A new service is coming for hotels that is called Residential Experience for Hotels. That is cool since if you use DirecTV at home you might remember where some of the channels you like are. The cool part isn’t the programming options though, but the special remote control that kills germs.

This is the first anti-microbial remote control to be offered by DirecTV. The remote the system will use was specifically designed for the lodging industry and has a special anti-microbial coating. Exactly how the anti-microbial coating works isn’t noted, but I would assume it has some sort of silver content like a lot of the anti-microbial products and peripherals on the market today.

Every time we go to the movies, it costs me $60 between tickets, popcorn, drinks, and candy. DirecTV has a new VOD offering that is set to launch this month that will bring movies that are only 60 days past the premiere in theaters in your living room. The only catch is that the flicks are $29.99 (USD) for a 48 hour rental.

For me, that is cheaper than taking the kids to the movie for some stuff. Many theater owners aren’t happy about the plan though since they think it will cost them money. I say to the theater owners; try not charging $6 for a $1 candy and maybe more people would come watch your flicks. The first films are expected to be Sony’s Just Go With It, Fox’s Cedar Rapids and Warner Bros.’ Unknown.

[via Hollywood Reporter]

Luckily, I have her convinced that the DVR randomly deletes stuff when it needs more space and she hasn’t caught on that it’s always her stuff that is deleted. I have wished on more than one occasion that I could play recorded shows from my DirecTV DVR on other TVs in the home, allowing me to escape such un-macho programs. Today DirecTV announced Whole Home DVR and answered my wishes.

The Whole Home DVR service adds $3 per month to the bill and you need one of their HD DVRs to use it. If you lack the DVR it will set you back $199 (USD). You can watch recorded shows in up to 15 other rooms and each room can control and manage recordings. The system even supports multiple DVRs. If I could get a DVR in each room allowing me to record 10 shows at once I’d never leave the house again. Thanks, DirecTV!

The initial 21 channels are available immediately if you’re signed up for the HD package and have the SD version of the channel in your current programming plan. Here’s the list of what’s live today:

1. A&E (Channel 265)
2. Animal Planet (Channel 282)
3. Big Ten Network (Channel 220)
4. CNN (Channel 202)
5. The Discovery Channel (Channel 278)
6. The History Channel (Channel 269)
7. The Movie Channel East (Channel 544)
8. NFL Network (Channel 212)
9. Showtime West (Channel 540)
10. Showtime too (Channel 538)
11. The Smithsonian Channel (Channel 267)
12. The Science Channel (Channel 284)
13. Starz Comedy (Channel 519)
14. Starz East (Channel 522)
15. Starz West (Channel 540)
16. Starz Edge (Channel 520)
17. Starz Kids and Family (Channel 518)
18. TBS (Channel 247)
19. TLC (Channel 280)
20. Versus / The Golf Channel (Channel 604)
21. The Weather Channel (Channel 362)

To get all the new channels, you’ll need to have an MPEG-4 compatible receiver (such as the H20 or HR20-700 DVR), as well as a 5-LNB dish and the free B-band converters that DirecTV should have told you about by now. If you don’t have this hardware, no worries. You should be able to get them from DirecTV for cheap (if not free with a little negotiation).

If you’re like me, you probably have a custom channel list set up on your receiver. If that’s the case you’ll need to go in and edit your list to add the new channels. Otherwise, you won’t see them. Also, they have the exact same numbers as their standard def counterparts, so you might want to remove the SD ones from your channel list to reduce confusion.

In addition to these 21 HD channels, tons of additional channels are expected to roll out over the next couple of months.

[via Engadget HD]

The upcoming DirecTV HR21 PRO looks like a whopper of a high-definition DVR, capable of recording up to 100 hours of HD programming. The recorder is clearly aimed at the high end of the market, with a black, rack-mountable case that’s perfect for serious home theater installations.

According to the flyer (from the upcoming CEDIA show), the recorder will also feature a newfangled “Optical HDMI” port (aka “DLI“), which will allow for digital signals to be sent via fiber optic cable, allowing for longer runs than regular HDMI. From the front panel, it also looks like it’s the first DirecTV DVR to support 1080p output. While I’m excited about the prospects of this DVR, I’m a little concerned that I don’t see any over-the-air antenna input on the back panel, which could be a deal-killer for some.

Not much else is known about the HR21 PRO at this point (it’s rumored to be coming this November, price unknown), but this is definitely one to watch for if you’re a DirecTV subscriber.

[Hi-res Image Here]

Raymarine offers a variety of satellite television antennae designed to work even in extreme weather and sea conditions. The systems dynamically correct their beam to ensure uninterrupted TV viewing.

Complete systems including an antenna, control unit and an HD DirecTV receiver range from about $7,000 to about $9,000. I suppose that if you can afford to own a boat big enough to need an HDTV, that kind of money is just a drop in the bucket.

Little is yet known about the product and whether it is simply a prototype or a product that will hit the market soon. The SAT-GO will be featured at the upcoming CES show in January, and has already been named a recipient of a CES 2007 Innovation Award. Check back for more details as they become available.

[via Engadget]