Consumer Reports – September 2019

Streaming

on

Demand

Cox TV Starter

Advertised at $25

per month; add $10

broadcast TV fee

and $3 mini-box

rental, plus taxes.

75-plus channels: local

broadcasts from all the

major networks in most

markets, a smattering

of cable channels. No

DVR available.

Comcast: Digital Starter

Advertised at $60 per

month; add up to $10 for

broadcast TV and $8.25

for a regional sports

fee, plus taxes. 140-plus

channels: broadcast TV

plus cable channels. Price

guaranteed for only one

year, and service is limited

to one TV.

Spectrum Gold
Advertised at $85; add
$7.50 for a cable box/DVR,
$5 for DVR service, $12 for
broadcast TV, plus taxes.
200-plus channels, including
the major broadcast
networks and many cable
channels, including HBO,
Showtime, Starz, and The
Movie Channel.

AT&T WatchT V

A low-cost plan that’s

free to some AT&T

mobile subscribers. It has

35-plus cable networks but

no local broadcasts. You also

get thousands of on-demand

shows and movies. It’s

limited to one user at a time,

and it lacks a DVR but has a

72-hour look-back feature for

shows that have aired.

YouTube T V

70-plus channels, including

all the major broadcast

networks in many markets.

Cloud DVR with unlimited

storage for up to nine months

is included, and three people

can use the service at a time.

Pay $5 to $9 per month extra

for AMC, Showtime, or Starz.

(HBO is not available.)

Sony PlayStation

Vue Ultra

About 100 local and

cable channels, including

HBO and Showtime. A

sports pack, with NBC

and Fox sports channels,

and NFL Red Zone, costs

an extra $10 per month.

A cloud DVR stores

shows for up to 28 days.

CABLE

$35-Plus

CABLE

$80-Plus

CABLE

$110-Plus

STREAMING

$15

STREAMING

$50

STREAMING

$85

PREMIUM

BASIC

SKINNY

How Live TV Package

Costs Compare

30 CR.ORG SEPTEMBER 2019