# Latest on DirecTV2go status



## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

While searching around for status of DirecTV2go functionality (downloading DirecTV content from DVRs or receivers in encrypted format onto handheld multi-media devices similar to video-IPods and watch it in mobile fashion) which was announced in early 2006 but never appeared, I found the following:

http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78854457

Serial number for this trademark registration is 78854457.

In the US trademark office, opposition period for this trademark registration has completed. A notice of allowance for the trademark was issued to DirecTV on March 20, 2007.

Trademark allowance documents can be retrieved from following link:

http://portal.uspto.gov/external/po...ue&details=&SELECT=US+Serial+No&TEXT=78854457

I cannot point a direct link to allowance document, however clicking on "Statement of Allowance" link indicates that this notice was sent to Mr. Takehiko Suzuki at DirecTV informing that they have 6 months from issue date to file a statement of use, or file a request for extension of time to file such statement. If extension request is filed, a new request must be filed every 6 months, and a maximum of 5 extension requests can be made. If even after 5 requests no extension is filed, the trademark request is abandoned.

Since issue date for allowance was March 20, 2007, the 6 month deadline is September 20, 2007 which is approaching very shortly. It will be interesting to see whether DirecTV actually files a statement of use or requests extension. If they request extension, I will personally consider that DirecTV has given up on importance of this functionality for good. This is because competitor DISH has had it with PocketDISH for a long time, DirecTV announced intent to release it by end of 2006 in early 2006. If they still need extension by September 2007, it would tell me that they're really not serious about this functionality at all.

I will keep looking with interest over the course of next week, and post any change to status I may find.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

It sounds like they are trying to keep the name alive, but the product that was announced 2 years ago has to be considered dead. The component costs have changed, and that means the design specs are going to have to change.


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> It sounds like they are trying to keep the name alive, but the product that was announced 2 years ago has to be considered dead. The component costs have changed, and that means the design specs are going to have to change.


I think you're right on the mark there. It's just that to give them a benefit of doubt, I have established my own personal threshold till end of this deadline next week. I'm pessimistic about it, and after that unfortunately it looks like bye-bye DirecTV for me.  Just guessing about it, I cannot understand where things could've gone wrong for them - whether they just didn't pay enough attention to this, or whether they spent resources but got stuck in technical difficulties, legal issues, whatever...  I just cannot understand it, considering how long it has taken. Anyway, there are only so many things you can worry about, and I think I will stop waiting for this after next week.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

If is stuck developmentally my best guess is DRM issues. They might not have satisfied their providers requirements or their own internal requirements.

I did see this at CES, they sounded excited by it still, but haven't seen anything since. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

Chandu said:


> I will keep looking with interest over the course of next week, and post any change to status I may find.


I went back and checked the link in original post:

http://portal.uspto.gov/external/po...ue&details=&SELECT=US+Serial+No&TEXT=78854457

Actually one day before I created this thread (Sept. 11), DirecTV filed their "Extension of time to File SOU" (statement of use). It's just that the trademark office took time to upload it to their website, so I didn't see it on Sept. 12. They are asking for a 6 month extension.

[Takehiko Suzuki simply happens to be a corporate lawyer who works for DirecTV. His name shows up on bunch of other legal news items related to the company e.g. some legal communication with Tivo etc.]

As someone said in this thread before, this is purely for a trademark. It has nothing to do with technology and actual product release. The fact that they're still filing for an extension for the trademark tells me that this product is nowhere on the horizon. As I said earlier in the thread, this now goes beyond the personal threshold I had established for waiting. As far as I'm concerned, it is RIP DirecTV2go.

DirecTV2go, we hardly knew ye!!!


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## DFDureiko (Feb 20, 2006)

I travel ALOT, why would it be so hard to enable downloading from HR20 to your laptop? to watch content on the road? on the surface it appears easy. right now I have to copy each recording onto DVD and drag them along.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

DFDureiko said:


> I travel ALOT, why would it be so hard to enable downloading from HR20 to your laptop? to watch content on the road? on the surface it appears easy. right now I have to copy each recording onto DVD and drag them along.


It isn't a "technical" reason on why it can't be done.
Other then the technical aspects of DRM


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

There are work arounds. I have one of these DVRs

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2171)-SDVM1-A-A30-SanDisk_VMate_Video_Memory_Card_Recorder.aspx

It records mpeg4 directly to memory cards that will play on almost any device, even mobile phones.

The down side is that you are recording video in real time. So to get a 2 hour movie on your memory card it takes two hours, but you can schedule recordings. Which means you don't have to babysit it.


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## bhelton71 (Mar 8, 2007)

DFDureiko said:


> I travel ALOT, why would it be so hard to enable downloading from HR20 to your laptop? to watch content on the road? on the surface it appears easy. right now I have to copy each recording onto DVD and drag them along.


I think Tom hit the problem directly on the head. In the current environment - Directv would have to establish with content-providers that their content would be 'secure' - ie you can't make a copy and place it on Bittorrent or sell copies of movies. Since HD-DVD and Blu-Ray were cracked almost as soon as they came out - no reason to assume the same wouldn't happen with this.

So ridiculous - I can't believe DRM remains an issue after it has been proven repeatedly it can be defeated almost at will.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I don't know if it's a technical or marketing limitation, but with no news in almost 2 years, I'd consider this vaporware.


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## jjohns (Sep 15, 2007)

man_rob said:


> There are work arounds. I have one of these DVRs
> 
> http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2171)-SDVM1-A-A30-SanDisk_VMate_Video_Memory_Card_Recorder.aspx
> 
> ...


Does/can it record Hi Def and playback Hi Def?


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## man_rob (Feb 21, 2007)

jjohns said:


> Does/can it record Hi Def and playback Hi Def?


It doesn't record HD, but I don't know of any mobile devices that have HD screens. It's meant for recording video directly on memory cards for playback on phones, PDAs, PSPs, etc.


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

man_rob said:


> There are work arounds. I have one of these DVRs
> 
> http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Item(2171)-SDVM1-A-A30-SanDisk_VMate_Video_Memory_Card_Recorder.aspx
> 
> ...


There are too many other products with similar capabilities. For example, Archos (which is the company that had alliance with Echostar for PocketDISH) has hand-held devices that can directly record from an analog source in real time. There are no DRM issues involved. Basically it's "what you see is what you get". Of course there are limitations to your "workaround" as well as this approach in general with Archos. As you mention, it's in "real time". No digital quality fast data transfer with USB. No capabilities for digital transfer of meta-data, e.g. the date/time at which program was recorded, its title, its description. There are whole bunch of other limitations.

The specific problem which PocketDISH solves (and which DirecTV2go was purported to solve but never might due to it being vaporware) is truly digital transfer of data from vendor DVRs onto mobile PVRs, while taking care of DRM issues.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Seems to me others are doing it...so DRM can't be that big of an issue. Doesn't Tivo have Tivo to Go? Can't you also buy content like this from iTunes, AOL, etc?


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

Ken S said:


> Seems to me others are doing it...so DRM can't be that big of an issue. Doesn't Tivo have Tivo to Go? Can't you also buy content like this from iTunes, AOL, etc?


Correct. DISH has had PocketDISH for quite a while now. It's possible that this thing slipped off of DirecTV's list of priorities w.r.t. whatever else they were busy with. (e.g. launch of new HD channels maybe?)


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Ken S said:


> Seems to me others are doing it...so DRM can't be that big of an issue. Doesn't Tivo have Tivo to Go? Can't you also buy content like this from iTunes, AOL, etc?


The big difference on TiVo To Go, is the analog aspects of their system.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

My guess, purely a guess is that DRM messed everything up.

DIRECTV proudly showed DIRECTV2Go again this past year at CES, it wasn't a mockup (aside from the software in the DVRs, perhaps), listed some compatible players, etc. It looked ready to go--once the packaging and everyone signed on.

So I'm guessing the providers didn't sign on yet or won't.  I know DIRECTV was excited about the product.

Happy Holidays!
Tom


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> The big difference on TiVo To Go, is the analog aspects of their system.


Actually, the big difference is Tivo, Dish and many others have a product on the market and DirecTV doesn't. I really doubt this is a DRM thing. When I buy product from iTunes or Amazon it's digital. I can watch NBC shows at no charge on my laptop...they're digital.

There's another reason...not saying it's some nefarious plot...it could be as simple as DirecTV doesn't have the internal bandwidth to support this product at the current time and/or doesn't see a way to make enough money from it to make it worthwhile.
The software could also be buggy and someone there has decided not to release products that are substandard as has happened in the past.


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

Hahaha, check out this news release from yesterday:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/18/archos-605-and-705-now-support-dish-dvr-transfers/

DISH already has had PocketDISH through Archos. But now to top it, they're also adding support for more top of the line mobile devices customers might have bought off the shelf. All they've to do is download a free plugin and volia, digital transfer with DRM works. DirecTV was already behind the competition on this one, but falling behind even more. It may not always stay that way, but right now it is a glaring shortcoming.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I do agree... I'd like to see some sort of DIRECTV to mobile solution, no matter what the device and even if it were downsampled.


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## JBernardK (Aug 16, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> The big difference on TiVo To Go, is the analog aspects of their system.


Huh? Tivo To Go on the Series 3 is digital just like a D* system would be.


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## Draconis (Mar 16, 2007)

Guess we will have to wait until the 2008 CES starts to see if they still show it.

Already got my ticket, and took the week off.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Don't be surprised if you recognize a few names while you're there... Previous CES's have had quite a few prominent DBSTalkers walking around. I myself was there in 2006 and took photos of the prototype HR20:


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## michaelyork29 (Jun 22, 2007)

Hey guys...I'll be there as well...

Will post any new DirecTV news.


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## Draconis (Mar 16, 2007)

Must have missed you, I've attended the last 2 years.

I just hope that they do not make the booth as hard to find as it was last year. But from what I have seen on the exhibitors list it may take some hiking to find them again this year.

Sand/Venetian Toscana (3708, 3709, 3710, 3705, 3704, 3701, 3702, 3703), Sand/Venetian Titian (2203, 2204, 2205), The Venetian Tower Venetian (217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 225, 226, 227)​
And now back to the topic...

One thing I do hope happens is that someone will post the media player's requirements (if it is still open to all "Plays for Sure" devices) so we know what to beg Santa for this year.


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## BudShark (Aug 11, 2003)

So nothing new from this years CES???


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

The problem here isn't DirecTV, but Microsoft. Microsoft has virtually abandoned PlaysForSure in favor of the Zune, which does NOT support PlaysForSure or WMP. Microsoft has further virtually abandoned WinCE entirely, which is the OS on which PlaysForSure devices are based.

How many people do you know who currently own a PlaysForSure video device?


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## asunners (Jul 14, 2007)

Aren't all Windows Mobile devices Playsforsure devices? I thought all handhelds that ran Windows Media Player (WMP) could play DRM protected content like music or videos.

I for one would like to be able download recordings and watch them standing in line someplace!


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

IIP said:


> The problem here isn't DirecTV, but Microsoft. Microsoft has virtually abandoned PlaysForSure in favor of the Zune, which does NOT support PlaysForSure or WMP. Microsoft has further virtually abandoned WinCE entirely, which is the OS on which PlaysForSure devices are based.
> 
> How many people do you know who currently own a PlaysForSure video device


So the question then is: Why isn't DirecTV able to quickly change their direction and partner with Microsoft/Zune, similar to how DISH partnered with Archos? Or alternatively, forget about Microsoft altogether. They could also partner with Archos just like DISH. As far as I know, there is no exclusivity in the contract between DISH and Archos.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

As I've said before, I'd consider this DIRECTV-no-go.


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## Chandu (Oct 3, 2005)

Stuart Sweet said:


> As I've said before, I'd consider this DIRECTV-no-go.


And you're absolutely right. As this previously posted links shows:

http://tmportal.uspto.gov/external/portal/tow?SRCH=Y&isSubmitted=true&details=&SELECT=US+Serial+No&TEXT=78854457



> A Notice of Allowance was issued on Mar 20, 2007 for the trademark application identified above. The FIRST request for Extension of Time to File a Statement of Use has been approved. Applicant must continue to file extension requests every 6 months calculated from the date the Notice of Allowance was issued until a Statement of Use is filed. Please note that a Statement of Use cannot be filed more than 36 months from the issuance date of the Notice of Allowance.


The next renewal to keep this trademark on life support would've come up on March 20, 2008. The fact that there wasn't even an application filed for extending this any more implies that DirecTV will not have this functionality any time soon.

As if it was hardly a surprise: *DirecTV2go is officially dead!*


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