Recently Filed in Satellite Video

Dish Network was issued quite a blow yesterday. The Supreme Court rejected the satellite provider’s appeal against the $74 million judgment, which was issued for violating TiVo’s patent on DVR technology. The court had no comment. In January, they had plenty to say, ruling that DVRs distributed by Dish Network violated some of the software elements in TiVo’s patent, specifically the “time warp” feature, which allows viewers to watch one TV program while recording another. As a result, Dish and EchoStar Corp. will have to… View this story
Digital Recorders • Satellite Video • Home Theater • Product News

Not so fast there, satellites. That’s apparently, and predictably, what Blu-ray is telling Dish Network and DirecTV (and a French cable operator Numericable) about referencing the disc format when it comes to their new 1080p movie services. Dish Network unveiled its TurboHD service that includes video-on-demand options for 1080p movies back in late July, right after DirecTV announced it would have 1080p movies later this year too. Consulting firm Strategy Analytics did a report about how the satellite providers were raising the bar, and included… View this story
AV Components • Blu-ray • Satellite Video • Enhancements • Product News

It looks as though “DTV” is trying to edge out “green” as this year’s buzzword. Just one day after announcements from Best Buy and Circuit City about DTV initiatives, Dish Network says it’s dropping the TR-40 CRA price to a mere $40. If you do the math: A $40 converter box plus a $40 government coupon equals free goodies. As Crunch Gear points out, Dish even helps you score a coupon with a link on its product page. The offer is only good while supplies… View this story
Satellite Video • Digital TV Transition • Home Theater • Product News

Apparently some are jealous of the happy ending for Sirius and XM. DirecTV and Dish Network could be the next to work on what would probably be a long, painful merger. Apparently, Dish is the one making the moves. Engadget HD says the company lost about 25,000 subscribers in Q2. To who, we don’t know. Now the company says they need to make a “a major strategic shift.” The rumor is that shift would be a merger between the two satellite companies. It’s not the… View this story
Satellite Video • Home Theater • Product News

Let the HD voices cry out some more. DirecTV is at it again. This time, the satellite provider says that 30-plus more high-definition channels are going to start showing up beginning on August 14. And, oh yeah, it’ll start giving us movies in 1080p resolution later this year. That’s a lot of HD news to swallow. And we can hear you now—“But DirecTV HD is so compressed!” “Hey, 30 more channels of garbage to watch in stretch-o-vision!” or the other side “Well 30 more HD… View this story
AV Components • Satellite Video • Home Theater • Enhancements • Product News

How happy are we with our cable and satellite TV services? Happier with satellite than the major cable providers, according to the recent quarterly release by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The ACSI, which measures on a 100-point scale, revealed that overall—including ratings for hotels, airlines, restaurants, health care and other categories—customer satisfaction is 75.2. That was a 0.4 percent increase, the first gain in a year shown by the survey, which is produced by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. For… View this story
AV Components • Satellite Video • Set Top Boxes • Industry • Manufacturers • Home Theater • Product News

Flipping through my channel lineup suddenly doesn’t take as long as it used to. Dish Network has dropped all of the VOOM channels from its lineup. According to EngadgetHD, 10 of them went dark yesterday, with the last five leaving the dial today. The provider couldn’t yank the stations fast enough, stating that Voom is in breach of their carriage deal. The networks now missing include Voom Movies, Aniamania, Film Fest and Game Play. My husband might be bummed about World Sport, but otherwise most… View this story
Satellite Video • Home Theater • Product News

Red Sox fans unite! Bruins fans—well, is there anyone out there? New England sports fans can raise a foam finger today: Dish Network has just added NESN HD to its lineup. Have to say that once I switched to high-def, it was extremely disappointing that this wasn’t a given. “We are pleased DISH Network subscribers will have Red Sox and Bruins game in High-Definition on NESN HD,” said Sean McGrail, NESN president. “NESN has been a leader in the industry, delivering more HD sports programming… View this story
Satellite Video • Movies and Music • Home Theater • Product News

The FCC is tough on cable providers. Satellite, however, is another story. Apparently, DirecTV and Dish Network don’t have the power to provide all local stations in high-def, so the government is giving them a temporary pass. Gizmodo says that just because a channel is available in high-def, they don’t have to deliver. The FCC had originally told both DirecTV and Dish Network that they would have to provide full HD carriage in 2009. However, they soon changed the plan. Now, by 2010, both services… View this story
HDTV • Satellite Video • Home Theater • Product News

One of the things I hate about having satellite is not the occasional outage during a windstorm (those are rare); it’s the lack of on-demand. I want “Curb Your Enthusiasm” when I want it. Well, DirecTV subscribers may soon get it. The satellite provider is in the process of testing on-demand movie and TV offerings, with a plan to launch the service in Q2 2008. To make the magic happen, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company will use a combination of digital… View this story
Digital Media Servers • Satellite Video • Movies and Music • Home Theater • Product News

It now pays to watch HDTV—pays part of your satellite bill, anyway. Best Buy has just announced a promotion with DirecTV that could sway viewers to take the high-def plunge. Buy an HDTV at Best Buy, get DirecTV service, and you’ll score a $30 credit for a few months. According to TheRetailBRIDGE.com, the amount of credits will depend on how much you spend on your set. Those spending over $999 with get 12 months of DirecTV credits; under $999 will get you six months’ worth.… View this story
HDTV • Satellite Video • Home Theater • Product News

Elmo in high-def? It’s possible, thanks to a recent deal between public TV stations and satellite provider DirecTV. The agreement will allow DirecTV to carry the local HD feed of Public Television stations beginning in 2008. The plan will also see DirecTV carrying two additional standard-def channels, and working with PBS and APTS to develop new video-on-demand content exclusive to DirecTV subscribers. “This is a great day for public service media in America,” said APTS President & CEO John Lawson. It’s not too shabby for… View this story
HDTV • Satellite Video • Home Theater • Product News