Making television easy again. By Phillip Swann
Q. I’ve read your articles on the Sports TV Bubble and find them very interesting. I live in LA. Do you think that SportsNet LA will eventually go bankrupt because it can’t get DIRECTV to carry it? — Sid, Santa Monica, California. Sid, thank you for the kind words. Yes, I believe we are approaching
Q. All I hear from DIRECTV is 4K, 4K, 4K, but what about HD? I, like most DIRECTV customers, have a High-Definition TV and we want more HD, not 4K! Why isn’t DIRECTV adding more channels in HD? — Neil, Orlando, Florida. Neil, to be fair to DIRECTV, the satcaster now offers around 200 HD
Q. I am interested in DIRECTV’s new offer for new customers. It’s $50 a month for two years. Guaranteed! But I read that the deal requires me to sign a two-year contract and if I leave before the two years are up, I have to pay big. Why do TV services require these contracts? Seems
Q. My family plans to spend the month of June at a vacation home about 50 miles away from our house, which means we won’t be there to watch DIRECTV. Is there a way to suspend our account for the month of June so we don’t have to pay? — Kelly, Santa Monica, California. Kelly,
Q. I set my DIRECTV HD DVR to record last week’s Better Call Saul on AMC, but it didn’t record! Any ideas as to why it didn’t record? And, is there any way to check to see if I set it right? — Candy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Candy, there’s nothing more frustrating than to sit
Q. The DIRECTV Genie Whole Home service interests me because I want to have satellite in more than one room without a bunch of receivers. But do you need the Internet to install the Genie? — Ann, New Haven, Connecticut. For those not familiar, the DIRECTV Genie Whole Home HD DVR allows you to record
Q. I read the article about Comcast not carrying the Yes Network which has the New York Yankee games. If Comcast doesn’t carry it, can I still watch the Yankees on my MLB Extra Innings package? — John, Boston, Massachusetts. John, first, you are right. Comcast and the YES Network are involved in a dispute
Q. I am so damn mad. This morning, I went to my DVR to watch last night’s series final of the O.J. Simpson show on FX and DIRECTV cut off the last 15 minutes! Help! I want to watch the show’s ending. It’s such a great show. — Charles, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Charlie, there
Q. I love all the new technology available to us today as TV viewers. I have a Smart Blu-ray player, a Smart TV in another room and a DIRECTV Genie HD DVR. But one thing kills me. It seems like I have to re-set the boxes and even the TV itself quite often. Why is
Q. Any chance that DIRECTV will add the Epix channel? It has a lot of cool movies. — Wayne, Fairfax, Virginia. Wayne, I don’t believe DIRECTV has any immediate plans to add the Epix channel. In case you are not familiar with Epix, the movie channel is owned by a consortium of MGM, Lionsgate and
Q. I am excited to watch DIRECTV’s new 4K channel. But I’m curious about whether you will be able to record shows off it. Can you? And, if so, how many hours of recording can you store on the DVR? — Tom, Los Angeles. Tom, as you note, DIRECTV next month will launch pay TV’s first
Q. I am excited to watch DIRECTV’s new 4K channel. But I’m curious about whether you will be able to record shows off it. Can you? And, if so, how many hours of recording can you store on the DVR? — Tom, Los Angeles. Tom, as you note, DIRECTV next month will launch pay TV’s first