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Directtv or stick with cable?

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  • C Chris S Kaiser

    As said before that's only used for pay per view, which can also be ordered online. But also for Tivo, they require it only to setup. After the initial setup you can unplug it and just ignore its complaints that it needs to make a daily call to report your habits. Heh...

    What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

    D Offline
    D Offline
    Dan Neely
    wrote on last edited by
    #30

    That plan ofc assumes you have a land line to plug it into in the first place. My only phone's cellular, and from what I've read fax/analog modem over VOIP is generally impossible because they're much more sensitive to packet timing issues.

    -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

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    • J Judah Gabriel Himango

      It blows away cable for the live guide info alone. I'm not talking about the "what's currently on"/TV guide thing; with DTV I can hit info and see what show is currently on the channel I'm on, whether it's a re-run, who stars in it, and at what times and what channels it will be playing later; all with a single click of the info button. I can schedule shows to watch or record, purchase PPV right from the remote, a whole host of things I wasn't getting with cable. Also, where I live, I get more channels (real ones that I watch, not the XM radio channels) for the same price. So, for me anyways, it blows away my old Comcast cable setup.

      Tech, life, family, faith: Give me a visit. I'm currently blogging about: Check out this cutie The apostle Paul, modernly speaking: Epistles of Paul Judah Himango

      realJSOPR Offline
      realJSOPR Offline
      realJSOP
      wrote on last edited by
      #31

      Judah Himango wrote:

      It blows away cable for the live guide info alone. I'm not talking about the "what's currently on"/TV guide thing; with DTV I can hit info and see what show is currently on the channel I'm on, whether it's a re-run, who stars in it, and at what times and what channels it will be playing later; all with a single click of the info button. I can schedule shows to watch or record, purchase PPV right from the remote, a whole host of things I wasn't getting with cable.

      I can do all of that with cable.

      "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
      -----
      "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

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      • D Dan Neely

        That plan ofc assumes you have a land line to plug it into in the first place. My only phone's cellular, and from what I've read fax/analog modem over VOIP is generally impossible because they're much more sensitive to packet timing issues.

        -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

        C Offline
        C Offline
        Chris S Kaiser
        wrote on last edited by
        #32

        I didn't have a line either when I installed. The technician just said to ask a neighbor to use theirs with a 100 foot extension cord to do the initial setup. Anyway, I was getting a land line anyway, I don't do cell.

        What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

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        • C Chris S Kaiser

          I didn't have a line either when I installed. The technician just said to ask a neighbor to use theirs with a 100 foot extension cord to do the initial setup. Anyway, I was getting a land line anyway, I don't do cell.

          What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

          D Offline
          D Offline
          Dan Neely
          wrote on last edited by
          #33

          Local landlines are expensive, the cell's actually cheaper. It only ever leaves my desk at home in bad weather or when I'm on a road trip. Where I'm renting now using a neighbors line wouldn't be an issue, but in the boonies where I want to move in a year or so I'd need more like a 1000' extension and a signal booster. :doh:

          -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

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          • realJSOPR realJSOP

            Judah Himango wrote:

            It blows away cable for the live guide info alone. I'm not talking about the "what's currently on"/TV guide thing; with DTV I can hit info and see what show is currently on the channel I'm on, whether it's a re-run, who stars in it, and at what times and what channels it will be playing later; all with a single click of the info button. I can schedule shows to watch or record, purchase PPV right from the remote, a whole host of things I wasn't getting with cable.

            I can do all of that with cable.

            "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
            -----
            "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

            J Offline
            J Offline
            Judah Gabriel Himango
            wrote on last edited by
            #34

            Cool. I wasn't able to do that with my cable previously.

            Tech, life, family, faith: Give me a visit. I'm currently blogging about: Check out this cutie The apostle Paul, modernly speaking: Epistles of Paul Judah Himango

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            • D Dan Neely

              Local landlines are expensive, the cell's actually cheaper. It only ever leaves my desk at home in bad weather or when I'm on a road trip. Where I'm renting now using a neighbors line wouldn't be an issue, but in the boonies where I want to move in a year or so I'd need more like a 1000' extension and a signal booster. :doh:

              -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

              C Offline
              C Offline
              Chris S Kaiser
              wrote on last edited by
              #35

              My wife makes a lot of long distance and international calls. Her family is in Thailand so I go for the land line. Plus I don't like it that most people get pissed when I don't answer the cell. Heh, just because I have it doesn't mean I have to answer. :laugh:

              dan neely wrote:

              Where I'm renting now using a neighbors line wouldn't be an issue, but in the boonies where I want to move in a year or so I'd need more like a 1000' extension and a signal booster.

              Yep, that's a pickle. But using the cell might work just for the setup. Its only needed to setup for Tivo too. Not for DirecTV in general. But I'm addicted now, so I can't see not getting the Tivo if I have a chance. I'd also like to move to the boonies in a while.

              What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

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              • C Chris S Kaiser

                My wife makes a lot of long distance and international calls. Her family is in Thailand so I go for the land line. Plus I don't like it that most people get pissed when I don't answer the cell. Heh, just because I have it doesn't mean I have to answer. :laugh:

                dan neely wrote:

                Where I'm renting now using a neighbors line wouldn't be an issue, but in the boonies where I want to move in a year or so I'd need more like a 1000' extension and a signal booster.

                Yep, that's a pickle. But using the cell might work just for the setup. Its only needed to setup for Tivo too. Not for DirecTV in general. But I'm addicted now, so I can't see not getting the Tivo if I have a chance. I'd also like to move to the boonies in a while.

                What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

                D Offline
                D Offline
                Dan Neely
                wrote on last edited by
                #36

                Chris S Kaiser wrote:

                My wife makes a lot of long distance and international calls. Her family is in Thailand so I go for the land line. Plus I don't like it that most people get pissed when I don't answer the cell. Heh, just because I have it doesn't mean I have to answer.

                I just tell people it's my home number. If you're driving and on the phone you're an idiot, if you're in a restaurant and on the phone your a jerk, so I don't take it with me. Take it or leave it.

                Chris S Kaiser wrote:

                Yep, that's a pickle. But using the cell might work just for the setup. Its only needed to setup for Tivo too.

                If there's any need to send data I can't see it working. At any rate, I've never seen a cell with a phonejack on the side for input, and put the receiver next to speaker/microphones modem style is 20+ years out of date, even if my cell was the right shape to fit in the handset holder.

                -- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.

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                • C Chris S Kaiser

                  You don't have to have a phone line connected. I don't.

                  What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

                  J Offline
                  J Offline
                  John M Drescher
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #37

                  I know the box can run without a phone line for a few months but after longer than that you get a threatening letter stating that it needs to be connected to a phone line otherwise they will double charge you a complete second subscription for it. I guess this would work if you only had a single tuner. The reason for this policy is that if you don't have it connected to the phone line you can buy extra receivers and give them to all friends and share the subscription.

                  John

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                  • J John M Drescher

                    I know the box can run without a phone line for a few months but after longer than that you get a threatening letter stating that it needs to be connected to a phone line otherwise they will double charge you a complete second subscription for it. I guess this would work if you only had a single tuner. The reason for this policy is that if you don't have it connected to the phone line you can buy extra receivers and give them to all friends and share the subscription.

                    John

                    C Offline
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                    Chris S Kaiser
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #38

                    I haven't experienced that. I've never plugged in a phone line. I've had DirecTV for more than a year. No letters, no nothing. Only a Tivo message to upload data. And that is currently at 120 days or something.

                    John M. Drescher wrote:

                    The reason for this policy is that if you don't have it connected to the phone line you can buy extra receivers and give them to all friends and share the subscription.

                    How does that work? They would still need a hard line to your satellite. So you pay for the extra receiver, 5 bux a month, then what? Run a line from your house to your neighbors? You can only do this with someone next door, not all your friends.

                    What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

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                    • C Chris S Kaiser

                      I haven't experienced that. I've never plugged in a phone line. I've had DirecTV for more than a year. No letters, no nothing. Only a Tivo message to upload data. And that is currently at 120 days or something.

                      John M. Drescher wrote:

                      The reason for this policy is that if you don't have it connected to the phone line you can buy extra receivers and give them to all friends and share the subscription.

                      How does that work? They would still need a hard line to your satellite. So you pay for the extra receiver, 5 bux a month, then what? Run a line from your house to your neighbors? You can only do this with someone next door, not all your friends.

                      What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

                      J Offline
                      J Offline
                      John M Drescher
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #39

                      You can legally buy the dish and all other equipment needed (LMB and cabling) for less than $100 on the internet. All the security and programming is held in the access card and tied to the receiver. You are permitted to have multiple dishes (as we did) and multiple receivers can be connected to each dish. I believe there is a $5 per receiver (could be more it was $5 in 2005) few you have to pay though.

                      Last modified: 14mins after originally posted --

                      John

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                      • C Chris S Kaiser

                        I haven't experienced that. I've never plugged in a phone line. I've had DirecTV for more than a year. No letters, no nothing. Only a Tivo message to upload data. And that is currently at 120 days or something.

                        John M. Drescher wrote:

                        The reason for this policy is that if you don't have it connected to the phone line you can buy extra receivers and give them to all friends and share the subscription.

                        How does that work? They would still need a hard line to your satellite. So you pay for the extra receiver, 5 bux a month, then what? Run a line from your house to your neighbors? You can only do this with someone next door, not all your friends.

                        What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        John M Drescher
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #40

                        Chris S Kaiser wrote:

                        I haven't experienced that. I've never plugged in a phone line.

                        We had 4 receivers on 2 dishes and at one point someone knocked the line out of one of the receivers. I am not sure how Tivo models work but the other ones have a modem and each month they make a phone call (1-800) to directTV to announce that they are still connected and since its a 1-800 number the phone number the receiver dials from is given to direcTV.

                        Last modified: 2hrs 32mins after originally posted --

                        John

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