Audio Video News

DirecTV and TiVo are together again, with a new unit coming soon. It was a sad day when DirecTV and TiVo broke up a few years ago. They were the first receivers with a built-in DVR, and worked together seamlessly. But, when DirecTV started using...

Just bought a new 3DTV, DirecTV subscribers? Then some of you will be glad to hear that an upgrade to your set-top box will bring 3D channels to your satellite feed. Unfortunately this applies only to newer STBs, so other subscribers will need to replace the box altogether to get 3D.

The Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?575">recently passed</A> by Congress and expected to be signed into law by President Clinton, will usher in a new level of competition to the television broadcasting industry&mdash;and a new era of service for viewers, according to direct-broadcast satellite service <A HREF="http://www.directv.com/">DirecTV</A>. The bill allows DBS companies to provide signals from local TV stations, just as cable companies have always done.

High-definition carriers make a lot of promises. Some they keep, some they don't. Last year, DirecTV promised 100 HD channels to its subscribers by the end of 2007. They didn't quite make it, even though the satellite broadcaster still had more HD...

One of the more interesting announcements at CES this year was from DirecTV, who revealed that they would be launching four next-generation satellites by 2007 in order to carry more than 1500 local HDTV channels and 150 national HD channels. The first two of these satellites, dubbed Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2, are scheduled to be sent aloft early in the second quarter of 2005, and they will transmit local HD channels to 12 US markets (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, and Tampa) by mid-year.

As more and more options for entertainment viewing become possible, with streaming and downloading out the wazoo, it seems like an odd time for a rate hike from DirecTV.  But, alas, a price jump is coming in March. DirecTV has well over 100...

DirecTV will flip a switch on April 15 that prevents pay-per-view movies downloaded to a DVR from being watched more than 24 hours after the purchase. How's that for great service? The company is blaming the sudden restriction on Hollywood,...