What is
DIRECTV? DIRECTV is the nation's #1
digital satellite entertainment service.
Using the most advanced satellite technology,
DIRECTV delivers more than 225 channels of
programming to homes and businesses that have
DIRECTV receiving equipment, which features a
small satellite dish, a digital set-top
receiver and a remote control. DIRECTV offers
an incredible selection of entertainment for
every member of the family -- all in the 100%
digital-quality picture and sound that
DIRECTV is known for.
Can I get Internet access from
DIRECTV? DIRECTV offers high-speed 2-way
satellite Internet access through their
DIRECWAY systemthat allows you to
receive both Internet and DIRECTV programming
on the same dish. Also available is
DIRECTV DSL.
Why can't I get DIRECTV in Canada or
Mexico? DIRECTV is legally prohibited
from offering service outside the United
States.
Is DIRECTV available in Hawaii? Yes!
Hawaii residents can enjoy select
DIRECTV® programming.
Is DIRECTV available in Alaska?
DIRECTV does offer programming in Alaska.
However, because of Alaska's location in
relation to our satellites, you may need a
larger satellite-dish. For example, viewers
in Anchorage or Fairbanks may need an
eight-foot dish to get good reception. In the
Juneau area, a four-foot antenna may do the
trick. Areas north and west of these
locations will experience an even greater
reduction in signal acuity. Residents of
Alaska should check with a local DIRECTV
retailer for more information and programming
availability.
How does DIRECTV compare with cable?
DIRECTV has created a programming service
specifically driven to offer customers more
choice and value for their entertainment
dollar. DIRECTV 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 DIRECTV System myself or
should I hire someone? Our customers who
use professional installers typically have
fewer technical concerns later on. All new
DIRECTV customers can now get professional
installation included with any one or two
TV system when they sign a one-year
commitment to any TOTAL CHOICE programming
package. If you're purchasing an oval-shaped
satellite dish, that installation is more
complicated so you'll definitely want a
professional to take care of it.
Can I install the satellite dish inside my
house? No. In order to receive the
signal, the dish must be mounted outside with
a direct line of sight to the south.
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
DIRECTV? If the cable in your house is
RG-6 coax cable, you can use it to connect
your DIRECTV Receiver to your satellite dish.
If your cable is not RG6 coax, you will need
to run new cable. It is important that you
use RG6 cable due to the frequency of the
digital signals it must carry.
Can I paint the satellite dish? It's
okay to paint your dish if you don't use
lead-based or glossy paint. Glossy paint
could damage the Low Noise Block (LNB)
converter by increasing the solar reflection.
Also, do not paint the LNB itself.
If I move, can I take the DIRECTV System
with me? Yes. We distribute programming
across the continental United States. DIRECTV
also now has a Movers Program that
makes it easy to get your system reinstalled
at your new home.
What is the purpose of connecting my
receiver to my telephone line? We ask
customers to connect the receiver to a
land-based phone line for billing and pay per
view ordering purposes. This connection sends
purchase information from the receiver to our
computer system. You cannot connect a
cellular phone to your receiver; it must be a
land-based phone line. With this phone
connection, DIRECTV customers are authorized
to order pay per view movies and events with
their remote control, get popular sports
subscriptions like NFL SUNDAY TICKET™,
and have the programming subscription on
their main receiver "mirrored" to other
receivers that are connected to the same
phone line. Customers who don't have a
continuous telephone connection are not
authorized to receive certain sports
programming, must call us to order pay per
view, and must pay a separate subscription
price for each receiver. To cover the costs
of handling phone requests, we apply a $5
service charge on phone orders for pay per
view movies and events.
If I have more than one receiver, do I pay
a full monthly subscription for each
receiver? No. DIRECTV 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, DIRECTV simply charges a $4.99
monthly service fee for each additional
receiver. When they 'mirror' your
subscription to additional receivers, they do
verify that all your receivers are
continuously connected to the same phone
line. If they find that a receiver with
'mirrored' service is not connected to the
phone line they will discontinue service to
that receiver and you will need to call them
to re-establish that service.
Will the telephone connection interfere
with regular telephone usage? No. This
connection does not interfere with your
phone. A modem inside your receiver makes a
toll-free call to the computer system in the
middle of the night. If the modem senses that
you are using the phone, it will try again
later. The modem's call lasts just a few
seconds.
My receiver is not near a telephone jack,
and it is not convenient for me to install a
line near it. What should I do? We carry
a device known as a wireless phone
jack, which allows you to connect your
receiver to a nearby phone line without
wires.
Can DIRECTV be connected to more than one
television set in my house? Buying
separate DIRECTV Receivers for the various
television sets in your home gives you the
flexibility of watching different DIRECTV
programs on different television sets. See
our Multi-room systems page. If all
your DIRECTV Receivers are connected to the
same land-based phone line, then DIRECTV can
"mirror" your subscription package for a
nominal fee for each additional DIRECTV
outlet.
Why does the DIRECTV System require an
access card? How does it work? The access
card, which comes with each system, acts as a
"license plate" for your system. It provides
security and encryption information and
allows you to control the use of your system.
The access card also allows DIRECTV to
capture billing information that is specific
to your account. The card contains a
microprocessor that enables the card to act
as an auxiliary processor for your satellite
receiver.
Can you explain the Locks &; Limits
(parental controls) feature DIRECTV
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
DIRECTV.
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.
Certain channels display a message at the
bottom of the screen that tells me to call
Customer Service at different extension
numbers. What do those numbers mean?
Extension numbers are used on by DIRECTV on
their on-screen messages to better help
direct your call when you contact them.
How does the on-screen guide work? You
can access the guide by pressing a button on
your remote control, and then navigate around
the guide using the arrow buttons on the
remote. The guide lists all DIRECTV®
programming with descriptions of most
programs. The on-screen program guide lets
you look ahead to future programming.
Does DIRECTV offer a current listing of
what movies will be showing during the
month? Yes. You can view upcoming movies
and special events in four different ways.
The on-screen guide lists pay per view movies
and events 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Your
monthly DIRECTV bill contains a listing of
upcoming movies and special events. DIRECTV -
The Guide™ is published monthly and
offers customers more than 350 pages filled
with in-depth listings of the thousands of
movie, sports and entertainment choices
available using the DIRECTV System. Plus you
can use DIRECTV - The Guide™as a
companion to your on-screen program guide and
even plan your viewing. Call 1-800-496-8273
to order DIRECTV - The Guide&trade. The
DIRECTV website features an interactive
online program guide that allows you to
easily find upcoming programming right from
your computer.
What programming does DIRECTV offer?
DIRECTV features more than 225 available
channels of entertainment. Customers have
access to popular networks like Disney
Channel, CNN, ESPN and TNT, as well as up to
55 pay per view choices a day including major
Hollywood films and special events. Hit
movies start as often as every 30 minutes and
they cost only $3.99 each when you use your
remote control to order. We also offer an
unprecedented professional and collegiate
sports subscription lineup, including NFL
SUNDAY TICKET™, NBA LEAGUE PASS,
NHL® CENTER ICE®, MLB EXTRA
INNINGSSM, MLS/ESPN SHOOTOUT™, WNBA
SEASON PASS, ESPN GamePlan and ESPN FULL
COURT. There's even more! The DIRECTV SPORTS
Pack and TOTAL CHOICE® PLATINUM packages
deliver sports action from across the nation.
Plus, special interest channels like PLAYBOY
TV are available on an a la carte basis. See
Programming Packages for more
details.
Does DIRECTV offer channels on an a la
carte basis? DIRECTV typically bundles
it's programming together into different
subscription-based packages so we can offer
our customers better prices. It costs more to
offer channels separately. However, they do
offer select channels on an a la carte basis.
Visit Programming Packages for more
information.
Does DIRECTV offer music channels?
Yes! Through an alliance with Music Choice,
they offer up to 31 different audio-only
channels that range from choices like Soft
Rock, Jazz and Country to Hit List, Easy
Listening and many more. Visit our Music
Channels page for more information about
this service.
What channels will DIRECTV be offering in
the future? It is a DIRECTV policy not to
disclose information about any pending or
potential programming offers. However, they
do speak with a wide array of programming
providers and constantly evaluate services
based on the level of customer interest.
Customer feedback is very important to them
and, in the past, this feedback has led to
the addition of new programs and
channels.
How do I order pay per view movies and
special events? You can order with your
remote control or by calling DIRECTV customer
service at 1-800-531-5000. To defer the costs
of handling phone requests, they apply a $5
service charge to phone orders for pay per
view events and movies.
What is a letterbox movie? The shape
of a theater screen is wider than the shape
of a TV screen. So, when movies appear on TV,
the left and right sides of the image are
usually cut off and you miss about 30 percent
of the film's original picture. The letterbox
format, preferred by many film buffs,
displays movies on a television screen as
originally intended by the films' directors.
That's why you see black bars at the top and
bottom of the screen when you watch a
letterbox movie on your television. The TV
screen has been adapted to accommodate the
film's entire picture. In order to fit the
whole picture on the screen, the image has to
be reduced. There is no extra charge for
letterbox movies on the BLOCKBUSTER TICKET or
DIRECT TICKET® Pay Per View services.
Why do pay per view movies come out later
than home videos? What are the advantages of
ordering pay per view movies? Movie
studios release films to the video rental
market before making them available to pay
per view services. However, the period
between the home video release and pay per
view release now can be as little as 30 days.
And DIRECTV is not just another pay per view
provider! Our BLOCKBUSTER TICKET and DIRECT
TICKET® Pay Per View services offers a
great selection of the latest movies well in
advance of premium cable and broadcast
television networks -- as many as 55
different movie and event choices a day.
That's dozens more than you can see on cable
or any other satellite service. Also, you can
preview the first five minutes of non-adult
movies so you can make an informed "rental"
decision.
Can weather interfere with my
reception? Television reception on the
system is highly reliable year-round and
nationwide. During heavy rain or snowfall,
however, some DIRECTV customers may
experience a temporary loss of picture
quality. This phenomenon also can occur if
the dish or low noise block converter (LNB)
accumulates too much wet snow. When snow
accumulates on the dish, the service is not
lost but the strength of the signal can be
weakened by the snow's water content. This
"signal fall-off" occurs when water content
is at its highest. During colder winter
months, when snow is drier, dishes usually do
not experience such problems, even if there
is substantial snow buildup.
So what can you do? Wait for the bad
weather to pass and your signal should return
to normal. If the signal doesn't return,
re-set your receiver by turning it off,
unplugging it for at least 15 seconds, then
plugging it back in. If snow has built up on
the dish or LNB, wait for it to melt. Or, if
you can safely get to your dish, lightly
brush it off with a broom. If this is not
practical, you may consider installing an
accessory designed to prevent snow buildup.
DIRECTV has conducted tests of several
different products, including dish covers,
spray-on coatings, LNB covers, and heated
dishes, which work very well and are quite
reliable.
I've heard of Dolby AC-3 Audio. What is
that? Dolby AC-3, more commonly known as
Dolby Digital, is the latest generation of
surround-sound encoding from Dolby
Laboratories. While Dolby Pro Logic was an
analog encoding scheme, Dolby Digital uses
digital encoding to produce five discrete
full-range channels of surround information
plus a bandwidth-limited subwoofer channel.
DIRECTV currently broadcasts many pay per
view movies and other events with Dolby
Digital formatted audio for those customers
who have a special Dolby Digital audio
receiver. See our selection of Dolby
Digital systems.
Is the DIRECTV broadcast compatible with
various surround-sound technologies? The
DIRECTV System is compatible with Dolby Pro
Logic Surround-Sound and Dolby Digital. To
get true surround-sound, you will need a
Dolby Pro Logic or Dolby Digital surround
sound-processing unit. Basically, you will be
able to experience surround-sound with
DIRECTV® programming if your home theater
system has surround-sound capability.
Does DIRECTV 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 for $5.99 a month. To see if there
are local channels in your area please use
our local channel lookup tool. In some
markets, you will need to have a DIRECTV
Multi-Satellite System.
Why does DIRECTV charge for local channels
and PBS? Aren't they free? We charge for
subscriptions to broadcast networks for many
different reasons. First, we must pay a
copyright fee in order to be able to
distribute the service. Then, just as with
any signal we carry, we incur costs
associated with receiving, encoding and
transmitting it with our satellite and
monitoring the signal quality. Also, we don't
distribute local channels via satellite in
all areas of the country. Therefore, we
charge separately for local channel service
so only customers receiving the service have
to pay for it. Cable customers also pay for
local channels as part of their basic channel
packages.
Can I receive local channels from another
part of the country? Under federal law,
DIRECTV can provide local channels only
within a local TV market. For example, they
can provide San Francisco stations in San
Francisco and surrounding areas within that
TV market. Federal law requires them 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 doesn't DIRECTV offer local channels
in my area? They want to serve the
maximum number of DIRECTV customers. But with
more than 1,500 local TV stations in the
country, they can't carry them all.
Are DIRECTV SPORTS® packages affected
by sports blackouts? As a provider of the
most comprehensive sports programming lineup
in the digital home entertainment industry,
DIRECTV 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.
I believe I am outside of the sports
blackout area. Why am I still getting blacked
out from games? You may have been blacked
out from a game even though you seemed to be
outside the blackout area. This can happen if
a TV station near the team's home stadium has
networked the games to a TV station nearer to
you. For example, a person who lives near
Houston, more than 150 miles from a San
Antonio Spurs station's territory, might be
blacked out from a game if the San Antonio
television station networked the signal to a
station in Houston. Unfortunately, DIRECTV
generally does not control blackouts of
sporting events. In their agreements to carry
games produced by various leagues and
associations, they are subject to clauses
that keep them from carrying events near
where the game is played, aired or broadcast
locally. In addition, networks like ESPN and
TNT have signed contracts with certain cable
TV operators that prevent some events from
being distributed by anyone else in their
franchise area. In some cases, if a game is
blacked out from certain DIRECTV channels,
you may be able to see it on another DIRECTV
channel, or on one of your local broadcast
channels. We suggest that you refer to our
website's sports blackouts page for an
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 DIRECTV, such as FOX
Sports Direct. The constraints of C-band
satellite systems, cable systems and DIRECTV
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.
Why do I need to have a phone line
connected to receive sports programming?
In order for DIRECTV to comply with the
blackout rules established by each
professional sports league, they require that
sports customers have a continuous land-based
phone connection to the DIRECTV Receiver.
Does DIRECTV offer a Spanish-language
programming service? Yes. It's called the
DIRECTV PARA TODOS™ service, and it
features more than 40 Spanish-language
channels, including sports, movies, news,
music and educational networks. To get
DIRECTV PARA TODOS™ programming, you
need a DIRECTV PARA TODOS™ System, or
any newer receiver marked DIRECTV
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 DIRECTV PARA
TODOS™ page for details.
Does DIRECTV offer a Chinese-language
programming service? Yes. DIRECTV is
proud to offer Phoenix TV, a 24-hour
Chinese-language channel.
Is DIRECTV® programming available in
other languages? The DIRECTV 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 DIRECTV 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. For programming
availability visit our HDTV programming
page.
What equipment do I need to receive high
definition programming on DIRECTV? You
can receive our high definition programming
by using an HDTV set with a built-in DIRECTV
System OR by using an HDTV-enabled multi-sat
DIRECTV 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 DIRECTV 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. See our
selection of HDTV DIRECTV systems.
Why is DIRECTV using a different satellite
to broadcast its high-definition
programming? Few of DIRECTV's customers
have high-definition TV sets today. By
delivering high-definition programming from
the 119 degrees WL orbital slot, they reserve
capacity at the main orbital location for
programming most customers can receive today
and they allow room for expansion there.
DIRECTV customers who continue to use their
analog TVs will still have the widest variety
of programming available to them.
What high definition programming is
DIRECTV broadcasting? Currently there is
an HBO HDTV channel, pay per view HDTV
channel and also HD Net. For more information
go to our HDTV programming page.
In what format is HDTV from DIRECTV
broadcast? DIRECTV 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.
How are customers billed for DIRECTV®
programming? We bill each month for the
programming package you purchase plus any pay
per view programs and sports packages you
order. We bill in advance for most
programming. Pay per view movies are
automatically charged to your bill after you
order them if you maintain a continuous phone
connection to your receiver.
How do I pay my bill? DIRECTV offers
many convenient payment options to our
customers. While some customers mail in their
payments, many customers use the automatic
payment service, which automatically deducts
your DIRECTV payment from your checking
account each month, or charges your credit
card.
Can I pay my bill online? Yes. DIRECTV
customers can now view and pay their bill
online. |
