Eagerly awaiting DirecTV's new multiroom tandem of set-top boxes? A group of DBSTalk posters got an early preview of the H24, and now have also posted their impressions of the HR24 DVR unit. Somewhat cheesy YouTube trailers aside, there's a lot of info here if you're considering a new DVR setup. Just like the recent NFL combine, we know that speed kills -- and has been killing DirecTV recently -- but they reveal the HR24 is much improved in that area. There's also detailed descriptions of the new scheme for programming the remote to control other devices, and the units overall slimmer and quieter stature, all awaiting just beyond the read link.

[Thanks, Barry]

DBSTalk goes hands-on with DirecTV's new 24 series receivers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well isn't this a kick in the head -- first TiVo fans who subscribe to DirecTV were left high and dry years ago and now if it is actually released this Spring it'll have been almost two years since the two companies announced they'd join forces once again. As if all that waiting wasn't bad enough, these same fans were probably excited to see the new TiVo user interface -- even if they weren't excited about anything else -- only to hear Tom Rogers tell Light Reading that "Their [DirecTV's] next implementation of us is not going to have this look and feel. It's based on the classic TiVo." Oh man are you kidding? Rogers did say that a new tru2way version of the new look would be available in the future and that Comcast has already shown interest. And for those who think $300 is still too much for a DVR, Rogers confirms that "We don't make money on hardware. Hardware is really a way for us to get out our user experience."

New DirecTV TiVo will be based on the old TiVo interface originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We showed you a video demo from CES that looked pretty good and apparently the new HR24 DVR and H24 thin client from DirecTV is already in production and will be reaching customers by the end of the quarter. No prices and specifics just yet, but we do know that this DVR has somewhere between three and either tuners, and you can connect up to eight H24 clients up via coax (thanks to MoCA) and watch recordings or live TV in up to three other rooms of the house at the same time. The best part is that since there's only server, no matter what room you're in, you get the same exact experience. We also expect to hear that both Samsung and Sony have built the RVU client directly into their new TVs, and if so, then you wouldn't even need a set-top at the TV to watch the HD DVR.

DirecTV's new HR24 DVR to reach customers this quarter originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We truly believe that one day the idea of having a DVR in just one room of the house will be forein to most and here's a new step in that direction. DirecTV has a new opt-in public beta of multi-room viewing software for its HR2x series of HD DVRs. Now this is not to be confused with the new hardware that uses RVU that we showed you from CES due later this year -- we wish -- this is simply adding new features to hardware you already bough leased. The way this will work is that you'll plug each DirecTV box into your home network via CAT5, enabled sharing, and pay an additional monthly fee. At that point you'll not only be able to stream shows between DVRs or standard HD set top boxes, but you'll also be able to delete shows as well as schedule new recordings. The big downer is it's far more complex than many will be willing to tackle, especially since the user must still manage the network and the sharing settings, as well as the fact as there still isn't one cohesive list of scheduled recordings. And worst of all, there is no resume sync, so if you start a show on one DVR, you'll have to figure out where you left out by fast forwarding when you decide to finish the rest in bed. Ultimately this is a great feature to offer and although it isn't what we're waiting for, it is a big step in the right direction.

Thanks Doug and Jonathan!

DirecTV's public beta of multi-room viewing for existing DVRs is on originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With the successful launch of DirecTV 12 yesterday the satellite company has already announced it will expand to more than 200 HD channels. Of course, by the time it starts oprating in Q2 of 2010, viewers will already be paying off that launch in the form of increased rates. Multichannel News points out the email currently going out. highlighting increases from $3 to $5 for programming while DVR fees rise from $5.99 to an even $7 beginning February 9. At the same time subscribers will lose access to XM Satellite Radio channels in lieu of audio from SonicTap. Check out the rate increases for yourself (warning: PDF link) and tell us, are more channels and the prospect of a new DirecTiVo and 3D enough to keep you around?

DirecTV raises a new satellite & its prices originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It isn't hard to find someone that has at one time or another felt deceived by a big corporation -- which is why the bank commercial with the pony is so funny -- but usually consumers don't elevate the issue to the court system. Evidently there have been so many reports of deception by DirecTV that the Attorney General in Washington State has filed a suit against the nations largest DBS provider because it has "built deception into their business model." We have to say that this doesn't come as much of a shock to us as we've taken more than a few pouches at DirecTV's PR department for making claims that were so outlandish that we could see where one might argue they were down right lies. In this particular case, most of the issues are around billing and commitments and while we agree that some of them seem underhanded, we're sad to say it is pretty much par for the corporate America course. So in other words don't sign anything without reading the small print first.

Poor customer service earns DirecTV a lawsuit in Washington State originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No doubt DirecTV has spend a pretty penny on the great HD content race that we love so much, so of course it's no surprise that DirecTV's third new satellite in three years is on its way to the site of its December launch. According to Boeing, DirecTV 12 features both national and spot-beam Ka-band transmitters which will help boost DirecTV's HD offerings by 50 percent; and when combined with DirecTV 10 and 11, will allow DirecTV to offer a total of 200 national HD channels and 1500 HD locals. As for how long you'll have to wait for the additional HD goodness, DirecTV 11 took about four months after launch to get into service -- assuming nothing goes wrong that is.

DirecTV 12 on its way to the launch site originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boeing, who has provided advanced satellite systems to DIRECTV for more than 16 years, announced that DIRECTV 12 was shipped Nov. 25 from Boeing's satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility in Kazakhstan.

DIRECTV 12 is the 11th satellite Boeing has built for DIRECTV. According to the company, the new satellite will increase DIRECTV's high-definition capacity by 50 percent, and when combined with the DIRECTV 10 and 11 satellites that launched in 2007 and 2008, will enable DIRECTV to deliver 200 national and 1,500 local HDTV channels to “millions of U.S. households”.

Filed under: Satellite, Sports

You love the NFL's exclusive DirecTV deal for Sunday Ticket right? New York Giants chairman and co-owner Steve Tisch says you do, as it is "really in the consumers' best interest." We're suspecting the bang caused by millions of football lovers who can't / won't switch to the satellite service's heads exploding was muffled by all the cash stuffed in his ears as he continued, praising the "successful model" of the NFL Network channel and its quest for wider distribution. As long as the money keeps flowing and, as he claims, TV ratings are hitting record highs, don't expect anything to change any time soon.

DirecTV exclusive Sunday Ticket is "in the consumers' best interest" originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You love the NFL's exclusive DirecTV deal for Sunday Ticket right? New York Giants chairman and co-owner Steve Tisch says you do, as it is "really in the consumers' best interest." We're suspecting the bang caused by millions of football lovers who can't / won't switch to the satellite service's heads exploding was muffled by all the cash stuffed in his ears as he continued, praising the "successful model" of the NFL Network channel and its quest for wider distribution. As long as the money keeps flowing and, as he claims, TV ratings are hitting record highs, don't expect anything to change any time soon.

Filed under: Satellite, Sports

DirecTV exclusive Sunday Ticket is 'in the consumers' best interest' originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite

A year after launching on The Weather Channel SD and receiving "nearly a billion impressions" there, DirecTV has added interactive Local on Demand and Local on the 8s widgets to The Weather Channel HD. sams as always, this lets viewers dial up weather alerts, the most recent updates for their area, or other weather info while still watching the main channel. While some may prefer the tried and true method of "looking out the window" to find out what the current weather conditions are, we're always glad to have options.

The Weather Channel's HD feed gets interactive on DirecTV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Satellite

There's more to starting a cable company than just pirating DirecTV originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Satellite

The feature we all know and love as dual live buffers has finally comes to DirecTV's HR21/HR20 with the snazzy name of Doubleplay. Not a moment too soon either as there's no better time to be able to pause and rewind live TV on two different channels at once than when watching football -- never did understand why all the NFL games were on at the same time. The other sports related feature, called Live Extension, to make it out of beta this week gives users the ability to easily extend a recording. The default is an extra 30 minutes, which is usually enough to grab a game that goes a little long, but if the game goes into overtime you can extend it up to three hours.

DirecTV adds "dual live buffers" to its HD DVR originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite, Sports

The U.S. Open gets started tomorrow from Bethpage State Park, and beyond the ESPN & NBC coverage, DirecTV is extending its HD Mix channel for all four days for the first time. That should help keep an eye on the leaderboard, main broadcast and whatever combination of specific areas of the course, interviews, or particular golfers one wants to follow, all available in high definition of course. After the Mediate/Woods showdown last year, we hope they're not locked in to doing only four days of broadcasts.

DirecTV's HD Mix extended to cover the entire U.S. Open weekend originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite, Sports

DirecTV subs may not notice the company has been spun off, but they might have peeped the new ScoreGuide, letting sports fans watch one channel while keeping scores and start times of live events posted on screen, then letting viewers switch to the appropriate channel easily. Accessed by tuning into any one of DirecTV's sports channels then punching the red button on your remote, it can collapse to show just one game or stay open to show all daily events. Want to avoid clicking over only to find the boxing match is already over two rounds in or you missed a great Kentucky Derby comeback, or yet another triple overtime thriller? We can see how this could be useful.

DirecTV's ScoreGuide tool makes catching the quickest boxing matches even easier originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 04 May 2009 23:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite, Sports

Bad news for NFL fans that can't see the southwestern sky, DirecTV and the NFL have once again extended the exclusive pay-per-view Sunday Ticket contract, and this time through 2014. The rumored 4 billion dollar deal includes a few other nuggets like broadband access for Sunday Ticket subscribers who also subscribe to the Superfan package (an additional $99 fee) in 2012 -- although we're not sure how it differs from today's services. The other thing worth mentioning in the deal is that also starting around 2010, the Redzone channel will no longer be exclusive to the Superfan package, and will in fact be offered to other carriers with no strings attached to the the leagues other cable channel, The NFL Network.

The NFL and DirecTV extend exclusive Sunday Ticket through 2014 originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Satellite

It's the question that's everyone's wondering, so we'll just put it out there. Will Liberty Media's saving of Sirius XM lead to any sort of Sirius-DirecTV tie-up? Earlier this week, Liberty Media (which owns DirecTV) decided to loan the nearly bankrupt Sirius XM $530 million in exchange for a 40 percent equity stake. Now, DirecTV is a direct cousin of yet another satellite-based company. We already knew that both DirecTV and DISH were considering the merits of mobile TV, but according to a new report from Reuters, this could be the deal that finally urges the former to pursue it. Liberty Chief Executive Greg Maffei stated that it "would be looking at the possibilities of co-marketing DirecTV and Sirius XM to each other's subscribers and joint content deals, as well as working on a mobile video initiative." Of course, those weren't the primary reasons the deal was done, but only time will tell if it was lingering on the back of Liberty's mind as the ink dried.

[Thanks, Vanbrothers]

Will Liberty Media's rescue of Sirius XM lead to DirecTV partnerships? originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Make no mistake -- DirecTV had an amazing, if not unbelievable, fourth quarter of 2008. After reporting numbers that blew just about everyone away yesterday, analysts have been quick to pump out laudatory remarks. Sanford Bernstein's Craig Moffett noted that the satcaster "continued to defy gravity," and he suggested that "one could make a case that DirecTV has, at least so far, been as little impacted by the recession as any company in America." As for the company itself, it's looking to target "the middle market" going forward, which is a departure from its usual tactics of aiming straight for the higher-end. The outfit's CEO Chase Carey is anticipating Q1 2009 ARPU (average revenue per user) to grow around 2.5 percent, which makes sense given the upcoming price increases. Needless to say, DirecTV is on track for a very solid '09, and if you're interested in hearing more from both sides, just hop down to the links below.

[Thanks, Vanbrothers]

Read - DirecTV CEO
Read - Analyst reactions

DirecTV Q4 aftermath: focusing on "middle market," receiving praises from everywhere originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, Satellite

Say what you will about the economy, but don't dare touch an American's television. Clearly bucking the trend is DirecTV, who managed to slip into rarefied air with outfits like Netflix by recording an absolutely marvelous Q4 2008. Beating analyst expectations by a solid mile, the satcaster added an amazing 461,000 new net subscribers in the quarter, with 301,000 -- the most in over three years -- coming in the US. DirecTV Latin America picked up the other 160,000, while a 1.47 percent churn rate was the lowest in nine years. In case you're scouting more good news, the company saw increased revenues in Q4 of 9 percent, while net income did slip 5 percent to $332 million. Of course, that may help explain the forthcoming price hike -- clearly it can charge more and get away with, so why not?

[Thanks, Vanbrothers]

DirecTV records a monster Q4, adds 461,000 new net subscribers originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite

So, you thought all those cable carriers out there were going to raise prices while DirecTV sat idly by, adding enough HD channels to push it well over the 100 mark and be totally content with its current revenue stream? Wrong. Word on the street has it that the satcaster will be pushing rates up on a number of packages starting March 4th. We've got to say -- if there's one operator out there that can justify marginal increases, it's DirecTV. We mean, it's the HD leader, after all. The list of changes is far too long to cover here, so tap the read link and start pinching those pennies.

[Thanks, Vanbrothers]

DirecTV pushing prices upwards in March originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc, Satellite, Primetime

At this point, we wouldn't even bother with trying to slip into the Metro DC area on January 20th, but we would recommend getting all buddy-buddy with a DirecTV subscriber. The satcaster is implementing its Mix Channel technology once again by offering up a 2009 Inauguration mosaic, which will bring together eight live broadcasts and enable viewers to go full-screen with the one they like best at any given moment. Of course, all eight blocks will be provided in high-definition, and it can be seen replacing the News Mix on viewer channel 102 and 352. The action gets going at 10:00AM ET on Inauguration Day.

DirecTV's 2009 Inauguration Mix channel brings every angle in HD originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Satellite

The Greenville-New Bern, North Carolina market is one of the smaller big markets (if that makes any sense) that DirecTV serves, but apparently it's big enough to warrant the inclusion of HD locals. In fact, the move to light up the local stations in high-def comes just months after DISH Network decided to do so here, giving us the impression that it's simply trying to keep up. Whatever the reason, we're sure DirecTV subscribers in the region are ecstatic with the additions.

DirecTV fires up HD locals in Greenville-New Bern, NC originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite, New content

Tallahassee, Florida DirecTV customers, we hope you're enjoying your WCTV/CBS, WTWC/NBC and WTLH/Fox high definition locals, because you're getting them alone. This solo market addition to the DirecTV offerings brings the total to 116 (five left for 121), although we're not sure that will make Panhandle residents feel more included. Unofficially, a commenter reports WTTV in Indianapolis is live now as well, maybe you can form a support group?

Tallahassee enjoys new DirecTV HD locals alone & lonely originally appeared on Engadget HD on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Satellite, New content

Nearly a year after an agreement was reached between DirecTV and the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), it appears they didn't want to keep anyone waiting long after the first wave of deployments, with ten new markets chosen for PBS service via satellite. We know you've been missing your NOVA and Ken Burns docs so check after the break for areas and stations. Not listed? More rollouts are due before the end of this year and into the next.

Continue reading DirecTV brings PBS to 10 additional markets

DirecTV brings PBS to 10 additional markets originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: MHD, New content

Our ambivalence about its programming hasn't served to slow the progress of MTV International's HD baby, poised to launch in ten new countries by the end of the year. The UK adds MTVNHD on Sky, Israel lights it up on HOT while the Latin American tour kicks off in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Caribbean Islands and Uruguay via DirecTV Panamerica. We already know that's not the end, with France queued up and the network prez noting interest from providers around the world including the Far East. Promising a (not-so) massive 300 hours of original programming commissioned for the next two years, sleep easy knowing repeats of the same old concerts will be available in 1080i no matter where in the world you are.

MTVNHD's second European invasion detailed originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: New content

DirecTV's taking a break from its usual HD rollout escapades to focus specifically on PBS. Millions of subscribers will now be able to enjoy Public Broadcasting Service content in glistening high-definition, with 14 markets going live today and more planned before the year's end. As of now, customers in Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque, Iowa; Chicago; Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island-Moline, Ill.; Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Norfolk-Newport News, Va.; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas have access, and the rest of ya will just have to wait.

DirecTV brings PBS HD to 14 local markets originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Media PCs, Tuners, OTA, Satellite

Microsoft invited us, with a few others, to tour the eHome team office and lab's and of all the great things we saw -- pictured in the gallery -- the one that got us the most excited was to see the rumored DirecTV HDPC-20 USB tuner in action. Our dreams were a little dashed though, as we were reminded on numerous occasions that although Microsoft tests lots of hardware, not everything makes it to market. So in other words, the presence of any hardware in the lab is no way an announcement of future products. But this here tuner wasn't the only thing we saw, as there were even a few indications that DISH Network was being tested as well, and while we did see DISH multi-switches and a DISH TV screen up on a Media Center PC, we didn't see any specific DISH equipment connected to Media Center. This could mean the tuners are internal or maybe the tuners were just cleared out before we came through. More pictures of the HDPC-20 in action after the jump.

Continue reading The Media Center DirecTV HDPC-20 caught in action

The Media Center DirecTV HDPC-20 caught in action originally appeared on Engadget HD on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Industry, HBO-HD, Satellite, New content

So, that's what those HBO HD ads down in Latin America were all about, huh? As of this week, DirecTV is now taking orders for HD service in Latin America, and reportedly, those that sign up can receive an HD DVR capable of storing 400 hours of SD or 100 hours of high-def footage. Initially, there will only be four high-definition channels available (HBO HD, Movie City HD, Fox HD and DirecTV HD), but we suppose you've got to start somewhere. Has anyone down that way signed up? How's the image / audio quality?

[Thanks, Eduardo]

Read - DirecTV launching in Latin America
Read - DirecTV's official HD site (Peru)

DirecTV goes live with HD service in Latin America originally appeared on Engadget HD on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Satellite

Ah, the pains of progress. Not even two full months after DirecTV's HR22 began filtering out to eager users, in flies a first look at the forthcoming HR23-700. But don't fret -- there aren't too many differences here. It looks as if the HDD of the HD DVR is the same size as that in the HR22, with the major changes being a few cosmetic tweaks and internal swaps that could amount to better picture quality. It still looks as if there's no OTA tuner, and it'll be sporting the same wide band tuners as in the H23. Check the read link for the full writeup, and trust us, there's a lot in there to digest.

[Thanks, Anthony]

DirecTV's HR23-700 HD DVR gets an early look originally appeared on Engadget HD on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: DVRs, Satellite

[Thanks to Chris for the pic & everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Misc, Satellite, Primetime

DirecTV has a thing for offering up exclusives such as this in order to help fencesitters make the leap, so it's no shock to see the satcaster taking the multi-pane approach used primarily for sporting events to cover election night. As the US presidential election unfolds on November 4th, DirecTV customers will be able to catch eight feeds of coverage on a single channel alongside a real-time election blog that will "track the announcements and analysis on each channel as votes are counted, exit polling data is evaluated and electoral count projections roll in." The Election Mix Channel will be seen on slots 102 and 352 (for SD and HD, respectively) and will feature feeds from the four broadcast networks, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and alternating feeds of Comedy Central (when it's doing live election coverage) and BBC America. Users will be able to hover over any of the eight blocks to select audio from each, and you can catch the mayhem beginning at 7:00PM ET on that fateful Tuesday.

[Thanks, Bryan]

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Filed under: Satellite, New content

Without any official word from DirecTV, users across the nation are now reporting that FOX News has gone high-def. Yeah, we wish there were a few others being introduced right alongside of it, but we suppose we're okay with baby steps. Enjoy!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Satellite, New content

The Weather Channel's the latest to get a taste of DirecTV's interactive treatment, adding new severe weather alerts, Local on the 8's weather reports, Local On Demand weather and a featured spot on the DirecTV Active application. The Weather Channel HD feed doesn't feature the local on the 8's app yet, but it is on the way, while the Local On Demand feature lets customers click through a bevy of information while still watching TWC live. A ticker at the bottom of the screen plus the red button on your remote should shed more light on the subject for the interested.

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Filed under: Industry, Satellite

While DISH Network just recently hit market number 70, DirecTV is throwing itself a party after reaching the big 100. With the addition of Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri and Evansville, Indiana, the satcaster can now claim to have HD locals available in a hundred US regions. The milestone means that some 83% of the US can now get DirecTV and their HD locals sans an OTA antenna, and if all goes to plan, it'll hit 121 cities by the year's end. We suppose a round of golf claps is in order.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Satellite

So it's true -- hordes of DirecTV users weren't just dreaming about a glitch that required a painstaking reboot to start the week off. DirecTV has sent out e-mails to loads of affected users which were unexpectedly forced to mash the red "Reset" button located within a door on the front panel of their HD DVR / receiver in order to get things going again. Of course, even the mighty satcaster can't replace any missed recordings that were scheduled, but it is "sincerely" sorry for the inconvenience. You'll still be paying your full bill, though, so it's not that sorry.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Satellite

Generally, we'd pass something like this off as just coincidence, but when over 95% of 1,000+ respondents confess to sharing the same issue, we simply can't turn the other cheek. It's assumed that DirecTV botched up a software update early this morning that affected a number of HR2X set-tops. Over at DBSTalk, the vast majority of readers who voluntarily took part in a poll affirmed that at least one of their HR2X units required a restart / reboot this morning. We know there's no real point in asking if you too were affected, but that aside, what was DirecTV attempting to send down? The world may never know.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Satellite

Now that we've officially hit fall here in the US of A, we suppose DirecTV should revamp is HD rollout plans to include this season. Nevertheless, the satcaster is slowly but surely wrapping up its summer plans by bringing HD locals to the Springfield-Holyoke, Massachusetts and Savannah, Georgia DMAs. Both markets can now tune into their local CBS, NBC and ABC affiliates in HD, though FOX was strangely omitted for both. Hope you weren't looking forward to the World Series in high-def or anything...

Read - Springfield-Holyoke, MA rollout
Read - Savannah, Georgia

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Filed under: Other hardware, Satellite

Hitting the high seas (or the slightly lower lakes and rivers, whatever works) shouldn't keep you from all those new HDTV channels DirecTV's been adding, requiring Intellian Technologies' new k4 and k6, the first marine satellite systems that will tune into Ka-band broadcasts. With their 17.7- and 23.6-inch antennas packed into all-in-one domes they should be be able to track and switch among Ka- and older Ku-band satellites as necessary, even on a fast moving boat. We're sure you've already switched to MPEG-4 compatible hardware at home, the dinghy is next.

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Satellite

About a month ago, the DirecTV HR22 HD DVR popped online at Best Buy's website without any rhyme or reason. Four weeks later, we've realized it's not a mistake. The $199.99 unit is listed with capacity to hold up to 100 hours of HD programming (or 400 hours of SD footage), and word on the street puts a 500GB HDD in there. Additionally, our tipster has let us know that without any action on his part, an HR22 showed up unannounced when he had DirecTV installed just a few days ago. Anyone else managed to secure one of these? Any noteworthy differences from its predecessor?

[Thanks, Michael]

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Satellite and cable providers on both sides of the Atlantic have recently claimed they are offering full HD - or 1080p - programming.
The Blu-ray Disc Association is objecting to these claims of equality, suggesting the comparisons are irresponsible and misleading, and says it will take “appropriate action”.

Filed under: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Satellite

No surprises here, but we figured you'd be interested in knowing that DirecTV is indeed keeping its promise of rolling out HD locals in a few new markets this summer. According to an attentive local in Rochester, New York, high-def locals have been fired up in his area, and according to official verbiage from the satcaster, Lincoln, NE can say the same. With 44 DMAs on tap, we suspect this will be the first two in a long, long list that will unfold as the months progress.

[Thanks, Jim]

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Filed under: Industry, Regulatory, Satellite

DirecTV and DISH Network trying to get together again? That's the idea according to the Wall Street Journal, apparently in response to DISH making "a major strategic shift" after losing 25,000 subscribers in Q2. Of course the last time these two tried U + me = Us back in 2001, regulators put the smackdown on the idea, but apparently DISH CEO Charlie Ergen thinks things may be different now. We can see how a 90% drop in subscriber growth (and a blown satellite or two) could cause anyone to reevaluate things, but as our extensive experience watchnig daytime TV proves, running into a new relationship to escape ones problems never works out long term, but it is interesting to see if either is really willing to stop the constant one-upsmanship and concentrate on taking on the cable (& telco) companies together.

[Thanks, Adam]

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Filed under: Satellite, Sports

Not headed out to Oakland Hills August 7? Even if you were, it's hard to imagine you'd get a better look at the action than DirecTV has lined up for the 90th PGA Championship on channel 701 through 709. As seen previously during the Masters Tournament, there'll be a PGA Interactive Mix channel, showing images of the four HD channels covering the tournament: One either from TNT or CBS, along with three unique feeds focusing on specific groups, holes or player background and stat information. Pretty much the only thing this interactive coverage won't do is take a few strokes off our score (some things are beyond help or altered scorecards, we've tried) but along with coverage on PGA.com it should make watching the Tiger-less PGA Championship a less painful event.

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Filed under: Industry, Satellite

Ever since DirecTV 10 went operational and started broadcasting MPEG-4 HD to fans everywhere, many have wondered, "what about the older HD channels?" DirecTV was one of the first to broadcast some of our favorite HD channels, like HD.net and ESPN HD, but HD Lite has taken most of the fun out of 'em. So while DirecTV would love to just move everything to MPEG-4, all the existing MPEG-2 customers wouldn't be that happy -- specifically all those DirecTiVo HD holdouts. Starting today DirecTV started broadcasting a simulcast of the most popular MPEG-2 HD channels in MPEG-4 using DirecTV 11. So far the response has been great, and many are wondering how they ever got by watching all that HD lite for this long. So while this is a step in the right direction, we'll be a bit more excited when DirecTV starts making good on their recent promises and launches the rest of the HD channels needed to get to the promised 130.

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Filed under: DVRs, NBC, Sports, New content

A nation full of DVR subscribers with access to DirecTV On Demand have something new to watch, now that a partnership with NBC is pushing a special Olympics package on the service in SD and HD. Consisting of athlete features, Beijing previews and other related content, there should be ten VOD titles each week, with more than 500 by the time the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are over. It's been a couple of weeks since the service exited beta status, are you not entertained?

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Filed under: Media PCs

It has been three months since we received leaked confirmation that the yet to be officially announced DirecTV HD tuner for Vista Media Center (VMC) was part of an upcoming update code named Fiji (expected in October). The fact that so much time has passed and our sources still haven't actually received a tuner was really starting to bother us. So we got even more concerned when we learned that the first release candidate issued to testers was missing required pieces to make the HDPC-20 possible. Unlike the previous beta releases, RC0 was missing native H.264 support which is vital to both DirecTV support and the latest Hauppauge HD PVR component capture device. Then to add insult to injury, many are now reporting that the update that will be officially called Windows Media Center TV Pack will only be available through OEMs. We're not sure if this means you'll have to download the update from Dell (for example) rather than Windows Update, but we can't see how the update could effectively be restricted to OEM installs. The testers we've talked to have reportedly been told that H.264 and DirecTV support have been pushed to Windows 7, which would mean it'll be 2010 before we see it. More about Fiji after the jump.

Continue reading No DirecTV HD for Vista Media Center until 2010?

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Filed under: Satellite

While DirecTV On Demand surfaced for select HR21 owners way back in February, the satcaster has finally pulled the service from beta to release it nationwide. Starting today, subscribers with a DirecTV Plus HD DVR or R22 DVR receiver will have access to over 4,000 SD and HD titles whenever they choose, and yes, everything will be delivered gratis. Additionally, the service will offer up customized programmer home pages, internet remote scheduling and an expanded array of pay-per-view titles. Of course, we couldn't close this out without asking for some feedback, so be sure to put the screws to DOD when you get home and let us know how things turn out.

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The US’s leading provider of HDTV has credited its 95 channels of HD content as one of the main reason for increasing subscribers even as the economy falters.
Paul Guyardo, DirecTV’s chief marketing officer, said the company had not been greatly affected by the US economic slowdown.
DirecTV added 275,000 subscribers in the first quarter, compared to just 35,000 for rival Dish Network.
He attributed the satcaster’s market-leading HD offering as a major factor in the increase.
“I don’t want to say that we are recession-proof, but I will say that we have not been dramatically affected by the recession,” he said.

Filed under: Satellite, Sports

If you enjoy juggling six screens at once, you should seriously considering switching to DirecTV or DISH Network. As the back-and-forth action between the two continues, DirecTV is serving up Wimbledon Interactive in order to provide viewers with a multi-screen montage of grass court action. The satcaster is teaming up once again with ESPN2 in order to "provide nearly 200 hours of live interactive coverage of the first five days of the 2008 Wimbledon Championship." The half dozen screens will include live ESPN2 coverage, a Wimbledon Extra for keying in on crucial matches / highlights, and shots from four other courts which can be expanded to full screen at the touch of a button. As you know, the first fuzzy ball flies on June 23rd.

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Filed under: Industry, Satellite

As our tipster Rob so eloquently put it: "Gentlemen, start your satellite." According to fresh documentation from the FCC, the agency has granted DirecTV "temporary authority" to operate its recently launched DirecTV 11 satellite and "conduct in-orbit testing." The satcaster will also be allowed to "conduct telemetry, tracking and control operations" when the window opens on May 25th. September's getting closer all the time, eh? [Warning: PDF read link]

[Thanks, Rob]

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Filed under: DVRs, Set-top boxes, Satellite

One of the challenges satellite providers have faced when deploying multi-tuner DVRs and HD, is the fact that most homes only have one wire running into the house and each tuner in each HD DVR needs its own wire -- so if you have four HD DVRs, you need eight wires! That is about to change and our friends over at Satelliteguys.us have gotten a chance to spend some time with DirecTV's new Swing Wire LNB. Using the Single Wire LNB on your DirecTV satellite dish, a single wire can with splitters can service all your dual tuner DVRs and you can still record two shows at once. You will also no longer need those annoying B-Band converter and you can finally use OTA diplexers again -- but odds are the splitters in your house will have to be upgraded, as well as any old receivers. A Single Wire Multi-switch that was also recently released can be used with four coax runs to your existing LNB, includes an OTA input for diplexers, and still eliminates the need to run two coax cables to each dual tuner DVR. Of course you really don't need to know any of this, because the DirecTV installers will just start using the new equipment in the near future to ease the burden on themselves when doing new installs, but either way here's one less reason not to switch to satellite.

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