DIRECTV got its start in 1990 and has since grown into a successful Fortune 100 company. The company offers over 190 full-time HD channels as well as high-speed internet and a streaming service. In a side-by-side comparison with other digital satellite providers, it holds up very well.
In June 2015, AT&T officially acquired DIRECTV, creating one of the largest television and communications companies in the world. The projections for this merger are positive for DIRECTV customers, giving them bundling opportunities on internet and phone service not available before.
DIRECTV is a digital satellite entertainment service provider that offers homeowners and businesses more than 250 channels throughout all 50 states.
Read what other DIRECTV customers are saying about their service (below).
Each DIRECTV package offers a variety of channels each designed to entertain clients of all ages. Customers can enjoy hit shows, movies, sports, and more.
DIRECTV is transparent about what each package includes (even mentioning notable channels), allowing customers to make an informed decision about which package will work best for them.
SELECT™
*Plus taxes for 12 mos. w/ 24-mo. agreement. Autopay & Paperless bill required. Pay $40/mo + taxes until discount starts. $78/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change).
ENTERTAINMENT
*Plus taxes for 12 mos. w/ 24-mo. agreement. Autopay & Paperless bill required. Pay $45/mo + taxes until discount starts. $90/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change).
CHOICE™
*Plus taxes for 12 mos. w/ 24-mo. agreement. Autopay & Paperless bill required. Pay $50/mo + taxes until discount starts. $105/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change). Regional Sports Fee up to $7.49/mo. is extra & applies.*
XTRA
*Plus taxes for 12 mos. w/ 24-mo. agreement. Autopay & Paperless bill required. Pay $60/mo + taxes until discount starts. $117/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change). Regional Sports Fee up to $7.49/mo. is extra & applies.*
ULTIMATE
*Plus taxes for 12 mos. w/ 24-mo. agreement. Autopay & Paperless bill required. Pay $65/mo + taxes until discount starts. $128/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change). Regional Sports Fee up to $7.49/mo. is extra & applies.*
PREMIER™
*Plus taxes for 12 mos. w/ 24-mo. agreement. Autopay & Paperless bill required. Pay $115/mo + taxes until discount starts. $181/mo. in months 13-24 (subject to change). Regional Sports Fee up to $7.49/mo. is extra & applies.*
In decades past, TV plans came with one remote for one television. Now any iPhone mobile device can act as a DIRECTV remote, and viewers can watch up to four different shows in four different rooms at any given time. Android devices can be used as well. but only if they are running on at least an IOS 6.0.
The Genie HD can be used to record shows. Better yet, those shows can be recorded in HD, meaning customers can fully enjoy them without viewing them live.
The ability to view different TV channels in multiple rooms has many customers asking, "How much extra equipment will I need?" With DIRECTV, all you'll need is a Genie Mini in each additional room. Also, if you have a Samsung or Sony Direct Ready TV, you don't need any external devices to run multiple TVs through the network.
With each of the plans listed above, customers will receive a set-top box in the mail that allows them to do their own installation. Instructions for setting up your DIRECTV set-top box are sent with the package and customer support is also available.
DIRECTV has plenty of channels to offer. The TV provider has over 200 live HD channels and a plethora of movie channels. Customers can enjoy HD and 4K programming with each of its channel packages; however, you'll need to purchase a higher tier plan or upgrade to gain access to a larger variety of HD channels. You'll also need a 4K TV to access the 4K channels.
DIRECTV's PREMIER package gives consumers access to premium channels. If you're obsessed with HBO's Game of Thrones or if you can't miss an episode of Showtime's Billions, then this DIRECTV package is perfect for you.
Sports fans love DIRECTV because it is the exclusive TV provider for the NFL Sunday Ticket. This sports package lets consumers watch live, HD, out-of-market games every Sunday. This plan particularly appeals to football fans, but if you're a fan of another major sport, no need to panic — DIRECTV still has you covered. You can select from any of these sports packs:
Every DIRECTV channel pack has plenty of options for even the pickiest entertainment buffs. There is plenty of original content, classic movies, and sports channels for everyone. Just be sure to pick a channel lineup that satisfies your entertainment needs.
The DIRECTV App lets subscribers stream live news, sports, along with their favorite shows and movies. The app gives customers flexibility as they can decide when and where they want to watch. Users can watch live, On Demand, or download their DVR recordings to their device, to view it anywhere. The DIRECTV app comes at no extra cost, can stream on up to 5 screens at once, and uses no data when customers have AT&T wireless.
The DIRECTV App can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
When bundling your DIRECTV Satellite TV services with other services (phone and internet service), you can save a decent amount of money. The AT&T internet plan costs $50 per month and the most basic DIRECTV package costs $35 per month. The DIRECTV and AT&T Internet bundle costs $75 per month, saving customers $10 a month. What customers get is over 155 channels, internet speeds up to 100 Mbps, over 99 percent reliability, and the professional installation fee waived — a $99 value. Customers can even sign up for a 3-month preview of HBO®, SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, and Cinemax® at no extra charge.
Before signing up with DIRECTV, it is essential to review the terms and conditions for each service to be sure of any additional fees or taxes. Too often, customers sign up and don't find out the terms until it's too late. Here are some possible fees a DIRECTV customer might run into:
Activation and Installation:
For each of the DIRECTV packages, there is a $19.95 activation fee.
While installing DIRECTV, the technician may need to make changes to a telephone line or provide extra equipment, etc. and a custom work fee may be applied. The technician should prepare a Custom Work Rate sheet to explain what was needed and the cost.
However, customers should also be aware that there is a non-activation fee. DIRECTV will charge $150 per receiver if it is not activated within 30 days of installation.
Equipment:
There is an Equipment Lease Fee. The fee for the first receiver is waived; after that, each additional receiver costs $5 per month.
At the end of their agreement, customers should return their equipment to avoid DIRECTV's Unreturned Equipment Fee, which can range from $55-$470 per receiver.
Cancellation and Deactivation:
Customers who don't fulfill their Programming Agreements may be charged a pro-rated fee of up to $480.
There is a disclaimer at the bottom of DIRECTV's site that states there is an "early termination fee" or cancellation fee of $20 per month, for each month remaining on the TV agreement.
If a customer deactivates their service or if DIRECTV deactivates the service, there may be a charge of $15. This charge is made apart from the termination fee.
Extra Fees:
DVR Service Fee: Choosing a DVR or HD DVR receiver will automatically enroll customers in a DVR service. The cost is $6 per month, no matter how many DVR or HD DVR receivers they've selected.
HD Access Fee: For an additional $10 per month customers can receive HD channels
Late Fees: If a customer misses their monthly bill and fails to pay within the grace period, DIRECTV will charge $5 or the maximum amount permitted by law.
DIRECTV is known for locking customers into great promotional packages for the first year of their contract; however, once the first year of the contract is complete, year two can bring a substantial increase in monthly programming prices. While this is stated in the contract, it comes as an unwelcome surprise to many customers. A number of DIRECTV reviews mention these price hikes as one of the top frustrations with this satellite tv service. If this is a deal breaker for you, there are other service providers that offer set pricing for the length of your contract.
DIRECTV is satellite-based and is subject to all the disadvantages that come with a satellite dish: reception is at the mercy of weather conditions. Heavy storms are likely to affect the satellite connection. Weather does not affect the quality and availability of cable tv or fiber optic programming to the same extent as satellite TV service. Be prepared to deal with spotty live tv connections as connections to local channels during considerably adverse weather.
There are plenty of reasons to consider signing up with DIRECTV.
DIRECTV offers an incredible assortment of specialty and local channels, and its initial promotional packages are hard to beat. However, be aware that after your one or two year contract is up, there will be a price hike; while this isn't unusual in the industry, this catches many customers off guard. Customer reviews did not take this lightly.
DIRECTV is the exclusive provider for the NFL Sunday Ticket. This is great for football fans who want to watch those out-of-market games, but if football isn't your game, then there are plenty of other sports packages to select from. You'll also have access to plenty of channels, so you can pick the perfect TV package. These perks make DIRECTV hard competition for a number of Satellite and Cable TV providers.
If you're looking for a TV provider that provides a plethora of HD channels, amazing sports packages, and gives you access to exclusive content, then it might be worth looking into DIRECTV.
Call our recommended rep over at DIRECTV below.
1-(866) 416-5157
Star Rating
1,245 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
Evita James
Rates are too high. Customer service was not the best. They have so many channels but after the 1st 50 to 60 channels the channels repeat with different numbers.
Maria Artiles
I have never have any issues with DIRECTV. The service is reliable and trustworthy. However, all the good TV channels are premium now. So that it is a little disappointing.
David Spears
The quality is good as long as we don’t have bad weather. We were told it’s not like it used to be when it rained or snowed, we would still get reception. However when it’s raining hard or snowing we frequently lose re caption for 3-30 minutes. If you have a DVR you can still watch recorded programs. Our bill is frequently wrong. It feels like we have to call in every month to remove an erroneous charge. They fix it but we should not have to call every month
Phillip Scott
Pricing for first year fine,second year it doubled.when direct tv didn’t make a deal for cbs and didn’t have programming for over a month we didn’t get a rebate or prior notice poor customer service.
Neny Cruz
Clear channels and various, although... not a lot of movies options. The remote was difficult to manage, but was a challenge I was willing to accept. The bill was not quite cheap.
Barracuda
Let me see if I understand how this works. You own the equipment, I pay a rental fee monthly for the equipment then when it breaks I pay to have your property repaired. Am I understanding this correctly.
Patrick Fay
Not much to like if you are a rural household. They have large dead zones. We lost our signal frequently.
Michael M
We had Directv for many years. The price went up a lot. I liked their product, but it’s too expensive.
Jessica Olson
At first this was a good company for my cable. Now I have less channels and I have to pay more money. There is not a lot on for channels, and I just wasted my money on cable.
Leslie R Yuen
I am a long time customer, and very happy with the care and service that they provide.
Dj Mcbride
I signed up with one of their promotional offers and really enjoyed the service. The problem was when the renewal came up. The price jumped significantly. I went to cancel and they offered me all kinds of discounts but when the bill came it was not what they said so I cancelled. Direct Tv is good but not worth the price and the hassle.
Mandie Bremer
After a year they raise the price and the customer service is awful. Other than that the channels came in perfect even if it was storming out.
Claudia Ochoa
We ended our service with Directv after being customers for over 10+years and returned our equipment only to be charged for it after it was returned.
Tim McCoy
Directv used to be my favorite delivery system to watch and enjoy television; but they have gone downhill since AT&T acquired them. The customer service is there to answer calls but not help the customer. The service is EXPENSIVE for what you get. I finally joined the millions of other people cutting the cord and purchased a ROKU, which has been fantastic and free after buying the equipment on Amazon.
Alexander Johnson
If you’ve ever had a cloud come over your house during your favorite show and had the signal drop, you know why I’m leaving this review
Michael Collins
Was a Dish customer. Fell for a promotional monthly fee deal, but any perk that obe might want wasn't included because the "Hopper" wasn't included. That was an extra 100 a month which would raise my bill to more that cable. So after contract was fulfilled I tried DirecTV. They were upfront about the cost, no extra equipment needed for features one would want. Prompt customer service when i had a couple questions. NFL Sunday Ticket was included in my package for one year and it was terrific. Service did get interrupted during some snow or rainstorms. But only for a couple of minutes and then service was restored.
Cathy
Have had them for almost 20 yrs. My only complaint is they offer new customers specials
Trent
This is a very unproffesional company. I had them for a while and moved due to divorce and cancelled my contract. I went by a Direct TV providor store and paid in full the contract that i owed. Got a receipt for it and was told i never paid it. I'll neb=ver use them again or reccommend them to anyone.
Mike Xavier
Changed from XFINITY and have never been happier!!! Awesome Customer Service; Highly Recommend!!!
Kelly Miller
Cust. Service was aweful. Stole money from me with a promise of service they new they could not give me and took my payment for it.
Tony Callaway
Direct tv still requires a contract. I think they're to expensive and have way too much fine print. They're prices are misleading, especially if you can't or don't read the fine print.
Luis Magallanes SR
At first, the service was great,but when my 2 years contract were over, they did not do a follow up to keep me as their customer, and, the price jumped very high. Therefore, I called the loyalty program asking to adjust my bill because it was very high. They did decrease it a bit, but at the same time, they took away many channels from my original programming. The fact of the matter is that they did a horrible follow up work. Any new customer who commit for 2 years is given a better treatment, but once they got the customer, the good service stops. I am ready to switch out and maybe use Dish Network.
Ashlee Matthews
Pretty good to work with. A bit annoying that I have to call each year to beg for the next available discount for my service.
Lisa Miller
DirectTV service technicians are good but when calling to try to get answers regarding installation times, charges, bills, etc. , the service is very bad. I was put on hold at least 5 times and directed to several customer service agents and no one seemed to be able to help or even try to understand the issue. In some cases there seemed to be a language barrier. Also some of the confusion is between AT&T and DirectTV customer service. Very confusing and frustrating.
Kristen
They started out great. Then every month my bill would increase. Soon I was paying over $200 a month just for TV! They always had excuses why my bill was so much.
Tom Futrell
Directv is too expensive for what you get. I was a customer for nearly 10 years, mostly because of necessity. However my main problem was the customer service. If the service went out, it was my fault. If something was wrong with the box, it was my fault. "Have you tried resetting it? Have you turned it off then back on?" Yes. I am not an idiot. One example...we lost service over the weekend. I called several times. No luck. When I asked for a credit on my bill, the guy laughed at me. So I hung up. Last month we dropped Directv. I have a streaming service that's (so far) be twice as reliable and 60% cheaper for the same programming.
B-dog
Overall, they were just ok. Rates go up dramatically after a year. The quality was ok, not great, not bad.
Devin
The price is affordable but the service cuts off during storms and the recordings space is wonderful
Morgan Sweat
I like the monthly rate for this company, and the channels the kids what. Every now and again you can catch a decent movie but for the most part you have to buy or rent movies to watch them. And the other half og the movie channels are in Spanish.. so.. and if there is a storm you can forget about TV that day.
Ana Caple
DirecTV has fair price, however ever time it rains the TV goes out. That is the only down side to it.
Whitney L Teeter
Always helpful when have problems but have to reset it at least one a day or more
Steve Lourdes Roldan
Customer service is okay but could be better. But very much satisfied with DirectV.
MammaS
Live in Midwest. Have some issues with signal when harsh storms going through but overall has been good. Dish does get covered in snow on occasion but usually melts off pretty quickly.
Edward Young
Their customer service wait time and ability to resolve my simple request to handle my physical move was so negative, I terminated their service after being a customer for over 15 years paying on average $240/month for their tv services.
B Warfield
They need to approve everything The service was on and off you couldn’t rely on recording a program you could be looking at a program on TV and then all of a sudden you have Voice drop off and you don’t know what else was said because you missed those one or two seconds of what the information was you couldn’t rely on programming a program because you might receive the risk program are you may not it was very very disappointing and I had this service for almost 30 years and the last five years I had with them was the worst service I’ve ever received in my life
Kelly DiLoreto
After 2 years with Direct TV, I was tired of seeing my bill continue to go up overtime. We decided to cancel. I canceled on April 17th. I just received a bill dated April 14-May 13 for the full monthly amount. I called and was told that they wont prorate the bill and would be responsible for the full month. So I am paying close to $200 for 3 days of service! Very poor customer service Direct TV/AT&T. As a result of how I was treated, you will be loosing me as a mobile phone customer too!
HeatherWalls
We really love the features of DIRECTV. When our contract was up, we called to see our options and they gave us a promo offer and didnt have to sign an additional contract. We are now just billed month to month and appreciate the flexibility and service. We love the DVR features and channel lineup.
oneydonmiss
I was told when I moved service that my NFL ticket was free, then after weekly phone calls due to the games not showing up they finally fixed that problem but then charged me the full amount after the season was over for package. I ended up paying out crazy qmount for monthly service and the NFL package almost 500.00 and then a month later I owed 89.00 and it was overdue and they suspended my service amidst people not having jobs from the COVID...no impressed at all, will be looking at different services after my contract is up! POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! promise a promotion for moving service and adding another 12 months onto my contract and then NEVER receiving Promotion and getting disconnected
William
good TV provider,company is in an area with not internet/WIFi service one has to pay their price and accept only services they offer,I am stuck with their services regardless of any problems I encounter
Autumn Shawn
I have had direct TV for 2 months and receiver is broke. Called several times unable to get through and was recommended by the automated voice system that I cumminacte through chat and was told via this chat session that new equipment would be sent out. Called a week later to inquire and no record of it tried once again to do diagnostic on the box which did not help was forwarded to someone else who gave me another phone number to call. Had Dish for three years never had technical issues like this. Very disappointed in Direct TV service and Recommend only using streaming services. Now I'm stuck paying for something for two years that doesn't work.
bmoney
Absolutely the worst company to do business with. It is literally impossible to cancel this service without a penalty. They continually push the minimum cancellation date and make up things like 'you ordered new equipment' within 2 years (which I absolutely DID NOT). ANY changes you make to your account pushes the no penalty date out 2 years. I specifically waited 2 years to cancel and then got told it was another year out. BS!!! I will be posting this anywhere and everywhere I can.
April aphe8493
DirectTV is by far my favorite. We switched to Xfinity once and I hated it. DirectTV is easy to use and there are so many options for movies and how to pay for them.
Edward Wiliams
Stay away!!! If you like downloading movies this service is not for you.... They will charge you full price for only watching 80% of the movie because only 80% downloaded... multiple times... stick with cable.
Steve Jones
I originally signed up with DirecTV for the NFL package, but I've been really happy with the service so far and find it to be very reliable. I would recommend them over their competitors.
lisa mclain
BEWARE of DirecTV or AT&T they are a total SCAM! BEWARE of DirecTV or AT&T whoever they are they are a total SCAM! I was told several different things many different times on a 3-hour phone call with them. They tried to scam me after my order was placed and confirmed they told me I owed a total of $19.95 for installation fees for TV home phone and internet after my order was completely placed and I got a account number and a confirmation number he said he needed to go back and set up my Internet and home phone and said I had to pay a extra $100 to get those installed and that would be charged to my debit card Monday after the installation and I said ABSOLUTELY not! Cancel this whole order I'm not going to give my business to a company that is IMMEDIATELY trying to SCAM me. he then went on to tell me he could not cancel my order because the cancellation department is in quarantine but all of the other departments were up and running except for the cancellation department and they were going to charge my card the extra $100 without my consent. And after installation they had to charge my card another $257.08 for 6 months in advance services. This company is a total SCAM DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER! I then had to call and cancel my credit card to avoid all these illegal charges they were just going to help theirselves to with my account number. This was a horrible experience and they were going to wipe out my whole bank account without me even knowing so be very careful!
Brittany Fuller
This company stole from me. They charged my card for over 500 dollars without my permission. The last bill I got from them was around 100 dollars. This is horrible that a big company like this stole from me. Especially in my time of need when our country is in a depression and not working full time. This is illegal.
Arthur Young
Bottom line is: DO NOT GET AT&T AND/OR DIRECTV. THEY ARE FRAUDULENT. They jacked up our Internet and TV bill to a whopping $233 a month. That is not a typo. So I decided to cut them off. Decided to start using IPTV, which after I got an Amazon Firestick I found to be only $12 a month for Hulu for way more channels than Directv, and all live Sports. I switched my Internet to Spectrum, which provides 400mbps compared to AT&T which is 10mbps. Again, not a typo. Need Spectrum's speed to support my IPTV and all my family's concurrent Internet usage and streaming. When I called to cancel, Teresa said I had to send back all my equipment, which included the modem and TWO receivers for TV. She said that the second receiver was in the garage. I said, What? Where? I've never seen a TV receiver in the garage. She said it was right next to the TV in the garage. Well, guess what. I HAVE NEVER HAD A TV IN THE GARAGE. Teresa said, Well, you've been billed for it every month for the last 5 years. Then I demanded a refund. At least partial. She started to blame me for not noticing the second TV on my bill. I said that people typically don't scrutinize their bills. I wanted her to take responsibility for putting a second TV on my bill that does not exist. She asked me if I wanted to talk to a supervisor, to which I said yes. So Courtney came on the line, after making me wait on hold for 10 min. He started to blame me as well. Said that customers often call in to dispute things on their bill that shouldn't be on there. I said, First, CUSTOMERS OFTEN HAVE TO DO THIS? Like, you habitually have this problem? He said, No one's perfect, we all make mistakes. Well, that is frickin' ridiculous. Do I order from Sears a refrigerator and they deliver one refrigerator and bill me for two refrigerators and then claim it was a mistake? And then blame me for not noticing two refrigerators on my bill and then refuse to refund me after billing me (and getting away with it) for a refrigerator that does not exist? That's a mistake? Why doesn't any other company make such a ridiculous mistake? Well, the reason is that it isn't a mistake. AT&T DOES IT ON PURPOSE. Second, I wanted Courtney to accept the blame for this "mistake." He refused to accept ANY OF THE BLAME. He said, Actually, you have to accept the blame. For not checking your bill carefully. And then he stated flatly that he would not refund me a dime. I am going to go to Costco, where those idiots who stand there and accost every customer and say, "Do you have Directv," I am going to go there and hold up a sign saying DO NOT GET DIRECTV. THEY ARE FRAUDULENT. Is it perhaps illegal, what they are doing? I don't know. It should be. It's unfortunate that I have to give them one star. I would give them zero stars. Actually, negative stars. Maybe Yelp should start putting that option. Bottom line is: DO NOT GET AT&T OR DIRECTV. DO NOT LET YOUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES GET IT. DO NOT LET YOUR FRIEND'S FRIENDS GET IT. THEY ARE FRAUDULENT AND CORRUPT. AND POSSIBLY ILLEGAL.
Randy
I have been a customer with DirecTV for more than 10 years. I recently called to cancel the service, not because I was unhappy with it, but because I have so much going on right now that my family and I don’t have time to watch tv. We are moving in 6 months, at which point we would likely have gone back with them because we have always been happy. However, when I called to cancel, I was told I didn’t currently have a bill, and that service was paid through the end of the billing cycle and could not be prorated. I understood that and left it active to finish what I had paid for since I couldn’t get a refund. I wasn’t happy about this, but understood. Today I got a bill for a full month of service. I called and explained the situation, and was told nothing could be done. I asked for a supervisor and again, nothing could be done. I asked for a manager, I spoke with Mary, who said they wouldn’t do anything. I asked for her supervisor, she said there’s nobody over her, then transferred my call to AT&T Uverse, where I was then hung up on. I called in the middle of a billing cycle to cancel service because I was paying too much and not using it. I was lied to, misinformed, charged, and then told nothing would be done. It’s not about the money, it’s about the principle. I shouldn’t have been charged for half the month because I specifically stated I didn’t want to keep the service. After that call I received 3 calls asking me to keep the account, offering $75 credits a month and all kinds of money off my bill. Now I’m asking to get credit back for a half cycle of service I was told was already paid for, and didn’t want or use. Tried the chat as well. Seems they changed the policy to no longer prorate or refund, and now they authorize representatives to lie to avoid conflict when you call. I would have gone back, but now I will never use them again. Company with no morals.
Karen Torino
I have to say that Directv has always been pretty bad for me. I would easily lose signal and it would take forever to get it back. There are moments where it would work pretty well, but it was very annoying when the signal would leave.
Myken
We had Direct Tv and the prices seemed to Increase every month. The channels offered were great but our charges got so high so fast we had to change providers.