# Where's this feature?



## DukeBX (Aug 25, 2006)

I remember seeing a feature that let you see the most popular shows being watched by DirecTV subscribers at any given moment. I,for some reason,can't seem to find this feature anymore. I must have forgotten how to access it. It let's you see what show was being watched the most and had a color bar next to it. If it was full,it was being seen by many. I remember once,I put it and ESPN'S "Around The Horn" was at a full bar. Many people were watching it. Does anyone know how to acess this feature? Thanks.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

I believe that's in the active menu and from what people where saying it wasn't really what people where watching.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> I believe that's in the active menu and from what people where saying it wasn't really what people where watching.


Who says? I don't think anyone is in a position to be able to say that. They do collect the information (or at least they disclose that they do and give you an opt-out). The only issue is whether they collect enough of it to be useful. I've proven multiple times that it's at least plausible that this is the case.

I think you press a colored button (red, I think) while on a mix channel.


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## DukeBX (Aug 25, 2006)

Thanks guys.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

walters said:


> Who says?


I forgot who, but there was a thread on this before and it seemed people didn't think the info was good. They had the impression that it was just "pushed" info since it never seemed to change. I have no idea if that's right or not, heck I haven't even look at it.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> I forgot who, but there was a thread on this before and it seemed people didn't think the info was good. They had the impression that it was just "pushed" info since it never seemed to change. I have no idea if that's right or not, heck I haven't even look at it.


Yes, I remember. Generally when this topic comes up someone says "no way are that many people watching Fox News" because they can't allow themselves to believe it. These are the same people who still can't accept the 2000 election, I suspect.

I really think it would be silly for DirecTV to fake this information, but I suppose they're not above doing silly things


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

walters said:


> Yes, I remember. Generally when this topic comes up someone says "no way are that many people watching Fox News" because they can't allow themselves to believe it. These are the same people who still can't accept the 2000 election, I suspect.


Yeah, I really don't know if that many people are watching fox news. I want to know how they think they know.



walters said:


> I really think it would be silly for DirecTV to fake this information, but I suppose they're not above doing silly things


:lol: very true.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> Yeah, I really don't know if that many people are watching fox news. I want to know how they think they know.


The receiver calls in. It always has for PPV info, but now it sends anonymous usage data as well. They may have even increased the frequency for all we know (it used to be monthly), but they wouldn't really have to. As long as they kept it somewhat random and uniformly distributed, they'd have a very reasonable sample for each 30 minute time slot just from monthly calls. In fact, even a higher resolution (even down to one minute) would probably be OK.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

walters said:


> The receiver calls in. It always has for PPV info, but now it sends anonymous usage data as well. They may have even increased the frequency for all we know (it used to be monthly), but they wouldn't really have to. As long as they kept it somewhat random and uniformly distributed, they'd have a very reasonable sample for each 30 minute time slot just from monthly calls. In fact, even a higher resolution (even down to one minute) would probably be OK.


True I think D* could get the data if it wanted it but I want to know how the people who think that D* doesn't get the data know that they don't or do.


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## DukeBX (Aug 25, 2006)

Wow.Interesting info. I didn't know about this. I did check today and Studeio B w/ Shepard Smith (Fox) was on top on the "National" tab. In the "Eastern" tab, ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" was 1st. An old Carole Lombard late 30's early 40's movie was fourth most watched in the movie section. 12 Monkey's was first. I hope they are getting it correct,if any people in the past had doubts.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

DukeBX said:


> Wow.Interesting info. I didn't know about this. I did check today and Studeio B w/ Shepard Smith (Fox) was on top on the "National" tab. In the "Eastern" tab, ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" was 1st. An old Carole Lombard late 30's early 40's movie was fourth most watched in the movie section. 12 Monkey's was first. I hope they are getting it correct,if any people in the past had doubts.


What did they have for most watched kid show "electric company?". I don't know if that's correct but I have a hard time seeing an old 30's movie was in fourth and 12 monkeys was in first. Don't get me wrong, I love 12 monkeys but don't you think that a more current movie would be there? I wonder what it will say tomorrow or if it will be the same shows.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

I find that reasonable. 12 Monkeys was on USA, which everyone gets, and was up against some pretty mediocre stuff on the primiums, which not everyone gets. I assume the other movie we're talking about was "Fools for Scandal", which was playing on Turner Classic Movies (again, in the basic package).

BTW, this article (which is talking about a serious slump in Fox News ratings) says Fox News averages nearly double CNN's audience:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/COLUMNISTS15/610050336


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

I don't buy it. Not that I believe they're faking it, just the sampling. Here's the problems/questions I see:


Are these stats collected from all DTV receivers or only new receivers? If it's only those receivers with active capability the stats are not representative of all DTV viewers. For example do all DTivos and UTVs report this info?
If DVRs are left "on" (as is the case for my Tivos) are stats included for whatever the tuners are tuned to even though no one's watching?
Again concerning DVRs. What's Hot is only concerned with what's on now. When a customer is watching a recorded show is the show playing on one of the tuners counted as being what's hot even though no one's watching that?
What's the percentage of receivers hooked to a phone line versus those not?
The screen is updated every second, are they actually receiving hundreds of phone calls a second?
Are the stats based on a subscriber/household or each receiver? If per subscriber and the subscriber has multiple tuners, which is counted?
I know these are picky and I know that this screen isn't meant for statistical purposes, but there are many unknowns concerning the method these stats are gathered.

As far as Fox News goes, yes I've brought that one up. I've never seen any other news channel in the top place other than FOX News. But it's not just that, I've also never seen any 2nd place channel any higher than a 50% viewership than that of Fox News. For example, right now Fox New's "Your World with Neil Cavuto" is 1st and CNN's "The Situation Room" is second with less than half the viewership of Fox.


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

It's all speculation. I don't think it actually says anywhere that they are collecting data from the R15, does it? The web page allows you to opt out of sending anonymous viewing data, but that's based on your account and not your machine. Has anyone noticed unusual 1 800 numbers on their phone bill? Can they upload this data through the sat? The point is I don't think any of us know for sure.


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## Upstream (Jul 4, 2006)

I was under the impression that the only way the receiver could communicate back to DTV was by dialing out.

I was also under the impression that the dial outs happened in the middle of the night, so as not to interrupt a household's normal telephone usage.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

DTV receivers do not have a SAT upload link. The only way these stats could be sent to DTV is via phone.

The only real statement DTV makes is on the Mix Channel screens: "The most popular shows on DIRECTV right now".

They don't say anything else. They don't say how they get this data, they don't say how much data they get to base these stats on.

IMO it's just for the entertainment factor, thus no real statistical backing. What I don't like about that fact is that John Q Public may indeed see this as fact.

Oh, and BTW right now Fox News is #1 with "Special Report with Brit Hume". CNN is 2nd, less than half the viewership, with "Lou Dobbs Tonight".

And just for grins, the #3 show right now (3:48pm MST), under the NEWS tab, is "King of the Hill" on FX. Humm, why do I so doubt the validity of this info? So we have:

Fox News: Special Report with Brit Hume
CNN: Lou Dobbs Tonight
*[*]FX: King of the Hill*
TWC: Weather: PM Edition
CNBC: Tucker
CNN HLN: Prime News with Erica Hill
Way to funny. :lol:


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Wolffpack said:


> As far as Fox News goes, yes I've brought that one up. I've never seen any other news channel in the top place other than FOX News. But it's not just that, I've also never seen any 2nd place channel any higher than a 50% viewership than that of Fox News. For example, right now Fox New's "Your World with Neil Cavuto" is 1st and CNN's "The Situation Room" is second with less than half the viewership of Fox.


Read the article I linked to above. That's true of other more traditional sampling methods, too. Fox News typically has double the audience than CNN.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

On mine it is only updated about every 15 seconds. Let's assume 10 million receivers (out of 15 million subscribers) call in once a month. That's an average of 57 calls every 15 seconds. A bit of a small sample, but in the right ballpark. Change the callback frequency to once a week and you've got plenty of data.

Honestly I don't know how often they call in. My DTiVos used to call in daily, and I believe they're every few days now, and they never get in the way of using my phone. 

It might not even be doing a traditional modem-to-modem negotiation. Perhaps it's calling a number and using DTMF to send the channel number it's currently showing. It could do this in around 10 seconds.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

Oh, BTW, right now Sports Center is beating Fox News.


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## cybok0 (Jan 5, 2006)

Wolffpack said:


> And just for grins, the #3 show right now (3:48pm MST), under the NEWS tab, is "King of the Hill" on FX. Humm, why do I so doubt the validity of this info? So we have:
> 
> *FX: King of the Hill*
> 
> :lol:


king of the hill reports on all news dealing with propane and propane accessories a must for all people who grill.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Just to keep up with my conspiracy theory image, why is FOX News the default channel on the news Mix? Why is it that on the NFLST Mix channels remember the last channel you selected and it would be highlighted when you PREV back to the ST Mix channel yet when you PREV back to the News Mix you get shoved back to Fox News? Same technology, different results. Although, hey maybe the NFLST Mix only does that if you're previously highlighted channel was FOX Sports. Not sure if I've tried that with CBS Sports.

I just don't think it does us viewers any good when one person/company owns content production companies and also content provider companies. I've always believed that news organizations should be separate organizations and not owned/influenced by any parent company/government.


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

Wolffpack said:


> Just to keep up with my conspiracy theory image, why is FOX News the default channel on the news Mix? Why is it that on the NFLST Mix channels remember the last channel you selected and it would be highlighted when you PREV back to the ST Mix channel yet when you PREV back to the News Mix you get shoved back to Fox News? Same technology, different results. Although, hey maybe the NFLST Mix only does that if you're previously highlighted channel was FOX Sports. Not sure if I've tried that with CBS Sports.
> 
> I just don't think it does us viewers any good when one person/company owns content production companies and also content provider companies. I've always believed that news organizations should be separate organizations and not owned/influenced by any parent company/government.


It must be adware! Quick, everyone call your congressman!


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

qwerty said:


> It must be adware! Quick, everyone call your congressman!


Yea, I believe Rupert owns a few of them too. :lol:


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