The DIY (Do-it-Yourself) Network can be found on channel 230 of your DirecTV package. It broadcasts a wealth of information on how to do various projects without hiring a professional to do it for you. They also showcase some crafting projects such as jewelry making, sewing, knitting, and quilting and show the home viewer what materials they will need to acquire and how to complete these types of projects on their own time. Mostly, however, the channel, owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, is about how to build, repair, and install common items around the house.

The shows broadcast by the network cover a wide array of home improvement and maintenance topics such as car, truck, motorcycle, and recreational vehicle repairs, upgrades, and regular maintenance, home projects ranging from building a deck all the way up to designing and helping to build a new home. Often, episodes will walk you through plumbing projects such as installing a new garbage disposal or dishwasher or fixing a problematic toilet. There are also shows that can help you choose products and materials by focusing on the testing of home products for reliability, environmental viability, and safety and making recommendations to the do it yourself-er on what building materials and supplies will work the best in the long run and live up to all of the standards that you are most concerned with.

There are even shows that will show you how to start scrapbooking or making, editing, and compiling quality home videos so that you can keep your family's memories protected and accessible for generations to come. Or you could catch a program that leads you step by step through learning everything you need to know to plant and maintain your own successful home garden. Some episodes will also give you the opportunity to check out some new hobbies you might be interested in - from boating to woodworking. Find something that interests you and then do it yourself – all from your very own living room, thanks to the great programming on DirecTV!

The Travel Channel host Samantha Brown has a dream job. She travels the world, sees historical sites, samples fine food and spirits, dances most nights away, and has slept in view of more coasts than most people have even seen pictures of. The best part is, for DirecTV customers, all you need to do is turn into the Travel Channel (channel 277, or 1277 for the Video on Demand version). Now she’s the host of another great show entitled “Great Weekends”, showcasing beautiful weekend getaways within the United States, such as off the beaten path bed and breakfasts, private resorts, and little known hidden gems within America’s boundaries.

Samantha Brown has a lot of experience in the travel hosting realm, being the host of the very popular “Passport to Europe”, and more recently “Passport to Latin America”, which included Brown’s adventure to cities such as Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City. Her early career was diverse as well, including commercial acting work as “Wendy Wire”, the image for the Century Cable company, as well as being a member of the New York based comedy troupe “Mouth”. She’s more recently been seen as the spokesperson for both ECCO shoes, Cedar Point amusement park, and HP Pavilion’s “Computer is Personal Again” commercials.

With “Great Weekends”, the format is somewhat similar to her other travel shows, focusing on America’s different landscapes and people, and their cultural difference. She stays at some great hotels and bed and breakfasts, while finding exciting activities that entertain and inform anyone interested in traveling and seeing breath-taking sights.

Samantha Brown and her many great shows can be seen on any good satellite television provider, such as DirecTV. Her sparkling personality and ability to bring the viewer on a mental journey keeps the show alive and interesting.

Video games have become a pastime engraved into our culture and our lives. The more they evolve into advanced and epic adventures for the family to enjoy, the more video games are becoming the default form of entertainment in many homes. And then is the first true love of entertainment, TV, or more specifically, today’s wonderful satellite television. Now let’s put those two things together and out pops the G4 channel.

G4, officially launched in April of 2002 and sometimes referred to as G4 TV, is yet another strong addition to the DirecTV satellite channel lineup. G4 is aired on DirecTV channel 310, as well as the wonderfully handy Video On Demand channel 1310, and was originally intended to appeal to male viewers aging from 12 to 28, it has since increased its appeal across both the age and gender demographics. The origin of the channel network name comes from the four different evolutionary stages of video games, ranging from text games, to sprite-based graphics, then polygon, and later texture method graphics.

Gamers everywhere can be entertained and informed about the latest happenings in the video game and internet industry, as well as enjoy great syndicated cult classics such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, or “Arrested Development”.

One show that stands out to be the most popular and loved show of the bunch is the always entertaining and geek friendly “Attack of the Show”, or “AotS” for sake of ease. With a cast of talented, informed and energetic young hosts, this show is the cream of the nerd crop. Between website reviews, video game previews, great guests in the tech field, there’s something for everyone on “Attack of the Show”, and it’s just another reason any tech-head or video game fan with DirecTV should check out the G4 channel.

So you've made the decision to get a satellite television setup for your home. You've had your consultation and your installation visits, and now everyone in the house can enjoy the glory of hundreds of channels at their fingertips, via a great satellite service such as DirecTV. So what's the problem? You realize that for the most part, everyone is in their own room, watching their own televisions, sometimes even the same shows at the same time!

The solution? A home theater system! Home theater systems aren't just bigger screens and bigger sound—they can actually work to bring your busy family closer together. Installing a home theater system in your home makes television-watching an activity instead of constant background noise that imposes on your every waking moment. In some families, the television is always on, it serves as a babysitter and even a dinnertime companion. Having a home theater system will change all that. Home theaters are not meant to be kept on all hours of the day. It's a planned family or solo activity that is all-consuming because of the amazing picture and sound clarity.

When you have one set location where you do partake in your television-watching experience, you and the rest of the family will start considering DirecTV television shows and movies you watch on your home theater an activity that takes place outside of your daily life. You can drastically reduce the amount of time your family spends in front of the television, while increasing your enjoyment of television time, by getting rid of televisions in bedrooms and family rooms and relying solely on your attractive new home theater.

Instead of having the entire family scatter to watch their own shows after dinner, a home theater will bring the family together for evening activities. With a home theater, the television show or movie is more captivating and everyone in the family can take turns sharing their favorites or exploring new programming choices as a group.

Originally airing under the name Court TV, truTV has been the best channel on satellite television for all your judicial needs, from live up to the minute homicide trial coverage, to an assortment of heart-pumping reality shows and “caught on camera” moments.

Broadcasting on DirecTV channel 246, as well as the very handy Video on Demand format airing on channel 1246, truTV has come a long way from its early days. This Turner Broadcasting owned network began airing in 1991 as Court TV, and the content was mainly non-stop live trial coverage, both celebrity and not, with the viewer being briefed by anchors offering their judicial analysis. The notoriously drawn out and circus-like trial of O.J. Simpson was one of a few trials that helped to bring many early adopting viewers around to Court TV. Paired with this new audience share and the audition of both syndicated reruns and original content such as “Forensic Files” and “Homicide: Life on the Street”, Court TV really filled out it’s own niche nicely.

Since the beginning of 2008, Court TV became truTV. In addition to the name change came a fresh look, a slight schedule change of the live court news coverage program “In Session”, and the addition of multiple new law related reality shows.

Everything from the fan favorite TV show “Cops” to “Operation: Repo” can be found on truTV. “Operation: Repo” showcases and follows, through reenactments, the crazy stories and experiences that people in the property repossession field have to encounter, such as weapon wielding church reverends and defaulted loan-holding ice cream truck drivers. The show has been so successful that a movie based on the TV series is being planned.

These couple shows are just the tip of the crime-fighting iceberg that is truTV. From shows like “The Real Hustle” that shows people how to avoid being scammed or victimized, to “Black Gold”, a series that documents the high-stakes struggles of oil drilling in Texas, truTV never lets viewers down when it comes to justice and adrenaline-pumping programming.

You can get full HD access to TruTV and so many other great shows with a DirecTV satellite television subscription.  Find the package that is right for you DirecTV.

Despite her family members' lack of stature in society, her imprisoned father and burlesque dancing sister are are as pretentious as they come. Her brother is basically a good-for-nothing.

Her life starts to experience changes when she is summoned by a woman she doesn't know to come and be her seamstress for reasons Amy doesn't understand. Judy Parfitt from “Girl with a Pearl Earring” acts the part of the sharp-tongued Mrs. Clennam that Amy goes to work for. Her servant Jeremiah Flintwinch is played by Alun Armstrong who appeared in another one of Andrew Davies' creations, Bleak House.

While working in the Clennam’s house, Amy meets Mrs. Clennam’s son, Arthur (who is portrayed by Mathew Macfadyen from “Pride and Prejudice”), who, after being out of the country for twenty years, has returned to London in the wake of his father’s death. Amy starts to have feelings for her employer's son, but only friendship, not her affection, is returned.

There is also a Frenchman named Rigaud that is one of the recurring characters. Rigaud is played by Andy Serkis who also acted in “Lord of the Rings”. His character knows the secret as to why Mrs. Clennam sought to employ Amy Dorrit, which comes out in due time and explains a number of connections between characters that were otherwise unknown.

And that is only the basic plot set up for this adaptation of Dickens’ story. There is plenty of social commentary and satirical elements to be found which are still surprisingly relevant to economic situations found today.

The series is sure to please most viewers who take the time to watch it. In the end, the story is wrapped up in somewhat hurried but still satisfying way. The best parts of the series are its excellent writing and the work of its talented cast.

Just another great series you won't want to miss on DirecTV!  Because Direct TV packages provide so many exclusive offerings and original programming, the largest (and ever-increasing) number of High Definition channels and networks available, it is clearly a great choice for a home’s complete entertainment needs.

Award winning writer Andrew Davies, has adapted for television “Little Dorrit” by Charles Dickens. He is perhaps best known by American audiences for his television adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice”. The BBC/WGBH new release comes at a very appropriate time as it deals with a family and country struggling with economic hardship. The new series will be aired on PBS’ Masterpiece Classics channel on March 29 and run through April 26, 2009.

Little Dorrit, like much of Dickens' works, follows a complexly woven storyline revolving around the a large number of recurring and transient characters. It is set in a time in which debt and poverty can turn to fortune and status overnight, and visa versa. The characters that are involved in the story experience these shifts firsthand.

A large portion of the story takes place at the Marshalsea prison for debtors. Charles Dickens pulled this real-life stage for his story out of his own actual experiences. Many years ago, he and his family were residents of the actual prison, blurring the line between imagination and reality.

The character of William Doritt is played by Tom Courtenay. William was once a gentlemen of some regard, but, after falling into debt with the government, he is now just a long-time resident of the prison. He has been there so long, in fact, he has come to be called the “Father of the Marshalsea”.

Claire Foy is Amy aka “Little Dorrit”. She is twenty-two years old and has never lived anywhere other than the prison. Her and her brother and sister are not captives in the same sense as their father, however, and can pretty much enter and leave as they wish.

Amy Dorrit is the only one of the siblings that is at all responsible or accountable and because of this characteristic she is taken advantage of and put upon by her family members without regard.

(Continued in Part 2)

Just another great series you won't want to miss on DirecTV!  Because Direct TV packages provide so many exclusive offerings and original programming, the largest (and ever-increasing) number of High Definition channels and networks available, it is clearly a great choice for a home’s complete entertainment needs.

Direct TV brings Super Bowl XLII action to subscribers with exclusive programming beginning on Saturday, January 31, 2009. Tuning in to your satellite TV will make the whole weekend of Super Bowl Sunday an event of NFL celebration!

The American tradition of gathering together in celebration, usually centers around a holiday. The most common are holidays, in which the US mail won't deliver and the banks are often closed. In many American homes, Super Bowl Sunday has become a traditional family gathering, when everyone makes elaborate plans of grilling, eating and celebrating – it's almost as if the end of the NFL season, has become an unofficial American Family holiday.

Direct TV 's fun-packed night before the Big Game is the Third Annual Celebrity Beach Bowl hosted by Spike HD. It's the biggest Super Bowl XLIII warm up party anywhere near Tampa Bay, Florida…or any other town! You'll see the real rough and tumble Flag Football game as the Hollywood team plays with and against great stars of the NFL. Naturally, the Direct TV Celebrity Beach Bowl is only half the fun and on Sunday, February 1, 2009, it's time for the Big Game!

The night will begin with Academy Award winning Actress and "American Idol" talent, Jennifer Hudson as she sings the National Anthem. Direct TV is thrilled the songbird, will be back on stage where America will hear her sing a song a triumph at a place of celebration.
 
For the pre-game festivities, Grammy Award-winning artist Faith Hill will sing "America the Beautiful" before Super Bowl XLIII kicks off. The Halftime show this year will be just as great as the NFL competition when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform.

Direct TV packages help you make Super Bowl XLIII more than just a Sunday event – it's a whole weekend celebration. It's the unofficial American Family holiday!

While most Direct TV subscribers are already aware of the enormous number of High Definition programs and channels that the satellite television provider makes available, as well as the movie quality picture and sound, and their award winning customer service, they may not be aware of the remarkable “exclusives” also available through the company.

One of the easiest to use but most often overlooked are the interactive programming options and exclusives. Direct TV subscribers can view up to eight networks at a time on their standard television screen, with no need for additional fees or special equipment. The interactive features also allow customers to select the “active” button and receive information which they personalize, including their local weather, daily horoscope and even local and statewide lottery results! The active feature also provides information about upcoming promotions, such as free premium weekends, and previews all of the current “pay per view” programs as well.

Direct TV’s interactive programming also presents a customer with a few “mix” options as well, including the popular “sports mix” channel that provides up to the minute sporting news, scores and game previews. There is also a “news mix” with updates from the world’s leading news outlets.

In addition to interactive and personalized information features, Direct TV also delivers a comprehensive array of sporting packages for anyone interested in a particular game or sports in general. For example, the many sports subscription packages allow a customer to view every game from an entire season of their favorite sport. This means that football, hockey, basketball, baseball, race car driving and college sports enthusiasts can view each game, race or play off through their exclusive subscription package. Additionally, only Direct TV provides a wide-range of international sporting events as well, including rugby and soccer among others.

The Direct TV-only channel known as the “101 Channel” offers a full line-up of exclusive programs including popular dramatic series like “Friday Night Lights” as well as special coverage of live concerts and special events, national stories covered by Direct TV itself and the Championship Gaming Series program, which is not covered anywhere else. The satellite programmer also provides exclusive access to such shows as the “Maltin Minute”, which reviews films currently running on one of the premium stations or “pay per view” channels, or the “Scorsese Selection” which are seasonal or relevant films selected and reviewed by acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese.

In addition to viewing Direct TV exclusives, customers can also listen to the exclusive XM Satellite network through their receiver box. This is a great bonus for any subscriber with a high-tech or stereo equipped home entertainment center, as they will be able to listen to crystal clear radio reception in almost any room of their home.

Because Direct TV packages provide so many exclusive offerings and original programming, the largest (and ever-increasing) number of High Definition channels and networks available, it is clearly a great choice for a home’s complete entertainment needs.

HDTV stands for high-definition television—a digital television broadcasting system with greater resolution than traditional systems.  High-definition television is digitally broadcast because this technology requires less bandwidth when a form of video compression is used.  The fact that all channels are 100% digital quality means that you get the best picture imaginable, along with the latest features in Dolby Digital surround sound.  The resolution of HDTV make regular movies or series look like crisp, movie-quality exhibitions.  For the best results use HDTV with a wide screen digital television and turn the lights out!

However, HDTV is only as good as its programming.  Ordinarily, home moviegoers would have to go out and look for high resolution DVDs or Blu-ray discs.  The idea of HDTV is a great one, provided that the cable or satellite company can provide a whole host of movies and TV shows that use this HD technology.  The best cable providers will only offer 55 HD channels.  Satellite TV has the advantage here, particularly Direct TV, who carries 95 HD channels compared to Dish Network’s 73.  What kind of programming can you find on Direct TV’s line up? 

Direct TV offers many live events, sporting contests and pay-per-view movies that are broadcast exclusively in HD resolution.  Direct TV offers many high quality channels in HD, such as CNN, A&E, The History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, The Sci-Fi Network and Nick Jr.  There are also premium channels available in HD, like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and Starz.  HBO and Showtime broadcast the biggest movies of the year.  Imagine seeing these films the way they were meant to be experienced: in high resolution!  In addition, you also get all of the major networks broadcast in HD, as well as some exciting sports packages, like NFL Sunday Ticket, Nascar Hot Pass and NCAA Mega March Madness, as well as regular sports channels like ESPN, the NFL Network and the NHL Network. 

You can also record all your favorite series episodes and full-length movies using the HD DVR system.  DVR (Digital Video Recording) is another digital breakthrough, as it allows users to record any program with just a click of a button.  The DVR system lets you record up to 200 hours of SD programming and 50 hours of HD programming.  Now you can watch your favorite shows according to your own schedule.  You can manually record according to time or program the system to record shows based on name alone.  This makes recording your network favorites easy, even if your favorite show is recklessly moved all over the fall schedule.  You can also record two shows at once while watching another show.  You can search the Channel Guide up to 14 days in advance and program recordings.  Lastly, you have the option of pausing or rewinding live television.

The DVD and HD package is currently being offered at a rate of $99.00 per month.  If you want to experience the best quality of picture and sound in your own living room, then a Direct TV package that includes HD is your best and most affordable option. 

Philips has introduced the latest of their long line of green electronics products, the 42” Eco TV.  Now you can save energy while you are enjoying your favorite satellite television series on the many great HD channels DirectTV offers. This energy-saving television looks incredible and is filled with amazing features.  

The Eco TV boasts a 42” HD LCD Display and can support a resolution of up to 1080p. The widescreen high-definition display has sharp, crystal clear picture whether you are watching the latest episode of your favorite program or using the Eco TV as your computer display.

Philips packed this television with many powerful features. The most impressive power saving feature is the LCD panel backlight which has a proprietary dimming technology. This dimming technology helps to save power while maintaining good picture quality. Philips equipped the Eco TV with a light sensor to determine the ambient light in the room. This sensor is used to adjust the HDTV’s backlight. This setting can be adjusted and set directly by you in the television’s personalized settings.

This television won CNET’s “Best in Show” at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. While at the CES this television was seen by CNET to have a power consumption of only 75 watts. Only time will tell just how much this HDTV could save on your power bill if you replaced your existing television with the Eco TV.

A common issue when watching movie content in HD is a juddering effect.  A judder is a mismatch of timing which causes a jerky picture during motion. Philips created HD Natural Motion to eliminate these effects and create a smooth and sharp picture. HD Natural Motion is a top feature of this television.

The Eco TV has an invisible sound system which gives viewers incredible sound without compromising on the visual appeal of the television. The sound quality of this television is made possible by BBE high definition sound. As an added bonus this sound system has a 25 watt power output. This high-definition television comes complete with Dolby Digital output for outstanding sound on your home-theatre system.

Your viewing experience will be unsurpassed on the Eco TV whether you are watching network television in high-def or catching the latest release of Rocky in HD on MGM HD, DirectTV channel 255. To ease the use of multiple HD devices with this TV, Philips has included EasyLink which uses HDMI CEC.  HDMI CEC is an industry standard protocol that allows this television and connected devices to share functionality. All that you will need to operation the main functions of these devices is the included remote control. A HDMI cable is used to transfer system commands.

As if all these powerful features were not enough, Philips included an ATSC & QAM internal tuner in the Eco TV. With this tuner the Eco TV is ready to pick up high-definition channels over the air or from unscrambled cable.

Philips has created asimpleswitch.com to help teach consumers about how a simple change towards “going green” can help save the environment. While on their site you can learn how changing one bulb in your home to an energy saving bulb can spare 238 kg of carbon dioxide. It can also reduce your power bill. Philips has several green lighting and electronic products.

With the Philips 42PFL5603D Eco TV you can enjoy watching The Day After Tomorrow in the crystal-clear high-definition that DirectTV offers. You can know that you have begun to do your part to reduce the effects of global warming. Check out the many DirectTV HD channel offerings and packages today!

People who subscribe to DirecTV already know about the high quality signal, incredible programming and excellent customer service that the company provides. Many customers chose DirecTV just for these reasons, but in addition to these well known qualities of the popular satellite television company there are many exclusive offerings available only to subscribers. 

The 101 Channel

Subscribers can tune into channel 101 for exclusive and original programming. Popular series include “Friday Night Lights”, where new episodes air first on the 101, and “Hometown Heroes”, offering cross country coverage of DirecTV customers whose “acts of courage, kindness and bravery have made a profound impact on the lives of others” and many more quality programs. The channel also offers an incredible number of musical and live concert events with some of the hottest tickets around including performances by Nelly Furtado, REM, and Trace Adkins. The 101 even offers coverage of the Championship Gaming Series, a true exclusive unavailable anywhere else.

Sports Enthusiast?

Only DirecTV is able to bring complete seasonal coverage for almost any sport imaginable, and with exclusive options such as the “NFL Sunday Ticket”, “NHL Center Ice”, the incredibly popular “NBA League Pass”, and the “MLB Extra Innings”, die hard fans can experience their favorite sports like never before. DirecTV also brings the “NASCAR Hotpass” to subscribers, letting them ride along with their favorite drivers during live races as well as letting them tune in to their conversations with the pit crews. Finally, programming packages like the “Sports Pack” give DirecTV subscribers access to more than thirty specialty or regional sports networks so they won’t miss their favorite college teams or international games.

XM Satellite Radio

Many subscribers to DirecTV appreciate the wide range of high definition programs, and will usually own a good home theater system to completely enjoy the programming available. Because of this many DirecTV subscribers greatly appreciate the high quality audio programming they can receive with the XM Satellite channels available exclusively to subscribers. Endless hours of music, entertainment and talk programming is available, and heard through a high quality home entertainment system makes it an even more valuable offering.

Interactive Programming Exclusives

Watch up to an astonishing eight networks on a single screen with DirecTV. The Interactive features also include a “News Mix” channel offering breaking news from the highest ranking networks, a “Sports Mix” channel that brings non-stop sports news, game previews and up to date information from the entire sports world. An incredibly popular Interactive option is the “Active” button on the remote, which allows subscribers to find personalized information such as local weather, horoscopes, lottery results and even review some special promotional information and review all of the Pay Per View options currently available.

With such high quality exclusive and original programming, the largest number of high definitions channels available, and a full menu of programming and channel packages available for home, commercial and even recreational vehicles, it is little wonder that DirecTV is the proud home of more than twenty million satisfied customers. Why not take a look at the great DirecTV deals that are available today?

NFL Sunday Ticket is finally here and DIRECTV is offering everything that they have for only $69.99/month for 4 months.

NFL Sunday Ticket offers fans the ultimate NFL experience. With the ticket you get:

• Enhanced Games - With your DIRECTV interactive receiver you'll get detailed player and team stats, real-time scores and live updates from other games without missing any of the live action from the game you're watching.**

• NFL SUNDAY TICKET Highlights-on-Demand - Will automatically download Monday morning highlights of NFL SUNDAY TICKET games to your DIRECTV® DVR.***

• NFL SUNDAY SNAP - Every Sunday on channel 700 check real-time stats and scores.

• The NFL Network - The NFL Network gives you 24 hours per day, seven days a week of original news and information shows, weekly game preview shows, coaches' shows, press conferences, fantasy football shows, memorable game replays and live games during the four-week pre-season.

• NFL Europe League - NFL SUNDAY TICKET also brings you action from the NFL Europe League regular season. Over 230 NFL players from all 32 NFL teams play in the NFL Europe League during the 10 week season. (April through June on channel 704).

• Pregame Coaches' Shows - View pregame coaches' shows from outside your local area at the start of the NFL SUNDAY TICKET broadcast day.

• Player Tracker - Select your favorite players and follow their performance throughout the day. With your DIRECTV interactive receiver track up to 9 players with up to the minute alerts and stats. With Player Tracker you can:

- Pick or edit up to 9 players 24/7 during the NFL regular season

- Receive live "Big Play" Alerts for your players on all your Sunday Ticket Channels

- Real-time Cumulative Stats available at the touch of a button, whenever you want

- Alerts available on all standard-definition and high-definition Sunday Ticket game channels, Game Mix 1 & 2 and Red Zone Channel

PLUS – when you order NFL Sunday Ticket for $69.99/month, for 4 months you get DIRECTV’s top package (The Premier Package) for FREE. The Premier Package includes over 250 channels, Free DVR service, FREE HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX and STARZ and a free DVR or HD receiver upgrade... you get all of this for free for 4 months when you order NFL Sunday Ticket.

DIRECTV also offers NFL SuperFan. SuperFan can be added to your NFL SUNDAY TICKET package to create the ultimate NFL viewing experience. Perfect for true fans and fantasy football players everywhere!

Links to the 2007 NFL Schedules: NFC Team Schedules; AFC Team Schedules

SOURCE:  TvPredictions.com 07.02.07

'Washington, D.C. (July 2, 2007) -- DIRECTV this Friday night is scheduled to launch the first of two new satellites to expand its High-Definition programming lineup.

Called DIRECTV 10, the spacecraft will launch on July 6 at 9:16 p.m. ET from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in  Kazakhstan, using an International Launch Services Proton rocket.

If successful, the satellite should be operational in roughly 30-45 days, although DIRECTV is not likely to begin adding high-def channels until early September. The satcaster will require some time to test the satellite under real conditions.

DIRECTV says it will offer 100 HD channels by year's end, but many are scheduled to be added in September.

The satellite service is expected to launch the second satellite designated for HD next year. After that satellite is operational, DIRECTV says it will have the capacity for up to 150 HDTV channels and local HD channels in most markets.'

SOURCE: TvPredictions.com. 4.11.07

Washington, D.C. (April 11, 2007) -- When buying a High-Definition TV, you need to be sure that the set will not require frequent repairs. Reliability is almost as important as the picture.

With that in mind, Consumer Reports has just published a comprehensive review of the reliability of dozens of major brands, including big-screen TV makers.

Although the magazine said LCD, Plasma and some rear projection technologies are too new to draw final conclusions, it did offer some judgments based on data over the last two years.

LCD
In the LCD category, Consumer Reports said the following brands have shown "promising reliability," meaning they have needed few repairs:

JVC; Magnavox; Panasonic; Philips; Samsung; Sanyo; Sharp; Sony; and Toshiba

However, the magazine said Dell LCD sets have needed "more repairs than average."

Plasma
In the Plasma category, Consumer Reports said the following TV makers have shown "promising reliability":

Fujitsu; Hitachi; Panasonic; Pioneer; Sony; and Toshiba.

Consumer Reports said Philips and Vizio Plasma sets have needed "more repairs than average."

Microdisplay Rear Projection
In the Microdisplay Rear Projection category, the magazine said the following brands have demonstrated "promising reliability."

Panasonic and Sony

However, it said RCA (DLP) and JVC (LCoS/D-ILA) have needed 'more repairs than average."

Based on data from 2001 to 2006, Consumer Reports also rated tube TVs from 30 to 36 inches. It said JVC, Sharp, Sanyo and Toshiba needed repairs only three percent of the time.

In the 34 to 36-inch category, the magazine said Toshiba tube TVs needed repairs only four percent of the time while Sony sets needed repairs just five percent of the time.

SOURCE: multichannelnews.com; 04.02.07

'El Segundo, Calif.— Looking to make up ground against cable operators and their interactive networks, DirecTV is preparing to roll out a new service that will essentially give basic-cable networks their own dedicated channels for programming delivered on-demand to viewers.

Food Network and Discovery Channel are among more than a dozen programming services that are expected to be available when the big satellite broadcaster launches its new on-demand service in July, according to DirecTV.LEVELING THE FIELD

The service will allow DirecTV to better compete with cable operators that have been offering on-demand content for years. The biggest cable operator, Comcast, claims to have served up 3.7 billion streams of video on customers’ requests since 2004, for instance.

Now, the largest satellite operator will try to match that. DirecTV executive vice president for entertainment Eric Shanks said the satellite giant has the technological capacity to download video via a broadband connection at speeds that will allow consumers to watch the content in real time.

Shanks said the service will give individual networks complete control over their own channel, including content and marketing messages; and that DirecTV has more than a dozen networks signed up to provide on-demand content.

Scripps Networks confirmed that it will provide content from its Food Network and HGTV-owned channels. Executives close to DirecTV also said Discovery Channel will be part of the service when it debuts. Discovery executives would not comment.DIFFERENT DEMANDS

The satellite provider’s network branded on-demand strategy differs somewhat from that of many cable operators that amass free on-demand cable-network content within such genres as kids, news and entertainment. Programming executives say such categorization prohibits networks from effectively marketing their brands and content to viewers.

DirecTV subscribers with the company’s high-definition DVR receiver and a high-speed modem connection will be able to access more than 2,000 on-demand movies — many of which will be in high-definition — as well as the cable-network content. Shanks said DirecTV will begin beta-testing the service in April and expects to roll it out to customers in July.

“It depends on your connection,” Shanks said. “A lot of times the content will download faster than real time. There’s nothing technically on our side that limits the consumer’s ability to watch it in real time.”

In other DirecTV new-media news, Shanks said the company will serve up multiple-court coverage of the French Open to support the Tennis Channel’s presentation of the Grand Slam tournament this spring. Similar to the coverage it provided for last summer’s U.S. Open, DirecTV will offer multiple live channels from the tournament, which begins in May, as well as a special “French Open Mix” channel that will feature all live feeds, according to Shanks.

ORIGINAL SERIES

Shanks said the company is also prepping several series for its The 101 original programming channel. DirecTV later this year will launch a game show dubbed Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which will pit bands against each other Family Feud style. “Half the questions will be about rock and roll, but the other half will be about pop culture,” Shanks said.

In August, the network will premiere Championship Gaming Series, a team-based video gaming league. The two shows will join other original shows such as Web user-generated series Project MyWorld and The Fizz, plus a slate of concerts featuring such acts as Beyoncé and Nine Inch Nails.

“The goal is to have your sales sheet out in front of customers at Best Buy and other retailers and to have a set of programming that no one else has that appeals to the women, males and kids in the house,” he said.

On the video-gaming front, Shanks said DirecTV has already signed up 20,000 subscribers to its month-old Game Lounge interactive gaming service without any significant promotion.

He added that poker, solitaire and the Mattel-produced Barbie games are among the service’s most popular games.

Shanks also said that 60% of customers have created their own “avatars” or personal characters with Game Lounge and are posting their high scores for the various games.

“People are really getting involved in the games,” he said.'

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.

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.'