A small pocket of DirecTV Group Inc. (NYSE: DTV - message board) customers are getting a sneak peek at its coming on-demand service, which will function more like a souped-up, Internet-enabled digital video recorder than a two-way video-on-demand (VOD) service offered by cable MSOs and some telco TV operators.

    According to some early details that have sprouted on the Web, DirecTV On Demand will download movies and other content to HR20 receiver models that are outfitted with special software and an on-board DVR. DirecTV is expected to launch the service commercially sometime this fall.

    Once a title is downloaded to a partitioned section of the receiver's hard drive, users can access it using traditional "trick-play" functions, such as play, fast-forward, pause, and rewind.

    DirecTV has not published an initial on-demand lineup, but users have reported a range of pay-per-view movie titles, including some in high-def format, movie trailers, and subscription fare from networks such as Starz.

    By affixing the"on-demand" label to the service, DirecTV can be sure it's part of the conversation around that service category and push a perception that its offering is comparable to the two-way VOD services delivered by cable operators and some telcos, including Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board).

    DirecTV has not disclosed how large its local DVR-driven VOD offering will be, but it will certainly be a far cry from the 9,300 VOD titles Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) averages today. DirecTV officials were not immediately available for comment.

    Echo Star Communications Corp.offers a similar service on DISH Player DVR models. The company offers a movies-on-demand application, but it expects to add more content categories.

    Even if their "on-demand" services end up being less robust than cable's, DirecTV and EchoStar are ensuring that their primary competitor does not own the category completely.