Gizmodo
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advertising
Obnoxious Local Ads Coming to DirecTV in 2011
The WSJ is reporting that DirecTV has conscripted the talents of software startup Invidi to show targeted—meaning local—ads to its customers, starting in 2011. More »
5,025
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By John HerrmanComment by darkstar: Why is that bad? Low budget commercials are always the best. 3 Responses | Other threads
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iphone apps
DirecTV's iPhone App Browses, Searches and Sets Recordings
The DirecTV iPhone App is available now, and can let you browse 2 weeks of shows, set recordings and control more than one DVR in the house. And, it's free. More »
6,698
By Jason ChenComment by briancarlstrom: Too bad it crashes when I try to browse by channel. I tried on two different iPhones. It does work... 4 Responses | Other threads
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directv
Inappropriate DirecTV Commericals Won't Help Win Any Customers
CollegeHumor looked at those DirecTV ads where they reenact a famous scene from a movie and asked "what if we used horribly inappropriate movies?" Hilarity ensues. More » -
directv
DirecTV PC Tuner Officially Canceled
DirecTV has officially canned their efforts to bring the HDPC-20 tuner to market. The device would have allowed subscribers to integrate their service with Windows Media Center. More » -
at&t
AT&T to Dump Dish Network, Start Selling DirecTV
After punting their agreement with Dish Network to sell satellite as part of a triple play package, AT&T has decided to settle down with DirecTV. They'll keep hawking Dish through Jan. 31, after which they'll offer DirecTV anywhere they can't give you U-Verse as a TV option. Multichannel notes that this leaves second-place Dish without a major reseller partner, so not great news for them. [Multichannel]
4,140
Comment by squishyalt: Wow! AT&T signs pact with the great Satan! Just in case you folks didn't know, AT&T is NOT the AT&T... 3 Responses | Other threads
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tivo
TiVo HD Coming to DirecTV Next Year
TiVo and DirecTV have a chaotic history, but now that it's all straightened out, the two companies can move forward to release new hardware. Now they're planning a follow up to the HD DirecTiVo, the aging, discontinued HD TiVo platform for DirecTV that used inefficient MPEG2 encoding. Expected in the second half of 2009, the new TiVo HD will support MPEG4 recording and newer TiVo features like Swivel Search. As a former TiVo user who's now running an HR21 with a less than optimal interface, I can only see more DVR options as a good thing. [Zatz Not Funny]
4,437
By Mark WilsonComment by squishyalt: DirectTV is a SCAM! Stay away from DirectTV! They promised us 30 days to decide to keep the service. ... 6 Responses | Other threads
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home entertainment
DirecTV Adding 30 HD Channels on August 14th, 1080p Movies Later This Year
DirecTV is poised to take the lead in the HD battle by adding 30 extra channels starting on August 14th. That would give them 130 channels of HD in total—putting them well on their way to the 150 mark they floated around early this year. By the end of this month they also plan to be the first company to transmit all of their HD programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding standard with Dolby Digital Audio. And the icing on the cake will come later this year in the form of 1080p movies. More » -
espionage
News Corp. Hires Hacker to Break Into Dish Satellite Network, Steal Security Codes for Pirate Cards
This is classic corporate espionage/sabotage at its finest. Dish Network is accusing News Corp.—which used to have a 39 percent stake in DirecTV and still provides its security tech—of hiring hacker Christopher Tarnovsky to break into Dish's network, steal the security codes, and use them to make pirated cards to flood the black market. It sounds insane, but Tarnovsky admitted in court he was paid James Bond villain style, with $20,000 cash payments mailed from Canada hidden inside "electronic devices." More » -
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industry
Is CBS Blocking Shows From Your DVR?
John Sciacca at Sound & Vision says his DVR no longer lets him record his favorite show, Survivor. Sciacca claims that despite setting his Time Warner box to record every episode of the reality show, when the time comes, it acts as if there is nothing to record. Sometimes, he says, the record light even goes on during the show, but it isn't saved to the hard drive. Apparently he's not the only one stuck without Survivor.
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13,296
Comment by justrick: My Windows Media Center just reported that it could not record tonight's Survivor owing to a "broadcast restriction" or some... more » | Other threads
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oops
Man Uses Gun to Blow Hole in Wall for Satellite Dish, Kills Wife by Accident
This is what tools are for, my friends. Ronald Long of Deepwater, MO, was trying to install a satellite dish in his bedroom. He was having trouble putting the necessary hole in the wall and, thinking himself quite clever, decided to use his gun to get the job done quickly. Unfortunately, his wife was outside and caught the bullet in the chest. She was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. On the upside, Ronald now has DirecTV. Silver linings, people. [KCTV via Boing Boing] -
satellite
Proof Satellite Sucks: Dish and DirecTV Get FCC Approval to Downgrade HD Channels Until 2013
High-def channels consume bandwidth like Britney Spears at a Frappuccino trough (props, last night's South Park). That's a problem for twinkly satellite providers Dish Network and DirecTV, who just don't have the capacity to blast every channel in HD—so the FCC just gave them the nod to downcovert broadcasters' HD signals until 2013. Basically, it means that just because a channel is broadcast in HD, they don't have to give it to you in HD. More » -
home entertainment
DirecTV Video-On-Demand to Be Half Satellite, Half Internet Next Quarter
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] -
dealzmodo
Best Buy Says It Will Cover Part of Your DirecTV Bills
Best Buy just announced that it would pay a portion of customers' DirecTV bills each month for a year. That is, if you spend $999 or more on a high-def TV and switch to DirecTV's high-def package, Best Buy says it will credit you $30 per month on your bill for 12 months. If you are cheap enough to dip below $999 on your HDTV purchase (yeah, Insignia buyers, I'm talking about you), Best Buy still has your back, with six months of payments. It's funny how far a chain will go to not have to give you a free HDMI cable, am I right? Jump for the fine print. More » -
home entertainment
News Corp Set-Top Box Becomes DVR: Just Add External Hard Drive
How much simpler can it get? You take the HD satellite set-top box already sitting in someone's living room, perform a quick firmware update, plug an external hard drive into the USB jack and voila, it's a bleedin' DVR. Voila is right, though, since this News Corp-owned software fix is currently only available to Canal+ satellite customers in France. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's no such thing for News Corp's DirecTV customers in the US, right? Nah, letting people keep their existing hardware is so un-American. It's bad for business, I tells ya! Press release after jump. More » -
home entertainment
New DirecTV Satellite Capable of 150 HD and 1,500 Local Channels
The latest DirecTV 11 satellite just built by Boeing could potentially increase the total capacity of their programming network to 150 national HD channels and 1,500 local channels. So get ready to fire up those HDTVs—the satellite is expected to launch in March. [Boeing] -
dvr
DirecTV DVRs Get Cellphone Scheduling on the Go
DirecTV's rolling out its cellphone-enabled mobile DVR scheduling for its HR20-700 units. This means that you can hop on your cellphone and queue up American Idol (just about the only new show on right now) to watch when you get home. Other DirecTV models will follow in February. Hit the jump for a list of compatible phones. [dbstalk] More » -
directv
DirecTV PC Tuner Photos Surface Online
Scans of DirecTV's PC Tuner showed up on the DBStalk forums. The tuner supposedly has two coaxial inputs, one USB output, Ethernet and USB inputs, Vista Media Center support and a DVR interface that uses your PC's HDD. No word on whether the tuner is HD or SD, but If this is the real deal, it looks promising. [DBStalk Forums] More »
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Comment by (Splat): This is awesome. Unlimited HD storage space - yeah! more » | Other threads
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roundup
Afternoon News: HP and Compaq Laptops May Brick, Comcast and DirecTV Have a Catfight, I Weep For My Home Town and More
• A security researcher published code that is capable ofbrickingcorrupting Windows boot sectors on most HP and Compaq laptops. That doesn't sound too good. [Slashdot] More » -
home entertainment
DirectTV-Enabled Media Centers Still Coming, Says Microsoft Job Listing
Chris Lanier, Media Center fan, has just found a couple job postings by Microsoft that point to an long-delayed introduction of DirecTV support in their Media Centers. The job postings point to Pay-Per-View access, HD in H.264, two-way communications to and from the satellite, and integration with both US and European satellite systems. The one note that Chris adds is that the Xbox 360 Extender will need to get another H.264 update in order to comply with the DTV's standards before this whole tuner business ships. [Chris Lanier's Blog] -
roundup
Afternoon News: Harry Potter Is Too Close for Comfort, DirecTV Breaking Promises?, Best Buy's Profits Soar and More
• Daniel Radcliffe, a/k/a Harry Potter, just bought an apartment in Manhattan. Coincidentally, it's only four blocks from our NYC headquarters. Luckily we have our own Dark Lord Balthazaar to protect us from his spells. [Gridskipper] More »
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Comment by StarChaser Tyger: @diverguy: That 'whoosh' noise was the sound of humor going over your head, apparently. more » | Other threads
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dvrs
DirecTV buys ReplayTV for MoneyTV
The oft-bought-and-sold ReplayTV found a new master today in the form of DirecTV. My theory is that they just really liked each other's names. (In case you didn't realize it, there's no such thing as MoneyTV—I made that up.) But the deal makes sense for other reasons. D&M Holdings, the parent of Denon and Marantz, really isn't in the software biz, while DirecTV has boxes that could use better software. Replay has been pushing hard to develop DVR products for PCs and Macs. The real money is in set-top boxes, and DirecTV knows that business better, being one of its largest customers. [Zatz Not Funny!] -
i need my hdtv
What Satellite Service is Better for Your HDTV?
On Black Friday, some of you walked home with your first HDTV. Or second. Discount voodoo is understandably hard to resist. But unless you've got HD content, you've got nothin' but a pretty frame. Since it's the holidays, you probably don't wanna screw around in customer service hell. If you've narrowed your choice down to satellite because of where you live or a prior (bad) experience with cable, we've done some homework for you, sorting through the near-legalese of HD packages and talking to chipper sales reps from the two majors, Dish Network and DirecTV. Which one offers the most HD goodness at the best rates?
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satellite in satellite
Direct TV Offering NASA HDTV in International Space Station, Service Calls To Be a Real Mother
When it comes to product placement, I can't think of a more high-profile scoop than the International Space Station. DirecTV is wisely offering NASA a chance to install a 42" HDTV, DirecTV Satellite DVR/receiver and a remote covered in Velcro to avoid losing the remote to spacewalk in the orbital lab. Guess you'd get tired of viewing the entire friggin' planet from space after a few days. [Forbes] -
dealzmodo
DirecTV Sat-Go Gets a $500 Price Drop
For those of you who wanted the Sat-GO, DirecTV's briefcase shaped TV that can pull in satellite broadcasts, but weren't willing to pay the exorbitant $1499 price tag, good news! DirecTV dropped the price of their Sat-Go portable satellite system by $500, to the still relatively expensive price of $999. But hey, $500 is still $500. And Now you will be able to go out and enjoy the great outdoors without missing any NFL action next weekend. [Product Page via Zatz Not Funny] -
directv
21 New DirecTV HD Channels Go Live, More To Come
DirecTV rolled out 21 of its promised 100 new HD channels today, boosting its HD count to 37 networks in all. Some of these, such as Showtime too, Starz West, and The Weather Channel, are total fluff. However, some of these, such as the NFL Network and A&E, are welcome additions. Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel were also listed among the new titles, but weren't there already HD channels for these two networks? Either way, we're just happy to have more pretty pretty TV to drool over. [DBSTalk]
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Comment by derrwill5: Take a drive to best buy walk towards the entertainment area and you should find the HR 21 there for... more » | Other threads
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cedia07
DirecTV HR21 Pro Series, For Professional TV Watchers Only
We kid about Professional TV watchers, because if there were such things they would use this rack-mounted two-tuner HD monster. We laid our hands on this baby, liking most of it and loathing some. More » -
home entertainment
DirecTV to Release Prosumer, $1,000+ HD DVR Unit
DirecTV is unveiling their new, top-of-the-line DVR unit at CEDIA, able to record 1080p and supporting optical HDMI. Dubbed the HR21 PRO, it's more than your regular piece of home theater equipment; this thing can be rack mounted and is designed to be professionally installed, which isn't something most people need or want. We don't have a ton of details on it yet, but word is the price will be somewhere above $1,000. We'll give you more info as we get it. [Multichannel] -
it's electric
DirecTV Offering Powerline Broadband/VOIP
We (ok, I) always thought that sending broadband over powerlines was one of those empty threats used to gain leverage on cable and DSL providers. But DirecTV has just announced a partnership with Current Group to provide their Dallas/Fort Worth market with high speed Internet through their wall sockets. More » -
hype sheet
Hype Sheet: DirecTV Couldn't Afford Newt
The Pitch DirecTV's ingenious ad agency, Deutsch Inc., mods yet another cinematic classic, this time selecting a flick that's sure to delight the Gizmodo crowd: James Cameron's superb Aliens. Yes, that's the real Sigourney Weaver, made up to look 21 years younger and slotted into a similar-looking robot-arm apparatus. This time, though, no dirty mouth—the script elides her use of the B-word, instead cutting to a deliberately cheesy paean to a DirecTV deal (new subscribers may qualify to get the first four months free). The moment's all the funnier, of course, because Weaver—er, Ripley—is battling Mama Alien while praising a DBS service. Funny stuff, and the most geek-friendly of DirecTV's long-running "Fourth Wall" ad campaign since last year's Star Trek spot. But can these inventive ads fend off the specter of Verizon's FiOS and other triple-play providers? More » -
burn unit
New DirecTV DVRs Can Mess Up Plasma TVs, But Not LCDs
According to Gary over at HD Guru, the newest DVR receivers from DirecTV, the H20 and HR20 models, border nearly every standard def 4:3 channel with vertical black bars. The black may be a nice touch visually, but if you leave one of those channels on your plasma TV too long, those bars will glow strangely bright when the whole screen is in use. LCD TV owners, of course, need not fret. More » -
miracles
DirecTiVos to Get Updates (For Some Crazy Reason)
Hallelujah! For some reason, TiVo and DirecTV are updating the older Series 2 generation DirecTiVos as part of an ongoing agreement to explore bringing "future enhancements" to DirecTV TiVo owners. The improvments now include the addition of the Recently Deleted shows folder, Remote Booking, and Overlap Protection (recording conflict resolution). More » -
road to hell
500 HD Channels on Cablevision? No More Programming Until CableCard Is Easy!
Reuters today said that Cablevision would have "the capability" to carry over 500 high-definition channels. This would include the 15 channels that Lazarus-like startup Voom HD Networks (now owned by Cablevision) plans to introduce next Tuesday, along with the 20-some HD channels that are allegedly in the lineup now plus, I suppose, 460 more channels of come what may. (Never mind the fact that Cablevision doesn't even carry BBC America, the company itself acknowledges there are not yet 500 channels worth of HD programming.) More » -
wimax
DirecTV and EchoStar Partner For WiMAX Internet Access
This deal between DirectTV, EchoStar (DISH's parent), and Clearwire (a WiMAX service provider) seems to be the first big solid WiMAX push in the US, if everything goes to plan. In the agreement two big satellite TV providers will get a broadband service of their own—something they apparently think they need to compete with cable and DSL—and Clearwire's WiMAX will get some large exposure to the public. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by victor1960: Does anyone outthere know if you can recieve DirectTV or any other US service in Europe. I am in Spain... more » | Other threads
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don't sit too close
Over 800 HD Channels from Comcast by 2008, But Still Nothing Will Be On TV
Aiming to one-up (or rather, eight-up) DirecTV's promise of 100 HD channels by year's end, Comcast is boasting that it will have over 800 HD channels by the end of 2008. If, that is, you consider an endless run of CSI episodes and a perpetual loop of Ghost Rider to each be their own channels. Sure, a Heroes "channel" is a channel in a certain sense, but not in the typical television parlance consumers are accustomed to. More » -
sat-go or sat-no-go?
Exclusive Pics from USA Today's DirecTV Sat-Go Grope
Ed Baig and Jeff Graham, the reviewin' duo over at USA Today, were among the first to press with a review of DirecTV's new mobile receiver, the Sat-Go. As you Giz readers probably already know, the kit by Humax has a 17-inch LCD screen, integrated receiver, "laptop-style" battery, remote and antenna. That is, the lid of the carrying case is the antenna. Ed and Jeff were kind enough to share with us some of the shots they took that didn't make it into the final story. Follow the jump for excerpts from Ed's review. More » -
satellite tv
DirecTV Shoots Out Sat-Go TV Anywhere Service
For those of you who really need to get DirecTV everywhere, you were probably eagerly awaiting DirecTV's Sat-Go satellite-tv-in-a-box service. Well, the wait's over, since DTV's just rolled it out officially. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by config6: lol... didn't notice the guy sleeping = strange. this would be cool for catching the game while camping or for... more » | Other threads
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home entertainment
DirecTV Sat-Go Impressions (How Much is TV Anywhere Worth to You?)
Earl of DBStalk really loves TV. He (and people like him) is the reason why DirecTV invented this 26-pound satellite TV box that lets you get satellite television anywhere. If you're asking yourself who would actually lug this thing around when they go camping, vacationing, or traveling, you're obviously not in the target "8 hours of TV a day" audience. More » -
portable media
DirecTV Sat-Go Is Real, So Are 100 More HD Channels
Months ago, we told you about a DirecTV prototype portable TV called the Sat-Go. Imagine our surprise when one of DirecTV's CES announcements today was a fleshed out Sat-Go system set to debut this spring. It still folds up like a briefcase and features a removable DirecTV tuner, a 17-inch LCD screen and a handful of inputs including component and composite AV and USB. More »
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By kthompsonComment by lobofanina: Bagelloxonionewwbreath why would you buy a mobile directv system,to watch Fox, which can be picked up with an over the... more » | Other threads
directv
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