Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

At 3:48 pm today, a Boeing 702 model satellite was launched aboard a Sea Launch ZEnit-3SL rocket from the Odyssey Launch Platform.The new satellite called the DIRECTV 11 was introduced to enhance the HD capacity of DirecTV. Which means that subscribers will be getting an additional 150 new HD channels by this September. 

Today’s launch is just the first of two satellites that DirecTV is working on. The second satellite is currently being readied to deliver up to 200 HD channels sometime next year. The newly launched satellite is reportedly DirecTV’s tenth operated and owned satellite. The tests are not yet complete but if successful, subscribers can expect to surf more and more HD channels. 

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DirecTV has announced that they’re going to release their latest feature – some sort of video-on-demand which they had been testing out through the years. DirecTV stated that, although they have had been some trouble setting up a video-on-demand system on their satellite-TV, this time, it’ll be different. This feature will be release as a beta version for subscribers to try it out around this June or July. 

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DirecTV is set to offer an excellent new feature for DVR customers. Remote recording will allow you to log into the mobile DirecTV site (m.directv.com) from your phone and set up recordings on your DVR while you’re away from your couch. This feature is coming stock on the now shipping HR20-700 DVR model, but it will also be available on the older workhorse-like TiVo HR10-250 model. The official rollout of this feature is slated for next month and is bound to be a big hit will all the poor saps (present company included) that spend as much time traveling as they do watching the tube.

Read [DBS Talk]

HDTVs are flying off the shelves, there is HD-DVD and Blu-ray, we have HD camcorders, but the cable offerings are still rather pathetic. Thankfully CNN is expected to announced plans to launch an HD network in September, NBC Universal confirmed the company will launch a “suite of HD networks,” and a Turner spokesperson also confirmed HD networks for TBS and Cartoon Network.

If you opt for satellite over cable you can expect over 60 HD channels from DirecTV including USA, Sci Fi, FX, CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS and several other channels. The satellite provider plans to launch 100 HD channels by the end of 2007 year as part of its strategy to expand its HD offerings. To support this DirecTV is launching of two new satellites in 2007, to offer the bandwidth for more stations to take the plunge into HD.

Until then it is just a waiting game…

Read [TV News]

DIRECTV is hailing 2007 as the “Year of HD” as if the past year was crap. They are supporting this with a planned launch and carriage of 100 national high-definition (HD) channels—three times more HD programming than any other multi-channel distributor. These aren’t just small made-up stations, the list includes: A&E, National Geographic, Bravo, NFL Network, Cartoon Network, SciFi Channel, CNN, Speed, Food Network, TBS, FX, The History Channel, HGTV, The Weather Channel, MTV, and USA Network. DIRECTV will also offer hundreds of games and other HD programming available from Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) including YES Network, Comcast Sports Net, New England Sports Network and FOX Sports.

Expect the majority of these channels to come in Q3. Maybe 2007 really is the year of HD.

Read [DIRECTV]

We’re live here at the DirecTV press conference.  Thanks for joining us.

DirecTV VP and General Manager is now on stage…

Global strategies, and they’re annoucing Pro Gaming league with the best players in the word.  They’ll make salaries, and will be up for prizes of a million dollars.

The “best gamer in the world,” Fatality is actually in the house and it was just announced that he will be “trading in his mouse for their microphone this year” with DirecTV.

More after the break…

Eric Shanks, Exec. VP of Entertainment has taken the stage.

He says until now, On Demand has been a “pain in the ass” to find what you’re looking for.  Add 1000 channels to your channels you want to get On Demand for.  They’re announcing a new “Graphic-rich” way to browse all of the content.  It looks very similar to iTunes network pages in terms of how they are customized for that network.

Once you find content you want to view, it will add it to your queue to download, and if it’s already on there, it will play it.

They’re introducing gMessages that show up in the programming guide that let people know messages, and/or new program offerings.

It will go public beta in Q1 and then will be launched soon thereafter.

Sat-Go! - is being announced, which is satellite on the go.  It was conceptualized by the guy that made Chips.  It is a brief-case size DirecTV, which is gigantic.  You can carry it on airplanes… plug it into your car, house, etc.  “You are going to be able to get satellite anytime anywhere.” Included is a portable TV that you can use to watch it.  Very cool.  If you don’t have a satellite handy, you bring this with you and that’s all you need.  Available to A-list customers soon.

They’re announcing their newest relationship with NASCAR, the NASCAR Hot Pass.  It’s essentially a Sunday Ticket for NASCAR. DirecTV will be at every race, and add 5 additional channels with dedicated driver channels on for every race.  That’s it for now folks, stay tuned for more.

KVH is shipping their second-generation TracVision A7, a satellite TV system with MSN TV mobile broadband service. The TracVision system mounts on the roof of your vehicle and, using GPS, self-orients the antennae as the car turns. It ships with the circular antenna bubble measuring 5x31x32 in., a KVN DirecTV receiver and a remote.

Besides the standard DirecTV channels and MSN Internet services, you also be able to receive your local TV stations while in your home town and, while anywhere, XM satellite radio. Plan to plunk down $3000 for the kit and $70 per month for mobile broadband access. You’ll also need to buy your own monitors and pay hundreds for the reckless driving tickets you’ll get when you are messaging your friends and downloading porn instead of paying attention to the road.

Read [TechnoRide]

Evan will be filling in as The Water Cooler contributor while Bryan continues his plot to take over the world, for the next few weeks, across the pond in London .

There’s good news for losers like me who look forward to the end of the day when they come home and all five episodes of Law & Order: Petty Theft are on their TiVo. TiVo’s future is a bit more secure now that the company announced the extension of its current deal with DirecTV.  The deal which was set to expire in 2007 will now go through 2010.

The deal helps, mainly because the company is strapped for cash as it is tied up in lawsuits. TiVo has been actively seeking licensing fees from companies that have similar DVR technology in their set top boxes like Dish Network and Motorola. Just this past week the courts rules in favor of TiVo over Dish Network, which should result in a huge influx of cash for the previously struggling company.

Now the company can invest in research to make the system full of more obnoxious noises every time you touch a button.  TiVo never ceases to amaze with the great technologies they come out with, my life changed the day you could control it from Yahoo!, so watch for more great things to come. And if you don’t have it, get it, you’ll be a better human being.

Also look for the boxes in more retail stores like Wal-Mart and Target in the future. If you have an interest in the stock market, follow TiVo and its aptly named ticker symbol: TIVO as the legal developments may create a great opportunity to invest. (Stock was up over 20% after defeating Dish Network).

TiVo and DirecTV announced that they are going to extend their working partnership for another three years. Under the agreement, DirecTV will continue to provide TiVo service to its existing subscribers. Both companies also extended their advertising relationship and agreed not to assert patent rights against each other.

TiVO had about 4.4 million subscribers as of January; 2.8 million of them were DirecTV subscribers who bought the satellite company’s TiVo-based receivers.

Glad we all could work this out. Now where’s my series 3 HD box?

Read [NY Times]

DIRECTV named the next 24 U.S. markets that will receive local HD programming. Beginning in April of this year, DIRECTV will roll out the first of the 24 new markets, offering HD programming from the four primary broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. All DIRECTV local HD programming is being transmitted via MPEG-4 AVC, the new standard in digital video compression and advanced modulation that more than doubles the efficiency of DIRECTV’s capacity.

The 24 local markets to receive HD programming include: Baltimore; Minneapolis, Minn.; Birmingham, Ala.; Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.; Orlando, Fla.; Cleveland ; Phoenix; Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh; Denver; Raleigh, N.C.; Fresno, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; Hartford, Conn.; Salt Lake City; Indianapolis; San Diego; Kansas City, Mo./Kan.; Seattle; Miami; St Louis, Mo.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; West Palm Beach, Fla.

DIRECTV currently offers 12 HD local channel markets, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa and Washington, D.C. With the launch of two new satellites—DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11—in 2007, DIRECTV will have the ability to deliver more than 1,500 local HD and digital channels and 150 national HD channels, in addition to new advanced programming services for customers.

Customers can receive local HD channels by purchasing the new H20 HD receiver and a satellite dish that has the ability to receive programming from five different orbital locations and Ka-band signals. Through Feb. 28, DIRECTV is offering new and existing customers a $200 mail-in rebate on the purchase of a DIRECTV HD Receiver. (Limit one rebate per account.) Receiving equipment is available at major consumer electronics retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City, and through DIRECTV.