According to the Wall Street Journal, DirecTV is testing a new video-on-demand service that depends on both the customers' satellite dish and their internet connection. To be launched in the second quarter, the service will use the satellite to send a limited number of movies to store in all DirecTV DVRs, for instant on-demand playback, while the rest of the movie catalog will be available not-so-instantly using regular ground-based broadband. Movies like Kevin Costner's Waterworld will be sent on VHS tapes via regular mail from DirecTV's office in Madagascar. [WSJ]

12:10 PM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Jesus Diaz
3,101 views
22 comments

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homerjay at 12:35 PM on 03/13/08
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"A limited number of movies?" How much space do they have available?? My HR20 never has less than 25% available.
Juggrnott at 12:45 PM on 03/13/08
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Oh mighty one spare me!
Movies like Kevin Costner's Waterworld will be SENT on VHS tapes via regular mail
Deathknight at 12:49 PM on 03/13/08
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The HR20 has space already reserved for this kind of content, which is not included in your % of free space.
nutbastard at 12:51 PM on 03/13/08
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@Juggrnott:
WHAT? NO LASERDISC!?
nutbastard at 12:52 PM on 03/13/08
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"Movies like Kevin Costner's Waterworld will be send on VHS tapes via regular mail"

... and they will charge you extra if you try and return them...
nutbastard at 12:55 PM on 03/13/08
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"DirecTV's office in Madagascar."

Doesn't sound very "Direct" to me.
splitsecond at 01:11 PM on 03/13/08
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OLD NEWS! This is been available in Beta format to EVERYONE for at least 4 months. They've done a good job and its well integrated.
tucker at 01:11 PM on 03/13/08
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re-runs of "three's company" will come in over your old telephone lines.
lithivm at 01:14 PM on 03/13/08
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yeah I'm running the HR21 with on demand, it been out for a while
MrMaestr0 at 01:28 PM on 03/13/08
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This has been a functioning (beta) feature on my DirecTV box since at least the NFL season started...
ronack at 01:57 PM on 03/13/08
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I have been running the beta since I got my R21. Setup took a bit but now it works fine. I've watched concerts, TV shows and a couple of movies. Pay-Per-View is still Pay-Per-View and you can't download something from pay channels like SHOWTIME or HBO unless you are a subscriber. It doesn't have any network channels yet like NBC, ABC CBS or FOX so don't expect to see your missed episode of American Idol but most cable/sat channels like Discover HGTV etc. Have some of their programs there. Hopefully that's still to come.
ParJoe at 02:44 PM on 03/13/08
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Man! How come everyone HATES Waterworld so much!?!?!
Jesus Diaz at 02:50 PM on 03/13/08
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@Juggrnott: what's wrong with "will be sent"?
nutbastard at 03:02 PM on 03/13/08
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@Jesus Diaz:
i don't think it's a grammar correction, i think he's just incredulous at the idea of physically transporting analog data on magnetic tape. If i wanted to order software and it arrived as a stack of punchcards, i think that experience would approximate what Jugg is feeling right now.
nutbastard at 03:03 PM on 03/13/08
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@ParJoe:
ok for the record i liked waterworld. it's a 'comic book' of a movie and a lot of people don't like that.
nutbastard at 03:03 PM on 03/13/08
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@ParJoe:
ok for the record i liked waterworld. it's a 'comic book' of a movie and a lot of people don't like that.
nutbastard at 03:04 PM on 03/13/08
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double post was NOT my fault FTR
Gofastmazda at 03:17 PM on 03/13/08
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I'm not sure if everyon ehas beta testing of this available, but I do. I am disappointed with the HD offerings, as of a couple days ago, the only offerings were PPV movie downloads, no Discovery, nothing free in HD. I'm hoping this changes in wide release when it goes live.
ThatOneWeirdo at 03:59 PM on 03/13/08
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I have this running right now it's pretty cool, it's not as nice as cables VOD, but it's the price you have to pay for all around better picture.
izim1 at 06:48 PM on 03/13/08
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@ThatOneWeirdo: "for all around better picture"...UNLESS you have anything more than a light breeze going on outside.....
matto at 07:54 PM on 03/13/08
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In other news, DirecTV still sucks balls.
keyser at 01:54 PM on 03/14/08
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$20 bet that they will call this (not so) "On Demand" ROFL