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)
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{ 41 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.
i have been a customer for 11 yrs. love direct tv! customer service is great , but i agree, give your long time customers a premeium channel free from time to time!
Very disapppointed that you saw fit (pardon the pun) to remove FIT channel from the choice package. We have used this channel to exercise for years and now if we want to continue we have to purchase the Choice Extra package. Why did you do this?
Why did you remove FIT channel from Choice.
Is God TV being taken off Direct TV’s econo package only or off all level packages?
Why would you take it off at all? If it is no longer available on the econo package (as I was told Sept. 30, 2010 is the last day it will be available), I will discontinue my subscription. Very sad as I enjoyed Direct TV since 2007.
I agree with others, why are new subscribers lavished with all kinds of extra things & discounts while your loyal customers get nothing? What’s with that? We should be eligible to receive what others do without being penalized, or given special offers now and then just for being loyal customers. People with authority should look at the blogs and see what their customers REALLY want…..to be treated fairly and appreciated for their loyality to Direct TV. God blesses those that bless others.
i just wish i could find a listing of the channels somewhere.
I NEED A NEW CURRENT PRINTED…CHANNEL GUIDE NOW FOR CHOICE EXTRA …CANT FIND IT ANYWHERE ….OTHERS ARE LOOKING FOR FOR IT TOO SEE ABOVE MESSAGES…..
I agree with most of your long term patrons, WE SHOULD BE REWARDED FOR HELPING MAKE DIRECT TV WHAT IT HAS BECOME TODAY , and WE should be REWARDED BY MORE THAN JUST A FEW DAYS OF SHOWTIME OR STARS.WE MADE YOU THE BEST KNOWN AND USED CAbLE PROVIDER.
MYSELF I’VE BEEN WITH YOU FOR OVER 8yrs AND IM READY TO UPGRADE TO TO AN EXTRA PACKAGE AND HAVE HAD HD FOR 5 Yrs.ALOT OF PPL.probably DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOUR INSURANCE PLAN for dish . I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVERS THAT CAN GET WIRELESS INTERNET IF YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING BASIC TO YOUR BASIC PLAN.
I CAN’T GET THE FREE APPS LIKE ON MY IPHONE, I REALLY ENJOY MY CELL APPS AND WISH YOU’D ADD WIRELESS, so that us with WIRELESS INTERNET CAN GET & use our free apps.THERE NO GOOD TO ME IF I CAN’T GET THEM WIRELESSLY.
I’VE GONE ALL THESE YRS. not getting THE FREE APPS THAT ARE DUE TO US WHO HAVE EVERYTHING ELSE WIRELESS.WHY SHOULD WE DO WITHOUT BECAUSE OF HAVING A HIGHER SYSTEM, WE LOSE WHY?
The list of extra choice channels is useless without a channel guide!!!!!!!
The Direct TV is rewarding their old customers…by Raising Our Fees!!!..The New Customers gets 3 months these and 3 months of those and other BS…and what we gets are additional Fees..and one time I went for a 3 wks vacation came back my Direct TV off and I have to call them to ask “What”s going on?” I paid my fees month after month after month and so on even Im on vacation..Geeshhh, Direct TV give us good services as you raised our fees so we won’t be thinking of cutting you off on our budget..LOL
DIRECTV will be offering a free preview of the Choice Xtra package starting May 22 to May 29th, 2011. For DIRECTV Choice package customers, they will enjoy 50 additional channels during the free ChoiceXtra trial.
what is the secret to finding the list of 50 free extra channels to try starting May 22 ?
I would like to know what the free 50 channels that are available May 22-28 are?
Lots of requests for the channels in the free preview. This link will give you the list of channels in each package, so you can see the extras included
http://www.directsattv.com/directv/all_channels.html?a_aid=4c193e663edd9&a_bid=662fddf8
I’ve read these listed comments and I’d really like to know your reply to each and every one of the questions listed. If these questions were answered publicly, as asked (FAQ’s), then it wouldn’t be so frustrating, especially to those who have been valued customers for a long time. It is hard to navigate your website because the links are not in an easy to find location. Ex: Where is your FAQ link? Do you have one and shouldn’t it be on the home page? If you don’t have one, then why? It seems to me that Direct TV is not being honest with the people who pay you! Businesses like yours know that the economy sucks! Why do you offer so many things to new people instead of keeping our rates reasonable and offer us free upgrades for the time we have been with your company? Oh yea, that’s right, you do offer different opportunities if your customers happen to call to find out what may be available to them, but most of us don’t know that. Try being upfront with the people who have been with you. Because the next opportunity I have to change my service, I think I will. If things change, in the mean time, I’m sure I will stay with DirectTV.
hv direct tv hate that i cant get any local channels thinking of going back to dish
why,can”t i choose my own programs. to make my own package.maybe my bill would be less.
Sorry, but I really get frosted at all the discounts and free options, etc. that new members to Direct TV get. I had to purchase all of my equipment and have it installed when I for this service in around 1999.
It’s a shame but you have forgoten your loyal members who have hung on for so long! Hey…
don’t we deserve some kind of break for being so faithful? I keep seeing these discount prices all the time in the paper and it makes me mad! Sometiomes I am tempted to say I am through and then rejoin for the new and improved 1/2 priced package that I am now paying $69.30 for.
Think about it OK??? Give us “old timers a break to once in a while!”
i am a new customer and before I get delivery of all–I would like to know where and when I will get a guide that will tell me what channels are what numbers, for each and every channel on Choice Xtra. Comcast customer for the last 20 yrs and they offer a guide to their service.
i really think it’s quite unfair that the new customers get nfl sunday ticket for free and the older subcribers have to pay for it. but that the way they want to run their bussiness to bad.I know quite a few people who are planning to cancell thie survice for that reason alone. may be one day they will wake up and understand.
I see where you are offering NFL Season Ticket free to new customers. I have been a loyal subcriber for over six (6) years,why can’t I get it free for one year?
where is this list of free 50 additional channels from 8/29 to 9/5. Always offers for new customers/ how about us that have been loyal since 1998,
where is this list of free 50 additional channels from 8/29 to 9/5?
Where is the list of 50 free channels from 8/29-9/5? I am a loya customer since 1998.
I also can’t find the 50 free choice extra channels. I have been a loyal customer for many years too!!!It’s sooo not fair. I’m thinking of going to TW.
where are the free previews of stars,Encore,Hbo, etc. that we are supose to get a free trial period between August 29 to September 5? I am not getting them on my TV.
NOT RECEIVING FREE OFFER OF CHOICE EXTRA CHANNELS. SEEMS LIKE QUITE A FEW CUSTOMERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. WHATS UP????? DON’T ADVERTISE IT, IF IT IS NOT AVAILABLE. YOU SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM…
Does anyone answer these questions ? does a list of the 50 free channels actually exist ?If so could i see it?
I agree with the above mentioned! NFL ticket for “new subscribers, I have been a loyal
Directv supporter for several years and paying over double what you are offering new members for the
Same package! Also, you offer free choice package with no direction of where to find the channels, can’t
Find them anywhere? Were you just kidding???Appreciate and take care of the customers that have supported you over the years Or you may not have them in the future!!!!!!
I THINK THE 50 FREE DEAL WAS A GIMMICK TO GET YOU TO LOOK AT THEIR WEBSITE SO THEY COULD TRY TO SELL YOU SOME MORE OF THEIR EXPENSIVE PROGRAMING.
Shame on you direct tv. You misslead all your customers . What about the long time viewers. Where is the preview If we become new customers elswhere maybe will get tickets , cut rate veiwing for a year then what! Charge double, charge for each piece of equipment each month. Never is there a deal for loyal customer.
what is the reason for telling that you can get something free then not be able to get it . BAD COMSTER SERVICE
We signed up this past year. Loyal comcast customers for years and they got great customer services. My gf was looking for as good for lil cheaper so she called direct tv they say we give you this& that free so she pled it he came out and hooked up two rooms.we were suppose to get 4 room free install and free gd dvd well got neither and base package.we feel we got screwed!!! Least as we may have paid lil more with comcast we had all the bells& whistles I had 4 rooms hooked up hddvr movie channels HD channels don’t raise our rates and give all freebies to new people shot on shot on current customers. If you say you going to give us something give it.tell installer if customer suppose to get such& give it to them. Yeah you think you have new people with 24 month contract but ill drop you quicker then crsp& make u eat penalties& crap very unsatisfied customer!!!! He’ll poor 6 & 20 year olds have no directtv boxes! Good job directtv conartists!!!