By DirecTV?

Posted by: Dignan

By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 13:25

After watching Arrested Development and House this week, I noticed an odd message at the beginning of each episode. They both said something like "HDTV brought to you by DirecTV." What does this mean? That's the only thing on my HDTivo that isn't brought to me by DirecTV. I am eagerly awaiting the day that we can get local HD channels over DirecTV (there are several we can't get due to trees). Do you think that's what is going on with this? Is it a push towards that?

On a related note, I keep seeing that DirecTV commercial, the one with the people flying satellite kites. There's a narrator saying that DirecTV will be launching 1,500 HD channels across the nation. 1,500? How is that? Local channels, I assume, but I'm quite curious.
Posted by: robricc

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 13:34

Quote:
There's a narrator saying that DirecTV will be launching 1,500 HD channels across the nation. 1,500? How is that? Local channels, I assume, but I'm quite curious.

Directv is switching to MPEG4 to serve more HD content with less satellites. This, and lack of locals carried on the satellite is what keeps me from dropping $800 on an HDTiVo.
Posted by: tonyc

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 13:39

Uh, I would guess that "brought to you by" is just in the conventional "sponsored by" sense... DirecTV obvoiusly wants to have their name associated with HDTV, so sponsoring Fox's HDTV broadcasts is certainly productive. I wouldn't read too much into it, I mean, of course DirecTV is working on getting everyone's local channels to them in HD, but I don't think this is a sign that it's going to come anytime soon. DirecTV's commitment, as mentioned in their press release after the Super Bowl, is 1500 channels by 2007, which could mean 12/31/2007.

So, uh, don't hold your breath.
Posted by: tonyc

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 13:41

Less satellites? I read (on Gizmodo, I believe) that they're launching 4 new ones, two of them next year.
Posted by: robricc

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 13:44

Less satellites compared to how many it would take to serve 1,500 HD channels with the current MPEG format.
Posted by: tonyc

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 14:18

Gotcha.
Posted by: drakino

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 17:08

Quote:
Directv is switching to MPEG4 to serve more HD content with less satellites.

If Voom survives, this will be how they keep all their content even with the loss of Rainbow 1. Every box Voom has shipped is upgradable to MPEG4, and already March 1 saw the switchover to a new encoder on their end that does both MPEG2 and 4. Their upgrade policy was one reason I considered them over the competition. Once the PVR comes out, all their existing boxes will network to it, and be able to stream recorded or live shows via ethernet or Cat-5.
Posted by: SE_Sport_Driver

Re: By DirecTV? - 09/03/2005 19:15

MPEG4 will start showing up this summer in new Sky+ (?) boxes by DirecTV. You are correct that MPEG4 content is still a ways away, but at least the hardware will be out soon.