# Interesting items from DirecTV Annual Report



## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

Sorry if this has been discussed previously. I found the following interesting comments in DirecTV's Annual Report (emphasis added):



> *Cutting-Edge Technology*
> 
> 2005 saw many of our technology initiatives come
> to market. One of the most important is high
> ...


----------



## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

This is sort of more General Disscusion 1.) Because the new EPG isn't directly related to the R15 and 2.) because this doesn't deal with support for the DVR, but I can see how this fits here, too.

Anyways, I think we've already known about this stuff for a little bit, but I can't wait for DirecTV to start implementing this stuff on their Plus DVRs (the HR20 and the R15). It seems like the cellphone programing may come in the near future because we just saw BSkyB do it. I can't wait.


----------



## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

Market leader in terms of capacity and speed ????  DirecTiVos can be upgraded to multiple hundreds of hours and the R-15 hesitates and is sluggish doing almost everything.

It also looks like "two presses" to get to the guide will be around forever being arguably its their most important new initiative.


----------



## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if you have a DVR, would why they offer a VOD service for current shows? Isn't that the reason we have a DVR so we don't miss them? The vast majority of cable shows re air so you can always record them and for network shows odds would have it, you already have it in your to do list..

Does this make any sense??? DTV should buy Netflix and offer a serious VOD service. 65k movies!


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Bobman said:


> Market leader in terms of capacity and speed ????  DirecTiVos can be upgraded to multiple hundreds of hours and the R-15 hesitates and is sluggish doing almost everything.
> 
> It also looks like "two presses" to get to the guide will be around forever being arguably its their most important new initiative.


Yes Tivo can be upgraded but it a hack, though I think most of the newer units have bigger drives anyway so it's a moot point. Outside of that the SA Tivo and the R15 are both suposed to get the ability to plug in external drives, so that makes the statement even more useless.


----------



## jpl (Jul 9, 2006)

saleen351 said:


> I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if you have a DVR, would why they offer a VOD service for current shows? Isn't that the reason we have a DVR so we don't miss them? The vast majority of cable shows re air so you can always record them and for network shows odds would have it, you already have it in your to do list..
> 
> Does this make any sense??? DTV should buy Netflix and offer a serious VOD service. 65k movies!


I seem to remember reading sometime back that DirecTV did cut a deal with Netflix (and Netflix is moving toward true video on demand, via the internet instead of sending you the actual DVDs) - or it may have been that DTV cut a deal with another company who cut a deal with Netflix.

I'm guessing that the VOD was added in response to offerings by some cable companies, like Comcast, who offer a limited on-demand feature. That is, there are some shows/movies that they have on-demand, and you can call them up any time. But the shows/movies in their system change from time to time, so it isn't true on-demand. It was one of the reasons that DirecTV, from what I understand, started pushing the DVR in the first place. Because they couldn't offer any type of on-demand service, to respond to companies like Comcast, DirecTV started carrying the DVR service (which in turn caused Comcast to ping Motorola to develop a DVR for them -- so they could compete with DTV on that front - competition, you gotta love it). I seem to remember an article about that in some business magazine I read a few years ago.

I also remember reading/hearing that DirecTV was planning on implementing their own VOD service at some point, and that they were aggressively working on it (this was shortly after Comcast offered their on-demand feature). I really thought that was tied, pretty exclusively, to the Netflix deal (when Netflix does true VOD via the internet, DTV would offer the functionality to connect their DVRs to the internet, and voila!). And I believe that is where they're still headed. Seems like the MyVOD is an attempt (first step) to get there. It sounds like sort of a combination of the tivo suggestions, and the Comcast on-demand service. They'll push shows/movies down to you (probably driven by your viewing habits) that are not governed by a programming schedule, so you don't have to wait for them to air to record them. They'll probably offer pay services that way too (ppv events). Again, that's just a guess on my part, but it seems to make sense to me.


----------



## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

saleen351 said:


> I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if you have a DVR, would why they offer a VOD service for current shows? Isn't that the reason we have a DVR so we don't miss them? The vast majority of cable shows re air so you can always record them and for network shows odds would have it, you already have it in your to do list..
> 
> Does this make any sense??? DTV should buy Netflix and offer a serious VOD service. 65k movies!


According to NDS, the only benefits to off-disk VOD is for revenue reasons. Actually, I think one of their points for xVOD for providers is charging a premium price for accessing shows without commericials (which exactly what DirecTV will be doing with their implementation of xVOD).


----------



## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

jpl said:


> I also remember reading/hearing that DirecTV was planning on implementing their own VOD service at some point, and that they were aggressively working on it (this was shortly after Comcast offered their on-demand feature). I really thought that was tied, pretty exclusively, to the Netflix deal (when Netflix does true VOD via the internet, DTV would offer the functionality to connect their DVRs to the internet, and voila!). And I believe that is where they're still headed. Seems like the MyVOD is an attempt (first step) to get there. It sounds like sort of a combination of the tivo suggestions, and the Comcast on-demand service. They'll push shows/movies down to you (probably driven by your viewing habits) that are not governed by a programming schedule, so you don't have to wait for them to air to record them. They'll probably offer pay services that way too (ppv events). Again, that's just a guess on my part, but it seems to make sense to me.


DirecTV can push content on the box based on viewer profiles (I'm assuming viewing habits), viewer prefrences, and promotional "push" packages.


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

jonaswan2 said:


> Actually, I think one of their points for xVOD for providers is charging a premium price for accessing shows without commericials (which exactly what DirecTV will be doing with their implementation of xVOD).


Then, once ABC convinces them to disable the FF button during commercials, the circle is complete. :eek2:


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

jonaswan2 said:


> DirecTV can push content on the box based on viewer profiles (I'm assuming viewing habits), viewer prefrences, and promotional "push" packages.


Where is it that they get this information such as my viewing habits from?


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Clint Lamor said:


> Where is it that they get this information such as my viewing habits from?


Assuming you've got your phone line connected, well, your phone line.

But as we're talking about VOD, even without the phone line, they could "push" everything and your receiver (which knows your habits) could accept a subset of that.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

walters said:


> Assuming you've got your phone line connected, well, your phone line.
> 
> But as we're talking about VOD, even without the phone line, they could "push" everything and your receiver (which knows your habits) could accept a subset of that.


No phone line 

I was assuming your way but was wondering what jonas would have to say about this NDS technology.


----------



## saleen351 (Mar 28, 2006)

Here is a great article of why VOD won't topple Netflix any time soon and why I dropped all my premium channels and why VOD is worthless.

Read Here

If you need a log in to read the article use:
http://www.bugmenot.com/

Some excerpts

_But here's the rub. Movielink has a library of only 1,500 movies, fewer than a good video store. Likewise, Comcast, the cable company making a push into video-on-demand, offers just 800 movies. This may not surprise you if you have ever scrolled through the pay-per-view options and found nothing to watch._

_ Its return from oblivion is a nice illustration of a brainteaser I have been giving my friends since I visited Netflix in Silicon Valley last month. Out of the 60,000 titles in Netflix's inventory, I ask, how many do you think are rented at least once on a typical day?

The most common answers have been around 1,000, which sounds reasonable enough. Americans tend to flock to the same small group of movies, just as they flock to the same candy bars and cars, right?

Well, the actual answer is 35,000 to 40,000. That's right: every day, almost two of every three movies ever put onto DVD are rented by a Netflix customer. "Americans' tastes are really broad," says Reed Hastings, Netflix's chief executive. So, while the studios spend their energy promoting bland blockbusters aimed at everyone, Netflix has been catering to what people really want - and helping to keep Hollywood profitable in the process._


----------



## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

saleen351 said:


> I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if you have a DVR, would why they offer a VOD service for current shows? Isn't that the reason we have a DVR so we don't miss them? The vast majority of cable shows re air so you can always record them and for network shows odds would have it, you already have it in your to do list..
> 
> Does this make any sense??? DTV should buy Netflix and offer a serious VOD service. 65k movies!


Right, If you have a DVR, why do you need to have recent shows on demand? And since it has to be pushed an dstored on your own hard drive, well basically it is reserving 60GB to use for Tivo- style Suggestions.

basically they are re-naming a TIVO feature people many hate and packaging it as innovative. BRILLIANT!

Of course if the R15 ever misses a show again, at least you can get it on demand, once it pushes...problem solved!

Rethink!


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

mikewolf13 said:


> basically they are re-naming a TIVO feature people many hate and packaging it as innovative. BRILLIANT!


You forgot one part: they charge extra for it, too.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

mikewolf13 said:


> Right, If you have a DVR, why do you need to have recent shows on demand? And since it has to be pushed an dstored on your own hard drive, well basically it is reserving 60GB to use for Tivo- style Suggestions.
> 
> basically they are re-naming a TIVO feature people many hate and packaging it as innovative. BRILLIANT!
> 
> ...


My understanding was the VOD would be filled with shows that have no commercials, movies before they hit PPV and so forth. Sort of like the PPV that Comcast, Time Warner and others have. How is that Suggestions renamed?


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

And from what I understand of the VOD:
-) Not all of it is going to be fee based, some will be free
-) It is a "library" of programs.. aka, some that are not being aired anymore... so even TiVo Suggestions can't record what isn't being broadcasted.


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Even if it's free it comes at an opportunity cost for those who don't want it: 60GB of space. At least suggestions only use otherwise unused space.


----------



## HockeyKat (Jul 5, 2006)

People have been asking for (demanding?) VOD for months now. Why is it all of a sudden a bad thing? :scratchin


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

walters said:


> Even if it's free it comes at an opportunity cost for those who don't want it: 60GB of space. At least suggestions only use otherwise unused space.


:lol: well according to Wolffpacks research into the drive it's using 60gb of space thats not useable also. 

You still get your 100 gb to do as you please with and the VOD won't effect that. What I wonder is what will it do once they allow us to use external drives? Is it going to segment that and take part of my drive I have to pay for and add?


----------



## jpl (Jul 9, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> And from what I understand of the VOD:
> -) Not all of it is going to be fee based, some will be free
> -) It is a "library" of programs.. aka, some that are not being aired anymore... so even TiVo Suggestions can't record what isn't being broadcasted.


I started posting, but Earl hit the point I was going to make (his second one). To get something recorded on your DVR it has to be broadcast. I think, in a small way, DTV has been getting people ready for this for at least a few months. Look through the PPV listings. They're starting to carry old movies.


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Yes, I know they only promised 100 hours and they deliver that. But they put a 160GB hard drive in there, so it would be nice if you could opt out of having such a large chunk reserved for something you may not ever use. I'd hate to have something I recorded get deleted essentially to make room for something I didn't want.

If people can spin Suggestions as a negative, when they are optional and never take space or time away from your own recordings, then I can spin this as negative when it is not optional and certainly does take space away. Not advertised space, sure; but available space.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

walters said:


> Yes, I know they only promised 100 hours and they deliver that. But they put a 160GB hard drive in there, so it would be nice if you could opt out of having such a large chunk reserved for something you may not ever use. I'd hate to have something I recorded get deleted essentially to make room for something I didn't want.
> 
> If people can spin Suggestions as a negative, when they are optional and never take space or time away from your own recordings, then I can spin this as negative when it is not optional and certainly does take space away. Not advertised space, sure; but available space.


I don't think suggestions are a bad thing I just don't like them and turned them off. Now yes as you say you should be able to turn off the VOD but then people would complain that they don't get VOD on their unit and it was promised. Wonder what would happen if you dropped a 100GB drive in there. Would it still take the 60 away?


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

walters said:


> If people can spin Suggestions as a negative, when they are optional and never take space or time away from your own recordings, then I can spin this as negative when it is not optional and certainly does take space away. Not advertised space, sure; but available space.


I wasn't spinning suggestions as a negative... just pointing out that VOD is not a "retitled" TiVo feature..


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Clint Lamor said:


> Now yes as you say you should be able to turn off the VOD but then people would complain that they don't get VOD on their unit and it was promised.


Huh? Someone would turn off a feature and then complain that the feature wasn't there?

I wasn't referring to either of you calling suggestions a negative, but I have seen it lots of times.


----------



## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

I wonder if they are going to have a "Movie of the Day" like NDS's model has. It would also be cool if we can record a live event and get charged less for viewing it later (like NDS says they can do). 

That would be awesome, but also totally unfair to non-Plus DVR owners. Oh well, tough cookies . (j/k)


----------



## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> And from what I understand of the VOD:
> -) Not all of it is going to be fee based, some will be free
> -) It is a "library" of programs.. aka, some that are not being aired anymore... so even TiVo Suggestions can't record what isn't being broadcasted.


True. It's the content that is new, not the functionality.

But until they have Broadband capabilities, this will effectively be done via a pushed broadcast.

THe DVR will record shows you may or may not like or want, for your later convienence.

Other than the *content *it's basically TIVO Suggestions.

The funny part I really don't get is the promoting of recently aired programs being available.. I mean really I already bought the bottled water now you want me to buy a charcoal filter to pour it through into my glass?

I am all for Pre -airing of shows (but will be surprised if this ever happens), greater gcatalogue of PPV, and h ave no problem with the reserved 60GB space.

I just think this feature is much anticipation over nothing. Hopefully I am wrong. 
Often I find litte-anticpated features to end up being my favorite.


----------



## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

mikewolf13 said:


> But until they have Broadband capabilities, this will effectively be done via a pushed broadcast.


If they could combine this with the same technology used for Directway/Hughesnet broadband, then they may have something.

But to just prerecord 60 hours of programs they *think* I might want to watch, doesn't sound like much of a value-added feature.

And considering DTV's track record in predicting what I want to watch (in 7 years as a DTV customer, I've purchased only one PPV movie), I don't think I would use a preselected VOD feature.


----------



## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

jonaswan2 said:


> I wonder if they are going to have a "Movie of the Day" like NDS's model has. It would also be cool if we can record a live event and get charged less for viewing it later (like NDS says they can do).
> 
> That would be awesome, but also totally unfair to non-Plus DVR owners. Oh well, tough cookies . (j/k)


It seems like every other one of your post is extolling the virtues of NDS. I'm curious. Do you work for them?


----------



## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

qwerty said:


> It seems like every other one of your post is extolling the virtues of NDS. I'm curious. Do you work for them?


Of course not...

But I wonder if they are accepting . You'd probably have to have experience in programing though.


----------



## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

jonaswan2 said:


> You'd probably have to have experience in programing though.


I'm not so sure


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

walters said:


> Huh? Someone would turn off a feature and then complain that the feature wasn't there?
> 
> I wasn't referring to either of you calling suggestions a negative, but I have seen it lots of times.


Yes I hav seen people turn stuff off in software then complain they can't get the feature. Don't ask me man I just deal with them lol


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Ya I thought it was pretty lame when the iPod started allowing you to get these shows also. Shows why he's a billionaire and i'm not :lol:



mikewolf13 said:


> True. It's the content that is new, not the functionality.
> 
> But until they have Broadband capabilities, this will effectively be done via a pushed broadcast.
> 
> ...


----------

