July 12th, 1962: the day two continents smiled at each other

Posted on 12/07/2012 by Sharif Sakr

We'd probably all agree the Internet is the real revolution of the modern era, but today marks an older, parallel milestone that also brims with significance. On July 10th, 1962 -- back when JFK fretted over Russian missiles in Cuba and Bob Dylan sang In My Time of Dying -- NASA pelted the Telstar 1 satellite out into orbit, following a team effort by AT&T, Bell Labs and the British and French post offices. Two days later, the world's first transatlantic TV signal made its way from Maine to Brittany, via a quick stop-over in the heavens, and a new age of international communication was born. Kennedy forgot his troubles for a moment to tidy his hair and grin at France, who replied with a chirpy performance by Yves Montand. It didn't last long: Telstar 1 gave up its spherical ghost after just a few months and 400 transmissions, but by then, of course, the message had been delivered.

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Science

July 12th, 1962: the day two continents smiled at each other originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DirecTV adds 81,000 subscribers during Q1 in the US, increases revenue by 12 percent

Posted on 08/05/2012 by Edgar Alvarez

Unlike with Comcast, Wall Street experts weren't surprised by DirecTV's latest Q1 results -- in fact, they were quite disappointed. The satellite provider only managed to add 81,000 subscribers in the US of A during the quarter, which is more than a 50 percent decrease compared to last year's Q1 (184,000). Meanwhile, DirecTV did see a 12 percent increase in revenue, pushing the total to about $7.05 billion. That last bit thanks in large part to landing over 590,000 new customers in Latin America, though that didn't keep its current share price from dropping about 2.7 percent to $46.60. Nonetheless, DirecTV CEO, Mike White, says his company "delivered another strong quarter [..] highlighted by double-digit revenue, EPS and cash flow growth." Us? Well, we're wondering why those "roadside ditch" commercials aren't luring more Stateside folks away from cable...

Continue reading DirecTV adds 81,000 subscribers during Q1 in the US, increases revenue by 12 percent

DirecTV adds 81,000 subscribers during Q1 in the US, increases revenue by 12 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network, AMC dispute could see the network’s channels dropped this summer

Posted on 04/05/2012 by Richard Lawler

It wasn't that long ago that Dish Network was proudly offering AMC HD to its customers (especially since DirecTV didn't, which has since been rectified) but now the company is willing to let the network's contract expire this summer, taking new episodes of Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead away from subscribers. The source of the sudden animosity, according to a press release from AMC, is continuing litigation between it and Dish Network over dropping the Voom HD channels back in 2008, leading to them going dark soon after. The LA Times reports Dish Network claims the denial of its appeal on a decision in the case has nothing to do with its sudden change of heart is solely about AMC's high renewal cost for a relatively low viewership. Whatever you believe, the sniping and threats will likely continue right up until the contract runs out June 30th, which is at least long enough for this season of Mad Men to finish on its own.

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Dish Network, AMC dispute could see the network's channels dropped this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 May 2012 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Hopper whole-home DVR review

Posted on 30/04/2012 by Ben Drawbaugh

A new DVR with a never-before-seen feature doesn't come around every day, and if it's the sort of amenity that works in every room of the house, without compromise, then we just have to review it. What would make the list? Try the Dish Hopper whole-home DVR, which can record six shows at once. Of course, there are specs and marketing claims, and then there's real-world performance. Is this set-top box everything we could have dreamed of? There's only one way to find out: you'll have to meet us past the break and take a walk through our full review.

Gallery: Dish Hopper review