A guide to DirecTV's web services

by Dina Gerdeman

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Let's say you're at work, and you have plans to meet friends for dinner, so you won't be home in time to see "The Office" or "30 Rock" or some other primetime show you don't want to miss. If you have DirecTV, it's no problem. You can program your DVR by using your cell phone or by going on the DirecTV Web site.

"It's an extremely popular service," said Robert Mercer, spokesman for DirecTV. "You never have to miss your favorite programs."

The DirecTV DVR Scheduler is a free service for DirecTV customers, allowing them to remotely set recordings of their favorite programs on their DVRs through the Internet or from their mobile phones. Once customers register for the scheduler service at DirecTV.com, customers can use their computers to browse and search a library of programming, including the DirecTV 14-day program guide and the 4,000-plus DirecTV On Demand titles.

The scheduler service supports Series Link, which allows customers to record an entire series of programming from a computer or mobile device. Plus the service allows customers to prioritize their recordings. For more information about DirecTV DVR Scheduler, go to http://directv.com/dvrscheduler.

While most of the programming DirecTV provides cannot be viewed online currently, Mercer said, the company does make one exception: Subscribers to the NFL Sunday Ticket package and "Super Fan Pack" -- which provides viewers with more than a dozen football games each week, many of them in high definition -- can stream Sunday games and watch them on their laptops or PCs. Super-duper football fans can have one game airing on their television set while setting up a laptop on the coffee table in the living room so they can keep an eye on a second game at the same time.

"Some people can't get enough football and need the full complement of it," Mercer said. "Or let's say they're at the in-laws' house for brunch on Sunday, they can sneak off to the men's room and watch the Steelers beat the Cowboys on a laptop. You can watch Sunday football games virtually anywhere."

DirecTV is looking to expand its Web offerings. The company has updated its high definition DVR software to bring more high definition content to personal computers. Right now this software is being tested by DirecTV customers, and the company is providing the software application free during the beta testing period. The company plans to make what it calls DirecTV2PC commercially available in early 2009.
 
From a home PC, DirecTV customers with an HR20, HR21, HR22 or R22 broadband-enabled receiver will be able to watch any show recorded or being recorded on the HD DVR receiver, and the shows will come across in high definition on the computer if they're available in HD on television. DirecTV2PC also provides a user interface that is similar to DirecTV's HD DVR interface, so customers can use the mouse to navigate the menus and choose to play, pause, rewind and fast forward content on their PCs.

Customers interested in the software can use DirecTV's PC advisor diagnostic program to test if their PCs have the power to provide the service. Customers do need a wired broadband connection for the best results.