But if you’re eyeing Vantage TV or Fiber TV over DISH, be prepared to bundle. That’s the only way you’ll get Frontier’s proprietary TV nowadays, and we’re about to find out if the price of bundling is still worth the number of channels you get. You see, whether you get Vantage TV or Fiber TV depends on where you live. And yeah, it’s kind of maddening that you’re stuck with one or the other based on where you call home—but we should point out that both Vantage and Fiber TV come bundled with Frontier’s ultra-fast fiber internet. So it’s not all bad news.
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One difference between Fiber TV Custom Essentials and Fiber TV Choice is that TV Choice comes with an armful of HD channels. Plus, it’s where you’ll find ESPN and ESPN2, among other sports fan favorites. So, long story short—and depending on your tastes, you’ll get a better selection of, albeit fewer, channels with TV Choice than with Custom Essentials. But again, whether you can land this steal of a deal depends on where you live. Fiber TV is available only in California, Florida, Indiana, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. So if you call another state home, you might want to check out Vantage TV’s availability instead. If you are lucky enough to get Fiber TV, the bundles are usually a good deal. To compare, a 50 Mbps Verizon Fiber plus Preferred TV bundle does come with more channels (295+ to be exact), but it’ll run you almost a whopping $100 a month. That makes the Fiber Custom Essentials plus Fiber 50/50 bundle with 155+ channels and 50 Mbps look rather enticing, doesn’t it? Here’s how Fiber TV and Vantage TV compare when it comes to which channels you get to watch. Hint: there’s not a huge difference except for where you can get them. Here’s how to get your hands on some of the more popular channels, though availability depends on which bundle you choose—and likely where you live.
The CW: Broadcast on local channels ESPN: Vantage TV Choice only FOX NEWS: Both Vantage TV Custom Essentials and TV Choice HGTV: Vantage TV Choice only MSNBC: Both Vantage TV Custom Essentials and TV Choice TBS: Vantage TV Choice only
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Vantage TV Choice: This gets you several HD channels, including ESPN and ESPN2, as well as Fox Sports. And if you need your fútbol fix, it also comes with Fox Deportes. Vantage Sports Package: Need all the sports? This package adds 8 regional Fox College Sports and PAC 12 channels to your bundle, plus NFL RedZone and MLB Strike Zone. Need we say more?
A few channels are broadcasted locally or come with the Custom Essentials package, but you’ll still miss out on quite a bit of viewing pleasure. Especially if you prefer to view in HD, which you’ll really only find in the TV Choice package.
The CW: Broadcast on local channels ESPN: Fiber TV Choice only FOX NEWS: Both Fiber TV Custom Essentials and TV Choice HGTV: Both Fiber TV Custom Essentials and TV Choice MSNBC: Both Vantage TV Custom Essentials and TV Choice TBS: Fiber TV Choice only USA: Fiber TV Custom Essentials only
CINEMAX MGM+ HBO SHOWTIME STARZ ENCORE
You can also add a pretty robust Global Sports Pack to your TV Custom Essentials bundle too. Here’s what each option gets you:
Fiber TV Choice: Offers several HD sports channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1 and 2 plus several Fox Sports Prime Ticket channels. And for those of you who are fútbol obsessed, there’s also Fox Deportes. Global Sports Pack: Looking for something a little different? This Sports Pack comes with several MVPs like beIN Sports and beIN Sports Español, plus Univision Deportes, ESPN Deportes, and Fox Deportes.
While both Vantage and Fiber TV get the Whole Home DVR, only Fiber TV gets access to the Quantum Premium Service. This gives Frontier’s DVR a pretty sizeable boost by beefing up your live control from one TV set to 10 sets, and simultaneous recording 12 shows versus only two shows. But hey, what about storage space? Sorry, Charlie. Even with Quantum Premium Service you still get only 500 GB of storage. Better delete some of those old NCIS episodes, otherwise we’ll assume you’re on a Gibbs level of skill when it comes to fitting a boatload of episodes in an itty bitty space. Now your Frontier TV service comes with a two-year contract. Sure, anyone who bundled their Frontier internet with DISH is used to that two-year binding pinky swear, but the rest of us are still mourning the loss of our beloved contract-less service. (Yup, we’re full-on ugly crying over here.) Frontier early termination fee: Your monthly price x the number of months you have left on your two-year contract You should also watch out for other miscellaneous fees, which Frontier is pretty candid about. It even includes a handy image of what your final bill might look like and annotated those miscellaneous charges. If you grab a DISH package but decide it’s not for you before that two-year contract is up, you’ll also have to pay an ETF. Depending on how much time is left on your contract, that DISH ETF could be up to $480. Of course, this would have been less of a problem if it was easier to find features and prices on Frontier’s website. Oh, and if Frontier didn’t require your name, phone number, and email to chat with customer service. (Can you tell that’s a pet peeve of ours?)
Bundles and pricing: If you want Frontier TV, you’ve gotta bundle up. While we think its fiber internet is great, bundling may not be for everyone. And don’t we all deserve a choice? This also makes it difficult to compare prices with the competition, but we did find it to be right on par or cheaper than other bundles. Channels: Any bundle with the TV Custom Essentials package is going to miss out on some serious screen time. We think paying extra for TV Choice is worth it—or grabbing a premium channel or sports addon. Whole Home DVR: Sorry Vantage TV users, you’re stuck with the fairly basic Whole Home DVR. It’s not the worst, but it’s not the best. For Fiber TV users, you can upgrade to the Quantum Premium Service, which offers some major boosts to live control and simultaneous recordings. (But not storage space. Wha?) Contract: RIP the no-contract Frontier we knew and loved. Your Frontier TV now comes with a two-year contract. Customer service: Frontier’s customer service doesn’t get great ratings, and our own experience was pretty “meh.” Long story short, get ready to power up your patience.
Have you tried Frontier Vantage or Fiber TV? Tell us about it in the comments below!
