El Segundo, Calif.— DirecTV Inc. today (May 21) will take the wraps off a new promotional offer for subscribers who want to upgrade to receivers with built-in personal video recorders.
Customers who purchase a TiVo Inc.-enabled direct- broadcast satellite receiver will be eligible for free installation and a complimentary upgrade to any necessary outdoor hardware (such as a two-feed, dual-LNB), as well as a multi-switch that would allow viewers hook up their original set-top box in another room.
A similar offer starts Wednesday (May 23) for DirecTV boxes with built-in UltimateTV technology.
DirecTV last week ran teaser ads for the special offer on channels 223 and 224. The company plans to devote separate on-air informational channels to each of the two promotions.
The LNB upgrades are necessary for customers who want to take advantage of the PVRs' two-tuner capabilities, which let them watch one show while recording another.
EchoStar Communications Corp. chairman Charlie Ergen last week confirmed his company's plans to introduce a two-tuner PVR later this year. The company is also developing a PVR that would record high-definition television signals, Ergen told the audience of his monthly on-air Charlie Chat
last Monday.
