'Gemini' is DirecTV's super aggregation box

In a move that breaks down some of the technological silos between its satellite- and Internet-delivered pay-TV services, DirecTV recently introduced a video device that uses a unified hardware platform that can support either type of service delivery.

The new 4K-capable Genie hardware runs on Android TV but uses different firmware for DirecTV's satellite TV and Internet-delivered Stream pay-TV services. And rather than relying on the Google TV platform, DirecTV's new device is powered by DirecTV's own interface, which is made to integrate access to its own video services alongside third-party streaming apps such as Netflix and HBO Max.

Figure 1: (Source: DirecTV)

But the set-up is a bit different between the satellite and streaming use cases. While the streaming version of Gemini relies solely on Internet connectivity, the configuration used for DirecTV's satellite service has Gemini working in conjunction with a "Genie" server/receiver that accesses live TV content from a DirecTV satellite.

Both options endeavor to aggregate all content – including DirecTV's live TV and on-demand fare and third-party streaming services – on the same device, which is also equipped with universal voice search.

DirecTV also views Gemini as a "managed" device that, for example, boots to the video service like a traditional set-top box would, explained Pavel Stamboliyski, DirecTV's head of product.

"It's more of a traditional type of experience. You press the 'on' button and it boots into live, and you have a section with all your apps," Stamboliyski said. But it also enables customers to switch between apps and live TV "pretty seamlessly," he added.

Figure 2: Integration and aggregation of pay-TV, VoD and streaming apps is a big focus of DirecTV's new interface for Gemini, which is equipped to support the company's satellite- and streaming-based pay-TV services.
(Source: DirecTV)

For now, Gemini devices aren't set up to toggle between the satellite TV and streaming TV versions of DirecTV's services. Each Gemini is packaged and configured to support one service or the other, though the hardware is the same. DirecTV is exploring that level of flexibility but hasn't put a timeframe on it.

Gemini is a new generation of device that effectively replaces an earlier generation Android TV box from DirecTV. DirecTV is priming adoption of it by providing one for free to new customers and as a free device upgrade to qualified existing customers.

While Gemini does provide DirecTV a unified hardware platform for its pay-TV services, it's not clear yet if it will have a lot of bearing on subscriber trends. DirecTV hasn't provided subscriber figures following its separation from AT&T. Leichtman Research Group estimates that DirecTV lost about 1.5 million subs in 2022 (a number that includes DirecTV satellite, DirecTV Stream and U-verse/IPTV customers), ending the year with 13.1 million.

New ad campaign features 'Succession' star

Alongside the launch of Gemini, DirecTV is working to generate more buzz about its services and to gather more subs via its new marketing tilt. That "Entertainment Without Compromise" campaign features ads with Brian Cox, the award-winning actor on the HBO hit series "Succession," who is billed as the campaign's "overly direct spokesperson."

While earlier campaigns focus squarely on content, and DirecTV's blend of live TV and VoD, the new campaign aims to emphasize how the service attempts to eliminate some of the "pain points" consumers can feel when they try to find all of their content, Kendall Thaker, DirecTV's VP, brand and creative, said.

"Television keeps getting more complicated. We're in the golden age of content, which is amazing. But it takes a little bit to find it," she explained. "There's a little bit more friction for some consumers, particularly consumers that are accustomed to and looking for a little bit more of a traditional experience."

The campaign is still in its early days, but it's getting a "really strong amount of traction and recall," Thaker said.

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— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading