Direct TV Dish

Great news for DIRECT TV DVR owners! DIRECT TV will be officially launching the ability to remotely schedule DVR Recordings sometime in February 2008. In order to use the service, you need a free account on Directv.com. From the TV listing page, the user will have the option to “record to receiver” when you expand the title of a show. A pop-up window will allow you to select which DVR (if you have more than one) you wish to use to record the show. A second option will be available for low bandwidth mobile devices (cell phones/pda’s), which allows you to do rudimentary searches for shows/channels and schedule from a listing of events. If you do not have DIRECT TV, call today to order! If you already have DIRECT TV, call today to upgrade to the DIRECT TV DVR or HD-DVR.

DIRECT TV CEO Chase Carey spoke about the satellite TV company’s HD efforts, sports programming and competition at the Citi Global Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference in Phoenix last week.

Carey said that DIRECT TV will continue it’s High Definition push in which the company hopes to deliver about 100 national HD channels and local high-def selections. A satellite that’s being prepared for launch in the spring will help expand capacity for the service, Carey said.

As far as the competition goes, Carey said the satellite TV platform “has a lot more flexibility” for expansion into advanced services when compared to cable’s platform. DIRECT TV hasn’t encountered any trouble with AT&T’s fledgling U-verse platform.

As for sports programming, Carey said DIRECT TV has an exclusive lock on NFL Sunday Ticket through 2011. Given the NFL’s popularity and the interactive and HD efforts built around the product, “It’s an important franchise for us,” he said. If you’re an NFL fan, order DIRECT TV today. You won’t be disappointed.

As March 2008 approaches, Scifi fans will finally get another season of Battlestar Galactica. Perplexing us all, no doubt, is why the Scifi Channel has not totally rerun Season 3 episodes leading up the the Season 4 premiere in March. Regardless, those of us with a free DIRECTV DVR can watch them in the correct order. Here is a brief teaser of where the last episode of Battlestar Galactica Season 3 left off.

As the Galactica scans this waystation on the route to Earth, the entire fleet abruptly loses power. In the darkness and confusion that follow, Tigh, Tyrol, Tory and Anders are nearly overcome by the insistent song, and they each follow it to an obscure workout room on the Galactica. When they lock eyes with each other, they guess the obvious but horrifying explanation for the mental summons that they’ve obeyed: they must all be Cylons.

At that moment, a massive Cylon armada bursts onto the scene. Lee Adama joins his old Viper crew and flies out in defense of the Galactica. In the light of the mysterious nebula, to his shock, Kara Thrace appears in a Viper next to him. Kara — a.k.a. Starbuck — appeared to blow herself up in Episode 3 Maelstrom, after she suffered a series of hallucinations involving the cylon Leoben, the colorful mandala that she painted long ago (that looks remarkably like the newly discovered nebula) as well as herself as a little girl. All these introspective trips seemed to push her over the edge. While pursuing a phantom cylon ship, Thrace and her viper blew up on the edge of the nebulonic cloud. Seemingly back from the dead, Starbuck has come bearing a message of cosmic importance….Thats it. We all have been waiting for Season 4, and its almost here!

We watch the Scifi Channel on DIRECTV.

Comcast is raising rates in the Boston Metro Region again.

Rate increases seem related to excessive executive compensation at Comcast. SEC filing information in 2006 suggests that company’s operating expenses increased due to excessive compensation to the CEO and other top executives. Brian Roberts, the chairman and chief executive of Comcast Corp. received 12.8 million, a 36% increase in salary, bonus and other compensation for 2005, while Comcast shares fell 22%, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Some of Comcast’s shareholders are upset that CEO Brian L. Roberts made $27.8 million dollars in 2006 — a staggering increase of over 50%.  A growing number of shareholders want more say in how much a CEO gets paid.

Comcast has lost about 65,000 basic cable customers nationally in the third quarter of 2007.

Comcast customers tired ofrate increases are switching to DIRECTV.

Itawamba County Times 1/8/2008

Effective Jan. 1 Comcast Cablevision of Fulton has raised the rates of their programming services on most programming packages.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that the cable company, which provides television service throughout north Mississippi, has raised its programming rates. The company has already distributed letters to its consumers informing them of the changes.
Limited basic service has increased over 10% a month, expanded basic and the full basic package have also risen. Digital programming has also seen an increase. The monthly cost of the basic Digital Preferred package has risen. Other digital packages with price increases include silver, gold, and platinum. These annual price increases reflect increases in company operating expenses, according to information released by Comcast to its customers.

SEC filing information in 2006 suggests that company’s operating expenses increased due to excessive compensation to the CEO and other top executives. Brian Roberts, the chairman and chief executive of Comcast Corp. received a 36% increase in salary, bonus and other compensation for 2005, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. At that time, while Comcast shares fell 22 percent, Brian Roberts took in $12.8 million — comprising a base salary of $2.37 million, a bonus of $7.7 million and $2.7 million in other compensation.

While the price of service is going up, Comcast and although this is the third change in cable rates within the past three years as well as similar annual price changes since January of 2004, Comcast feels that the company will continue to do well and stay competitive by listening to its customers.

Residents in Mississippi tired of Comcast rate increases are switching to DIRECTV.

Time Warner Cable changed its monthly rates for various tiers and packages effective Feb. 1, increasing the overall bill for some customers in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company said it was impossible to say what the average bill might look like.

The company increased its basic cable rate 10%, increased its standard rate to $51.95, and each of its three digital packages also increased. The company said the overall hike is designed to increase revenue. Customers received a message printed on their bills about the changes.

Customers tired of cable rate increases are switching to DIRECTV.

Happy New Year. Comcast cable is raising their rates for customers residing in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Areas affected by the rate hike include Indianapolis, Beech Grove, Marion County, Clermont, Cumberland, Homecroft, Meridian Hills, Southport, Speedway, Warren Park, Williams Creek, Wynnedale, Hancock County, Hamilton County, Boone County, City of Lawrence, Brownsburg. Also included in the cable rate increase are residents of Morgan County - Plainfield, Danville and Hendricks County - Plainfield/Brownsburg, Mooresville, Plainfield. 

Effective January 2008, basic cable rates and digital cable packages will increase by an average of 4%.  If you live in Indiana, now is the time to make the switch to Direct TV, where you will get 100% digital quality tv and sound for less that what you pay for cable tv.

Cable rates are about to increase for some residents of Macomb County Michigan. According to the Macomb Daily, Wide Open West and Comcast recently announced rate increases that go into effect this month. WOW will increase its basic cable rate 6%, from $45.99 to $48.75, while Comcast will increase the monthly rate for its “preferred basic” cable service from $46.49 to $49.49, a 6.5 percent hike.

If you live in Michigan and are tired of paying the ever-increasing rates to the cable companies, call Direct TV today and find out how much you can save on monthly programming costs.

Here we go again.  Monthly cable rates are going up in the Washington, DC area.  Comcast customers can expect to see their rates rise by an average of 4%.  Over the past 7 years, cable rates in DC have risen approximately 63%.  Don’t pay more for less.  Call Direct TV today and pay less while you get so much more than what cable has to offer.

Great news for 2 more local markets. Direct TV has added HD local channels in the Albany/Schenectady/Troy, New York and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania areas. In the Albany area, the following broadcast networks are now available in HD: WRGB/CBS, WTEN/ABC, WNYT/NBC and WXXA/Fox. In the Wilkes-Barre area, the following broadcast networks are now available in HD: WNEP/ABC and WOLF/Fox.

Direct TV is expected to rollout more local HD markets this year, particularly after it launches a new satellite that will expand its capacity for local HD channels.