DirecTV outlines strategy

[Gregg Lengling]

DirecTV has let slip its new product strategy aimed at expanding DVR and high-definition TV services and improving customer service.

A new DirecTV set-top box contains an enhanced interactive programme guide and will become the standard for other new systems. In the middle of next year, the company will begin enhancing its DVR service, including the delivery of DVR-specific content. DirecTV's plans to deliver local HDTV through new satellite capacity that will begin launching next year. As many as 500 local HD channels will be available in 2005 and DirecTV hopes to have HDTV available to virtually every home in America by 2007. New interactive TV services will debut in the next few months, offering interactive sports and news.

The information was released when DirecTV Vice Chairman Eddy Hartenstein addressed the crowd attending the Merrill Lynch Media Entertainment Conference in California.