How does DIRECTTV compare with cable? DIRECTTV
has created a programming service specifically driven to offer customers
more choice and value for their entertainment dollar. DIRECTTV combines
America's favorite network channels, other popular networks not
available from many cable services, a pay per view movie service
with up to 55 choices of movies and special events a day, local
channels in many markets, and an unprecedented sports subscription
lineup. No other system offers as many quality program options.
Can I install the DIRECTTV System myself or should I hire someone?
Our customers who use professional installers typically have fewer
technical concerns later on, and professional installation is quite
affordable.
Can I install the satellite dish inside
my house? In order to receive the signal, the dish must have
a direct line of sight to the south through a window. However, many
types of window glass degrade the satellite signal. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you install your satellite dish outside
in a suitable location.
If I mount my satellite dish outside, will it get stolen? The
dish is the least expensive component of the system and is basically
useless without the set-top receiver. Also keep in mind that the
dish is small enough to be placed in an inconspicuous location on
your home or property.
Can I use my existing wiring for DIRECTTV? If the cable in your
house is RG-6 coax cable, you can use it to connect your DIRECTTV
Receiver to your satellite dish. If your cable is not RG6 coax,
you will need to run new cable.
If I have more than one receiver, do I pay a full monthly subscription
for each receiver? No. DIRECTTV allows you to connect more than
one television in a single household to our services. If your receivers
are connected to the same phone line, we can 'mirror' your subscription.
In other words, the programming you request for the primary access
card in your receiver is copied for all of the access cards in the
other receivers and you are authorized to receive this same level
or programming on these televisions. Instead of charging you a separate
monthly subscription for each receiver, we simply charge a $4.99
monthly service fee for each additional receiver.
Can DIRECTTV be connected to more than one television set in
my house? Buying separate DIRECTTV Receivers for the various
television sets in your home gives you the flexibility of watching
different DIRECT TV programs on different television sets. To do
this, you'll need to have a dual-LNB DIRECTTV System. The dual-LNB
DIRECT TV System (sometimes called a "delux system" or a "multi-room
system") allows you to use additional receivers so the members of
your household can watch different channels or pay per view programs
in different rooms at the same time. If all your DIRECTTV Receivers
are connected to the same land-based phone line, then DIRECTTV can
"mirror" your subscription package for a nominal fee for each additional
DIRECTTV outlet.
Can you explain the Locks & Limits (parental controls) feature
DIRECTTV offers? The Locks & Limits feature built into the
equipment lets you restrict access to movies based on the motion
picture rating system, pay per view spending limits, and block the
viewing of entire channels. This is a great feature for parents
who wish to control what their children watch on DIRECTTV.
I have two receivers. Can I order a pay per view movie on one receiver
and watch it on both TVs in my house? No. Each pay per view
order is specific to the receiver on which it is ordered. When you
place a pay per view order, the receiver on which you placed the
order begins displaying the signal, "authorizes you for the purchase"
and stores the record of your purchase on the access card in the
receiver.
If I own one receiver that is hooked up to more than one TV, can
I watch the same pay per view program on each TV without an additional
charge? Yes. All TVs that are hooked up to a common receiver
will receive the same satellite signal.
Does DIRECTTV offer channels on an a la carte basis? DIRECTTV
typically bundles its programming together into different subscription-based
packages so we can offer our customers better prices. It costs more
for us to offer channels separately. However, we do offer select
channels on an a la carte basis. Visit our programming section for
more information
How do I order pay per view movies and special events? You
can order with your remote control or by calling DIRECTTV customer
service
Does DIRECTTV offer local network channels? Yes, a law passed
by the U.S. Congress allows us to offer local television channels
to selected areas. Eligible customers can order their local channel
package. Please visit our local channel page to find out if you
qualify for local networks. In some markets, you will need to have
a DIRECTTV Multi-Satellite System.
Can I receive local channels from another part of the country?
Under federal law, we can provide local channels only within a local
TV market. For example, we can provide San Francisco stations in
San Francisco and surrounding areas within that TV market. Federal
law requires us to use local TV markets boundaries established by
Nielsen Media Research. Distant broadcast network feeds from New
York and Los Angeles are available only to customers who cannot
receive an over-the-air signal from a local TV station or to customers
who get waivers from their local TV stations. Why don't you offer
local channels in my area? We want to serve the maximum number
of DIRECTTV customers. But with more than 1,500 local TV stations
in the country, we can't carry them all.
Are DIRECTTV SPORTS® packages affected by sports blackouts?
As a provider of the most comprehensive sports programming lineup
in the digital home entertainment industry, DIRECTTV must pay close
attention to sports blackouts and restrictions. As these restrictions
are sometimes complicated, we suggest that you refer to our website's
sports blackouts page for a detailed explanation. Why is my regional
sports network territory different from my cable Regional Sports
Network (RSN)? The area of in-market availability for each regional
sports network is determined by the companies that provide the RSNs
to us, such as FOX Sports Direct. The constraints of C-band satellite
systems, cable systems and our system differ slightly, which is
why RSN territories sometimes differ from one delivery system to
the next. Most people get the same Regional Sports Network from
us as they would from cable. But in some areas of the county, there
are differences -- your home RSN from us might be different from
your home RSN on cable. This is because FOX Sports Net bases RSN
service on zip codes for satellite customers, but on county boundaries
for cable customers. This difference is necessary because of the
technical differences in how the satellite and cable signals are
distributed.
Does DIRECTTV offer a Spanish-language programming service?
Yes. It's called the DIRECTTV Para Todos. service, and it features
more than 40 Spanish-language channels, including sports, movies,
news, music and educational networks. To get DIRECT TV Para Todos.
programming, you need a DIRECT TV Para Todos. System, or any newer
receiver marked DIRECTTV Multi-Satellite System, which features
an 18-by-24-inch, oval-shaped satellite dish and a specially designed
set-top box and remote control. Visit our DIRECTTV Para Todos. page
for details.
Is DIRECTTV® programming available in other languages? The
DIRECT TV Satellite TV System does feature a foreign-language option,
so if a program is available in an alternate language, you can use
your remote control to select "Alternate Audio" from the on-screen
guide menu. Keep in mind that DIRECTTV is only a programming distributor;
it is up to the program originator to decide whether to provide
a program in another language.
What is HDTV? High definition television (HDTV) is a new
kind of television system that involves improvements in both the
production and reception of television broadcast system. The most
distinguishing features of HDTV are the aspect ratio and increased
lines of resolution. HDTV's aspect ratio is 16:9 (Width:Height)
as opposed to 4:3 of the current NTSC system. This will make the
home theater atmosphere exactly as it was meant to be. Films will
retain their original size and resolution, and the sound can be
delivered in "digital-quality" 5 channel digital audio. How is DIRECTTV's
HDTV offering different from other companies' HDTV service? Ours
is the first satellite TV service whose receiving system is built
into HDTV sets, so viewers who purchase this HDTV equipment will
have easy access.
What equipment do I need to receive high definition programming
on DIRECTTV? You can receive our high definition programming
by using an HDTV set with a built-in DIRECTTV System OR by using
an HDTV-enabled multi-sat DIRECTTV Receiver with any high-definition
television set. You can also use the HDTV-enabled set-top box with
your analog TV set to receive standard definition programming. An
oval DIRECTTV Multi-Satellite dish is also needed to capture HDTV
and other programming we broadcast at 119 degrees West Longitude
(WL) and the programming we broadcast from 101 degrees WL.
Can I keep using the DIRECTTV equipment I have now? As high
definition increasingly becomes the TV standard, customers will
need to invest in new TV monitors to receive it. We feel the best
approach will be to look for a HDTV set with an integrated DIRECTTV
Receiver. Or, if you choose a HDTV set without DIRECTTV built in,
to upgrade to a HDTV compatible set-top box when you purchase a
new monitor. However, your current DIRECTTV equipment will provide
you with quality digital programming for as long as you own the
system, when used with either an analog or HDTV set.
Who makes DIRECTTV HDTV equipment? We've formed partnerships
with several consumer electronics manufacturers. HDTV sets with
the DIRECT TV Receiver built in, as well as our HDTV-compatible
set-top boxes, are available from Thomson Consumer Electronics (under
the RCA and PROSCAN brands), Hitachi, Toshiba, Zenith, Panasonic,
Mitsubishi, Samsung and Hughes Network Systems. We're talking to
leading consumer electronics manufacturers about integrating the
multi-sat DIRECTTV System into forthcoming HDTV products.
Why is DIRECTTV using a different satellite to broadcast its high-definition
programming? Few of our customers have high-definition TV sets
today. By delivering our high-definition programming from the 119
degrees WL orbital slot, we reserve capacity at our main orbital
location for programming most customers can receive today and we
allow room for expansion there. DIRECTTV customers who continue
to use their analog TVs will still have the widest variety of programming
available to them.
What high definition programming is DIRECT TV broadcasting?
We introduced HBO® HDTV in August 1999. The channel airs continuously
and delivers blockbuster movies and original programming from Home
Box Office on DIRECTTV® Channel 509. In November 1999 we introduced
a second HDTV channel -- 199 -- featuring pay per view movies and
events in high definition format. You can also experience HDTV programming
from DIRECT TV by visiting select retail showrooms across the country
that are displaying a demonstration of the service.
In what format is HDTV from DIRECTTV broadcast? DIRECTTV
will accept a wide variety of industry-standard formats and will
broadcast in any or all of the Advanced Television Systems Committee
(ATSC) and other industry-standard broadcasting formats, essentially
remaining format-agnostic. |
