Home :: Direct TV

Over a decade and growing, Direct TV is the granddaddy of digital TV satellite dishes

Direct TV, now under the control of Australian media tycoon Rupert

Murdoch, was the first of the high powered DBS tv systems. It also has the most customers over all. To date, those 18 inch Direct TV satellite dishes command some 12 million, of approximately 20 million, satellite customers. Direct TV also boast they are personally responsible for several tv innovations, like the first interactive on-screen program guide and pay per view ordering by remote control.

Well anyway, we'll take their word for it.

Now don't confuse first with being best. It's just that when they came on the scene in 1994, there wasn't anybody else. Actually, at the moment, Direct TV has some pretty stiff competition from EchoStar's Dish Network.

Aren't there a couple other satellite dishes out there? What's different about Direct TV?

Although the two leading tv satellite systems are comparable, they are not identical.

The basics of Direct TV and Dish Network are essentially the same, the main difference comes in the nuances of the programming. One should note that Direct TV does also offer Direct TV internet, in the form of DirecWay satellite broadband systems. Although if a Dish Network customer wanted DirecWay they could get it, if they don't mind a extra dish on their roof.

But right now the main cant-get-it-anywhere-else feature of Direct TV, at the moment, as far as programming goes anyway, is the sports programming, NFL football in particular.

Calling all you NFL junkies, Direct TV satellite dishes needs to be perched upon your roof

NFL Sunday Ticket™, which would give you access to any and every game during the season, is locked in and exclusivity contract until the year 2005.

So Direct TV is the only way to get it. Just be prepared to shell out about $199 for the whole season. But I'm sure all you true NFL fans out there feel that is a small price to pay for all the brain-numbing action.

Direct TV looking to expand local channel access to larger satellite tv market

Right now Direct TV is working local channels game. As they were sending their first satellite dishes into orbit, Direct TV knew their bandwidth was limited, so local channels were only offered to the large markets.

These are the original major markets:

• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Baltimore, MD
• Birmingham, AL
• Boston, MA
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago, IL
• Cincinnati, OH
• Cleveland, OH
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Columbia, SC
• Columbus, OH
• Columbus/Tupelo/West Point, MS
• Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Greensboro, NC
• Greenville, SC
• Houston, TX
• Huntsville, AL
• Indianapolis, IN
• Kansas City, MO
• Los Angeles, CA
• Memphis, TN
• Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Milwaukee, WI
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
• Nashville, TN
• New York, NY
• Orlando/Daytona, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Phoenix, AZ
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Portland, OR
• Raleigh/Durham, NC
• Sacramento/Stockton, CA
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Antonio, TX
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA
• Seattle/Tacoma, WA
• St. Louis, MO • Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL
• Washington, D.C.
• West Palm Beach, FL

Customers that wanted Direct TV satellite systems but lived in cities that were not considered major media markets had to opt for antennas or the most basic cable to receive local networks. In most cities the cheapest cable service will cost you anywhere from about $13 up to $25.

Which, of course, would be in addition to whatever you are already paying Direct TV for service.

This is a problem that has plagued Direct TV and other satellite tv systems from the beginning, although they have still managed to grow at a steady rate.

Actually many in the Direct TV camp feel limited access to local channels is the sole reason satellite tv has not exploded in many areas.

In an effort to cash in on the vast amount of small market customers Direct TV is expanding their local market reach by launching another bird satellite into orbit.

Here are the markets slated to be added in 2004:

• Buffalo, NY
• Des Moines, IA
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Green Bay, WI
• Hartford, CT
• Jackson, MS (in select ZIP codes only)
• Jacksonville, FL
• Knoxville, TN
• Las Vegas, NV
• Louisville, KY
• New Orleans, LA
• Norfolk, VA
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Providence, RI
• Richmond, VA
• Roanoke, VA
• Shreveport, LA
• Tucson, AZ
• Wilkes-Barre, PA

Direct TV looking to control larger portion of new satellite dishes

Direct TV's emphasis is to ramp up new customer sign ups. With local channels expansion, sharp discounts on it's satellite systems, and infrastructure reworks being the first of several planned upgrades.

Direct TV is also looking to give away Personal Video Recorders (PVR)  under the TiVo brand.

There are also plans to put out a new box that allows you to purchase goods by remote control. And for you football fans out there will be new interactive wrinkles that will allow you to do things like change the camera viewing angle of the game in real time.

Murdoch is reportedly looking to expand Direct TV subscriptions to 20 million customers by the year 2010.

Related articles:

Guide to Hughes TiVo Direct TV
A TiVo Direct TV receiver combines power of TiVo DVR technology with Direct TV satellite in one service.

Direct TV TiVo DVR
Guide to TiVo Direct TV DVR.