Our analyses are independent and evidence based
If you’ve poked around CableTV.com a little, you’ve probably seen that we like to have some fun with TV and home internet.
But don’t get it twisted: We take our research and testing seriously, basing our surveys, reviews, and ratings on a unique blend of hard data and qualitative analysis.
Read on to see how we rate and test (i.e., have fun with) the services and products featured on our site.
Customer Satisfaction Award surveys
Since 2017, we’ve surveyed tens of thousands of TV and home internet customers to learn what folks like you think about your home entertainment services.
We believe customer experience (CX) should be central to any review or guide because we want our readers equipped to make better decisions when choosing services for their households.
Each year, we run four surveys covering cable and satellite TV, live TV streaming services, on-demand streaming services, and home internet services.
We randomly select over 5,000 respondents for each survey and then filter responses using current U.S. demographics to reflect real sentiment across the country.
To be featured in our Customer Satisfaction Awards, each service must meet a minimum 125-respondent threshold, which limits the margin of error to acceptable levels.
We issue only a handful of awards per survey because we’re not in the business of handing out participation trophies. Check out every 2026 Customer Satisfaction Award winner.
Why does CableTV.com cover streaming and internet?
Folks always ask why a website called CableTV.com would cover streaming and home internet services. It’s a fair question.
CableTV.com launched in 2007 as a way for people to compare cable TV providers in their area. TV has changed a lot since then, and we’ve broadened our coverage over time to better serve our readers’ needs.
In the vast majority of cases, TV requires a home internet connection, whether it’s delivered via a cable bundle or a standalone streaming service.
Best of the Best Awards
Every Best of the Best Award is determined by crunching data like customer satisfaction scores, price increases, hidden fees, and reliability.
Whenever possible, we also test the services we review and rank. (We test every streaming service, but cable TV and home internet are harder to get our hands on because they’re only available in certain areas.)
Our years of testing and reliability data combined with our expert research add valuable context and comparison points to the customer satisfaction data we collect every year.
While “the customer always knows best” still rings true, our editors live and breathe this stuff. Editor insights help our readers compare and shop for only the best of the best, including services they’ve never used or even heard of.
We rate services using editorial star ratings
You may have noticed that we provide editorial star ratings for every service and product we review on our site. What you probably don’t know is that we use a method called “attributive star ratings,” which gives us a kind of mad-scientist aura. All our “Young Frankenstein” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show” love aside, attributive star ratings are quite easy to understand.
Editorial star rating categories and scales
Bang for your buck
(way too expensive) 1 —– 2 —– 3 (okay for the price) —– 4 —– 5 (excellent for the price)
Reliability/user experience
(frequent issues) 1 —– 2 —– 3 (some issues) —– 4 —– 5 (no issues)
Features
(only essentials) 1 —– 2 —– 3 (some advanced) —– 4 —– 5 (advanced)
Customer satisfaction
(all negative) 1 —– 2 —– 3 (mixed) —– 4 —– 5 (all positive)
We do hands-on testing
In addition to surveys and independent data analysis, we test most of the services and products featured on our site in order to collect qualitative data.
This helps us determine what to expect from a service or product by evaluating everything from user interfaces to signal strength in real-time.
Our editors research and fact-check
Even though we like to have a little fun and maybe even get a little sassy (Sophia Petrillo from “The Golden Girls” would be proud), our work is always fair and ethical.
That’s why our team of writers, editors, and compliance specialists ensures that all pricing, contract information, features, and relevant information is up to date.
We also fact-check claims and gut-check editorial insights so that our readers get a more complete understanding of the services and products on our site.
In addition to our in-house staff, we also work with a murderers’ row of contributing writers who’ve written in publications as prestigious and diverse as Rolling Stone and the L.A. Times.
We follow our strict AI policy
We sometimes use generative AI tools in a limited and structured way as part of our editorial workflow. Every article begins with original analysis, reporting, or proprietary data developed by our editorial team.
In some cases, editors use AI tools to help draft portions of the copy based strictly on our original inputs and detailed editorial guidance. Within this structure, AI never generates analysis, conclusions, or recommendations independently.
Our editors direct the process, review all AI-assisted drafts, verify facts, refine language, and approve the final content before publication. We disclose our use of AI tools when it contributes meaningfully to a page’s written copy to ensure transparency with our audience.
Regardless of the methods used in drafting, our editors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, quality, and integrity of everything we publish
