A customer recently called us with this question, and it seemed like a good idea for a blog post. I could make it a pretty short one, but I thought it would also be good to explain why the answer is the way it is.
DIRECTV does not have a system like DISH’s Auto Hop or Xfinity’s Commercial Skip. You can skip forward 30 seconds at a time instantly, and since your average commercial break is 3 minutes, pushing the skip button 6 times is pretty easy.
It’s that simple. Now, the SKIP button on DIRECTV remotes will function as a 30-second skip. It’s the button just below the PREV button on this image.
If you have a Gemini, you use the RIGHT ARROW button since the remote doesn’t have a SKIP button.
If you want to go back to the way things were, do the same search and choose 30SLIP as the term you search for.
To get the real answer, you’d have to ask DIRECTV’s lawyers and they’re not talking. But, there are a few educated guesses I can make here. DISH was sued when it rolled out its Auto Hop technology. They settled and as part of the agreement, they generally don’t allow Auto Hop on network prime time programming.
Xfinity has always been very aggressive when it comes to replacing the commercials that come with programs. This is a way they can get extra ad revenue. As a result, they have a lot of commercials that they sell, rather than ones that the original broadcaster sells. This probably gives them a lot more control over what they let the customer skip.
If I had to guess, I don’t see DIRECTV adding this capability to their systems. I get it, it’s hard to compete with a paid streaming app that comes without commercials. But keep in mind that there are a lot of contracts that would need to change in order for this to happen. When you’re skipping commercials on a streaming app, that app generally either owns or has completely licensed the specific program. It’s shown on-demand, not live. Although the customer experience is pretty similar, the tech behind all of that is very different from DIRECTV’s live satellite feeds.
Of course, anything’s possible in the future, so let’s not close the door completely
If you want to know more about the future of DIRECTV for satellite or streaming, call the experts! Signal Connect is one of the longest-standing and most-awarded DIRECTV dealers. We’re here to bring 20 years of experience to help you!
Call our DIRECTV system team at 888-233-7563. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
The post Does DIRECTV let you automatically skip commercials or skip the beginning of a show? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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Simple answer: no.
DIRECTV does not have a system like DISH’s Auto Hop or Xfinity’s Commercial Skip. You can skip forward 30 seconds at a time instantly, and since your average commercial break is 3 minutes, pushing the skip button 6 times is pretty easy.
To enable instant 30-second skip:
- Press the BLUE button on older remotes or the DASH button on Genie/H26K remotes to enter search.
- Enter the code 30SKIP and press SELECT.
- Press EXIT to go back to live TV.
It’s that simple. Now, the SKIP button on DIRECTV remotes will function as a 30-second skip. It’s the button just below the PREV button on this image.
If you have a Gemini, you use the RIGHT ARROW button since the remote doesn’t have a SKIP button.
If you want to go back to the way things were, do the same search and choose 30SLIP as the term you search for.
Why doesn’t DIRECTV do this automatically?
To get the real answer, you’d have to ask DIRECTV’s lawyers and they’re not talking. But, there are a few educated guesses I can make here. DISH was sued when it rolled out its Auto Hop technology. They settled and as part of the agreement, they generally don’t allow Auto Hop on network prime time programming.
Xfinity has always been very aggressive when it comes to replacing the commercials that come with programs. This is a way they can get extra ad revenue. As a result, they have a lot of commercials that they sell, rather than ones that the original broadcaster sells. This probably gives them a lot more control over what they let the customer skip.
Is DIRECTV likely to add this capability?
If I had to guess, I don’t see DIRECTV adding this capability to their systems. I get it, it’s hard to compete with a paid streaming app that comes without commercials. But keep in mind that there are a lot of contracts that would need to change in order for this to happen. When you’re skipping commercials on a streaming app, that app generally either owns or has completely licensed the specific program. It’s shown on-demand, not live. Although the customer experience is pretty similar, the tech behind all of that is very different from DIRECTV’s live satellite feeds.
Of course, anything’s possible in the future, so let’s not close the door completely
Ready to change or upgrade your DIRECTV service?
If you want to know more about the future of DIRECTV for satellite or streaming, call the experts! Signal Connect is one of the longest-standing and most-awarded DIRECTV dealers. We’re here to bring 20 years of experience to help you!
Call our DIRECTV system team at 888-233-7563. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
The post Does DIRECTV let you automatically skip commercials or skip the beginning of a show? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
