Directv HD Easter Sunday Ad

[MattJ2124]

Anybody get this ad today?
It is a Directv fold out ad utilizing their new "To Tell The Truth" campaign. It highlights their HD DVR + HD receivers, breaks down their packages, talks about DVR scheduler for your cell phones, talks about Starz and Showtime, AND THEN at the bottom discusses their HD package and is listing some channels that I am pretty sure we dont have in HD:

"Directv now has the capacity for 200 HD channels! You have a beautiful High-Def TV. But the TV alone wont give you an HD picture. You also need to choose an HD service--and they're not all the same. You need Directv HD.

They then show five categories (sports, news, family, favorites, and movies) in the HD section and highlight the top HD channels in those categories. The following is the channels listed in these categories that I believe we dont get in HD:

MSNBC
HLN
C-Span
C-Span2
Travel Channel
TCM

These channels are listed with our regular HD channels in the HD section of the ad. Not trying to stir the pot, I dont mind waiting to see what Direct adds when D12 goes live, just found this kind of interesting since some of these are the channels I have heard "rumored" to be added soon...

 

[Lkr]

Don't have any of those. I love DirecTV, I should give them a call in regards to this asking them where these channels are

 

[satjay]

I think someone brought this up a few weeks back? But I am sure like all the companies say when it comes to HD its coming soon...

 

[GailLA]

A scan of this ad would be useful. I think it would show, like a scan of the last ad showed, that it is confusing to most people. That's the best light that can be put on it. If I signed up based on this, of course DTV would deny that these channels were ever advertised as HD when I complained, though the layout of the ad leaves that impression. That is assuming this ad is like the last ad like this that was questioned.

 

[MattJ2124]

Yeah, I was trying to scan the ad to get everyone else's interpretation, but the ad is HUGE. It is about 2 and a quarter pages when unfolded and it doesnt fit in my paper feeder or completely on my scanner, so I would have to do it in sections. I was hoping someone else has also seen the ad to see what I am talking about. But, I will say this, if I wasnt a Directv customer and I looked at this ad, it appears as though those above channels I listed are in HD.
Example: Under the Favorites category under the HD section they list the following channels:

Spike TV
MTV
Comedy Central
CMT
Travel Channel
Bio
VH1
HGTV

If I wasnt a Direct customer, I would look at this category under the HD section of this ad and go, oh, all of these are HD (which as Direct customers we all know that we dont get Travel in HD). I am a Directv fan, especially with the new Multi Room view, but I have to say that I can see how this misleads people...How do you throw in four or five channels that are not in HD in the section of the ad where you are highlighting the HD channels that you provide?

 

[Big Dawg 23]

Anybody get this ad today?
It is a Directv fold out ad utilizing their new "To Tell The Truth" campaign. It highlights their HD DVR + HD receivers, breaks down their packages, talks about DVR scheduler for your cell phones, talks about Starz and Showtime, AND THEN at the bottom discusses their HD package and is listing some channels that I am pretty sure we dont have in HD:

"Directv now has the capacity for 200 HD channels! You have a beautiful High-Def TV. But the TV alone wont give you an HD picture. You also need to choose an HD service--and they're not all the same. You need Directv HD.

They then show five categories (sports, news, family, favorites, and movies) in the HD section and highlight the top HD channels in those categories. The following is the channels listed in these categories that I believe we dont get in HD:

MSNBC
HLN
C-Span
C-Span2
Travel Channel
TCM

These channels are listed with our regular HD channels in the HD section of the ad. Not trying to stir the pot, I dont mind waiting to see what Direct adds when D12 goes live, just found this kind of interesting since some of these are the channels I have heard "rumored" to be added soon...

I saw the add as well. I found it funny where it said on the third page to join the 50 Million Americans enjoying Directv.

 

[charper1]

its all about perception iMHO

 

[raoul5788]

I saw the add as well. I found it funny where it said on the third page to join the 50 Million Americans enjoying Directv.

This point has been covered previously. The 50 million number comes from the number of households x people per household.

 

[MattJ2124]

How do they know how many people are in your household? By number of receivers? I have five receivers but I dont have five people in my household???????

 

[jcrandall]

How do they know how many people are in your household? By number of receivers? I have five receivers but I dont have five people in my household???????

They just use a national average I belive. 2.5 people per home would be a good guess.

18 million cust, 2.5 per home, you get upwards of 50 mil.

 

[MattJ2124]

Gotcha, makes sense.

 

[sudnshok]

It would be almost comical to flat-out lie in a "To Tell the Truth" ad campaign if it wasn't directed at potential subscribers looking for the HD channels claimed to be carried in the ad. How these companies (DTV is not alone) get away with these misleading or in this case false advertising is beyond me.