DirecTV

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DirecTV, Inc.

Type	Public NYSE: DTV
Founded	1994
Headquarters	El Segundo, California, USA
Industry	Telecommunication
Products	Direct broadcast satellite
Revenue	$3.15 billion (2005)
Website	directv.com

A standard DirecTV satellite dish with 1 LNB on a roof

DirecTV (trademarked as "DIRECTV") is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service based in El Segundo, California, USA, that transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States and Latin America except for Mexico. DirecTV is owned by DirecTV Group, which in turn is controlled by News Corporation.

News Corporation has reportedly agreed to transfer its 39% managing interest in DirecTV Group to John Malone's Liberty Media; in return it will buy back Liberty's shares in News Corp., giving the Murdoch family tighter control of the latter firm.[3]

1 General information
2 History
- 2.1 Market adoption
3 Management
4 Access card history
5 High-definition television (HDTV)
6 Satellite fleet
7 Local channels
8 References
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] General information

DirecTV typically uses a fixed 18-inch diameter dish antenna to receive its signals. Slightly larger, 18×24-inch elliptical antennas which receive signals from three geostationary satellite positions simultaneously are becoming more common as DirecTV attempt to squeeze more programming onto their growing systems. DTV is now installing a dish that has five LNBs for HDTV programming and local channels in selected markets. These systems receive signals from up to 5 separate satellites in both the Ku-band and Ka-band.

As of November 30, 2005 DirecTV has over 15 million customers in the U.S. and 1.57 million in Latin America. 2005 revenues are $3.15 billion.^{[citation needed]}

The Economist has suggested that News Corporation would eventually like to merge DirecTV with Sky, its British satellite operation, and possibly its Asian Star and Australian Foxtel networks to form a global satellite TV company.^{[citation needed]}

In late July 2006, DirecTV added several channels to their online guide that are apparently not available to viewers — these include UK-based Sky Sports One, Sky One and Sky News. The three are channels that are generally available to satellite television viewers in the United Kingdom, though Sky News has been made available in other countries internationally.

[edit] History

In 1981, Stanley Hubbard founded United States Satellite Broadcasting. After 10 years of waiting for technology to catch up, Hubbard approached RCA Consumer Electronics and General Motors subsidiary Hughes Electronics to develop a new generation of digital satellite service capable of delivering 175 channels to a small 18-inch dish. The two agreed to jointly develop and launch the satellite which would carry two programming services: USSB and DirecTV.
In 1994, the USSB and DirecTV programming services were launched. Digital Equipment Corporation provided the customer-care out of their existing technical support center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In 1998 DirecTV acquired USSB for $1.3 billion.
In 1999 DirecTV acquired PrimeStar for $1.83 billion.
In 2003, a merger with EchoStar, owner of Dish Network, fell through.
On December 22, 2003, General Motors sold controlling interest in Hughes Electronics to News Corporation.
On November 15, 2005, DirecTV stopped carrying Music Choice audio-only channels, replacing it with 73 channels of XM Satellite Radio.

[edit] Market adoption

As of June 2006, DirecTV has 15.4 million subscribers,^[1] more than any other in the satellite industry, having subscribed their 15 millionth customer in November 2005.^[2] On Feburary 18, 2007, NASCAR and DirecTV Will launch NASCAR HotPass during The Daytona 500, the price for a full season is $99. It will be 5 channels dedicated to a diffrent driver, They will chage every race. Each channel will have six cameras and two isolated announcers foucusing on that one driver for the whole race. The viewer will have access to in-car audio transmissions, real-time statsticts, and cameras covering every angle from inside the car to the pit box and all around the track.

Number of DirecTV subscribers by year

[edit] Management

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Rupert Murdoch, Chairman
Chase Carey, President and Chief Executive Officer
Bruce B. Churchill, Executive Vice President
Larry D. Hunter, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Michael W. Palkovic, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Romulo C. Pontual, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Patrick T. Doyle, Senior Vice President, Treasurer, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

A DirecTV "D2" access card (front)

A DirecTV "D2" access card (back)

[edit] Access card history

DirecTV transmits programming with encryption to mitigate signal piracy. The receiver (also known as an IRD, or "integrated receiver-decoder") utilizes ISO 7816 smart cards which tell the receiver how to decrypt the programming for viewing. In a continuing effort to combat piracy, an access card generation is created approximately every two years, outdating the old set. DirecTV is now utilizing a fifth generation of access cards.

P1, also known as F cards, were used until 1997. F cards have a picture of a satellite on the front.
P2, also known as H cards, were introduced in 1996 to replace F cards. H cards look the same as F cards. H cards were in use until 2002.
P3, also known as HU cards, were introduced in 1999 and are no longer supported. HU cards have a picture of a football player on the front. HU cards originally shipped with receivers with serial numbers above 0001 700 000. These were removed from circulation due to high piracy plaguing the system.
P4 cards were introduced in 2002 and are currently still in use. P4 cards are labeled "Access Card: 4."
D1 cards were introduced in 2004 following compatibility problems with the P4 cards in some receivers. These cards can be identified by the silver edges, and simply bear the word "DirecTV" on the front (no number).
D2 cards were introduced in 2005. This is the current "standard issue" card. These cards can be identified by a two-toned blue dot pattern resembling the DirecTV logo in addition to the DirecTV logo and the words "DirecTV Access Card". They have no number on the front.

DirecTV has long been a victim of an active signal piracy underground, but has recently begun to crack down on illegal reception of its signals. On its anti-piracy website, DirecTV claims to have sued over 24,000 end users as of March 17, 2004, including celebrity O.J. Simpson. DirecTV bases its suits on purchase records of ISO-7816 Smart Card devices.

[edit] High-definition television (HDTV)

DirecTV's 5-LNB satellite dish

Like its competitors, DirecTV offers high-definition television (HDTV) and interactive services.

To handle the proliferation of bandwidth-intensive HDTV broadcasting, DirecTV rebroadcasts local HDTV stations using the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec while employing a newer transmission protocol (DVB-S2) over the SPACEWAY-1 and SPACEWAY-2 satellites. This allows DirecTV to squeeze much more HD programming over its satellite signal than was previously feasible using the older MPEG-2 compression and DSS protocol it has been using.

DirectTV is defending a lawsuit that alleges DirecTV lowered HDTV picture resolution below that of the industry's accepted definition of HDTV. DirectTV counters that its high definition picture quality is comparable to or better than that of any other TV service. ^[3]

To receive the channels encoded in MPEG-4 requires newer receivers such as the H20 as well as the 5-LNB Ka/Ku dish. DirecTV has contracted with Korea's LG Electronics and France's Thomson to manufacture these new receivers. LG Electronics offers the Model # H20-600 receiver while Thomson provides the Model # H20-100 receivers.

DirecTV uses the less advanced H10 receiver only when the customer cannot receive local stations. ^[4]

The HD channels offered by DirecTV are:

70 - HBO HD
71 - Showtime HD
72 - ESPN2HD
73 - ESPNHD
74 - Universal HD
75 - TNT HD
76 - Discovery HD Theater
78 - HDNet Movies
79 - HDNet
95 - RSN HD
96 - RSN HD
101 - CD USA
623 - NESN HD

DirecTV also broadcasts FSN in HD in various markets, on different channels in the 90s range, for certain games.

DirecTV broadcasts some of the NFL Sunday Ticket package in HD for an additional fee. This service is only available to customers that purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket Super Fan for an additional $99.

Local network affiliates of (CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX) broadcasts in HDTV are available in major markets.

[edit] Satellite fleet

Satellite	Orbital slot	Launch date	Satellite type
DirecTV-1	110.0° W	December 17, 1993	Hughes Electronics HS-601
DirecTV-2	100.8° W	August 3, 1994	Hughes Electronics HS-601
DirecTV-1R	100.8° W	October 10, 1999	Hughes Electronics HS-601HP
DirecTV-4S	101.2° W	November 27, 2001	Hughes Electronics HS-601HP
DirecTV-5	72.5° W	May 7, 2002	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-6	109.8° W	March 8, 1997	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-7S	119.0° W	May 4, 2004	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-8	101.0° W	May 22, 2005	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-9S	101.1° W	October 13, 2006	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
SPACEWAY-1	102.8° W	April 26, 2005	Boeing BSS-702
SPACEWAY-2	99.2° W	November 16, 2005	Boeing BSS-702
DirecTV-10	TBD	(est.) 2007	Boeing BSS-702
DirecTV-11	TBD	(est.) 2007	Boeing BSS-702
DirecTV-12	TBD	(est.) 2007	Boeing BSS-702

[edit] Local channels

DirecTV also offers local channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS, The CW, MyNetworkTV, i: Independent Television (in markets that carry that network), and some independent stations) for many markets. In markets that lack a CW affiliate, DirecTV includes WSFL from Miami or KSWB from San Diego. Subscribers located where they cannot receive a decent terrestrial television signal can receive feeds from New York and Los Angeles for CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox, though a waiver from the local stations may be required to allow this, approved at their discretion. National PBS and i channels are also available.

In the largest markets local channels are carried on the satellite at 101°W. In some smaller markets, the local channels are carried on a second satellite located at 119°W which requires a slightly larger dish with two or three LNBs or the newer Ka/Ku 5-LNB dish. In a few smaller markets, local stations are located on a satellite at 72.5°W that requires a second dish to be installed.

In late 2005 DirecTV began providing local HDTV channels to the largest markets, requiring newer receivers with a larger dish capable of receiving signals from up to five satellites at once. The Ku-band signals on the newer Ka/Ku dish are received from 101°W, 110°W, and 119°W, while Ka-band signals are from 99°W and 103°W.

In late 2006, Directv, announced plans to offer local channels, in 100% of markets by the end of 2007.

Local television channels are transmitted over optical fiber links, Ku-band satellite uplink, microwave, and conventional terrestrial transmission to uplink centers located throughout the United States.