DIRECTV Activates HD Local Channel Service in Four New Markets

SOURCE: DIRECTV, Inc., 03.28.07

DIRECTV Activates HD Local Channel Service in Four New Markets

ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC Now Available in HD in Greenville, S.C., Harrisburg, Pa., Jacksonville Fla., and Spokane, Wash.;

DIRECTV Now offers Local HD Channels in 53 Markets

WHAT: DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, is now offering local HD programming from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC to customers in Greenville, S.C., Harrisburg, Pa., Jacksonville Fla., and Spokane, Wash. DIRECTV now offers local HD broadcast channels in 53 cities, representing more than 67 percent of U.S. TV households.

DIRECTV's local HD channel rollout is part of an aggressive nationwide expansion of HD programming that includes plans to offer local HD channels in up to 75 markets and up to 100 national channels by year end. When DIRECTV's capacity expansion is complete next year, it will offer more than 1,500 local HD channels and more than 150 national HD channels, establishing DIRECTV as the nation's leading provider of HD programming.

WHEN: Beginning today, Wednesday, March 28, 2007

HOW: Customers who subscribe to a programming package that includes local channels receive both the standard-definition and HD signals at no extra monthly charge. Customers can receive local HD channels by leasing an H20 HD receiver or the new HR20 DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR and satellite dish. Existing HD customers can upgrade their HD receiver and dish for $99 per receiver. New customers can take advantage of a $100 mail-in rebate on all DIRECTV HD and HDDVR receivers.

DIRECTV Tops Installer Preference

SOURCE: SKYReport.com03.14.07

'A new national survey suggests that the nation's fleet of professional home theater technicians do have a preference when it comes to best picture quality: DIRECTV. The survey said that by a four-to-one margin, home theater installers chose DIRECTV as the service that provides the best video over cable.

Conducted by the Alliance Consulting Group with 500 professional home theater professionals, the study also showed that many installers prefer DIRECTV in a few other categories as well.

According to the survey, installers chose DIRECTV two-to-one over cable for having the best overall television experience; three-to-one over cable for best home theater experience on a high-def system; more than two-to-one for best overall picture quality on a high-def system; and three-to-one for the best home theater experience.

No word if the study will show up as evidence in the lawsuit Time Warner Cable filed against DIRECTV over the DBS company's ads claiming high-def supremacy.'

Top 5 HDTVs

SOURCE: AskMen.com

'Microdisplay-based rear-projection HDTVs are more popular than American Idol. These sets use LCD or DLP (digital light processing) light engines, fit into tight spaces, and cost more than regular CRT-based big screens. Only one, Hitachi's 50V500, earned CNET.com's coveted Editors' Choice award, but all five high definition televisions are worth a look.

5. Gateway 56-inch DLP HD-ready TV

The good: Relatively inexpensive; excellent connectivity; versatile PIP; bright and incredibly detailed image; robust, low-maintenance technology; wide viewing angle.

The bad: Still much pricier than similar-size CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) rear projectors; some rainbow effects; video noise and grayish blacks in darker scenes; inaccurate color.

The bottom line: Gateway's budget DLP rear projector won't win on style, but its picture is a pleasant surprise.

4. Samsung HLN467W

The good: Striking design; excellent connectivity; bright, incredibly detailed image; robust, low-maintenance technology; wide viewing angle.

The bad: Expensive; some rainbow effects; video noise and grayish blacks in darker scenes.

The bottom line: This smaller projection TV offers razor-sharp images and boatloads of features, but it also costs as much as a plasma.

3. Sony KF-50WE610

The good: Black-level performance on par with DLP TVs; slim, light and stylish design; excellent feature package.

The bad: Black-level performance is still not quite as good as that of CRT-based RPTVs (Rear-Projection TVs); lacks independent memory per input; expensive.

The bottom line: A huge leap forward in performance for LCD rear-projection TVs, the newest Grand WEGA line gives DLP a run for its money.

2. Sony KF-60WE610

The good: Black-level performance on par with DLP TVs; slim, light and stylish design; excellent feature package.

The bad: Black-level performance is still not quite as good as that of CRT-based RPTVs; lacks independent memory per input; expensive.

The bottom line: A huge leap forward in performance for LCD rear-projection TVs, the newest Grand WEGA line gives DLP a run for its money.

1. Hitachi 50V500

The good: Black-level performance on par with DLP TVs; slim and light design; custom "day & night" modes for each input; excellent feature package.

The bad: Black-level performance still less than perfect; expensive.

The bottom line: While not quite as fetching as some, this set offers the best out-of-the-box performance we've seen yet from a rear-projection LCD.'

DIRECTV National Geographic HD

SOURCE: TVPredictions.com; 03.06.07

'Washington, D.C.(March 6, 2007) -- DIRECTV today said it has not set a launch date for National Geographic HD.

Over the weekend, the satcaster raised prospects that it would soon add the high-def channel when it posted an upcoming NG HD episode on its Interactive Programming Guide (IPG) at channel 77.

The episode, called In the Womb, finally aired this morning shortly after 2 a.m. ET.

However, DIRECTV spokesman Robert Mercer told TVPredictions.com today that the episode was a "sneak peek of marquee HD programming that we're offering customers periodically throughout the year."

DIRECTV plans later this year to offer 100 national high-def channels after it launches at least one new satellite; it now carries around 10 national HD channels due to limited satellite space.

Mercer said DIRECTV will add National Geographic HD later in the year but did not provide a launch date.

"NGC HD ranks high on everyone's favorite HD programming list so we're offering a taste to our customers," Mercer said.

It's unclear when DIRECTV will air the next NG HD episode.

"We are planning to air more NGC HD programming depending on available capacity. We are looking at more 'sneak peek' programming," Mercer said.'

MLB Exclusively on DIRECTV

SOURCE: SkyReport.com; 03.05.07

'Although nothing officially has been announced about DIRECTV landing an exclusive deal with Major League Baseball for its out-of-market programming package, company officials are saying that the satellite version of baseball will be better than it has ever been on other carriers. In a letter addressed to Federal Communications Commission Media Bureau Chief Monica Shah Desai, DIRECTV CEO Chase Cary said the agency has nothing to fear over the proposed deal because consumers will be the winners in the end.

DIRECTV's rumored deal for MLB's Extra Innings package has attracted heated criticism from law makers, media observers and baseball fans worried their ability to watch baseball will be greatly diminished if the deal goes through. But in his letter, Carey said the satcaster's agreement with the league "is going to be a big win for consumers and is consistent with Congress's and the FCC's pro-competitive policies."

Carey compared the company's plans with Extra Innings to what it has done in the past with the NFL Sunday Ticket and NASCAR Hotpass. The exec said consumers will get a better product with more features, and "more people will choose to subscribe to Extra Innings on DIRECTV alone than when the product was available on cable nationwide." The DIRECTV head also said no consumers will be denied access because viewers, if they desire, can switch from cable to DIRECTV for free.

According to Carey, it was baseball who approached pay-TV providers to negotiate over exclusive carriage of its Extra Innings and only DIRECTV showed interest at a level that satisfied the league - carrying MLB's new The Baseball Channel in the future. Also part of the deal means that The Baseball Channel remains available to DISH Network, cable and other providers.

Another point Carey contends is that allowing the broadband-less DIRECTV to have exclusive rights to Extra Innings will "help stem the flow of subscribers returning to cable in order to purchase the triple-play of voice, video and data... This is the sort of development Congress and the Commission should welcome" because it is "entirely consistent" with the groups' desire to promote competition.

The letter goes on to say that the only real barriers to cable customers who would want to switch to DIRECTV for the programming is "imposed by cable" itself. Carey said the industry penalizes its customers by increasing internet service rates if the sub cancels their video service, and theoretically subs could watch games on MLB.com if cable didn't prohibit a direct connection between the internet and the set-top box.'

DIRECTV's Caribbean Channels

HYPE TV, exclusively from DIRECTV gives you an outlet to get connected to Caribbean culture!

HYPE TV is the number one television choice for young people with a passion for all things Caribbean. Based in Kingston, Jamaica, HYPE TV delivers culturally-relevant music and entertainment that appeals to people with ties to the Caribbean nations, as well as music aficionados and culture-seekers from around the globe. HYPE TV reflects the energy and imagination of one of the most exhilarating parts of the world.

To get HYPE TV, you must first subscribe to the DIRECTV BASIC ($9.99/mo), DIRECTV PREFERRED CHOICE™ programming package ($29.99/mo.) or any DIRECTV base programming package (valued at $29.99/mo. or above)

Comcast Cable Viewers May Lose Fox HD

SOURCE - tvpredictions.com, February 28, 2007

'Washington, D.C. (February 28, 2007) -- At midnight tonight, Comcast subscribers in Richmond, Virginia may lose their Fox standard and High-Definition channels.

Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns the Fox affiliate WRLH-TV in Richmond, is demanding that Comcast pay for the station's signals. But the two sides can not agree on terms and the current carriage agreement will end at midnight tonight.

Similar battles between local stations and TV providers are taking place in several cities across the nation, leading to millions of people being unable to watch local channels in high-def.

Comcast has approximately 250,000 subscribers in the Richmond area. However, the cable operator serves approximately three million people in Sinclair markets nationwide so the Richmond impasse could impact other cites as well if the two companies can not reach an agreement.

Comcast's Sinclair markets include: Richmond, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Nashville.

A Fox cable blackout would upset many with the network now airing the latest season of the smash hit American Idol. Comcast subscribers could get the Fox SD and HD signals with an antenna; the high-def signals, however, will require a high-def tuner as well.

Comcast told the Richmond Times Dispatch that it will try to "resolve the situation without impact on customers."

Cable operators generally believe they should not have to pay for the local station's signals because they are available for free via off-air antennas.

Bill Lane, general manager at the Fox station in Richmond, said Sinclair is "doing everything that we think is fair and just to see that happen."'

DIRECTV’s NCAA Mega March Madness Selection Sunday

NCAA Mega March Madness - A 20-day tournament, has become one of the United States’ most prominent sports events!

Selection Sunday is this Sunday March 4, 2007.

Selection Sunday is when the 65 participating teams are announced by the selection committee. The teams are seeded from 1 to 16 in 4 regional groupings around the country. The eventual winners of the four regions meet in the Final Four in a predetermined location. The four seeds play out the tournament until the National Champion if crowned.

In 1999, DIRECTV began broadcasting all games otherwise not shown on local television with its Mega March Madness premium package. DIRECTV gives you up to 37 NCAA live tournament games from outside your region. DIRECTV Offers:

• HD Games - Selected MEGA MARCH MADNESS games are available in HD.
• MEGA MARCH MADNESS Game Mix - Watch up to 3 games at once, all on a single screen.
• Interactive Tournament Bracket - Select and enter your own bracket picks and track how well their doing as the Tournament unravels.
• Enhanced Games - Bring up the on-screen L-wrap application on all four game channels. The L-wrap featuring real time game clocks and scores from live games and extra scoring summaries from current round games.. You can do all of this without missing any of the action from the game you're currently watching.
• MEGA MARCH MADNESS Short Cuts - Commercial-free recaps of all 63 tournament games in 20 minutes or less. Short Cuts will not air during live games.

Order NCAA Mega March Madness today!