Charter Vs. DirecTV

Depending on your service area, Charter Communications offers a basic package that includes 70 channels or more. The digital package offers several hundred channels with various configurations to include premium movie channels and sports packages. DirecTV starts with a basic television package of 150 channels up to a top premium package that has 285 channels and includes all premium movie and sports channels. The number of channels can vary by service area, so where a specific number is given, that is the minimum number of channels offered in every service area.

Charter Communications offers the newest movie releases at the standard release date. With its On Demand service, you can watch the newest releases at your convenience, usually for an additional fee. Charter also offers thousands of older movies and a large choice of network and cable series that you can watch for no extra charge at your convenience when using the On Demand feature. DirecTV Cinema offers instant access to over 400 of the newest released movies at your convenience, again for an extra fee. Its Cinema feature also allows instant access to 6,000 shows and older movies at no extra fee.

Charter offers more than 1,000 high definition options. Almost all new movies are offered in an HD format, along with many of the channels in the cable lineup. Some of the HD options include part-time game channels. With DirecTV's top premium package, you get 105 full-time HD channels. All new movies are offered in a Blu-Ray format, while thousands of movies, sporting events and regular channels are offered in HD. DirecTV is also the first of the home entertainment services to offer some movies in a 3D format.

Charter Communications is able to offer substantial discounts through the bundling of its television packages with its Internet and home telephone packages because it is the provider of all three. Bundling can be more difficult with DirecTV because it must partner with providers of home telephone services. Since it concentrates on the television end of home communications, DirecTV tends to stay at the cutting edge of television offerings and services. Charter is strongest in offering one-stop convenience and pricing for home communications services while DirecTV is strongest in the abundance of its offerings and formats.