DirecTV Ramping-up to Roll-out Hundreds of HD Channels Next

Post by **Shane** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:25 pm

has opened its fourth owned-and-operated call center to further strengthen its ability to provide technical support for its customers as it continues to expand its advanced products and services, including the roll out of hundreds of local and national HD channels next year.

DIRECTV's Missoula, Mont. Customer Contact Center will have the capacity to employ up to 1,000 customer service professionals dedicated to providing technical support to DIRECTV's more than 15.5 million customers. DIRECTV will be among the largest employers in the state and said it expects to hire more than 600 agents by year end.

The new 74,000-square foot call center ...

[url=http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/news/2006/09/directv_ramping.php]Read the Full Article[/url]

n2ubp · Post by **n2ubp** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:47 pm

Any idea of the breakout on these new HD channels ?
How many will be local network content, part of the current HD package, PPV, etc ?

Post by **Shane** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:45 pm

Of course not. DirecTV has always been tight-lipped about new channels. They are never announced more than a week or two before they go live.

In this case, they are referring to mostly local HD channels. This new call center will work in tandem with the new satellites going up next spring to vastly increase their channel capacity. My guess is that once these birds are up, they will try to catch up to Dish ... or at least they better. Let's also hope this added capacity will mean an increase in bitrate/quality for their existing HD channels.

- Shane

tomaras · Post by **tomaras** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:46 pm

Shane wrote: Let's also hope this added capacity will mean an increase in bitrate/quality for their existing HD channels.

- Shane

Well...that will be a cold day in you know where. As we all know from past experience with ALL providers of video content, when there is an increase in the pipeline they offer more channels not more quality.

chester · Post by **chester** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:03 pm

Well...that will be a cold day in you know where. As we all know from past experience with ALL providers of video content, when there is an increase in the pipeline they offer more channels not more quality.

All???? Maybe Direct... DEFINITELY CABLE... BUT... Definitely NOT Dish!

tomaras · Post by **tomaras** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:35 pm

Don't kid yourself. All of these companies sit "average" viewers down in front of "average" televisions and see just how much compression they can get away with before the "average" viewer notices degradation on an "average" television.

More efficient codec = more channels not less compression. Another satellite = more channels not less compression.

They are happy to sell you twice as many channels for more money but you'd be hard pressed to get them to sell you fewer channels with less compression no matter how much money you offered them.