SamiZ

I have just moved to Irvine, CA and I am almost set up and started work a couple of months ago and now I am looking to get a TV service up and running. The options however are bewildering as my real requirement is to watch the English Premier League football and whilst I think I know which channels offer this, I can't decide which package I should go for whether it is Cable or something like DirectTV plus a DVR option with that.

I would like to know what other people have done and what is the best option (if sports is the key driver).

Thanks.

Bob

Check to see if you have a option of a choice, you might not....that would simplify things.

Then there after, it's just a case of who you'd prefer to swear at when something goes wrong and you've got to deal with dire customer service.

Other than that, they're all much of much ness, so get which ever one is offering the best deal at the moment.

NBCSport is all you really need for English footie, ESPN and BEIN Sport for the rest.

Sally Redux

We found DirecTV to be better than cable. Charter cable was diabolical on all levels. Time Warner, which we have in the rental now, is better but the box is so old and clunky in operation.

Availability depends on your area, as Bob says.

GeoffM

Cablemover.com supposedly lists the available cable services if you type in your address. Rather unreliable though, so check the availability checkers on TWC, Verizon, Charter etc - ie their own websites.

Doesn't DirectTV mean you have to use phone company broadband which is pretty shite these days? Or you end up getting cable for at least the internet?

lansbury

NBC has the rights to broadcast EPL in the US. You will need a package that gives you all the channels they use for EPL. NBC Sports, the national NBC franchise for your area, and NBC news and other channels. As they show most of the games live, and only repeat a few games you will need a DVR option, unless you don't mind getting up at 4am to watch the noon kick offs in the UK.

NBCSports is the main channel on which they show EPL, but they show all the games live. So you need the other channels if you follow a particular team. As to cable or DirecTV, go with which ever gives you the best start up deal, but look carefully to see which channels are in the packages you are being offered.

Sally Redux

Yes good point, you still need cable for the internet.

lansbury

Yep we have DirecTV and Comcast internet.

Nutmegger

We had to switch to Charter from DirecTV a number of years ago as we couldn't pick up their HD satellite from our house (apparently it is lower on the horizon than their basic satellite). Though I hate to admit it -- they're a favorite punching bag! -- Charter has definitely improved over the years and we felt confident enough to add phone to TV and Internet recently.

Sally Redux

Maybe they've got better then.

Uncle_Bob

Can you still get BEIN? i used to able to get it now its a pay channel. Complete tease

Bob

It's a pay channel, so I dont' get it. I stick to - http://www.wiziwig.tv/index.php?part=sports for a lot of sporting events that aren't on the basic box.

Hotscot

Quite happy with DirecTV, especially the new DVR's.

Hawkini

Spooky - me too. Me and the wife swap as account holders at Comcast every 6-12 months to keep getting new customer deals. 50mb broadband at $25 a month, with FREE 50 channels - mostly rubbish local ones but has PBS - so keep TV box in spare room and means we dont need another $6 a month box from Directv.

notshipman

Agree lots of sites out there stream all games for nowt and other sports like cricket which hard to find in the US. On a big screen imac perfectly adequate.

JustinButler

DirecTV is the best. I'm not the biggest fan of TWC but it's my only option in Calabasas.