Now this is a cool app that gets better and better.  Unfortunately if you are not a DirecTV subscriber, and you don’t own an iPad, this app means nothing to you.  But if you are some of the select few who have both, then this app is for you!  Now you will want to read all about this app on their website.  It really gives you the down and dirty on what you have to have in order to use it and and explains all of the wonderful thing it does.  But my Spousal Unit (#su) and I use it all of the time.  

I really had a good chuckle when I downloaded and started using this because the #su was unaware of its existence.  One afternoon while he was watching football, I heard him get up and go into the kitchen.  I was in our bedroom, playing on the iPad, and decided to have a little fun at his expense.  I used the DirecTV app to change the channel to NickJr and Dora came on.  He didn’t notice at first and when he sat down again, he just changed the channel back to his football game.  A while later, I changed it back to Nick Jr again, and on came Diego.  I heard him say, “What the… ?” and change it back to football.  I couldn’t contain my laughter and started howling.  He came to the bedroom to see what was going on and I ‘fessed up to what I had done.  It is the little things in life… 

This app has added many features since its debut.  It started as a guide, morphed into a remote, and now you can watch live TV from a select set of channels.  So you do have to have an HDDVR Receiver that is connected to the internet, but if it is, when you open the DirecTV app, Your Internet Ready DVRs will show up and you can view what you are watching and see the details of the show.  You can set up lists of your favorite channels, you can see the entire schedule for a particular channel, and from these lists change the channel or set shows to record.

The remote is pretty cool because it is internet based, not Infrared, or radio.  Meaning you don’t even have to be in front of the TV to change the channel.  The remote has a full view, and a mini view.  There are a few extra handy controls for fast forwarding and rewinding a show, etc.

Viewing Live TV is pretty new.  It requires you to be at home on your own network to use it, but you can be in the garage, in bed, cooking, etc. and watch a select set of channels right on your iPad without having a TV or receiver in that room, pretty cool!

What I would like to see is the ability to watch shows on my DVR that have been recorded, right on my iPad.  That would be really cool!  

All that said, this is a pretty uncomplicated app, that has some fun features.  It is definitely worth playing with, and is a free download.  Enjoy!