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Fios vs Cable – How Different Are They?

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In this digital world of choices, we still haven’t been able to get rid of cables completely. But, as technology kept evolving our cables have gotten better too. Now, we have these fancy Fiber Optic Cables that are better & more reliable. However, old school cables are still in-charge almost everywhere. Verizon’s Fios has built their entire service using Fiber optic cables while services like Xfinity use old school cables for most of their services (excluding their Gigabit Internet plans). So, if we go into that Fios vs Cable argument, how different they actually are & what does that mean for you as a consumer? Well, let’s find out in the rest of this article.

Fiber Optic Cable vs Regular Cable

You are already familiar with Regular cables. Those are the same cables used for electricity, ethernet, cable TV and a lot more. They carry electrical signals through copper or aluminum conductors inside. There are different types of regular cables that we use for different platforms. For example, we have Coaxial Cables for TV & Ethernet Cables for Internet. This is what Xfinity uses in most cases.

Fiber optic cables, on the other hand, carry light signals but, instead of copper or aluminum, it uses glass. Light signals move ahead by reflecting inside the glass. This is what Fios uses entirely.

Are fiber optic cables better than regular cables? Well, they do have a lot of advantages so, probably yes but, their implementation isn’t that wide-spread yet.

Fios vs Cable – Why does it even matter?

As Fios is using Fiber Optic cables entirely, their Internet speeds are really good & even things like TV services benefit from Digital light signals. So, as far as user experience goes, Fiber always has an edge over traditional cable. Being an all-fiber service, Fios has a better service overall compared to the cable networks.

However, it’s not mandatory that you can’t get better service at cheaper prices from regular cable-based service providers. For example, Fios has a cheaper Gigabit plan ($79.99/month) compared to Xfinity ($89.99/month) but, Xfinity has a 150 Mbps plan ($44.99/month) that is just 5 dollars more compared to the 100 Mbps plan ($39,99/month) of Fios. So, in the first one Fios is the better value but, in the second one they’re kinda similar and maybe Xfinity has a slight edge.

Fios vs Cable – Who wins then?

If we look at this from a modern technology perspective, Fios (and even Google Fiber) clearly wins with it’s All Fiber service. However, from an economic perspective, it’s clearly a tie, at least as of now.

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Directv vs Fios – Which One Should You Pick For Better TV And Internet Services

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Directv vs Fios

We’ve previously compared Fios & Directv to many other services but, what happens when we bring the biggest trump cards of AT&T and Verizon face to face? Let’s find out in this comprehensive Directv vs Fios comparison. We have compared both TV & Internet services to give you a clear idea.

The comprehensive Directv vs Fios comparison

Just to give you a context, AT&T’s Fios is an all optic-fiber network that mainly provides TV & Internet services. On the other hand, Directv is a satellite-based TV service provider. So, why there is Internet in this comparison? Well, you’ll understand when you’ll get to the Internet section.

Directv vs Fios TV

As mentioned earlier, Directv is a satellite-based TV service so, they’ll fix those Dish Antennas at your roof, that will catch the signals for you and transfer to the DVR. For Fios, a Fiber-optic cable carrying signals directly plugs into the DVR. Sattelite signals can suffer from bad weather & something like fiber optic cables can suffer from wire damage sometimes. So, both the services have their up & downsides in-terms of their platforms.

Let’s talk packages now. Directv has a total of 6 packages as of now & they start at $35/month (for the first year). That gives you 155+ channels & you need to get a 2-year contract ($81 for the second year, can change). The most popular package is their Choice package which costs $45/month ($110/month for the second year). Finally, their Premier plan which is the most expensive one from Directv costs $110/month ($189.99/month for the second year).

Talking about Fios, they have a variety of plans divided into three groups. These divisions are known as Custom, Traditional & Spanish. About pricing, Custom plans start at $64.99/month, Traditional plans start at $74.99/month & the Spanish plans start at $49.99/month. There is also a Fios Local TV pack which gives like 15+ channels & that one also costs a lot less.

Directv vs Fios Picture Quality

We have seen that many of you have so many concerns about the picture quality. The picture quality isn’t drastically different in any of these services. Maybe Fios has a slight edge in the regular SD section but, for HD it is more of the same story. So, you don’t need to worry about the picture quality that much.

Directv vs Fios Internet

Directv doesn’t have their own Internet services but, as they’re owned by AT&T, you can get $10 off on your monthly Internet bill if you’re an AT&T customer. We’re not sure exactly which plans have this offer but, you can check in your local area for that.

Fios, on the other hand, has a handful of  Internet plans. Check them out in the table below,

Better Browsing 100 Mbps $39.99/month
Better Streaming 300 Mbps $59.99/month
Better Everywhere 940 Mbps $79.99/month

So, if you want dedicated Internet services, you better go with Fios instead of Directv. Fios also has bundle plans starting at $79.99/month that gives you their Gigabit Internet + basic TV for a trial & phone services all at once.

So, who should you be choosing then?

The biggest decision making element here will be availability. Directv is available almost everywhere in the US but, the availability of Fios is limited to several states only. So, first, check if both the services are available or not. If Fios is not available, you don’t have a choice then.

Now just for TV, you have to check if you’re okay with that kind of second-year pricing of Directv. If yes then that’s the better option. Otherwise, Fios will be completely fine. For the Internet though, go for Fios if it is available. It will be way better in that segment for your money.

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Optimum vs. Fios – Detailed Comparison For Internet And TV Services

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Optimum vs Fios

We have previously compared Fios with Spectrum (formerly Time Warner) & today, we’re comparing it with a very popular Internet & TV provider in the US, Optimum. They both have a variety of plans available but, which one is best for you? Well, let’s break the whole thing down in the detailed Optimum vs Fios comparison.

Optimum vs Fios Platform Differences

Optimum is a cable-based network so, whether you’re going for Internet or TV services, you’re dealing with regular old-school cable. Fios, on the other hand, is completely based on Fiber Optic Cables. So, that’s the big difference in their platforms.

Optimum vs Fios Internet

Both Optimum & Fios has a variety of Internet plans. Let’s compare them in the table below,

Service Plan Speed Price ($)/mo
Optimum Optimum 200 200 Mbps 44.99
Optimum Optimum 300 300 Mbps 54.99
Optimum Optimum 400 400 Mbps 64.99
Optimum (Altice) 1 Gig 940 Mbps 74.99
Fios Better Browsing 100 Mbps 39.99
Fios Better Streaming 300 Mbps 59.99
Fios Better Everywhere 940 Mbps 79.99

You might be suspicious of the 1 Gig plan as that’s literally a Fiber speed & Optimum is a regular cable-based network. That plan actually comes from their parent company Altice & yes it is indeed a fiber connection. The only fiber connection that is available on Optimum’s side. All the plans from Fios including the 100 Mbps one is actually fiber.

Optimum vs Fios TV

Fios has a range of TV plans available. These include Custom plans for categories like Action & Entertainment, Sports & News, etc. Traditional plans named Preferred HD, Extreme HD & Ultimate HD and Spanish plans. Custom plans start at $64.99/month, Traditional plans start at $74.99/month & the Spanish plans start at $49.99/month.

Optimum only has three plans named Optimum Core, Optimum Select & Optimum Premier.  To check their current pricing you can click here.

Who Has The Upper Hand Then?

Well, in this case, Optimum has an edge over Fios. This is mostly because of Internet service plans. Optimum clearly has better speeds for a lower price. Even their 940 Mbps Fiber Plan is $50 cheaper compared to Fios.

The TV services are more of the same here. However, you need to check these on your area. In case you have both of these services available, check which one others are having a better experience with. But, overall, we have to give this one to Optimum.

If you have any other questions or queries, feel free to drop them in the comments section below. Also, if you want us to compare Fios or Optimum against any other services, let us now & we’ll try t make it happen.

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Fios vs. Time Warner (Spectrum) – Which One To Choose For Your Home?

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Fios vs Time Warner

When you are getting a new service provider for your Television, Internet & Phone, it’s important that you do not make any mistakes. Otherwise, you have to live with that mistake for one or maybe even two years. So, how to avoid this annoying situation? Well, if you’re comparing between Fios & Time Warner (currently known as Spectrum), the easiest way would be reading our Fios vs Time Warner comparison guide & decide the best one for you. So, let’s get started,

Fios vs Time Warner (Spectrum) Internet

Verizon’s Fios is an all-fiber network which means they don’t have regular cables for anything at all. Spectrum, on the other hand, is Cable based so, when it comes to better internet speeds, Fios goes all the way.

Fios Internet Plans

  • Fios Internet plans start at $39.99 per month & give a standard 100 Mbps speed
  • There is a $59.99 plan that upgrades the speed to 300 Mbps
  • Lastly, there is a $79.99 plan that upgrades it to Gigabit speed (940 Mbps). This one also comes with a started TV pack & phone plan.

Time Warner (Spectrum) Internet Plans

  • Spectrum Internet plans start at $44.99 per month & it also starts at 100 Mbps

Fios vs Time Warner (Spectrum) Television

The TV space is wide too. Here are the Television plans of both networks,

Fios TV Plans

  • Custom: Plans starting at $64.99 per month for the network fixed customized plans
  • Traditional: Plans starting at $74.99 per month for more channels & preferred HD channels
  • Spanish: Plans starting at $49.99

Time Warner (Spectrum) TV Plans

  • Spectrum’s TV plans also start at $44.99 per month.

There are also bundle plans that you can choose from which gives you TV, Internet & Phone altogether. These plans also come with the On-demand Video Streaming services from Fios & Spectrum.

So which one should you choose for yourself?

Fios is no doubt the better options here. It is faster has better options & its basic Internet plan is cheaper & gives the same speed as the basic Internet plan of the Spectrum. So, if you have both options available, get Fios. It’s better.

But, the availability of Fios is kinda limited right now so, first check in your area if their service is available. If not, Spectrum is actually a good option. You can also look out for Xfinity if that’s available. We’ll link the comparison of Xfinity & Spectrum in the suggested articles section below.

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Xfinity vs. Spectrum – Which One Provides The Best Value For Your Money?

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Xfinity vs. Fios – Which One Should You Choose?

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Living in the US means, you have a lot of great Internet & cable options to choose from. Today we are talking about two of the most popular options for that. Comcast’s Xfinity & Verizon’s Fios. Both of them are extremely popular & they kind have different approaches as far as their services go. Let’s talk about this in detail in the upcoming sections of this article. If you’re interested, stick around. It’ll be worth it.

Xfinity vs Fios services

Both Xfinity & Fios provide TV & Internet services. However, Fios is entirely based on Fiber Optics while Xfinity is mostly old school cable. So, compared to Xfinity, FIOS has faster Internet speeds in general. On the other hand, though Xfinity has comparatively lower Internet speeds, it does have way better availability. While Fios exists in 9 total states as of now, Xfinity is available in 30+ states (35 to be exact). So, in many states, you can’t get Fios at least right now. Talking about available on-demand content though, Xfinity has a wider range of content compared to Fios.

Xfinity vs Fios Pricing

The pricing is kind of a Mixed bag here. Xfinity starts at $65 per month if you’re getting a 12-month subscription and Fios actually starts at $79.99 per month with a 24-month agreement. Depending on exactly what you need, you can choose between the two.

Xfinity vs Fios Customer Support & Satisfaction

This one is also a mixed bag with differences based on areas of service. So, customers of both service providers have faced good & bad experiences but, Fios had better rankings compared to Xfinity so, maybe they’re slightly better but, again they have limited availability so, it really can’t be said what kind of experience you’ll get but, hopefully, none of them will be terrifying.

What do we recommend?

Well, we’ll say, if you have both options available in your area, try asking people in your area who are already using the services from these providers. That’ll give you a better idea about those services in your specific area. But, in general, you shouldn’t have any problem with either of these. Figure out what you need the most & then make your decision & you should be good to go.