May 28, 2008
DirecTV
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Overcoming the housing slowdown and a dour economy, DirecTV is crowing about its gain of 275,000 subscribers in the first quarter, which surpassed Wall Street’s expectations.
But the satellite provider also got some bad news, because its wireless-broadband partner Clearwire is teaming up with several of DirecTV’s cable archrivals — as well as Sprint and Google — in a $12 billion WiMax joint venture.
Enjoying a surprisingly strong first quarter, DirecTV’s net subscriber growth represented a 17% gain from the year-ago period. The nation’s largest satellite provider — now with 17 million subscribers, up 5% from a year ago — also saw its lowest first-quarter monthly churn rate in 10 years, at 1.36%.
Some analysts had thought DirecTV, positioning itself as the HDTV leader, would see subscriber gains slow down. The causes cited include a housing construction downturn and the recent customer gains some cable operators — such as Time Warner Cable and Mediacom Communications — and phone companies racked up for the first quarter. DirecTV’s stock price began the week at $25.55 and ended Thursday May 8 at $27.40, up $1.85 (7%) over the period.
“The fact of the matter is we have unique strengths, which we feel in many ways are getting stronger, and we’re competing very effectively against the bundle and other market forces out there,” DirecTV CEO Chase Carey said.
On May 7, just hours before DirecTV did its first-quarter conference call, Clearwire and Sprint Nextel announced they were forming a joint venture with Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Intel and Google to create a nationwide wireless-broadband network.
“Bottom line, this is not something that is going to be impacting the business a whole lot in the next couple of years,” Carey said during the earnings call.
Read full story here.
April 18, 2008
DirecTV
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The FINANCIAL — Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) on April 14 announced it is working with DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV) on a deployment to offer local TV channels for its viewers in selected cities across the U.S. Using Motorola’s multiplexing and video compression technology, DIRECTV will process and transmit TV signals with advanced MPEG-4 technology.
DIRECTV has implemented Motorola’s encoders in each of seven cities to receive signals from local TV stations. Each encoder features a terrestrial receiver so that TV signals are received and converted to MPEG-4 in a single unit. The encoder transmits its signals to a Motorola multiplexer in DIRECTV’s Broadcast Center, where the signals from various encoders are packaged together and dispersed via satellite to DIRECTV’s customers. “We chose the Motorola MPEG4 encoder for its flexible inputs and muxing capability,” said Hanno Basse, DIRECTV vice president of Broadcast Systems Engineering.
“More service providers are looking to MPEG-4 to improve their video offerings and venture into next-generation services,” said Doug Means, vice president and general manager, IP Video Solutions, Home & Networks Mobility, Motorola. “Our deployment with DIRECTV is a perfect example of how Motorola can help service providers reap the benefits of MPEG-4 by enabling the delivery of high-quality content and improving the experience of their customers.”
More on DirecTV.
April 11, 2008
DirecTV
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An original series entitled DirecTV Hometown Heroes, premieres April 6th on DirecTV’s original entertainment channel The 101. As the satellite television provider continues to expand its home grown series lineup, how does its newest offering measure up?
DirecTV Hometown Heroes is a series saluting the heroes among us. Well, in this case the heroes among us who also happen to be DirecTV subscribers. The series is a collection of stories focusing on those who have improved their communities, generally through acts of giving, courage, and compassion. Delivered in neat, 30-minute parcels - DirecTV Hometown Heroes brings to the table plenty of feel-good stories. Just don’t expect much more than that.
Each episode features three viewer stories. Hometown Heroes correspondents explore the good deeds and hard work select DirecTV subscribers have done on behalf of others. Each feature runs about 9 minutes in length and shows the “hero” at work while the correspondent voices over with their story.
The first episode features DirecTV customer Carolyn Blashek, who founded Operation Gratitude shortly after the September 11th attacks against America. The organization sends care packages to troops around the world with the goal of maintaining and boosting morale. Care packages contain snacks, entertainment items, toiletries, and letters of appreciation from home. Every once and a while, they throw in something really special, such as the brand-new Jeep featured in this week’s show.
The second story on the debut episode tells the story of Larry Scott, Director of Corporate recruitment at Verbum Dei High School. Located in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, the school has put in place an innovative work-study program to help parents offset the high educational costs normally associated with private schooling. Each student works five days per month as part of a four-student team employed by local corporations. The money earned by each student, over $6,000, goes directly to the school to help pay tuition.
Finally, tonight’s third story is the inspiring story of DirecTV customer Joanna Bull, who helped found Gilda’s Club. Bull, a psychotherapist who worked with Gilda Radner during Radner’s cancer treatments, was inspired to form the club as a way to help others battling the disease. Along with Radner’s husband Gene Wilder and Joel Siegel, Gilda’s Club has expanded to 30 locations across the nation. A non-profit organization, the club brings together those battling cancer - along with their friends and families. Support is the theme of the club, helping cancer patients find the social and emotional network they need at this important time in their lives.
DirecTV Hometown Heroes is hosted by Joan Lunden, the former Good Morning America anchor who has been out of the spotlight for the last few years. Show correspondents include Dr. Winnie King, and former Eight is Enough star Grant Goodeve. While some nice journalistic talent has been assembled, the correspondents are rarely seen in the features. The correspondents mainly serve as voice-over talent for the pieces and this lends an over-produced feeling to the show.
Overall, DirecTV Hometown Heroes gives you that happy feeling inside, but leaves you wanting more. Spending more time, and some probing into the minds, hearts, and motivations of the “heroes” would certainly enhance the show, giving it some needed depth.
DirecTV Hometown Heroes is currently scheduled to run for 10-episodes, Sunday nights at 9 ET. The series is presented exclusively on the satellite provider’s original entertainment channel, The 101.
April 8, 2008
DirecTV
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If you’re lucky enough to be a Direct TV subscriber, you’re probably already familiar with Channel 101. It’s here that Direct TV offers up some pretty cool original programming — stuff you can ONLY find on Direct TV and nowhere else.
The other day the company announced a few new shows that will be coming to 101. These will debut early next year. Here’s what they are:
* The Supreme Court of Comedy: Sounds to me like this is basically a comedy version of Judge Judy. Small claims courts in California get the treatment from Dom Irrera as the judge, and “counselors” who are also going to be comedians. Sounds interesting.
* Rock & a Hard Place: A game show hosted by Meatloaf that will feature recording artists competing against one another for charity.
* DirecTV Hometown Heroes: Basically a feel-good show that will showcase the good deeds of Direct TV subscribers across the country.
If you haven’t checked out Direct TV 101 yet, you really should. It has some pretty entertaining and cutting edge stuff up there. Let everyone know what you think by leaving your comments below.
April 8, 2008
DirecTV
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DirecTV will take down the preview sign on its MLB Extra Innings package tomorrow.
The DBS leader has been running an early bird special price of $179 (four payments of $44.75 if you choose) for baseball’s subscription pay-per-view out-of-market package.
Company officials say DirecTV’s version of the MLB service is the only one with such interactive enhancements as on-screen graphics showing up-to-the-minute scores, league standings and stat leaders, and real time in-game box scores to track game performance for each player.
DirecTV is also pitching MLB Extra Innings SuperFan service, which includes up to 40 games per week in high-definition, versus 10 for other carriers, according to satellite service officials.
The SuperFan package also features the Strike Zone Channel – modeled after the NFL Sunday Ticket’s Red Zone Channel –that provides up-to-the-minute highlights and live action of key plays in HD. Moreover, DirecTV says it’s the only vehicle where fans can receive the Game Mix Channel, which supplies eight live games on one screen.
March 24, 2008
DirecTV
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A number of days ago, a little known electronics manufacturer announced that it would begin to sell Blu-ray players for around five hundred dollars by the end of 2007. This move could serve to make the Blu-ray format a lot more attractive to consumers than the rival HD-DVD high def digital video disc format that’s supported by Toshiba.
A number of days ago, a little known electronics manufacturer announced that it would begin to sell Blu-ray players for around five hundred dollars by the end of 2007. This move could serve to make the Blu-ray format a lot more attractive to consumers than the rival HD-DVD high def digital video disc format that’s supported by Toshiba.
The HD-DVD format and the Blu-ray format- which was introduced by Sony- have been duking it out over the past year or so for dominance of the high definition DVD market. Both formats can store enough data on a disc the same size as a standard DVD or CD to render an entire full length movie in HDTV format, plus bonus features. The two formats are similar in many ways but can’t be played on each other’s players. This has led to a lack of consumer interest because of fear of being left with the losing technology when a winner finally emerges.
Despite that fear, Blu-ray players have cropped up in many American homes- thanks largely to the popularity of Sony’s Play Station 3 video game system that has a Blu-ray drive built in- and movie titles on Blu-ray disc have been selling about twice as quickly as HD-DVD titles during the same period. This apparent popularity of the Blu-ray format has cropped up despite the fact that most Blu-ray players (with the exception of the Play Station 3) cost about twice as much as HD-DVD players.
Now, with the prospect of cheap Blu-ray players on the horizon, there’s a good chance that the dominance of the Blu-ray format will be secure. The coming emergence of cheaper Blu-ray players has prompted Sony to reverse course on its strategy and announce that it will produce its own inexpensive Blu-ray players in coming months.
While common sense would say that this would be a winning move that would crush the hopes of Toshiba for its HD-DVD format to reach supremacy, some analysts point out that may be overly optimistic for one important reason: Sony is not the only company making Blu-ray players. With other electronics manufacturers making Blu-ray players, and an extremely thing profit margin on the devices, manufacturers other than Sony might not want to take the loss involved in selling Blu-ray players below the cost of production. This could drive these other manufacturers to begin producing HD-DVD players, or perhaps worse to make dual disc players that can play both HD-DVD’s and Blu-ray discs. These players that can play both discs are a boon to consumers because they allow consumers to hedge their bets on which format will dominate the market, but they’re awful for Sony because they promise to prolong the format war.
Another factor that could prolong the format war is the fact that it’s extremely likely that Toshiba and other companies manufacturing HD-DVD players will lower the prices of HD-DVD players in an effort to preserve the one advantage that the HD-DVD format has at this point. Assuming that lowering the prices of Blu-ray players doesn’t create a definitive end to the format war, it’s about to get really ugly for the companies involved, but at least consumers will be able to enjoy low prices on the devices.
March 17, 2008
DirecTV
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There are many benefits in Digital TV. Many different sectors in the entertainment industry has come together to make this technology the sole way for broadcast transmission. TV broadcasters, consumer electronics industry and Federal Government have decided to make TV airing totally digital starting on February 19, 2009.
Without considering any economic or political benefit or pitfall, digital TV will definitely bring a number of benefits after it replaces the old analog format which is in use right now.
The new digital format will use computer equipment to convert images and sound of a TV into digital format before transmitting to the viewers. When the TV signal arrives at the destination, another computer device will cleanse the interference out of the signal and reconstruct it in to the TV programming to let the viewer enjoy clear pictures and great sound. This is one great improvement that viewers can expect when digital TV takes over analog TV. Another added feature of the digital TV is it allows an on-screen program guide even when programming is being aired. There are also some other similar features with this new digital TV. Digital TV transmission uses compression technology that will take up less bandwidth. This will leave more frequencies for other purposes.
With all the advantages surrounding digital TV, there are some little drawbacks that make it inferior to analog TV in some area. For instance, the analog TV can transmit a greater distance than digital TV. Even if you are far away from the analog TV source, you would still be able to get understandable TV. At worst cases, the picture will become fuzzy and not clear. As for the digital TV, the picture quality will fade as it gets further from the source and will disappears when it reaches its maximum distance. Therefore, there are still some viewers sticking to analog TV because they might not be able to get a strong digital signal in their area. So, they are better off with analog TV. So, this reason makes the huge antennas on the rooftop popular again.
Another disadvantage of digital TV is the need for a TV tuner. This TV tuner is not built in the older TV sets. Therefore, after 19 February 2009, one will have to get a new TV set or purchase a special TV box to convert the analog signal to digital signal so that it can be shown through the TV screen.
This means that the electronic manufacturers will make huge profit. This is the so-called political and economical advantages that consumers are unhappy with. Whatever case it may be, they will have to sell of their analog TV set or convert it when the day of digital TV comes.
In the long run, TV viewers in America will benefit from the introduction of digital TV. Although they may be confused and frustrated over the change, they will realize that this change is a change for the better.
January 22, 2008
DirecTV
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If you’re in the market for satellite television, there are two main players that you are probably looking at: DirecTV, and Dish Network. Both are completely viable, well-thought-out solutions that deliver the product that they promise. Both offer competitive home television solutions, good picture quality, and good customer support. In essence, both are services that are deserving of your consideration (and money). However, we are blessed with a free market economy, where one product will always trump the other one. Superiority of design, engineering prowess, and the actual company behind it generally outdo the competition, and it is by this formula that many products have come and gone from the market. This is the very concept that has shaped our economy, and by now you’re probably wondering why this is relevant. We’ve prepared a bit of a death match between the two main satellite providers in America – DirecTV and Dish Network – and have begrudgingly set them at each other in an epic battle to the end. Who will remain?
Dish Network
Dish Network is not as well known as DirecTV, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t making a big splash in the market. In fact, since Dish Network launched a few years ago, customers have been flocking to the service, credit cards in hand, literally begging Dish to take their money. Why?
Dish Network has everything going for them: high-quality broadcasting, capable hardware, desirable packages, great rates, and plenty of customization. Their HD DVR units are second to none, offering the whole experience and enough technical features that they blend in perfectly to any home theater setup.
DirecTV
DirecTV is a name that is synonymous with satellite television. When satellite television service was in its infancy, DirecTV was there. As the service expanded and grew, DirecTV was there. And, as the industry transformed into a complete multimedia solution, DirecTV was there. You could say that DirecTV is in it for the long haul.
DirecTV has gained a good reputation for being a quality satellite provider that offers value, customized packages, and ease of use for the customer. One of the main attractions to DirecTV is the fact that it is seemingly plug and play- once the technicians leave your home, your TV just works. There are no games to play, no hassles to experience, no hoops to jump through- just a working television set (err, up to four of them actually).
DirecTV’s lowest package (the Family package) runs $29.99 a month for 40 channels. At this price, which is pretty low considering the quality of the audio/video and the fact that the channels included are good channels, the customer is also given the option of having up to four receivers installed for free- how’s that for value?
DirecTV vs Dish Network: Who’s Better than Who?
Pitting DirecTV against Dish Network was a difficult task, as it was hard for our testers to focus on the task at hand. Both providers have excellent services, and on that level we are able to say that we liked them both. However, in the interest of Darwinian science we’re going to find just one contender that does the job better than the other.
That contender is Dish Network, and here’s why: throughout the duration of our testing we couldn’t help but feel more at home with the software provided by the Dish Network. It flowed better, looked better, and was a lot faster too. Scrolling through various options menu’s was simple and easy to accomplish, and though that could be done on DirecTV as well, we found it easier and faster on Dish Network.
The Dish Network HD DVR is the best around right now, and though DirecTV’s incarnation is a very good example of what a HD DVR should be, the one offered by Dish Network is just a teeny bit better. We predict that Dish Network will start to gain ground in the market, and we’ll be glad to see that.
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Prepare now for costly switch to digital TV