago

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Karen Torino Tallahassee, FL

DirectTV is decent when its a nice sunny day, but the second there's some sort of storm, it is impossible to get internet. Sometimes it is also really hard to get in touch with customer service.

2 years ago

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Kori Travis FL

My family and I have been using DirecTV for sometime now and we absolutely love it. They make out internet use 10x faster

2 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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murfday College Station, TX

I love the channel variety, the ease of recording and playback, streaming options, and overall ease of use. I just don’t like the cost...which always goes up.

3 years ago

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Max Winkel Salt Lake City, UT

We had DirecTV for several years and was not impressed. There software is out of date, there remotes are large and hard to use. And the biggest outrage of the company is they charged us for channels we never asked for and didnt refund us. They were charging us for a full year without any email alerting us that we were paying for NFL Redzone and MLB package. I finally found it out and switched to Dish when they refused refund

3 years ago

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Teagan Jarvis Los Angeles, CA

Been a direct TV user for a while until they combined with AT&T so now I’m not even sure what I’m under. I feel like the bundles are getting old, lower the prices as streaming destroys cable.

3 years ago

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Nana Asiata Herriman, UT

DirecTv always have my favorite shows I can watch. It always has the best movies provided for me and my family to watch all together.

5 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Jeff Martin Layton, UT

Very happy with their service. I switched to this years ago and haven't had any problems since. Awesome staff and TV options.

5 years ago

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courtney tennant Salem, VA

DirecTV has lots and lots of channels, but compared to other companies it is a strain on my wallet

2 years ago

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Kenneth Okerlund

They perform pretty well and have really good package options. Sometimes it can be slow but for the most part I have had no issues.

6 years ago

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Brylee Roberts Riverton, UT

It was good for the most part I had it when I was younger and enjoyed watching shows with my family.

2 years ago

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Saylor D Herriman, UT

DirecTV's guide is the easiest to use. I can always find what I want to watch. Recording is simple and easy.

2 years ago Edited January 13, 2022

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Bethany Rockville, MD

The owner before us has installed a DirectTV in the backyard. We decided to stop the service since it is expensive. BTW, It was so difficult to dissemble the dish!

2 years ago

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Joannetta Jarman Secaucus, NJ

We love Directv for its great programming and also when we travel we can take it with us on our ipads.

3 years ago

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lscho2 Salt Lake City, UT

Love Sunday ticket, other than that most other things can be watched on cheaper plans elsewhere. Most the time good service, unless something goes wrong

3 years ago

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J Crawley Provo, UT

We've been a customer for a number of years. DirecTV doesn't provide a good selection of movies. DirecTV recycles the same movies over and over and drop in a new one here and there. DirecTV can provide better offerings.

5 years ago

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Steve Salem, VA

It is easy to use the equipment. However some of the service technicians do a poor job at installation. They are pricing themselves out of business.

2 years ago

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NanaAfia Marfo Tallahassee, FL

My family and I had it for a couple of years and overall it was pretty great accept for when it rained the tv would freeze everytime.

2 years ago