Okay, so I’ve been thinking about cutting the cord for a while, and the two big contenders that kept popping up were DirecTV and YouTube TV. I finally decided to dive in and really compare them, hands-on. Here’s how it went down.
First, I Looked at the Pricing
This was a big one for me. I started by listing out what I absolutely needed channel-wise. For me, it’s local channels, some sports (ESPN, mostly), and a few basic cable things like HGTV and Food Network.
DirecTV has a bunch of different packages, and it gets confusing fast. I jotted down the prices of a couple that seemed to fit, and then did the same with YouTube TV. YouTube TV is way simpler – they just have one main package, plus some add-ons.
Then, I Dug into the Channels
- DirecTV: Seemed like they had more channels overall, especially in their higher-tier packages. But I realized I wouldn’t watch most of them.
- YouTube TV: Fewer channels overall, but a really solid lineup of the ones I actually cared about. And they had all my local channels, which was a must.
Testing the User Experience
This is where I really got my hands dirty. I signed up for the free trials – both services offer them, which is awesome.
I started with DirecTV. The interface felt a little…clunky. It took me a while to figure out how to navigate to what I wanted. The DVR was okay, but not super intuitive.
Then I switched over to YouTube TV. Wow, what a difference! It felt just like using regular YouTube. Super clean, easy to find things, and the DVR was unlimited, which blew my mind. I could record anything and everything without worrying about running out of space.
Mobile App Time!
I use my phone a lot, so I downloaded both apps.
- DirecTV’s app: It worked, but again, it wasn’t the smoothest experience.
- YouTube TV’s app: Loved it. Just as easy to use as the TV version, and I could even download stuff to watch offline, which is great for my commute.
The Final Decision
After a few days of using both, I canceled my DirecTV trial and stuck with YouTube TV. It was just so much easier to use, and it had all the channels I needed. Plus, the unlimited DVR was a game-changer. DirecTV felt really old, and YouTube TV is better and easier to use.
I have been very happy with YouTube TV, and have not run into many problems when using it. It has been a very good experience.