DIRECTV Introduces Video Solution for Small MDUs

EL SEGUNDO, CA - Multifamily property owners can stop worrying about the proliferation of satellite dishes on their balconies, says DIRECTV. A new technology delivers video services to multifamily buildings of any size, including smaller properties that have had trouble obtaining commercial services in the past.

DIRECTV D2 Advantage enables multiple-dwelling-unit (MDU) customers to receive the same DIRECTV services as other residential customers - including more than 160 HD channels; whole-home DVR services; DIRECTV CINEMA PLUS; DIRECTV2PC; Media Share (PC content such as photos and video on the TV) and international services.

DIRECTV recently launched the new technology in four small to midsize multifamily property markets – Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Boise, Idaho – and plans a national rollout early next year. The company says D2 Advantage costs less to install than previous MDU video distribution systems and is adaptable to properties of almost any size, from a 1,200-unit high-rise to a small garden apartment complex. It delivers the satellite signal from a single dish (or two dishes, with the second one for international channels) over a single wire to a compact lockbox housing the DIRECTV 32-channel SWiM (Single Wire Multi-switch) units that transmit the signals over the building’s existing coaxial cable to customers’ receivers.

“DIRECTV D2 Advantage’s lower installation costs and its ability to be used across the entire portfolio of MDU properties fundamentally changes the game in the MDU market and has opened up a huge opportunity for us,” said Mike Olson, vice president, MDU Sales for DIRECTV. “The equipment is unobtrusive, easy to install and we require no investment by the property owner. And, by lowering our costs on equipment and installation, we’re able to enter this market with a business model that makes sense and will be profitable. It also provides a much-needed solution for the underserved, small MDU property market.”

DIRECTV also unveiled an online owner-right-of-entry portal that is simplifying the qualification process. Property owners visit www.directvforapartments.com to begin a three-step qualification process that enables them to electronically accept the terms of agreement with DIRECTV and then schedule a site survey to begin the upgrade process and move forward with the installation.