| Author |
Message |
B Moody
Guest
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 Posted:
Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:04 pm Post subject:
Re: DirecTV vs Dish Network PVR operation question |
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This whole exchange has been startling to me. I don't have TIVO and if it
is going to run up stuff on my phone bill I sure as hell don't intend to get
it. I have had Direct TV (plain old garden variety) for ten years and never
had a charge on my phone bill but they always know when I watch PPV and they
have never overbilled or failed to bill when I do. Maybe my set calls them
on an 800 number. As long as it works I don't care how.
Bob Moody |
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Stephen Harris
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:25 pm Post subject:
Re: DirecTV vs Dish Network PVR operation question |
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B Moody <bmoody@shentel.net> wrote:
| Quote: | This whole exchange has been startling to me. I don't have TIVO and if it
is going to run up stuff on my phone bill I sure as hell don't intend to get
it. I have had Direct TV (plain old garden variety) for ten years and never
had a charge on my phone bill but they always know when I watch PPV and they
have never overbilled or failed to bill when I do. Maybe my set calls them
on an 800 number. As long as it works I don't care how.
|
For most TiVo customers the call is a local one and is either free or
fixed cost as part of your local dialing plan. There are somthing like
10 phone numbers that I could pick from that would work for me. There
are some unlucky people who can't call a local number and so need to
make regional calls, which can cost more.
Alternatively, if you aren't afraid of making a serial cable and have a
computer on a broadband connection then it's possible to tell the TiVo
side of things to make a PPP connection via your computer, and not use a
phone line at all. I've done this and done everything, including the
initial setup, via PPP. I don't _have_ a phone line :-)
This configuration won't let me do PPV via the remote, but I've never
yet done a PPV and if I wanted to then I could use the DirecTV web site
to order it.
--
Stephen Harris
usenet@spuddy.org
The truth is the truth, and opinion just opinion. But what is what?
My employer pays to ignore my opinions; you get to do it for free. |
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Charlie Hoffpauir
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:08 am Post subject:
Re: DirecTV vs Dish Network PVR operation question |
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On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 14:25:09 -0400, usenet@spuddy.org (Stephen Harris)
wrote:
| Quote: | B Moody <bmoody@shentel.net> wrote:
This whole exchange has been startling to me. I don't have TIVO and if it
is going to run up stuff on my phone bill I sure as hell don't intend to get
it. I have had Direct TV (plain old garden variety) for ten years and never
had a charge on my phone bill but they always know when I watch PPV and they
have never overbilled or failed to bill when I do. Maybe my set calls them
on an 800 number. As long as it works I don't care how.
For most TiVo customers the call is a local one and is either free or
fixed cost as part of your local dialing plan. There are somthing like
10 phone numbers that I could pick from that would work for me. There
are some unlucky people who can't call a local number and so need to
make regional calls, which can cost more.
Alternatively, if you aren't afraid of making a serial cable and have a
computer on a broadband connection then it's possible to tell the TiVo
side of things to make a PPP connection via your computer, and not use a
phone line at all. I've done this and done everything, including the
initial setup, via PPP. I don't _have_ a phone line :-)
This configuration won't let me do PPV via the remote, but I've never
yet done a PPV and if I wanted to then I could use the DirecTV web site
to order it.
|
This sounds very interesting to me. Can you tell me more about how to
go about doing this, or point me to some resources on the web? I think
I need some basic information too, for ex., I don't know what PPP
stands for. But I'm confortable making up a serial cable, and I have
(sort of) broadband with DirecWay.
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/ |
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Charlie Hoffpauir
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:08 am Post subject:
Re: DirecTV vs Dish Network PVR operation question |
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On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 20:16:04 +0000 (UTC),
dold@XReXXDirec.usenet.us.com wrote:
| Quote: | Charlie Hoffpauir <invalid@invalid.com> wrote:
DirecTV TIVO recorder requires a phone line connection, which for me
requires a toll charge.
When I installed mine, there was no local number, and I set it to call an
800 number. Just select "none of the above" on the local numbers screen.
From the users guide:
"No Local Numbers. If you chose a local dial-in number, you will not see
this screen. If you selected None of the above on the Dial-In Numbers
screen, select "Request 800 number authorization" here. Selecting this
option temporarily selects the toll-free number and submits a request to
use the toll-free number. It is the current policy of DIRECTV to allow you
to use the toll-free number if there are no local numbers available."
|
Very interesting.... I didn't know that. I've been dealing with DWay
tech support for over 2 weeks now, trying to get a toll-free number
authorized. Each time the tech tells me "this time it's set up right,
you'll have the number within 72 hours", so I call back after 4 days
and we repeat the drill again. My current 72 hours ends tomorrow, so
I'll try the "None of the above" and see what happens.
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/ |
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Stephen Harris
Guest
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| Posted:
Mon Aug 29, 2005 5:09 am Post subject:
Re: DirecTV vs Dish Network PVR operation question |
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Charlie Hoffpauir <invalid@invalid.com> wrote:
| Quote: | On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 14:25:09 -0400, usenet@spuddy.org (Stephen Harris)
Alternatively, if you aren't afraid of making a serial cable and have a
computer on a broadband connection then it's possible to tell the TiVo
side of things to make a PPP connection via your computer, and not use a
phone line at all. I've done this and done everything, including the
initial setup, via PPP. I don't _have_ a phone line :-)
This sounds very interesting to me. Can you tell me more about how to
go about doing this, or point me to some resources on the web? I think
|
There's plenty of results from google; eg
http://my.athenet.net/~saturn/TiVo%20PPP.htm
| Quote: | I need some basic information too, for ex., I don't know what PPP
stands for. But I'm confortable making up a serial cable, and I have
|
PPP is Point To Point protocol and is the standard way a computer dials up
onto the internet (before broadband). What we do with TiVo is to make your
computer pretend to be the ISP and convince TiVo to connect directly without
needing a modem.
It's a little complicated, but works well.
--
Stephen Harris
usenet@spuddy.org
The truth is the truth, and opinion just opinion. But what is what?
My employer pays to ignore my opinions; you get to do it for free. |
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