DirecTV

DirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that broadcasts digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States and the rest of the Americas. DirecTV is owned by DirecTV Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group.

Contents

1 History 2 General information 3 Management 4 List of channels on DirecTV and channel Numbers in the United States 5 Number of Subscribers throughout the years 6 DirecTV Smart Card History 7 Satellite fleet 8 See also 9 External links

History

DirecTV was launched in 1994 by General Motors subsidiary Hughes Electronics. It was the first high-powered DBS service in the world.

In 1998 DirecTV acquired its partner, 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, controlling interest in Hughes Electronics was sold by General Motors to News Corporation.

DirecTV has long been a victim of an active piracy underground but has recently begun to crack down on illegal reception of its signals. On its anti-piracy website (http://www.hackhu.com/), DirecTV claims to have sued over 24,000 end users as of March 17, 2004, including celebrity O.J. Simpson. DirecTV bases their suits on purchase records of ISO-7816 Smart Card devices, which are used to rewrite DirecTV's access cards.

General information

DirecTV typically uses smaller 18-inch satellite dishes to receive its signals. Slightly larger, 18 * 24-inch oval antennas to access multi-satellites are becoming more common as DirecTV (as well as other DBS services) are attempting to squeeze more programming onto their growing systems, particularly local television network affiliates stations as well as hybrid systems that also receive broadband satellite Internet service.

DirecTV is often abbreviated as "DTV". However, DTV has recently been used to refer to digital television. Due to this conflict, and the fact that Echostar is often abbreviated "E*" ("E" for Echo, "*" for star), DirecTV is more commonly abbreviated as "D*".

DirecTV receivers (television set-top boxes) were originally referred to as "Digital Satellite Service", or DSS, so that services being broadcast by both DirecTV and USSB would appear to be received by generic equipment. In 1998, after the acquisition of USSB, an American court ruled that the term "DSS" was an already trademarked term that could not be used by DirecTV.

DirecTV offers local channels in 93% of US markets . Local channels are transmitted over terrestrial optical fiber networks to the Castle Rock Broadcast Center, in Castle Rock, Colorado, where they are uplinked.

DirecTV also offers high definition (HDTV); and a digital video recorder (DVR) service in partnership with TiVo. As of March 31, 2005 DirecTv US has 14.45 million customers in the U.S. and 1.57 million in Latin America. 2005 revenues for DirecTV US is now $3.15 billion.

Management

• Rupert Murdoch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch)

Chairman

• Chase Carey (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-govBio&ID=123617)

President and Chief Executive Officer

• Bruce B. Churchill (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-govBio&ID=123618)

Executive Vice President

• Larry D. Hunter (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-govBio&ID=123619)

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

• Michael W. Palkovic (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-govBio&ID=133381)

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

• Romulo G. Pontua (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-govBio&ID=123621)

Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

• Patrick T. Doyle (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-govBio&ID=123622)

Senior Vice President, Treasurer, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

• Mark Ryan

senior director,Marketing

List of channels on DirecTV and channel Numbers in the United States

Below is an alphabetical representation of the channel lineup. Some channels may have a East Coast and West Coast feed, airing the same programming with a 3 hour delay on the latter feed, creating a backup for those who missed their shows. The 3 hour delay also represents the timezone diffrence.

• A&E 265
• ABC Family 311
• Altitude Sports & Entertainment+ 644
• America's Store 243
• American Movie Classics (AMC) 254
• Animal Planet 282
• BBC America 264
• The Biography Channel 266
• Black Entertainment Television (BET) 329
• Bloomberg Television 353
• Boomerang 297
• Bravo 273
• BYU TV 374
• C-SPAN 350
• C-SPAN2 351
• Cartoon Network 296
• The Church Channel 371
• Cinemax (East) 512
• Cinemax (West) 514
• CNBC 355
• CNBC World 357
• CNN 202
• Comcast SportsNet (Chicago)+ 640
• Comcast SportsNet (Mid-Atlantic)+ 629
• Comcast SportsNet (West)+ 656
• Comedy Central 249
• Country Music Television (CMT) 327
• Court TV 203
• CSTV: College Sports Television 610
• DayStar » 369
• DIRECTV® FREEVIEW® Events 124
• Discovery Channel 278
• Discovery Health Channel 279
• Discovery Home 286
• Discovery Kids 294
• Discovery Times Channel 285
• Disney Channel (East) 290
• Disney Channel (West) 291
• DIY Network 230
• E! Entertainment Television 236
• ESPN 206
• ESPN Classic 208
• ESPN2 209
• ESPNEWS 207
• ESPNU 609
• EWTN » 422
• FINE LIVING 232
• FitTV 368
• FLIX 547
• Food Network 231
• FOX Movie Channel 258
• FOX News Channel 360
• FOX Reality Channel 250
• FOX Soccer Channel 613
• FSN ARIZONA+ 649
• FSN BAY AREA+ 654
• FSN CINCINNATI+ 638
• FSN DETROIT+ 636
• FSN FLORIDA+ 634
• FSN MIDWEST+ 647
• FSN NEW ENGLAND+ 620
• FSN NEW YORK+ 624
• FSN NORTH+ 641
• FSN NORTHWEST+ 651
• FSN OHIO+ 637
• FSN PITTSBURGH+ 628
• FSN ROCKY MOUNTAIN+ 645
• FSN SOUTH+ 630
• FSN SOUTHWEST+ 643
• FSN WEST+ 652
• FSN WEST 2+ 653
• Fuel 612
• Fuse 339
• FX 248
• G4 videogame tv 354
• Galavisión 404
• The Golf Channel 605
• GolTV 614
• Great American Country 326
• GSN, the network for games 309
• Hallmark Channel 312
• HBO (East) 501
• HBO (West) 504
• HBO Family (East) 507
• HBO Family (West) 508
• HBO HDTV 509
• HBO Latino 511
• HBO Signature 503
• HBO2 (East) 502
• HBO2 (West) 505
• Headline News 204
• The History Channel 269
• History International 271
• HITN-TV» 438
• Home & Garden Television 229
• Home Shopping Network 240
• The Hot Network (Adult)* 597
• The Hot Zone (Adult)* 598
• Independent Film Channel 550
• The Learning Channel (TLC) 280
• Lifetime 252
• Lifetime Movie Network 253
• Link TV 375
• KABC 387
• KCBS 381
• KNBC 383
• KTTV 389
• Madison Square Garden (MSG)+ 621
• MC: 70s 824
• MC: 80s 823
• MC: Adult Alternative 820
• MC: Alternative 817
• MC: Arena Rock 815
• MC: Big Band & Swing 830
• MC: Bluegrass 826
• MC: Blues 841
• MC: Classic Country 829
• MC: Classic R&B 809
• MC: Classic Rock 819
• MC: Classical Masterpieces 834
• MC: Contemporary Christian 843
• MC: Dance 813
• MC: Easy Listening 833
• MC: Gospel 842
• MC: Hit List 822
• MC: Jazz 840
• MC: Light Classical 836
• MC: Metal 816
• MC: R&B and Hip Hop 811
• MC: Radio Disney 804
• MC: Rap 812
• MC: Reggae 808
• MC: Retro-Active 814
• MC: Rock 818
• MC: Showcase 802
• MC: Showtunes 832
• MC: Singers & Standards 831
• MC: Smooth Jazz 839
• MC: Smooth R&B 810
• MC: Soft Rock 821
• MC: Solid Gold Oldies 825
• MC: Sounds of the Seasons 806
• MC: Soundscapes 838
• MC: Today's Country 828
• Military Channel 287
• MoreMAX 513
• The Movie Channel (East) 544
• The Movie Channel (West) 545
• MSNBC 356
• MTV 331
• MTV2 333
• NASA TV 376
• National Geographic Channel 276
• NBA TV 601
• New England Sports Network+ 623
• Newsworld International 366
• NFL Network 212
• Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East) 299
• Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West) 300
• Nicktoons 302
• Noggin/The N 298
• The Outdoor Channel 606
• Outdoor Life Network (OLN) 608
• Oxygen 251
• PAX 255
• PBS (National Feed) 384
• PBS Kids 295
• PBS You 377
• PLAYBOY TV (Adult)* 595
• QVC 317
• RFD-TV » 379
• SCI FI Channel 244
• The Science Channel 284
• Shop At Home 234
• ShopNBC 370
• SHOWTIME (East) 537
• SHOWTIME (West) 540
• SHOWTIME Extreme 542
• SHOWTIME HDTV 543
• SHOWTIME Showcase 539
• SHOWTIME TOO 538
• SOAPnet 262
• Speed Channel 607
• Spice Platinum (Adult)* 596
• Spike TV 325
• [[[Starz]] (East) 520
• Starz (West) 521
• Starz - Encore (East) 526
• Starz - Encore (West) 527
• Starz - Encore Action 532
• Starz - Encore Drama 531
• Starz - Encore Love 528
• Starz - Encore Mystery 530
• Starz - Encore Wam 533
• Starz - Encore Westerns 529
• Starz Edge 522
• Starz InBlack 523
• Sun Sports+ 632
• Sundance Channel 549
• Superstation WGN 307
• Taste of Spice (Adult)* 594
• TBS 247
• TNT 245
• Toon Disney 292
• Travel Channel 277
• Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) 372
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) 256
• Turner South°Ë 631
• TV Guide Channel 224
• TV Land 301
• TV One 241
• TVG - The Interactive Horseracing Network 602
• Univision402
• USA Network42
• VH1 335
• VH1 Classic 337
• WABC 386
• WE: Women's Entertainment 260
• WNBC 382
• WNYW 388
• The Weather Channel 362
• The Word 373
• World Harvest Television 321
• YES Network+ 622

Number of Subscribers throughout the years

<tr><td>1994<td>320,000 <tr><td>1995<td>1.2 million <tr><td>1996<td>2.3 million <tr><td>1997<td>3.301 million <tr><td>1998<td>4.458 million <tr><td>1999<td>6.679 million <tr><td>2000<td>9.554 million <tr><td>2001<td>10.218 million <tr><td>2002<td>11.181 million <tr><td>2003<td>12.290 million <tr><td>2004<td>13 million</table>

DirecTV Smart Card History

DirecTV is now utilizing the fourth generation of ISO7816 smart 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.

• P4 cards were introduced in 2002 and are the current standard. P4 cards are labelled "Access Card: 4."

The newest card, which was introduced after they had some compatibility problems with the P4 cards in some receivers, is commonly called the "D1" or "P11" card, These cards can be identified by the silver edges, and just have the word "directv" on the front (no number).

Satellite fleet

Satellite	Orbital slot	Launch date	Satellite type
DIRECTV-1	110°W	December 17, 1993	Hughes Electronics HS-601
DIRECTV-2	100.8°W	August 3, 1994	Hughes Electronics HS-601
DIRECTV-3/Nimiq-3	91.1°W	June 10, 1995	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°W	May 4, 2004	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DIRECTV-8	101°W	May 22, 2005	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DIRECTV-9S	TBD	(est.) early 2006	Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
SPACEWAY-1	102.8°W	April 26, 2005	Boeing BSS-702
SPACEWAY-2	99.2°W	(est.) June 15, 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

See also

• Satellite television

External links

• Official DirecTV Corporate Website (http://www.directv.com/)
• Tivo Community (http://www.tivocommunity.com/)
• DBS Forums (http://www.dbsforums.com/)
• SATELLITEGUYS (http://www.satelliteguys.us/)
• DBS talk (http://www.dbstalk.com/)
• Direct TV Satellite System Information (http://www.directv-zone.com/)ja:ディレクTV