Direct TV users...need some advice...

[Insane3D]

I am considering dumping my cable for a two room Direct TV system. I currently have Adelphia (suck) here in NH, and it is ~$45 for less than 50 channels. I am planning on going with their new promotion that includes all the equipment and free installation for two rooms, and over 130 channels (Total Choice Plus) for about the same price ($44.98). I was just getting ready to sign up online, and I see something about they need your receiver(s) to be connected to a land based phoneline. I got rid of mine years ago, and use a cell phone as my primary phone.

From what I understood in their FAQ, I can still use their service, but for things like PPV I would need to call, but I wouldn't use that anyway. The one thing that is holding me back is the vague mention of an extra fee per receiver if I don't have a land based phone line. Is there any Direct TV users out there that are in the same boat?

TIA..

 

[calpha]

My father in law had a direct tv hooked up for 2 years without a phone line attached to it. He never watched PPV...but never had a problem.

As far as the 2nd reciever...you're gonna be charged for it (it's in the 44.98 price.....$39.98 for Total Choice Plus & 5.00 for the 2nd reciever).

Now, if you get DTV-Tivo...you're sol b/c they HAVE to dial up.

 

[ElFenix]

we didn't have our box hooked to the phone line... only thing it used it for was to call directv if you'd orderd a PPV. you can order up to 25 or so before it has to call. dunno about the fee per receiver if you don't have a phone line though

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: calpha
My father in law had a direct tv hooked up for 2 years without a phone line attached to it. He never watched PPV...but never had a problem.

As far as the 2nd reciever...you're gonna be charged for it (it's in the 44.98 price.....$39.98 for Total Choice Plus & 5.00 for the 2nd reciever).

Now, if you get DTV-Tivo...you're sol b/c they HAVE to dial up.

Thanks. I knew about the extra $4.99 fee for the second receiver, but they mentioned an additional fee for no phone line connection. Did he have anything like that? I have no interest in PPV or Tivo, so that is no problemo. Thanks...anyone else?

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
we didn't have our box hooked to the phone line... only thing it used it for was to call directv if you'd orderd a PPV. you can order up to 25 or so before it has to call. dunno about the fee per receiver if you don't have a phone line though

Cool...so no extra fee for no phone line hookup? Also, they mention you can hook up one receiver to multiple TV's, but I imagine you would have to watch the same thing on each TV that way right?

 

[Insane3D]

Here is the part that worries me from their FAQ...

Q: What is the purpose of connecting my receiver to my telephone line?
A: We ask customers to connect the receiver to a land-based phone line for billing and pay per view ordering purposes. This connection sends purchase information from the receiver to our computer system. You cannot connect a cellular phone to your receiver; it must be a land-based phone line.

With this phone connection, DIRECTV customers are authorized to order pay per view movies and events with their remote control, get popular sports subscriptions like NFL SUNDAY TICKET?, and have the programming subscription on their main receiver "mirrored" to other receivers that are connected to the same phone line.

Customers who don't have a continuous telephone connection are not authorized to receive certain sports programming, must call us to order pay per view, and must pay a separate subscription price for each receiver. To cover the costs of handling phone requests, we apply a $5 service charge on phone orders for pay per view movies and events.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: ElFenix
we didn't have our box hooked to the phone line... only thing it used it for was to call directv if you'd orderd a PPV. you can order up to 25 or so before it has to call. dunno about the fee per receiver if you don't have a phone line though

Cool...so no extra fee for no phone line hookup? Also, they mention you can hook up one receiver to multiple TV's, but I imagine you would have to watch the same thing on each TV that way right?

there wasn't an extra fee when i did it. i told them that i had hooked it up though. and we only had one box. i would think you'd get the same thing on both tvs unless you had a dual LNB setup and used an RF remote to change the channel from another room.

ah heres how it works the receiver has up to a 4 way switches in it which means that it can send to up to 4 boxes in 4 rooms. the triple LNB receiver can do that, dunno if the dual can

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: ElFenix
we didn't have our box hooked to the phone line... only thing it used it for was to call directv if you'd orderd a PPV. you can order up to 25 or so before it has to call. dunno about the fee per receiver if you don't have a phone line though

Cool...so no extra fee for no phone line hookup? Also, they mention you can hook up one receiver to multiple TV's, but I imagine you would have to watch the same thing on each TV that way right?

there wasn't an extra fee when i did it. i told them that i had hooked it up though. and we only had one box. i would think you'd get the same thing on both tvs unless you had a dual LNB setup and used an RF remote to change the channel from another room.

Yeah, that is what I thought. No problemo on that anyway..

 

[calpha]

well...as far as using a phone line.... I don't know their rules. I can tell you I had a 2nd reciever for about 3 months hooked up for a while w/o a phone line w/ no problems whatsoever. Although...i didn't tell them I had no phone hooked up. But again...I don't watch ppv or sports purchases either.

As far as 1 reciever on two tvs...yes that's possible....but you're right. Same thing on both tvs. The standard hookup that RCA sells is a dual lnb setup for two recievers. If you want more recievers, you have to buy an active splitter (I got one from radio shack and put it on myself...but you have to put it inside the house, and not on the dish b/c it needs power)...but I can hook up 4 recievers if I want. AFAIK, the main reason for the tripple LNB (and the $129 cost) was for HDTV. Makes more sense to get a splitter if you're just on Digital, not HD.

 

[AnyMal]

I do not have my Direc TV receivers hooked up to the phoneline either, and there is no extra chrage on my bill. If I want a PPV movie, I just log on to their website and order that way, you will avoid $5.00 surcharge by ordering online.

 

[Amused]

They do this for a reason. If all the receivers on your account are not hooked up to the same phone line, they have no idea where your receivers are, and must treat each receiver as a seperate account.

Why? Because this keeps me from buying receivers for all my friends and family, and being billed for one account and $5 for each receiver, even though I'm getting DirecTV in five or ten or even twenty seperate homes.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: AnyMal
I do not have my Direc TV receivers hooked up to the phoneline either, and there is no extra chrage on my bill. If I want a PPV movie, I just log on to their website and order that way, you will avoid $5.00 surcharge by ordering online.

Yes, but were they hokked up when you installed them? have they ever been connected, no matter how short of a time, to a phone line?

 

[rudder]

I haven't hooked up my directv receiver to a phone line in two years. I did intitially when I started the service. If you ever want PPV you can do it online as well I believe. If they quote you 44.98 per month that sounds like it would include the second receiver already.

 

[faZZter]

I never hooked mine to a phone line since I had it installed. Haven't had any extra charges because of it either. I just told them I wasn't gonna have a phone line draped across my floor all the time cause it would be in the way.

Also I have a dual LNB setup with a 4 way splitter (special type for sattelite systems) and it does not require its own power at all and is not in my house but stuffed in where the cables come together. Works perfect.

 

[Amused]

I3d, it appears you can get it hooked up with a phone line when you subscribe, then cancel your landline. How expensive would that be to do?

 

[GreenGhost]

The guy who installed my system (1 receiver) 2 months ago said that if I wanted a 2nd unit, I would need a permanent phone connection to both units. Right now, I have the phone line disconnected from the receiver (no phone jack nearby), and no problems.

Comparing to my old cable, Directv is much better, and the bill reduced from $50 to $34, which is no small difference ($2 higher for 1-yr contracts after March). No interruptions even during storms. I don't even miss the local channels. I realized I never watched them, anyways.

 

[BunLengthHotDog]

Just did this deal about 2 months ago, do not have...and will not have a phoneline hooked up to the receivers. The install tech told the DTV rep when he called to setup service this, and it was not a problem. They just get you to agree to hook up a line if you order PPV....

And BTW, its 25 PPV's or $300 whichever comes first (PPV limit)

Also, typically, if you dont have a phoneline hooked up, they will limit your card to $5-$50 for PPV purchases, that way you have to call, or do them on the web.

 

[Insane3D]

Thanks guys...I'll order up tonight!

 

[Insane3D]

Amused -

I called them and they told me it was fine that I had no land line, I would just need to order PPV or Sporting Events online or over the phone. I doubt I will order either...