DirecTV signals new appetite for broadband Internet When I upgraded my DirecTV satellite receiver to the latest model a couple of years ago, I noted with some curiosity an RJ45 Ethernet connector on the back panel. This set me to wondering how long it might be before the cost of building and flying geosynchronous satellites might make other forms of data distribution (such as broadband Internet) an attractive alternative. Not long after, I noticed that DirecTV had launched a series of new channels that mirrored their conventional lineup, except for one thing: in order to watch the new channels, you needed an Ethernet cable connecting your DirecTV receiver to a broadband data network. “Aha,” I thought. “Here is clear evidence that DirecTV is experimenting with the marketability of Internet delivery of television programming – setting up for the day that will surely come when expensive satellites and receiver dishes are deemed obsolete.” Because DirecTV knows every time you change channels, they can accurately measure the popularity of the broadband version of their service. By performing a simple “loopback test” they can also discover your connection speed. Then last week, I flipped to a channel I often watch and sometimes record, just in time to see the tail end of a “late breaking” news story. Pressing the Rewind button didn’t have the desired effect (I hadn’t recorded the program). Instead, the DirecTV receiver displayed the message “OK to watch this program from the beginning?” I clicked Yes and, after 30 seconds or so, my program began to play, streaming on demand over my Internet connection. Wow! Because I have a relatively slow DSL connection, I had to wait a few seconds every minute or so for more program data to be assembled, but the message was clear: more and more, DirecTV is setting up to deliver its product over the Internet. With my slow FairPoint DSL, I’m probably not on their preferred customer list. But when ECFiber comes to my neighborhood with real, high-speed Internet, there’ll be no turning back. Dave Brown
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:24:19 +0000
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