Dish Versus DirecTV Versus Comcast

Dish Network offers eight different English television package options, some of which include HD channels. Dish also provides the option of Spanish or international television programming packages. DirecTV allows customers to build their television package by selecting from four options and adding on additional channels if desired. DirecTV also has Spanish and international programming options. Comcast offers three different digital cable television plan options. With each provider, the plans are more expensive as the number of included channels increases.

Dish Network offers Internet service plans, which customers can order alone or in bundles with phone and television service. The download speeds available with Dish Internet plans are 1.5 Mbps, 7 Mbps or 12 Mbps. The faster plans are more expensive. DirecTV offers DSL Internet plans through partnerships with providers such as Qwest, AT&T; and Verizon. Comcast provides two different high-speed Internet plans, one with download speeds up to 15 Mbps and one with download speeds up to 20 Mbps.

Home phone service from Dish Network includes 11 phone features, voicemail service with email notifications and the ability to upgrade the amount of long distance or phone lines on the account. DirecTV partners with phone service providers such as Verizon, AT&T;, Qwest and CenturyLink. Two different home phone plans are available from Comcast, the Local with More plan, offering unlimited local calling and a per-minute rate for long distance and the Unlimited plan, which provides unlimited local and long distance.

All three of these providers offer monthly savings to customers that bundle services together. Bundling all three services, television, Internet and phone, is the way to save the most money. Dish Network allows customers to order each service separately or to bundle any combination of the two or all three together. With DirecTV, customers can add Internet and phone service to their television plans and Comcast offers several different Triple Play plans, in which various television, Internet and phone plans are available.