A Brief History of Ad Skipping
With all of the hoopla over Dish’s Auto Hop feature, it seemed like a good time to review the history of ad skipping. If all you had was this week’s news, you might think that ad…
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DIRECTV customers: Do your TVApps work?
If you’ve been a fan of DIRECTV’s TVApps, you might have noticed they’re not working so well lately. Numerous reports have been coming in all over the internet that TVApps return a message that the service…
AutoHop Explained
This is a transcript of the DISH instruction sheet on how to use AutoHop, the new technology that allows commercials in primetime programming to be skipped. Overview Autohop is a patented technology created by DISH…
TIP: Disable the Power Saver on DVRs
If you have a DVR in a public place, you may turn it on in the morning and turn it off in the evening. Unfortunately, DIRECTV has recently put power saving measures in the DVR…
Liveblogging the DIRECTV 1Q12 Conference Call
Here we go! Disclaimers are out of the way. Now they’re talking about Latin America. More than 1 million Latin American subs, net adds of 600k. The majority of growth came from this segment. Colombia…
SilverCloud GPS Tracking System part 3: How it Works [WITH VIDEO]
I have had a lot of fun with this device. In part one of our series I photographed it. In part 1 1/2 I gave my first impressions and in part 2 I showed you an interactive demo. It’s been a fun,…
Hands on With the Cellphone-Mate CM2000… With Video!
Some products “just work.” The Cellphone-Mate line of vehicle cell phone amplifiers are like that. Hook them up, attach the outside antenna outside, the inside antenna inside, power them up and… bingo! Better cell service…
Hands on With the Advanced Installation Meter, Part 1: Unboxing
If you’re a casual user with an occasional need to test a satellite line, an inexpensive meter like the Birdog USB Plus is a great choice. If you’re out there doing the big commercial installs, DIRECTV…
SilverCloud GPS Tracking System Part 2: It Just Keeps Going…
The SilverCloud GPS tracking system just keeps going. In part one of our series I looked at the actual device. Part 1 1/2 came when I realized the battery was just not going to let up. Well, it’s been 9…
Did you know we’re part of the SBCA?
Did you know… we’re members of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association? SBCA is the national trade organization representing all segments of the consumer satellite industry and we’re proud to add our names to those of…
Hopper and Joey reviewed by Engadget
In case you didn’t get enough with our unboxing and review of Hopper, Engadget.com has published their own review of the new Super DVR from DISH. It’s a great review; Ben Drawbaugh always does a great job and…
UPDATED: DIRECTV and Samsung’s RVU solution
For the original “Hands On” review of Samsung’s RVU-capable TV, click here. It’s been a little over two months since my initial review of the Samsung Smart TV with DIRECTV RVU support. In the meantime, Samsung…
Hands on with DIRECTV Everywhere (DIRECTV.com and Android)
For our review of DIRECTV Everywhere on the iPad, click here. If you’ve been jonesing for the ability to watch DIRECTV programming without a TV handy, your time has finally come. DIRECTV Everywhere is now available…
DIRECTV subscribers: Are you in an MPEG-4 market?
DIRECTV subscribers who live in some markets qualify for an automatic upgrade to HD-capable equipment. This is because all their local channels, even the standard-definition ones, use the MPEG-4 technology used everywhere for high definition…
TIP: Use advanced searching tools on DIRECTV receivers
Smart Search on DIRECTV receivers is pretty smart. It can predict what you want as you’re typing and even suggest likely matches. Did you know it’s even smarter than that? What if you could use…