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Dish subscribers lose access to local Scripps stations in channel dispute
Dish subscribers in 42 markets have lost access to local channels after the satellite giant and Scripps couldn't reach a deal.
AT&T reportedly considers offloading its DirecTV satellite unit
AT&T made much ado of its $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV, but it's apparently having second thoughts just a few years later. Wall Street Journal sources claim the telecom is considering "parting" the DirecTV satellite unit through a number of means, including a spinoff as a separate public company or even a merger of its assets with rival provider Dish. There's no guarantee anything will happen, the WSJ said, but the mere act of considering a split is notable.
Google Assistant finally comes to Dish's receivers
It only took half a year, but Dish's receivers are finally ready to work with Google Assistant. The satellite TV provider has started rolling out an update for Hoppers that lets you use the voice remote to check the weather, control your smart home and, of course, steer the Hopper itself. The update works with all Hopper generations as well as Joey and Wally devices.
Best of Public Access Vol.9: So What'cha, What'cha Want?
by08.13.2015
Google is Alphabet now, in one of the more confusing rebrandings since Netflix thought that Qwikster would be a good idea. This week, in addition to trying to think of clever headlines about the Alphabet announcement, we heard back from the Def Con hacker conference, and electropop band Yacht ensured no one would ever see their album artwork when they released it via fax machine only... because there is nothing artists hate more than you actually looking at their work.
Sky's raising its TV prices to balance Premier League costs
Sky just spent a whopping £4.2 billion on Premier League broadcasting rights, so unsurprisingly, it's decided to make up some of the cost by increasing the prices of its various TV packages. The cheapest "Original" bundle will stay the same, but otherwise all of its satellite TV packages are set to receive a small price bump in June. The "Variety" bundle will increase by £2 to £30 per month, while the "Family" bundle is climbing by £3 to £36 per month. Football fanatics, meanwhile, will notice a £1 increase for Sky Sports, making it £25.50 per month for existing Sky TV customers, while the Sky Movies package is jumping by 50 pence to £17 per month. Finally, if you pay for Sky Sports and Sky Movies together, you'll see an increase of £1.50, making it £34.50 per month.
Find out what channel the game is on with Bleacher Buddy
We are entering one of the busiest times of the year for sporting events. Baseball playoffs are starting while both college football and the NFL are in full swing as is soccer world-wide. Plus the NBA and NHL start their seasons in the next couple of weeks. In addition to tracking all these games, you have to go through hundreds of cable and satellite channels. So where is my game being televised? Now Bleacher Buddy offers a one-stop app that will not only provide the channel and time but will also alert you in advance if you choose. This is a free universal app that needs iOS 4.3 or later. First with Bleacher Buddy you enter your zip code. This brings up a list of the local cable and satellite providers in your area. Choose the one you use and you are all set. Now once you select the sport or game you want to watch, the app gives you the local channel and start time. It is as simple as that. Just about every sport is available: MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, MLS, EPL, WNBA, NCAA football and basketball, golf and even lacrosse. Once you select the sport you get a list of the specific leagues available like in the photo below, basketball is broken out to include the NBA, College Basketball, and the WNBA and Women's College Basketball. Users select the one they want and they receive a list of the games being played that day. They can then go forward to see games in the upcoming days. After you select the game you want, Bleacher Buddy brings up a game page that includes the local TV channels where the game can be viewed, the local start time, and other info such as odds, a chat area, and a place for you to make a prediction on the outcome of the game. Another feature included in Bleacher Buddy is an area where users can set up favorite teams so they can receive alerts on the start of the game and score updates. Each sport also has a "locker room" area so users can chat amongst themselves and "talk" sports and about the game itself. This app works for all zip codes so if you are away from home working or for some other reason, just enter the local zip code and get the local channel listings for your game. Bleacher Buddy takes all the guessing and searching out of finding the game you want to watch on TV.
DirecTV Genie DVR and interface launch with advice for the indecisive
We got a peek at DirecTV's Genie system just a few weeks ago with promises of a system that would both suggest related shows and optionally record them unbidden. It's here, and it's being joined by some rebranding. The company's flagship HR34 DVR has been relabeled as the Genie and makes the new software its centerpiece, with those five tuners letting even the chronically uncommitted take new recommendations as seriously as they like. As before, simultaneous viewing is otherwise the biggest angle: there's support for up to eight RVU-capable TVs hooked up at once, two shows playing on one TV and up to four TVs watching the same show. You'll have to be a new subscriber to get the video recorder under the Genie moniker, although we don't see too many existing customers dropping everything to get that symbolic distinction.
DirecTV HR34 DVR 'Genie' recommendations and autorecording get previewed ahead of fall launch
DirecTV paired its HD interface with the five tuner, RVU ready HR34 Home Media Center DVR back in March, so what will it do next to take advantage of the multiroom boxes with five tuners and massive hard drives? The answer is Genie, a new feature / rebranding that should be very familiar to TiVo users, since its aim is to find other shows you might be interested in and store them on the DVR without being prompted. The folks at Solid Signal and DBSTalk have had an early preview of the fall software update that will enable it, and have both posted hands-on impressions. Once the user enables the feature, after a few hours it begins episodes of shows similar to the ones they already watch and recording them automatically. The feature uses hard drive space that's already reserved for DirecTV's video on-demand (so user accessible recording space is not impacted) and works in selections available from VOD. Watching a program at your leisure VOD-style, setting up a series recording for a new favorite or blasting it from your drive is just a click of the remote away on the DVR or one of its multiroom extenders. Helping viewers discover new content is a field suddenly filled with competition, from the social networking based to Dish Network's Hopper that records everything on primetime network TV and even filters out commercials. That Genie can let you watch already recorded episodes right away and pull from any broadcasts its finds may give it a leg up, but so far we haven't seen recommendation systems good enough to promote switching from one service to another. Hit the source links for more details on how it all works, along with a video preview, also embedded after the break.
Sky+ update allows undeleting recorded shows, more on-demand and future Catch Up TV
Sky+ has been on a bit of a tear refreshing its set-top boxes, and it's not about to stop now. When ready, a new update for the satellite TV provider's devices will let you undelete recorded programs; deleted shows are now moved to a separate space and only removed permanently either through age or if you really, really don't want to watch. If you're more interested in watching content that's always available, both Anytime and Anytime+ will be rebranded as On Demand, while the Sky Guide is adding a dedicated store tab for movie rentals. Catch Up TV is also nearing with the update and should aggregate the last week's worth of shows from Sky in addition to BBC iPlayer, Demand 5 and ITV Player. The gotcha, as we know all too well from these kinds of firmware revisions, is the timing. You'll have to have either a Sky+ HD 1TB box or the Sky+ HD DRX890 to get the upgrade early on, and Sky is staggering its deployment in a move that could leave some subscribers twiddling their thumbs.
DirecTV quietly updates iPad app, HR34 DVR
DirecTV has quietly updated both its iPad app and HR34 DVR with a variety of new features for Satellite-loving customers. The application will now resume from where you left off, comes with a much improved search function and best of all, a direct line into the company's support forums. Meanwhile, the HR34 swallowed a software package that included Pandora, a YouTube landing page and more readable closed captions amongst a raft of other nips and tucks. The former will be available through the app store, while the latter should have arrived on your box overnight, well before you start on that CSI marathon.
DirecTV waves goodbye to 52,000 subscribers in first ever net loss of customers
Viacom's frenemy, DirecTV, has announced that it suffered a net loss of subscribers for the first time in its history. The revelation came in its second quarter filing, which claimed that the exodus is actually a purge -- due to a tighter credit policy and a change of focus toward "higher quality" customers. The dip in numbers hasn't hurt the balance sheet, however, with revenues up seven percent to $5.65 billion, leading to a net profit of $604 million. This time out, there's no reference to the recently-minted deal to keep Viacom's stations on the service, believed to be in the region of $600 million per year -- but we expect it to appear on the books in the next quarterly report.
July 12th, 1962: the day two continents smiled at each other
We'd probably all agree the Internet is the real revolution of the modern era, but today marks an older, parallel milestone that also brims with significance. On July 10th, 1962 -- back when JFK fretted over Russian missiles in Cuba and Bob Dylan sang In My Time of Dying -- NASA pelted the Telstar 1 satellite out into orbit, following a team effort by AT&T, Bell Labs and the British and French post offices. Two days later, the world's first transatlantic TV signal made its way from Maine to Brittany, via a quick stop-over in the heavens, and a new age of international communication was born. Kennedy forgot his troubles for a moment to tidy his hair and grin at France, who replied with a chirpy performance by Yves Montand. It didn't last long: Telstar 1 gave up its spherical ghost after just a few months and 400 transmissions, but by then, of course, the message had been delivered.
DirecTV adds 81,000 subscribers during Q1 in the US, increases revenue by 12 percent
Unlike with Comcast, Wall Street experts weren't surprised by DirecTV's latest Q1 results -- in fact, they were quite disappointed. The satellite provider only managed to add 81,000 subscribers in the US of A during the quarter, which is more than a 50 percent decrease compared to last year's Q1 (184,000). Meanwhile, DirecTV did see a 12 percent increase in revenue, pushing the total to about $7.05 billion. That last bit thanks in large part to landing over 590,000 new customers in Latin America, though that didn't keep its current share price from dropping about 2.7 percent to $46.60. Nonetheless, DirecTV CEO, Mike White, says his company "delivered another strong quarter [..] highlighted by double-digit revenue, EPS and cash flow growth." Us? Well, we're wondering why those "roadside ditch" commercials aren't luring more Stateside folks away from cable...
Dish Network, AMC dispute could see the network's channels dropped this summer
It wasn't that long ago that Dish Network was proudly offering AMC HD to its customers (especially since DirecTV didn't, which has since been rectified) but now the company is willing to let the network's contract expire this summer, taking new episodes of Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead away from subscribers. The source of the sudden animosity, according to a press release from AMC, is continuing litigation between it and Dish Network over dropping the Voom HD channels back in 2008, leading to them going dark soon after. The LA Times reports Dish Network claims the denial of its appeal on a decision in the case has nothing to do with its sudden change of heart is solely about AMC's high renewal cost for a relatively low viewership. Whatever you believe, the sniping and threats will likely continue right up until the contract runs out June 30th, which is at least long enough for this season of Mad Men to finish on its own.
Dish Hopper whole-home DVR review
A new DVR with a never-before-seen feature doesn't come around every day, and if it's the sort of amenity that works in every room of the house, without compromise, then we just have to review it. What would make the list? Try the Dish Hopper whole-home DVR, which can record six shows at once. Of course, there are specs and marketing claims, and then there's real-world performance. Is this set-top box everything we could have dreamed of? There's only one way to find out: you'll have to meet us past the break and take a walk through our full review.
Dish Network starts rolling out Hopper / Joey multiroom DVR setup today (video)
We're still not sure what inspired Dish Network to choose a kangaroo theme for its new multiroom DVR setup -- going as far as bringing out a live baby 'roo during its CES 2012 unveiling -- but if there's room in your home and heart for the Hopper (XiP813) and Joey (XiP110) boxes, they're available now. As we saw in our hands-on in January, they have a UI similar to the previous 922 boxes, with a few new screens added for new features and icon-based tile navigation. The Hopper DVR itself packs a 2TB drive which is put to use by PrimeTime Anytime, a feature that records three hours of network programming every night (using only one of its three tuners, thanks to the magic of satellite transponders) and stores them for eight days, just in case you missed something. The Joey multiroom extender boxes bring the video to other spots in the house and can be wired up over the existing coax thanks to MoCA technology. The price for all of this is a whole home DVR fee of $10 per month for the Hopper, and $7 per month for each Joey, while subscribers on the America's Top 200 plan or higher can get a free installation with up to three extenders. The folks over at SatelliteGuys.us got some early hands-on time and have posted detailed impressions, hit the link below for those or check out the press release and our CES video demo after the break. Oh, and the Exede-powered satellite broadband package that was announced at CES? We're hearing that's still on the slate for this summer, although the potential LTE portion may have to wait a while.[Thanks, Mr. Brightside]
Dish buys TerreStar and DBSD, inches towards LTE future
DBSD North America and TerreStar Networks probably aren't the first two companies you think of when talking about cutting edge broadband, but they're integral to Dish Network's LTE plans. Both companies were in dire straights, with TerreStar declaring bankruptcy in 2010 and DBSD filing for Chapter 11 in 2009. But, Dish doesn't want them for their customer base or portfolio of services -- it wants their spectrum. The FCC approved the transfer of the spectrum last week, but did not grant the company a waiver to immediately start using its new radio real estate to start broadcasting LTE signals. Still, it was a good enough sign for the satellite company, which completed the purchase of the two properties. Now it just has to put those plans to expand into broadband and cellphone service into action.
Google looks to plant a field of satellite dishes in Iowa
Iowa. Fertile home to 14 million acres of corn, nine million acres of soybeans, and -- if the FCC looks favorably on a recent application from Farmer Google -- a blooming array of 15-foot satellite dishes too. The request for a "receive only earth station" comes from Google Fiber, and the bands it hopes to receive are typical satellite TV frequencies, hinting that the purpose of the station will be to receive audio and video content that will then be piped through a high-speed fiber data service. First stop, Kansas City!
Switched On: New world recorder
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. When it comes to time-shifting television viewing, the conversation these days usually involves premium streaming services -- namely, Netflix and Hulu Plus. But consumers routinely shell out more than they do for either of these services -- in fact, sometimes more than for both of them combined -- simply to have more convenient access to the television from their existing cable or satellite subscriptions. Not only that, they're often willing to put up with a large, relatively noisy (and failure-prone!) box for this privilege. That box is the digital video recorder.
Sky to introduce 'augmented' TV viewing with zeebox companion app
A good week so far for British TV fans, especially those who want a little more interactivity than simply mashing a red button. The UK's satellite behemoth has announced a partnership with zeebox to create a companion app for its scheduling. Once released, you'll be able to connect with fans of the same shows, digest more program information and even purchase on-screen products. You might be doing all of these things with a laptop or tablet already, of course, but at least now you can spare your non-interested friends all those continued America's next top model tweets. If this sounds a bit like Facebook, Twitter and Amazon functionality bundled into an app, you might be right. Sky, however, clearly hopes this dedicated approach will give its programming that extra edge once the iPad / iPhone app pops up some time before the end of Q2. Viewers without iDevices will be able to access the goodies via more vanilla online methods. Hit the PR over the jump for more info.
