The Best Cable and TV Packages for Seniors (2024)

Overview

Starting Cost: $15 per month

Xfinity provides all the live TV you want, plus streaming, for only $15 a month. How? The company uses the internet, not cable, to bring you live TV, so its live TV prices are about one-fourth of competitors like Cox. Whether you want only 10 channels or 185-plus, there’s an affordable option for you.

Features

You may remember Xfinity providing cable, but that is no longer the case — at least at the apartment where we got it in Philadelphia. Rather our options were all digital subscriptions, which means there was no cable box, no expensive installation process, and no high monthly fees. We paid only $15 a month for a bundle of 10 channels, which included 20 hours of DVR and standard networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

We are huge Bravo fans, so we upgraded to the Popular TV option for $50 a month, which includes more than 125 channels. With free self-installation, we didn’t feel too guilty about upping our monthly expenses to see the live “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reunion.

Pricing

Xfinity is the most affordable provider on this list, mainly because it doesn’t use cable for live TV. Rather, it essentially uses live TV–like streaming, depending on your internet connection. A weak internet connection could be a huge problem, but our Xfinity internet has 1 GB speeds, so we had no issues and saved a ton of money. Prices start at just $15 a month and reach up to $60, whereas Cox starts at $61, Spectrum TV at $64.99, and DIRECTV at $69.99. And those are the cheaper options!

We self-installed the X1 box for free, but it cost an additional $10 a month. That made the cheapest Xfinity option $25 a month. That’s still less than half the cost of other companies’ starting plans though. Prices are locked for a year, and you’ll have to pay a $110 early termination fee if you cancel. Those prices all include a $10-per-month discount for enrolling in paperless billing and automatic payments from a banking account. One less thing to think about! Xfinity also offers mobile and home phone, internet, and home security services, but none of the bundles actually include discounts.

Xfinity TV Packages Compared

	Choice TV	Now TV	Popular TV	Ultimate TV
Monthly cost	$15	$20	$50	$60
Channels	10+	40+	125+	185+
Contract length	Monthly	Monthly	Monthly	Monthly

Drawbacks

We are not in love with Xfinity’s customer service, as you may remember from our experience with Xfinity internet. It’s incredibly hard to get someone on the phone, and we were required to go through live chat before we could even get access to a phone number. It was no surprise that the company scored only 697 points out of 1,000 on the J.D. Power survey. When it comes to customer service — not to mention its incredibly slow and buggy website — Xfinity is subpar.

Our Verdict

The company has a disappointing website and customer service, but you won’t be disappointed by its prices and channel options. Even when you take into account the equipment rental cost, Xfinity is by far the cheapest way to get live TV.

To learn more about the provider, read our guide to Xfinity cable for seniors.

Overview

Starting Cost: $69.99 per month

DIRECTV offers digital and satellite live TV and streaming with all of its plans. The satellite option requires professional installation, but most people not in rural areas without high-speed internet will go for the digital option, which includes free installation, equipment, and shipping. As an added bonus, we got a $200 Visa reward card for signing up!

Features

To install our Gemini Air voice remote, which was included with our subscription, we plugged its HDMI cable into our TV and into power, turned on our TV, changed the input, and followed the on-screen prompts to accept the terms and conditions, pair our remote and TV, and update the software. The process took only a few minutes, which is typically the case with internet-connected TVs. The satellite option would have been complicated, but most people won’t want that option if they have high-speed internet. With the $200 gift card we got for signing up, we paid for over two months of the Entertainment subscription, which starts at about $70 per month.

Pricing

DIRECTV is not the cheapest option on the market, with prices ranging from $69.99 to $159.99 per month — or more if you want advanced receiver services (ARS). What does ARS include?

• 4K picture quality
• Ability to use different third-party apps on the same input
• Combined charge for all services
• Premium remote options, such as a full numeric keypad and previous channel buttons
• Using the voice remote, which comes with Google Assistant

Those features apply to the internet version, not the satellite version. We think ARS is pretty necessary, so prices really start at $84.99. That’s on the high end.

Equipment and installation are free, though, minus a one-time activation fee of $19.95. Prices are locked for two years and there are no bundles, since DIRECTV offers only TV.

DIRECTV Packages Compared

Plan name	Entertainment	Choice	Ultimate	Premier
Monthly cost	$69.99 or $84.99 with ARS	$84.99 or $115.98 with ARS	$114.99 or $145.98 with ARS	$159.99 or $190.987 for ARS
Channels	75+	105+	140+	150+
Contract length	24 months	24 months	24 months	24 months

Drawbacks

It’s undeniable that DIRECTV’s biggest drawbacks are its price and lack of bundles. If you want actual cable and not streaming or satellite, we recommend checking out Cox or Spectrum TV. We’re surprised DIRECTV’s prices aren’t closer to Xfinity’s internet-powered TV, which starts at $15 a month.

Our Verdict

If you’re OK with paying a bit more per month to get free installation, free equipment, and a two-year price lock, DIRECTV could be for you.

To learn more about the provider, read our full rundown of DIRECTV senior plans.

Overview

Starting Cost: $5 per month

Whether you want streaming on your TV or access to more than 250 channels, Cox is a great TV provider with flexible, month-to-month contracts. Installation and equipment are free, so the only thing we paid for was the TV service. We also had the option to add DVR, more streaming apps, and pay-per-view access.

Features

We wanted both streaming and cable, so we purchased the streaming plan for only $5 a month — by far the cheapest on this list — so we could access all our favorite Netflix shows in 4K, as well as thousands of free shows and movies. We also wanted cable, however, so we chose the Contour Starter plan, which, for $61, got us over 75 channels, including the top broadcast networks. We can’t miss out on “Succession,” though, so we were able to get a subscription to Max free for 12 months. Not a bad deal, especially considering we saved $100 on professional installation by installing our Easy Connect kit ourselves.

Pricing

Cox offers the most affordable TV service outside Xfinity, with prices starting at $61 per month. It also has the benefit of being actual cable and not digital TV, which means we weren’t affected by low bandwidth or network outages. With streaming packages for only $5 a month — the lowest price on this list — we got everything we wanted from a single company.

DIY installation was free, but there’s an option to pay $100 for professional installation. The Contour Box and voice remote were included for free, and prices were locked for two years even though our contract was monthly. There are some discounts available with internet, home phone, and smart home bundles, but you’ll save only $5 to $10 a month, and with only some bundles. All in all, Cox is a reasonably priced TV provider, especially if you want only streaming.

Cox TV Plans

Plan name	Monthly cost	Channels included	Contract length
Streaming Only	$5	N/A	Monthly
Contour Starter	$61	75+	Monthly
Contour Preferred	$115	140+	Monthly
Contour Ultimate	$152	250+	Monthly

Drawbacks

Unfortunately, Cox has the worst J.D. Power customer-satisfaction score on this list, at only 692 out of 1,000. (The average was 701, so Cox is only slightly below average.) We had no issues using Cox’s 24/7 phone line, live chat, and online help center, but many people beg to differ.

Our Verdict

Despite its slightly below average customer-satisfaction score, Cox is still a top provider for streaming and cable, with affordable pricing and a plethora of channels.

To learn more about the provider, read our full guide to Cox cable for seniors.
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Overview

Starting Cost: $39.99 per month

Spectrum TV includes a Xumo Stream Box free for six months with all of its plans. With the TV Select Signature plan, you’ll get Disney+ Basic along with over 85,000 on-demand titles. Installation is free, and we did it ourselves in less than 10 minutes.

Features

We love that all of Spectrum TV’s plans include streaming, because where would we be without 18 seasons of “Sister Wives” available on Max 24/7? To get more than 75 channels, we signed up for TV Select Signature, which more than doubled our channels and got us Disney+ Basic. We also added some premium channels, as well as live sports, for $7 a month.

Unlike Xfinity, Spectrum TV has excellent customer service, with an online help center, live chat, and a 24/7 phone line. Its J.D. Power score is essentially at the national average, and we had no issue setting up our Xumo Stream Box. Once we received it, we had our favorite shows up and running in no time!

Pricing

If you want streaming plus over 75 channels of live TV, TV Stream is an affordable option at about $40 a month. It’s not quite as cheap as Cox’s streaming-only option for $5 a month or Xfinity’s 10 channels plus streaming for $15 a month, but you’re getting more bang for your buck due to the live TV. Even the more typical TV package, TV Select Signature, is reasonably priced, offering more than 150 channels for only about $65 a month. All plans come with a free Xumo Stream Box for the first six months, but only the TV Select Signature plan also includes a free Disney+ Basic subscription.

Because Spectrum TV is digital, not cable, installation is DIY — and free. Contract lengths are one month with the TV Stream option or 12 months with the other two plans. You can save on a home phone if you bundle it with Spectrum TV.

Spectrum TV Packages Compared

Plan name	TV Stream	TV Select Signature	Mi Plan Latino
Monthly cost	$39.99	$64.99	$39.99
Channels	75+	150+	145+
Contract length	1 month	12 months	12 months

Drawbacks

Spectrum TV has a maximum of only about 150 channels. That seems like a lot, but it’s actually the lowest maximum on this list aside from DIRECTV. Verizon Fios, for instance, has more than 425 channels, Dish has more than 290, and Cox has more than 250. If variety is the spice of life, Spectrum TV is a little bland.

Our Verdict

It may lack the variety of channels of Verizon and Dish, but Spectrum TV gives you everything you need to stream to your heart’s delight, with no equipment fees for the first six months.

To learn more about the provider, read our guide to Spectrum TV for seniors.

Overview

Starting Cost: $84.99 per month

Satellite TV is a good option if you live in a rural area and don’t have access to high-speed internet. It’s not a very popular way to get TV, but Dish is one exception. It offers two-year contracts with 190 to 290 channels from about $85 to $115 per month, plus thousands of free on-demand titles.

Features

The benefit of satellite TV over digital TV is that you won’t have to worry about your Wi-Fi network being overloaded with devices and downloads, not to mention network outages. Dish monitors its networks at all times to check for signals. With Dish, you can also stream on up to five extra devices, since streaming is included in its subscriptions. Did someone say, “The best of both worlds”? The best part is, you don’t have to install it yourself. Professional installation is free, so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Another benefit of Dish is that it’s the only provider on this list to offer discounts to people 55 or older. If you ever have technical issues, a technician will come to you free of charge under the Dish Protect Plus plan. For younger customers, the Dish Protect Plus costs $10.99 a month or a technician visit costs $95. The discount lasts for two years.

Pricing

Since it’s satellite instead of digital, Dish is more expensive than other companies, such as Xfinity and Cox, which start at $20 and $61 a month, respectively. That’s expected, but Dish is also more expensive than satellite TV from DIRECTV, which starts at $69.99 a month for 75 channels. For all other packages, however, Dish offers more channels for less money, so it’s a better deal for someone who wants more than 75 channels. To sweeten the pot even further, Dish offers customers who switch from DIRECTV a $300 prepaid Mastercard — $100 more than the Visa reward card DIRECTV offers.

Prices with Dish are locked for two years, and installation is free. There are DVRs available for $5 or $10, and no other fees for equipment. Dish offers internet service, but it’s provided by another company and you will be billed separately. Whether you’ll get a bundling discount depends on where you live.

Dish TV Packages Compared

Plan name	America’s Top 120	America’s Top 200	America’s Top 250
Monthly cost	$84.99	$104.99	$114.99
Channels	190	240+	290+
Contract length	2 years	2 years	2 years

Drawbacks

Streaming is not available on its own from Dish, unlike with Cox and Xfinity. Dish also has the highest starting costs of any company on this list at $84.99 per month. When you consider how much more satellite and cable costs than digital TV, however, the price makes sense — even more when you factor in that you get a minimum of 190 channels.

Our Verdict

With 290 or more channels and free installation, Dish is the most affordable option if you want satellite TV with more than 75 channels.

To learn more about the provider, read our full rundown of Dish TV for seniors.

Overview

Starting Cost: $72.99 per month

You’ve heard the phrase “the more the merrier,” but Verizon took it to heart. With its top-tier package, you’ll get more than 425 channels, which is dozens more than even the second most on this list. If you get bored of those channels, there’s streaming through YouTube TV.

>>Read more: Verizon Senior Phone Plans Review

Features

Verizon is the only provider we’ve come across that let us “try before we”…well…bought. With the Fios TV Test Drive, we paid $85 for 60 days of service, which was the same service as the Most Fios TV, meaning over 425 channels. While the Most Fios TV costs $129 a month, we were able to see what this service was like for $44 less, and it did not disappoint. We loved going through the channels on our TVs, not to mention streaming as much as we wanted on our devices. Once the 60 days were over, it was time to upgrade.

Pricing

Verizon’s pricing is more on par with other non-digital TV providers, such as Dish, which starts at $84.99 a month, and DIRECTV, which starts at $69.99 per month. Those prices include a $10 per month autopay and paperless billing discount, however, and we had to pay $99 for installation. The first set-top box rental was free. All contracts are monthly, except the Fios TV Test Drive. Verizon also offers internet and phone service, but there are no discounted bundles that include TV — only internet and mobile.

Verizon TV Plans Compared

Plan name	YouTube TV	Fios TV Test Drive	Your Fios TV	More Fios TV	The Most Fios TV
Monthly cost	$72.99	$85	$85	$109	$129
Channels	85+	425+	125+	300+	425+
Contract length	Monthly	60 days (one time)	Monthly	Monthly	Monthly

Drawbacks

We were a bit disappointed that installation wasn’t free, especially because it’s free with DIRECTV and Dish — two satellite providers. Since Verizon uses actual fiber-optic cable, its prices are much more expensive than with a digital TV provider like Xfinity. Cable is more trustworthy than Wi-Fi, however, and fiber-optic is even better.

Our Verdict

If you’re willing to pay a little more to use fiber-optic cable, Verizon is the provider for you. It’s also great for anyone who is constantly looking for new content. With over 425 channels, you’ll never get bored!