1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $) In Millions, except Share data false 1 $ false false Unit_1 Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_2 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_5 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 2 $ false false Unit_1 Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_2 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_5 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 3 $ false false Unit_1 Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_2 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_5 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 4 $ false false Unit_1 Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_2 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 Unit_5 Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 5 Revenues 3 us-gaap_Revenues us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 5465000000 5465 false false 2 true true 4981000000 4981 false false 3 true true 15584000000 15584 false false 4 true true 14379000000 14379 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 7 Costs of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense 4 us-gaap_CostOfGoodsAndServicesSoldAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 8 Broadcast programming and other 5 dtv_BroadcastProgrammingAndOther dtv false debit duration monetary Costs primarily include license fees for subscription service programming, pay-per-view programming, live sports and other... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2271000000 2271 false false 2 false true 2072000000 2072 false false 3 false true 6404000000 6404 false false 4 false true 5894000000 5894 false false Costs primarily include license fees for subscription service programming, pay-per-view programming, live sports and other events. Other costs include expenses associated with the publication and distribution of our programming guide, continuing service fees paid to third parties for active subscribers, warranty service costs and production costs for on-air advertisements sold to third parties. No authoritative reference available. false 9 Subscriber service expenses 5 dtv_SubscriberServiceExpenses dtv false debit duration monetary Subscriber service expenses include the costs of customer call centers, billing, remittance processing and certain home... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 406000000 406 false false 2 false true 339000000 339 false false 3 false true 1126000000 1126 false false 4 false true 952000000 952 false false Subscriber service expenses include the costs of customer call centers, billing, remittance processing and certain home services expenses, such as in-home repair costs. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Broadcast operations expenses 5 dtv_BroadcastOperationsExpenses dtv false debit duration monetary Broadcast operations expenses inlcude broadcast center operating costs, signal transmission expenses (including costs of... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 87000000 87 false false 2 false true 97000000 97 false false 3 false true 254000000 254 false false 4 false true 276000000 276 false false Broadcast operations expenses inlcude broadcast center operating costs, signal transmission expenses (including costs of collecting signals for our local channel offerings), and costs of monitoring, maintaining and insuring our satellites. Also included are engineering expenses associated with deterring theft of our signal. No authoritative reference available. false 11 Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense 4 us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpenseAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 12 Subscriber acquisition costs 5 dtv_SubscriberAcquisitionCosts dtv false debit duration monetary Subscriber acquisition costs include the cost of set-top receivers and other equipment, commissions paid to national... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 699000000 699 false false 2 false true 624000000 624 false false 3 false true 2076000000 2076 false false 4 false true 1780000000 1780 false false Subscriber acquisition costs include the cost of set-top receivers and other equipment, commissions paid to national retailers, independent satellite television retailers, dealers, regional Bell operating companies, and the cost of installation, advertising, marketing and customer call center expenses associated with the acquisition of new subscribers. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Upgrade and retention costs 5 dtv_UpgradeAndRetentionCosts dtv false debit duration monetary Upgrade and retention costs are associated upgrade efforts for existing subscribers that will result in higher avergage... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 277000000 277 false false 2 false true 268000000 268 false false 3 false true 819000000 819 false false 4 false true 745000000 745 false false Upgrade and retention costs are associated upgrade efforts for existing subscribers that will result in higher avergage monthly revenue per subscriber, or ARPU, and lower churn. Upgrade efforts include subscriber equipment upgrade programs for DVR, HD and HD DVR receivers and local channels, mulitiple set-top receiver offer and similar initiatives. Retention costs also include the costs of installing and providing hardware under the movers program for subscribers relocating to a new residence. No authoritative reference available. false 14 General and administrative expenses 5 us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 377000000 377 false false 2 false true 329000000 329 false false 3 false true 1086000000 1086 false false 4 false true 941000000 941 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 15 Depreciation and amortization expense 5 us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 663000000 663 false false 2 false true 594000000 594 false false 3 false true 2008000000 2008 false false 4 false true 1675000000 1675 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 16 Total operating costs and expenses 4 us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4780000000 4780 false false 2 false true 4323000000 4323 false false 3 false true 13773000000 13773 false false 4 false true 12263000000 12263 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Operating profit 4 us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 685000000 685 false false 2 false true 658000000 658 false false 3 false true 1811000000 1811 false false 4 false true 2116000000 2116 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 18 Interest income 4 us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 9000000 9 false false 2 false true 27000000 27 false false 3 false true 25000000 25 false false 4 false true 64000000 64 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 19 Interest expense 4 us-gaap_InterestAndDebtExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -101000000 -101 false false 2 false true -103000000 -103 false false 3 false true -304000000 -304 false false 4 false true -248000000 -248 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 20 Other, net 4 us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 10000000 10 false false 2 false true 11000000 11 false false 3 false true 67000000 67 false false 4 false true 29000000 29 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 21 Income before income taxes 4 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 603000000 603 false false 2 false true 593000000 593 false false 3 false true 1599000000 1599 false false 4 false true 1961000000 1961 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 22 Income tax expense 4 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -219000000 -219 false false 2 false true -195000000 -195 false false 3 false true -585000000 -585 false false 4 false true -712000000 -712 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 23 Net income 4 us-gaap_ProfitLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 384000000 384 false false 2 false true 398000000 398 false false 3 false true 1014000000 1014 false false 4 false true 1249000000 1249 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 24 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 4 us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -18000000 -18 false false 2 false true -35000000 -35 false false 3 false true -40000000 -40 false false 4 false true -60000000 -60 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 25 Net income attributable to The DIRECTV Group, Inc. 4 us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 366000000 366 false false 2 true true 363000000 363 false false 3 true true 974000000 974 false false 4 true true 1189000000 1189 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 26 Basic and diluted earnings per common share: 3 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 27 Basic earnings attributable to The DIRECTV Group, Inc. per common share 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 0.38 0.38 false false 2 true true 0.33 0.33 false false 3 true true 0.97 0.97 false false 4 true true 1.05 1.05 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 28 Diluted earnings attributable to The DIRECTV Group, Inc. per common share 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 0.37 0.37 false false 2 true true 0.33 0.33 false false 3 true true 0.97 0.97 false false 4 true true 1.05 1.05 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 29 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (in millions) 3 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicOtherDisclosuresAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 30 Basic 4 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 973 973.00 false false 2 false true 1106 1106.00 false false 3 false true 999 999.00 false false 4 false true 1131 1131.00 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 31 Diluted 4 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 977 977.00 false false 2 false true 1111 1111.00 false false 3 false true 1003 1003.00 false false 4 false true 1136 1136.00 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false false 4 26 false Millions NoRounding NoRounding false true