Washington, D.C. (August 8, 2008) -- DIRECTV yesterday reported that it added 129,000 net new subscribers in the second quarter, compared to 128,000 a year before.

The satcaster also reported a 1.6 percent increase in second quarter net income and credited the company's expanded High-Definition lineup for both.

In a conference call yesterday with Wall Street analysts, DIRECTV executives commented on a number of HD-related issues. Here's a summary of those remarks:

DIRECTV CEO Chase Carey on whether Dish Network's HD lineup now equals his company's lineup:
(Both companies say they are now around 100 national HD channels.)
"All I see is some press releases from Dish, so I don't want to get too far into what they have asked other than, I think an awful a lot of people have been making every since we sort of established its leadership position claims about what they've got in HD and how they define channels. I mean some of that has defined a gamble week at the channel, some have defined a pay-per-view event as a channel, there are an awful lot of sort press releases to muddy the water.

So, I'm probably more a believer when we see it in ways that are clear. I think we got a great position in HD. I think we continue to add dimensions when we do things like our sport packages all on HD, when we have HD – when we have regional sports network...we have 24 hours ones, not just a few games a week. I think we've got great strength in that and I think strength we can continue to drive including brand strength.

And we obviously have more local (HD) and we'll be going to– we're going to be in the high 80% penetration. And so I think we've got, I think we do still have a position of real leadership both in terms of having been there first, having created that leadership position and created that brand position around and continuing to add dimensions to it. We have announced we're doing 1080 (p). I think we are very comfortable with sort of the leadership position. We have and will continue to be able to drive in this space."

DIRECTV CFO Pat Doyle on why company's income rose in the second quarter:
"Consistent with recent quarters, the ARPU (average monthly revenue per customer) growth was driven by price increases and strong growth in HD and DVR services. We now have more than 7.5 million subscribers with advanced services or 40% more than we had a year ago, and they are paying us about $100 per month. And I also point out that we added three to four times as many HD and DVR subscribers as Comcast added in the quarter."

Carey on the U.S. economy's impact on his company:
"The problem with the general economy continued to have a limited impact on us. I would not say no impact but it’s certainly limited."

Carey on DIRECTV's new Broadband-enabled Video on Demand service:
"On VOD, it’s really early days and probably we would not be coming out with specifics out there. We just launched in the last month and about the customers, it’s so small at this point. We got to get the customers hooked up to the broadband and we’re doing. As customers have it, results would be great and also the use of it, but it is small...I mean VOD sales, as a portion of the market is nowhere near. It’s sort of not something that is high in the list of, sort of what is driving in the marketplace today. HD, DVRs, those really continue to be the things that drive it. VOD matters to a segment but it’s still a pretty modest segment. And I think we’ll grow to meet that demand as it evolves, helps you get better product, but it is really something that will grow over a period of next couple of years, not next couple weeks or months.

"I think the HD piece of that still is probably, we certainly have it but it's probably small and the HD will – it's very early, the numbers in the VOD side of it from us today are not large because we just launched it. We got customers calling and asking and we're putting the appropriate equipment in a home to hook up your box to a broadband connection. And so it is really something that we'll probably – there'd be more meaningful shape and structure in that as we go forward over the next year."

Carey on reports that DIRECTV may merge with Dish Network:
"In terms of the merger with EchoStar, it really has nothing to do...but I have nothing; there's really nothing....

Carey on whether the FCC's approval of the XM-Sirius merger helps a DIRECTV-Dish Network merger:
"It's probably a minor positive, not a major positive. There are a lot of differences between the businesses, but I don't think it certainly doesn't change the world from black to white."

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