If you haven’t bought a high definition television yet, then you probably are not worried about getting HD channel content from your cable or satellite TV provider. If that is the case, then the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package might be a good alternative to consider if you want something different than traditional cable TV.
Choice Xtra Package Review
The DIRECTV Choice Xtra package is one step up from the Choice package. You will get 200+ channels, compared to the 150 that are in the Choice package, and the price is only $5 more. Right now, the regular price fof the Choice Xtra package is $60.99 per month, but there is a nice discount for new DIRECTV customers.
If you are a new subscriber, DIRECTV offers you a $21 discount for the first year of service on this package. You do have to commite to DIRECTV for a 24 month period in order to get free installation and this reduced price. That brings the price down to a very affordable $39.99 per month for the first year. Be sure to go the rebate site in order to get the full DIRECTV deal you are entitled to as a new subscriber.
What else can you expect with the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package? As mentioned, 200+ channels are included and among them are your local channels in almost all areas. ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX will all be delivered in 100% digital quality. Music channels are a big part of this DIRECTV bundle as well, as 68 XM satellite radio channels are part of the package.
When you sign up for the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package, you will get professional installation in up to 4 rooms of your home. If you do get service in more than one room, there will be additional monthly charges for each DIRECTV receiver, similar to the charge you would get for additional digital cable TV boxes. Current promotions offer the subscriber a free HD DVR upgrade,. Even if you don’t have a plasma screen TV at this time, it would be smart to get the HD DVR in case you do buy a new HDTV in the months ahead. That way you will have the right DIRECTV equipment for HD access.
Another potential monthly fee with the Choice Extra package is for the digital video recorder, or DVR. As mentioned, you can get a free HD DVR device as a new subscriber, but there is a monthly fee of $6 to make that DVR work. Once you have used a DVR to watch TV, you won’t ever want to go back, and $6 per month is a small price to pay for the time you will save skipping through commercials.
A brief note if you are comparison shopping between the two satellite TV providers, Dish Network vs DIRECTV. The Choice Xtra bundle is probably closest to the Classic Silver 200 package. This package offered by Dish Network also has 200+ channels, and the regular price is $52.99 per month currently, with a $15 discount per month for the first year.
Finally, as discussed earlier the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package is designed for people who do not want HD access. But if you do at some point want to add high definition channels to the package, you can do so by simply calling DIRECTV. The monthly charge is currently $10 for HD.
If you are interested in the exact content offered in the Choice Xtra package, here is a channel lineup showing you what to expect with this particular bundle. (XM satellite radio channels not listed)
A&E
ABC Family
America’s Store
American Movie Classics (AMC)
Animal Planet
The 101
BBC America
Black Entertainment Television (BET)
BET J
The Big Ten Network
The Biography Channel
Bloomberg Television
Boomerang
Bravo
BYU TV
C-SPAN
C-SPAN2
Comedy Central
Country Music Television (CMT)
Court TV
CSTV
Current TV
Cartoon Network
CCTV-9 (Chinese language)
The Church Channel
CNBC
CNBC World
CNN
Daystar
Discovery Channel
Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Home
Discovery Kids Channel
Discovery Times Channel
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPN Classic
ESPNEWS
EWTN
Disney Channel (East)
Disney Channel (West)
DIY Network
E! Entertainment Television
FINE LIVING
FitTV
Food Network
Fox Business Network
Fox Movie Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox Reality
Fuel TV
Fuse
FX
GEMS TV
GOD TV
The Golf Channel
Great American Country
G4 videogame tv
Galavisión
GSN, the network for games
Hallmark Channel
HDNet
HD Theater
Headline News
Home & Garden Television (HGTV)
Home Shopping Network
i Independent TV
Independent Film Channel
The History Channel
History International
HITN-TV
The Learning Channel (TLC)
Lifetime
Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Real Women
Link TV
Logo
National Geographic
NFL Network
Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East)
Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West)
Military Channel
MSNBC
MTV
MTV2
NASA TV
Nicktoons Network
Noggin/The N
NRB
ONCE México
Oxygen
RFD-TV
The Science Channel
SCI FI Channel
PBS Kids Sprout
QVC
REELZ Channel
ShopNBC
Sleuth
SOAPnet
Speed Channel
Spike TV
Sport South
Style
Superstation WGN
The Tennis Channel
TBS
TCT Network
TNT
TV Guide Channel
TV Land
TV One
Toon Disney
Travel Channel
Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Univision
USA Network
Versus
VH1
VH1 Classic
WE: Women’s Entertainment
The Weather Channel
The Word
World Harvest Television (WHT)
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m a full time RV’er and love my DirecTV! I travel the countryside with my Winegard RoadTrip satellite tv antenna and have excellent reception everywhere in the country. Love my DirecTV!
Directv is great, but you need to give HBO and CINEMAX a month free to the people that been with youa long time, this would show that you care and are thanhful for there being a goog customer,thankyou, GODBLESS. Bob Daniels
When I got DirecTV I thought I would get ALL of my local stations but there’s one I’m not getting and I really want that one. I emailed the station and they said they offered the station to DirecTV for free and were turned down. What’s up with that?
What are the Choice Xtra additional channels that are available 5/23-5/31? I wonder why you do not reward your very old customers with some of the premum movie channels? You give so much to a new customer and it hardly seems fair to those of us who have been paying and paying top dollar for years. Thank you, B Benson
Yes, I too would like to know where those extra channels are to be found. Current information is hard to locate.
can I get internet with Directv?
I was just thinking to get HDTV as I bought a new TV that has HD resolution. Now I’m researching the providers to decide which one to go with.
Customer since 2005 receivers turned bad and hand controls called and they finally sent out service call, begged for it to be free, finally was. But asked for HD receivers and would pay for it per month, but no they could only give me the old type receivers. It did not matter that I would pay for it per month when dish gives it for free. I would have to pay for the HD receivers to the tune of 100 dollars. What a rip off. Been screwed by Direct TV.
I HAVE BEEN WITH DIRECTV FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I WISH THEY WOULD OFFER MORE FREE THINGS FOR THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS.