Frontier TV Box Review
Frontier's TV platform — increasingly streaming-first as Frontier expands fiber and phases out traditional cable boxes.
Our Take
Frontier's TV story is one of the most confusing in cable right now. The company has been pushing aggressively into fiber expansion while quietly phasing out its legacy IPTV TV service. Depending on when you signed up and which market you're in, "Frontier TV" might mean:
- The legacy Frontier IPTV cable box — being sunset, no new signups in most markets.
- A YouTube TV bundle — Frontier's preferred TV product for new customers.
- No TV product at all — Frontier Internet only.
After 22 years installing TV systems, my honest read is that Frontier's legacy cable box is in slow decline. Frontier is essentially recommending YouTube TV as its TV product for new customers in many markets. Existing legacy IPTV customers are on borrowed time — proactive migration is the right move.
The biggest daily frustration — the legacy platform is end-of-life
Same story as AT&T U-verse. The hardware works. The interface hasn't been refreshed in years. No new features. App integration is frozen. Frontier isn't investing in the platform.
For existing legacy Frontier TV customers, the question isn't whether to switch — it's when. Frontier will eventually force the migration, and proactive customers usually get better deals than reactive ones.
When to keep Frontier legacy TV
You have grandfathered pricing that's hard to match. Some long-term Frontier customers are on rates current pricing can't beat. Check carefully.
Your install is stable and you don't care about new features. Ride it out until Frontier forces the migration.
When to migrate now
You're paying current-rate Frontier TV. YouTube TV is almost always cheaper.
Frontier fiber is available on your street. Take the fiber, skip the cable box, get YouTube TV (with the Frontier bundle discount if available).
Your legacy hardware is failing. Frontier will swap, but you're getting old hardware. Migrate instead.
When to take Frontier's YouTube TV bundle
You're a new Frontier internet customer. YouTube TV bundles are usually a meaningfully better experience than the legacy box.
You're internet-only Frontier customer thinking about adding TV. Skip the legacy box entirely. YouTube TV is the modern path.
You're a sports household and need DirecTV Stream or Gemini. The Frontier bundle won't include those — assess separately.
Key features (and what they actually mean for you)
The boxes — legacy IPTV hardware
Frontier shipped IPTV receivers over the company's copper and fiber network. Hardware varies by region and signup year. Older units are slower; newer units (rare on legacy plans) are better.
🧠 Why this matters: Frontier isn't shipping new hardware revisions. The IPTV box you have is the IPTV box you'll have until migration.
The remote — basic cable
Standard IPTV remote. Voice on some newer units; IR/RF for box, IR for TV control.
Channel lineup — varies by market
Frontier TV packages historically ranged from ~125 to 230+ channels. Lineups are frozen in legacy form — no new channels added.
🏈 Why this matters: RSN coverage is fixed where it stands. Frontier isn't negotiating new deals.
DVR — limited cloud + local
50–100 hours of cloud DVR on most plans. Multi-room playback varies by hardware generation.
⚠️ The honest caveat: legacy DVR recordings don't transfer to YouTube TV on migration. Back up irreplaceable content.
Built-in streaming apps — minimal
Built in:
- ✓ Netflix
- ✓ YouTube
- ✓ A handful of others
🎮 What this means in practice: narrow app integration on an end-of-life platform. Two-remote dance for most households.
The remote — basic IPTV
Standard cable-remote feature set. Voice on newer units, basic on older. Aging.
Closed captions, parental controls, and accessibility
Standard. ADA-compliant.
Box rental costs (you cannot buy them)
Rental-only. ~$8–$10/month per box on legacy plans.
| Per box | Per year | 5-year cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each Frontier IPTV box | ~$8–$10/month | $96–$120 | $480–$600 |
| Typical 2-TV setup | ~$18/month | $216 | $1,080 |
💡 The math that actually matters: legacy Frontier TV's monthly cost minus YouTube TV's $82.99 monthly cost is the savings calculator. In most markets, switching saves money.
The three real options compared
Numbers below for a typical two-TV setup on Frontier Fiber Internet:
| Item | Keep Frontier legacy TV | Frontier Fiber + YouTube TV bundle | Cut TV — keep Frontier Internet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet | $70/mo (fiber) | $70/mo (fiber) | $70/mo (fiber) |
| TV service | $79/mo (legacy) | $82.99/mo (YouTube TV) | — |
| Box rental (2 TVs) | $18/mo | $0 (use Roku/Apple TV) | — |
| Fees & taxes | ~$15/mo | ~$5/mo | ~$3/mo |
| Monthly total | ~$182/mo | ~$158/mo | ~$73/mo |
| Channel count | 150+ | 100+ | — |
| DVR | 50–100 hr cloud | Unlimited cloud | None |
| Platform future | End-of-life | Active | N/A |
YouTube TV bundles are usually meaningfully cheaper than legacy Frontier TV AND deliver a modern interface.
What's missing
Future investment from Frontier in legacy IPTV. Maintenance mode.
Modern interface and app integration. Frozen.
A successor cable-box product from Frontier. The successor is YouTube TV via a Roku or Apple TV.
Who this is best for
Best for grandfathered Frontier TV customers with hard-to-match legacy pricing. Stay until the math no longer works.
Best for new Frontier internet customers taking the YouTube TV bundle. Modern TV product, no legacy box.
For everyone else — current-rate legacy Frontier TV customers, anyone with hardware failures, households wanting modern app integration — proactive migration to YouTube TV is the right move now rather than waiting.
Prices vary by market. The best way to see exactly what you'd pay across all three options is to run the quiz with your ZIP code — we'll show you real numbers for your address.
More photos
Where to rent
Boxes are rental-only — you cannot purchase them. Rate is per box, per month, billed by Verizon as part of your service.
Setup tips from a pro installer 8 tips · click to expand
- Confirm what TV product you're actually getting Frontier offers different TV products in different markets — legacy IPTV cable boxes, YouTube TV bundles, or no TV at all (Internet-only). Ask what specifically is in your bundle.
- Take the YouTube TV bundle if offered Frontier's YouTube TV bundles are usually meaningfully better than the legacy IPTV box. Newer interface, unlimited cloud DVR, modern app integration.
- Don't sign a long-term commitment with legacy IPTV Frontier is sunsetting its legacy IPTV. Multi-year agreements on the old platform can leave you stuck on dying hardware.
- If you have legacy Frontier TV, plan the migration Don't wait for Frontier to force the switch. Proactive migration to YouTube TV (or another streaming service) is usually a better experience.
- Back up DVR recordings before migration Legacy Frontier IPTV recordings don't transfer to YouTube TV. Save anything you can't lose before the cutover.
- Take advantage of Frontier fiber if available Frontier's fiber footprint is expanding. Fiber + YouTube TV is often cheaper and better than legacy Frontier TV + Internet.
- Negotiate hard Frontier pricing varies a lot by tenure and plan. Loyalty discounts available.
- Check fiber availability separately from TV Frontier fiber availability is patchy — sometimes available on your street, sometimes not. Verify before signing for TV bundles that assume fiber.