Luke Pensworth
Frontier is one of the biggest internet service providers in the U.S. – but they also provide TV and phone services through their broadband and fiber-optic Internet network. You get access to a variety of cable-style programs and networks, plus the usual premium add-ons you expect to see.
But how do Frontier’s Vantage, FiOS and DISH TV services match up? Are their TV packages any good? What about the channel lineup? Let’s dig in.
Frontier TV Packages + Pricing
Frontier offers 3 ways to watch TV through their services: Vantage TV, the fiber-optic FiOS TV, and DISH Network TV. Frontier’s website advertises FiOS more than Vantage because FiOS TV is a little more available.
And on that topic – whether you can get Vantage or FiOS depends heavily on your location. Their coverage areas simply don’t overlap very much. DISH is available just about everywhere – that’s the beauty of satellite TV.
That said, both Vantage and FiOS offer the same number of plans for the same name and cost – the only differences are channel counts and the “HD” tagline added to the FiOS plans. DISH’s TV plans have been covered elsewhere, so we’ll just lightly touch on them in this review.
Let’s explore them each separately.
Vantage TV Packages
| Package | Channel count | Price | View package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vantage TV Custom Essentials | 130+ | $83/mo. | View plans |
| Vantage TV Prime | 290+ | $94/mo. | View plans |
| Vantage TV Extreme | $99/mo. | 390+ | View plans |
Vantage TV offers a solid number of channels starting at the Prime tier, giving you comparatively similar or more than DIRECTV’s top 2 tiers. That’s especially true with Vantage TV Ultimate, which gives you nearly 500 channels for just over $100 bucks a month – kind of unbelievable.
On top of that, you can easily access Netflix right from your Vantage TV, just by navigating the Frontier set-top box menu and selecting the Netflix app.
FiOS TV Packages
| Package | Channel count | Price | View package |
|---|---|---|---|
| FiOS TV Custom Essentials | 155+ | $83/mo. | View plans |
| FiOS TV Prime HD | 315+ | $94/mo. | View plans |
| FiOS TV Extreme HD | 375+ | $99/mo. | View plans |
| FiOS TV Ultimate HD | 400+ | $110/mo. | View plans |
If you want a smaller channel package, go with FiOS TV – their Custom Essentials gives you at least 25 more channels for the same price. Prime HD does the same, with over 45 additional channels.
But if you’re inclined toward the higher end of the tiers, you’ll want to stick with Vantage TV, because you’ll get more channels than with FiOS.
And FiOS also gives you the cool Netflix integration – so if that’s the deciding factor, it’s a non-issue.
DISH TV Packages
| Package | Channel Count | Price | View package |
|---|---|---|---|
| America’s Top 120 | 190 | $59.99/mo. | View plans |
| America’s Top 120+ | 190+ | $69.99/mo. | View plans |
| America’s Top 200 | 240+ | $79.99/mo. | View plans |
| America’s Top 250 | 290+ | $89.99/mo. | View plans |
Frontier partners with DISH Network to provide internet service to DISH’s customers; that goes both ways, though: Frontier also offers DISH Network’s TV packages on its website.
Frontier TV Bundle Deals
| Package | Details | Price | View package |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vantage Internet Elite + Vantage Custom Essentials | 130+ channels, 25Mbps download speed | $65/mo. | View plans |
| Vantage Internet Velocity + Vantage TV Ultimate | 460 channels, 115Mbps download speed | $120/mo. | View plans |
| FiOS 50/50 + FiOS Custom Essentials | 155+ channels, 50Mbps download/upload speeds | $75/mo. | View plans |
| FiOS 200/200 + FiOS TV Ultimate | 400+ channels, 200Mbps download/upload speeds | $120/mo. | View plans |
| FiOS 1G/1G + FiOS TV Prime | 315+ channels, 1,000Mbps download/upload speeds | $255/mo. | View plans |
You’ll have to call Frontier to hear all the bundling options they offer, but the table above should give you a decent idea: you’ll get some solid savings when you bundle TV and internet together.
We’d go with FiOS if you can, as you’ll get faster upload speeds as well as download for similar cost.
Frontier TV Channel Lineup
First off, we need to say – the exact channels you get will vary with your location. That’s pretty standard, especially with locals and Regional Sports Networks. You can check this page for the Vantage plan’s exact channel lineups by state; and this page for FiOS.
But in any case, Vantage and FiOS have pretty similar channels, especially when it comes to popular ones. That said, there are some noticeable differences.
Vantage TV channel lineup
| Package | Details | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Vantage TV Custom Essentials | FOX, ABC, NBC, PBS, the CW, HSN, Telemundo, A&E, American Heroes, Animal Planet, BEST, BET, BET Her, Bloomberg TV, Bravo, CCTV News, CMT, CMT Music, CNBC World, CNN, CNN Headline News, Comedy Central, C-SPAN (1, 2, and 3), Daystar, Discovery, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney, Disney XD HD, E! TV, Food Network, FOX Business Network, Fox news, Freeform, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, History Channel, Home & Garden TV, Hot Buy, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, LMN, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classics, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, Nick Jr, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, One America News, Oxygen HD, Paramount Network, POP, QVC2 HD, TeenNick, TLC, Travel Channel, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, Uplift, VH1, WE TV, Music Choice | Learn more |
| Vantage TV Prime | A&E, Account Manager, AMC, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, AWE, AXS TV, BBC America, BEST, BET, BET Her, Bloomberg TV, Boomerang, Bravo, BTN, BYU, Cartoon Network, CBS Sports Network, CCTV News, CMT, CNBC, CNBC Application, CNN, CNN Headline News, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation Network, C-SPAN (1, 2, and 3), Daystart, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, DIY Network, E! Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPNU, ESPN2, Evine Live, Evine 2, EWTN, EWTN Espanol, Family Entertainment TV, Food Network, Fox Business Network, Fox news channel, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FREEFORM, Frontier Front Row, Frontier Movies, fuse, Fusion, FX Movie Channel, FX Network, FXX, FYI, GAC, Game Show Network, Galavision, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Help on Demand, HGTV, History, Hot Buy, IFC, INSP, Investigation Discovery, Jewelry TV, Justice Central, Kids Multiview, Lifetime, LMN, LOGO, MeTV, Military History Channel, Motor Trend, MSG, MSG Alternate 2, MSG Plus Alternate, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Tr3s, MTV2, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic Channel, NBCSN, Regional Sports Networks, News Multiview, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Nick2, Nicktoons, One American News Network, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, POP, QVC HD, QVC3, Science, Shopping Multiview, SonLife Broadcasting Network, Soul of the South, Sports Multiview, Sundance TV, SYFY, TBN, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, The Weather Channel, The Word Network, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, TV One, Universal Kids, Upliftv, USA Network, VH1, VICELAND, VOD Storefront, WE, Weather On Demand, YES Network, Music Choice | Learn more |
| Vantage TV Extreme |
All of the channels included in TV Prime, plus:
ASPIRE, BBC World News, BET Gospel, BET Jamps, BET Sould, CMT Music, CNBC World, CNN International, Destination America, Discovery Life, EL Rey, FOX Deportes, Galavision, IndiePlex, ION Life, MLB Network, mtvU, NASA TV, NBA TV, Newsy, NHK World, NHL Network, Nick Music, Olympic Channel, Ovation, Qubo Channel, QVC2 HD, RetroPlex, SEC Network, SEC Network A, Smithsonian Channel, The Tennis Channel, Tr3s, Univision Deportes, UP TV |
Learn more |
| Vantage TV Ultimate |
All of the channels included in TV Extreme, plus:
55StarMAX, ActionMAX, ActionMAX West, Baby TV, beIN Sports, beIN Sports Espanol, CINEMAX, CINEMAX West, ESPN Deportes, FLIX, Fox College Sports (Atlantic, Central, Pacific), Fox Soccer Plus, HBO (regular, West, Comedy, Family, Lation, Signature, Zone), HBO2, Lifetime Real Women, MAX Lation, MoreMAX, MoreMAX West, MovieMAX, OuterMAX, QVC2 HD, Showtime (Regular, West, Beyond, Extreme, Family Zone, Next, Showcase, Too, Women), STARZ (regular, West, Cinema, Comedy, Edge,) STARZ Encore (regular, Action, Black, Classic, Espanol, Family, Suspense, Westerns), STARZ in Black, STARZ Kids & Family, STARZ MoviePlex, The Movie channel, ThrillerMAX, ThrillerMAX West, TMC Xtra, UP TV |
Learn more |
With most of the popular cable channels, Vantage TV is fairly well-rounded. The Custom Essentials is missing some of those, but step up to the Prime level and you’ll see most of what you want.
Here’s a general look, which you can expand on by checking out the table above:
- Prime – most basics, plus some good sports (life NFL Network)
- TV Ultimate – All the premiums + a few more sportsTV Extreme – more sports (MLB Network, NHL Network, NBA TV, etc)
FiOS TV channel Lineup
| Package | Sample Channels (IN example) | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| FiOS TV Custom Essentials | FOX, ABC, NBC, PBS, the CW, HSN, UniMas, Univision, A&E, AMC, American Heroes, Animal Planet, BEST, BET, BET Her, Bravo, CMT, CNN, CNN Headline News, Comedy Central, C-SPAN (1, 2, and 3), Discovery, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney, Disney XD HD, E! TV, Evine Live, Food Network, FOX Business Network, Fox News, Freeform, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, History Channel, Home & Garden TV, Hot Buy, IFC, Lifetime, LMN, Motor Trend, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classics, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, Nick Jr, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Oxygen, Paramount Network, QVC2, TeenNick, TLC, Travel Channel, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, Uplift, VH1, WE TV, Music Choice | Learn more |
| FiOS TV Prime HD | A&E, AMC, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, BET Gospel, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, Bravo, BTN, BYU, Cartoon Network, CBS Sports Network, CMT, CNBC, CNBC Application, CNN, CNN Headline News, CNN International, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, C-SPAN (1, 2, and 3), Decades, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, E! Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, ESPN2, Evine 2, EWTN, EWTN Espanol, Family Entertainment TV, Food Network, Fox Business Network, Fox News channel, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FREEFORM, fuse, Fusion, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, Hot Buy, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Jewelry TV, Lifetime, LMN, LOGO, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Hits, MTV U, MTV Tr3s, MTV2, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic Channel, NBCSN, Regional Sports Networks, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Nick2, Nicktoons, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, QVC 2+3, Science, Soul of the South, Sundance TV, SYFY, TBS, TeenNick, Telemundo, The Tennis Channel, The Weather Channel, The Word Network, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, TV One, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Turner Classi Movies, TWC, UniMas, Univision, Upliftv, USA Network, VH1, VICELAND, VOD Storefront, WE, Weatherscan Local, WGN America, Digital Music | Learn more |
| FiOS TV Extreme HD |
All of the channels included in TV Prime, plus:
AXS, BBC World News, Bloomberg, Boomerang, BTN, BTN 1+ 2, CBS Sports Network, CCTV-9, CNBC World, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, Destination America, Discovery Life, Disney XD, DIY Network, El rey West, ESPNews, FOX Business Network, Galavision, Game Show Network, Golf Channel, Great American Country, HDNet Movies, INSP, Lifetime Real Women, Logo, Military History Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Universo, Newsy, NFL Network, NHL Network, Olympic Channel, Ovation, QVC 2, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, TOKU, TV One, Universal Kids, Univision Deportes |
Learn more |
| FiOS TV Ultimate |
All of the channels included in TV Extreme, plus:
55StarMAX, ActionMAX, ActionMAX West, Baby TV, beIN Sports, beIN Sports Espanol, CINEMAX, CINEMAX West, ESPN Deportes, FLIX, Fox College Sports (Atlantic, Central, Pacific), Fox Soccer Plus, HBO (regular, West, Comedy, Family, Lation, Signature, Zone), HBO2, Lifetime Real Women, MAX Lation, MoreMAX, MoreMAX West, MovieMAX, OuterMAX, QVC2 HD, Showtime (Regular, West, Beyond, Extreme, Family Zone, Next, Showcase, Too, Women), STARZ (regular, West, Cinema, Comedy, Edge,) STARZ Encore (regular, Action, Black, Classic, Espanol, Family, Suspense, Westerns), STARZ in Black, STARZ Kids & Family, STARZ MoviePlex, The Movie channel, ThrillerMAX, ThrillerMAX West, TMC Xtra, UP TV |
Learn more |
FiOS TV looks pretty similar to Vantage TV, but you’ll probably want to grab Prime HD if you want the popular channels. There are some key differences from Vantage, though:
- Prime HD – the basics, but lacks NFL Network
- Extreme HD – similar to Vantage Extreme, but a lot more sports (like CBS Sports Network, NFL Network added in)
- Ultimate HD – most of the premiums, more sports premiums (like Fox Sports and MLB Strike Zone), but No STARZ; more Movie Channels options instead.
Premiums
| Vantage | FiOS | |
|---|---|---|
| How you can add | Vantage TV Ultimate package |
|
Premiums are one of the two areas that you see the most differences between the two plan selections. Vantage has them all built-in; FiOS has some of them built in, so you’ll need to grab add-ons.
Let me explain. Frontier FiOS includes everything except STARZ in its top-tier package. But they also offer their “Fully Loaded Entertainment Pack” for around $50 a month. It includes HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, STARZ, and EPIX. You can also grab each channel individually for $10-$15 a month instead.
By contrast, Vantage doesn’t give you an option. To get the premium channels, you need to go all-in with the top-tier Vantage TV Ultimate package. The only exception is for EPIX, which you have to grab separately for $8 a month.
Sports add-ons
| Package | Sports Pass/Premium Sports Package | The Sports Package | HD Premium Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vantage | N/A |
$10/mo
Includes:
|
$17/mo.
Includes:
|
| FiOS |
$9.99-$14.99/mo.Includes:
|
NA | NA |
Sports channels and add-ons are the other area where Vantage and FiOS TV differ most. For example, Vantage includes NFL Network in its Prime TV package; FiOS doesn’t include it until the next tier, Extreme HD.
But although NFL Network is included later in FiOS than Vantage, FiOS’s Extreme HD also includes more sports channels overall than Vantage’s version.
To make up for that, Vantage has 2 sports add-ons: The Sports Package and HD Premium Tier, which fill the gaps, plus some.
FiOS offers just 1 add-on, the Sports Pass, to fill gaps in its lower tier offerings.
In either case, you’ll be doing well for sports no matter which package you choose.
Frontier DVR and other Features
| DVR | Price | Simultaneous recording | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Home DVR | $11/mo. | 4 | 300+ hours |
| Quantum Experience | $10/mo. | 6 | 1TB |
| Quantum Premium Experience | $20/mo. | 12 | 2TB |
Frontier has a refreshingly-good DVR. The Whole Home DVR is the base device, allowing you to record a respectable 4 shows at the same time and store more than 300 hours for as long you want.
And if you have FiOS TV, you can upgrade to the Quantum Experience or Quantum Premium Experience – in either case, you pay an additional monthly fee to dramatically increase recording and storage capacities.
Mobile app
The FrontierTV app allows you to stream your favorite shows while you’re out and about. You don’t have to pay anything extra.
On Demand library
Paired with your monthly subscription to Frontier TV, you’ll get access to the On Demand library. With over 100,000 titles, there’s a mixture of free shows and movies on demand, the most recent movie releases (for cheaper than the movie theater), as well as premium subscriptions (like to Disney Family Movies).
You can also watch anything from your premium channel subscriptions (i.e. HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, etc) and
Frontier Contracts
First off, some good news: if you grab Vantage or FiOS TV by itself, you won’t have to worry about any contracts.
If you grab one of the bundles, however, you’ll have to sign a 24-month contract.
Frontier Customer Service
Unfortunately for Frontier, customer satisfaction is not their strong suit. The latest ratings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index gave them a 57/100 – well below average and placing them well below most other TV providers.
In addition, online reviews aren’t favorable, with customers reporting double-charging, overcharging, or being charged for services they aren’t even using or subscribed to.
But take that with a grain of salt – online reviews tend to attract negative attention more than positive.
Frontier’s online contact/help center is pretty basic. You can chat, call, and schedule for someone to call back to speak with you – the latter a neat feature so you don’t sit on hold the rest of the day.
Recap
Frontier can definitely work on making their website more transparent and user-friendly, but they have some very good things going for them:
- Their DVR is great, especially the Quantum Experience upgrades
- No contracts with either Vantage TV or FiOS TV
- Bundling will save you $20 bucks or so per month, and in the case of the Vantage Custom Essentials - you’ll actually pay less for TV + Internet than for TV alone!
And there are some neutral things, too – whether they’re a pro or con will depend on what exactly you’re looking for:
- Packages have lots of channels, with most popular channels included at the Prime level, although some are missing from Custom Essentials
- Some coveted sports channels are included early, but…
- Others aren’t, and add-ons can get pricey
- Customer service isn’t great.
Overall, Frontier TV offers some very solid service, whether Vantage or FiOS is available in your area.
