Aereo has a lot of plates spinning. The streaming TV startup just launched a huge marketing push in NY, along with the announcement of a $38 million funding round aimed at expansion to over 20 new cities in the coming months. And if that weren’t enough, Aereo is still in the midst of a fierce legal battle with network broadcasters. Still, the company continues to juggle its issues, not least… → Read More
Video ad company FreeWheel is announcing this morning a big new client, which is also making a strategic investment in the firm. Satellite TV provider DirecTV has chosen the startup to improve monetization on new digital platforms, and has taken an equity stake in FreeWheel to help make it happen. → Read More
Your monthly cable or satellite bill just keeps going up — that’s the reality we all face. And while consumers are getting squeezed by price increases, they’re not alone: Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett sees a reckoning coming, as increases in the cost of programming are also outpacing cable or satellite providers’ ability to support them.
Over the last five years, programming costs… → Read More
It must be an absolute nightmare being a Hollywood executive in 2011. Four big studios (20th Century Fox, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros.) have announced plans to introduce a premium video-on-demand service, to debut on DirecTV next month as “Home Premiere,” that will screen movies a mere 60 days after their theatrical debut. Renting such a movie will set you back $30. And if you think… → Read More
The very first 24/7 3D television network will launch on February 13. It’s called 3net, and it’ll debut on DirecTV channel 107. It’s a joint venture between Sony, Discovery Communications, and IMAX. Very, very exciting news for the 15 people in the audience who bought a 3DTV. → Read More
Comcast, America’s worst company, just announced that it will have indeed have ESPN 3D in time for this year’s World Cup. Comcast is the first cable provider to commit to carrying the network (while DirecTV announced the same thing several weeks ago). → Read More
Listen, it’s all well and good that DirecTV gets to make these grandiloquent announcements that it’s going to offer this or that sport in 3D—today’s news is that DirecTV will be the first TV provider to show a Major League Baseball game in 3D with this July 10 and July 11′s Yankees-Mariners clash on the YES Network—but I have one question: why in God’s name is Fox Soccer Channel still… → Read More
We’re starting to see the results of Netflix’s deal with the devil. DirecTV really wants to make sure you know that while Netflix won’t have Fox and Time Warner’s movies at release day, they will be on PPV. Is that the sound of someone rubbing their hands together in a greedy way? → Read More
DirecTV will be among the first television providers to offer ESPN 3D. The channel launches this June, and DirecTV will place it alongside two other 3D channels, a 24/7 pay-per-view channel and a movies on-demand channel. → Read More
Ever since the DirecTV‘s CEO stepped down back in July, there has been talk about someone buying up the satellite TV provider. The latest analysis chatter states Verizon might pick up DirecTV to dramatically increase its marketshare overnight. The purchase would make Verizon second only to Comcast in subs when the DirecTV customer base is added to Verizon’s current FiOS subscribers and supercharge… → Read More
I know the DirectTV app store has been out for a bit, but I watched this video and was shocked. It seems that DirecTV added these apps or widgets just to be cool and hip like everyone else. They seem like an afterthought and not a well-developed platform. Now, like Dave Zatz points out, it could be that the system has so much lag because of the crappy DirecTV house brand DVR, but don’t you think… → Read More
Bad news for DirecTV subs. If you have been waiting, and waiting to upgade your old TiVo Series 2-ish DirecTV DVR, you are going to have to wait a bit longer. It was reveled in the quarterly earnings call that the DVR isn’t going to be available this year, rather sometime in 2010. → Read More
Is this a trick? IT FEELS LIKE A TRICK! I’m either dead or dreaming because not only did Comcast and NFL Network just reach an agreement to make NFL Network part of Comcast’s Digital Classic package, but Comcast subscribers will also get access to the Red Zone Channel that’s usually shown only on DirecTV as part of the insanely expensive Sunday Ticket package. → Read More
Put away your pitchforks, angry investors, for Sirius XM has been saved by Liberty Media, the company that has a sizable stake in DirecTV. A deal was reached that sees Liberty Media invest (via loans) $530 million in the satellite radio operation, some of which will go straight to paying off that $170ish million in debt the company had until today to come up with. Mel Karmazin stays on as CEO, but… → Read More
This Sirius XM bankruptcy story is starting to read like some trashy novel. There’s now word that DirecTV is getting involved, with the CEO of its parent company Liberty Media, one John C. Malone, offering to bail out the troubled satellite radio company. Some see it as a genuine offer, while others see it merely as a ploy to jack up the price for Malone’s rival at EchoStar (Dish Network), Charles… → Read More
Whoa, whoa, whoa, back it up… beep… beep… beep. So DirecTV and TiVo have run back into each other’s loving arms despite a pretty ugly separation back in 2005. Back in the day, you could get DirecTV service with the very-excellent TiVo interface loaded into a pretty powerful dual-tuner box. Then all hell broke loose as DirecTV abruptly announced that it would be making its own DVR boxes… → Read More
Listen. We’re not in the game of financial advisory — even though we do know the game — but when Dish Network drops like an Olympic weightlifter, we take notice. Shares of Dish Network Corp. fell sharply Wednesday after an analyst downgraded the stock due to concerns about the satellite TV operator’s weakening business. It’s worse… In the second quarter… → Read More
Tough times for Los Angelenos wanting to watch HDTV. Apartment dwellers in the city are, apparently, fed up with Time Warner’s foot-dragging when it comes to expanding HD content, especially those who aren’t allowed to install a DirecTV or Dish Network satellite dish. Right now, Los Angeles ranks dead last in HD channel availability in the top five TV markets in the country. (LA has… → Read More
In the coming months, DirecTV subscribers will finally have access to on-demand content. Popular movies will automatically get pushed to set-top DVR boxes via satellite and everything else will be downloaded as it’s requested using the boxes’ built-in Ethernet ports. It’s not a perfect solution, as automatically pushed content can take up precious hard drive space that’d… → Read More
If you’re a DirecTV subscriber and you’re prepared to cough up the $368 it’ll cost you to get the NFL Sunday Ticket package plus the SuperFan upgrade, you’ll be able to stream every game to your computer (Windows only) this season. → Read More
Not a lot of info here, but the WSJ is reporting that DirecTV will FINALLY start offering broadband Internet access via power line distribution. The service is possible through a deal with Current Group, who provides broadband communications over power lines. How much would you pay for broadband ‘net from DirecTV? With $20 satellite TV available, this could make up part of a wicked package… → Read More
Launching in 2008 are software enhancements that will give DirecTV DVR users with built-in Series 2 TiVo a Recently Deleted Folder and Overlap Protection as well as Remote Booking. No need to upgrade now is there? Press Release → Read More
Believe it or not, some people in this country still don’t have access to broadband. Combine that with the fact that DirecTV is in a bit of a financial pickle and you’ll understand why the satellite TV provider is toying with the idea of starting a broadband over power line service in the near future. It’s currently deciding whether or not to go into formal testing, using a… → Read More
I live in an apartment. It is a nice apartment with great views of most of Seattle, from the Downtown all the way up to the U-District and even the Freemont Bridge. Sadly, like many apartment dwellers, I’m limited to cable TV. My building has strict rules against DirecTV-style mini dishes. The manager says it’s about decor, we think it’s more to do with the heft discount Comcast… → Read More
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