 ParanoiaInc
join:2002-08-28
Tucker, GA
| TiVo? Get educated! For anyone to think that they cannot modify their TiVo unit to not use a POTS line while still access the TiVo network is just ignorant. While the standalone TiVo units do need a means to access their channel-guide network, PPP could care less about 'how' it reaches the network in question. | |
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 | JJV
Premium
join:2001-04-25
Seattle, WA
clubs: | Re: TiVo? Get educated! my old sa tivo dials out fine on vonage | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
3 edits | So as an educted Tivo expert, here's a question:
Can a DirecTV subscriber get the standard package, and subscribe to NFL Sunday ticket without a land-line and without modifying their hardware?
I've seen about six different answers to this question from six different people so far...... | |
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| | therage57
join:2002-01-03
Salt Lake City, UT
| Re: TiVo? Get educated! I've had Sunday Ticket for a few years and haven't had my phone plugged in. But I just got Tivo and you have to have it plugged in to the phone to get the service. I've unplugged the phone and everything works but it will not upload software updates in this manner. You can get more details in the Tivo.com forums but my understnding is that you have to have the phone line to "order" the service but once you have it installed you can run it through your net connection. I will be working on that soon.
These companies are downright stupid! Millions are getting away from the POTS line. I wrote a letter to DirecTV awhile back basically telling them they are morons and are losing business. | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| Re: TiVo? Get educated! Well seriously, the thing has an ethernet jack, does it not? You'd think you could just network it and be done with it.
So essentially if I were moving to a new home, I'd have to order a land-line. Order DirecTV. Order Sunday Ticket via land-line. Then disconnect the land-line. Then network my Tivo and I'd be all set without any mods? | |
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digiblur
Got Sipura?
Premium
join:2002-06-03
Louisiana
| Re: TiVo? Get educated! said by Karl Bode  :
Well seriously, the thing has an ethernet jack, does it not? You'd think you could just network it and be done with it.
So essentially if I were moving to a new home, I'd have to order a land-line. Order DirecTV. Order Sunday Ticket via land-line. Then disconnect the land-line. Then network my Tivo and I'd be all set without any mods?
No... just call DirecTV and say "I want to order Sunday Ticket". Guess what?? They will take your money and put it on your account. A PHONE LINE IS NOT REQUIRED FOR DIRECTV. What do you think all the mobile DirecTV users do(RV'ers, etc)? They call on a cell or something and say "Hey Mrs.DirecTV lady, I want to order that PPV on channel 115." | |
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| | | | | ParanoiaInc
join:2002-08-28
Tucker, GA
| Re: TiVo? Get educated! The phone line is for several things, but not long-term programming. PPV (Pay-Per View), one-off special paid-for events (wrestline & boxing, etc.), and for the TiVo Channel Guide (but this may have changed).
BTW, as someone already pointed out, VoIP will work for this necessary out-bound POTS communication. | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | See this is what I'm talking about. One person says yes, another says no. | |
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Supafly
Premium
join:2000-07-15
Elk Grove, CA
1 edit | Re: TiVo? Get educated! Hey Karl, the truth is the land-line isn't used to download guide updates on DirecTV TiVo units, it's downloaded through the sat, which is how us hackers can hack without worrying about TiVo checking our hardware. The phone line is only used for the following:
Software updates (which are a infrequent as 1-2 times a year.)
or
Premium purchases, including all PPV movies, adult movies, and one-time sport shows.
Things like NFL Sunday ticket and NBA league pass are purchased through customer service phone number and are added like any other programming package. The phone line does not constantly need to be connected.
On a standalone TiVo, everything is piped through the phone line (Guide updates and subscription verification). But on standalone TiVo's (Both series 1 and 2) you can tell TiVo to download everything through the ethernet device (either internal on series 1, and external usb on series 2).
On Series 1 Standalones, you have to buy a internal nic and set your dialing prefix to ",#401" this tells the TiVo to download everything through the ethernet card.
On Series 2 Standalones, it's automatic once you setup the ethernet device.
On DirecTV TiVo's (Both Series 1 and 2) however, if you don't dial out the modem for more that 30 days, you'll get a nag screen once a day reminding you to do so. This is not a problem though if you are a enthusiast, as there is a script that fixes that.
Standalone TiVo differences:
Series 1: Internal nic must be purchased, and no official support, once it's plugged in however the drivers are already built in to the TiVo software (kinda weird).
Series 2: External USB nic needed, officially supported by TiVo for the home media option only.
DirecTV TiVo differences:
Series 1: Same as series 1 Standalone TiVo.
Series 2: USB ports for ethernet connections, and still no official support for them, you can only use them if you hack.
I don't have VoIP, but I'd thought you might like to know how the TiVo operates. 
EDIT: Added DirecTV TiVo's series 1 and 2 differences. | |
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Eat Me
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ
 ·PenTeleData
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·VOIPo
·Vonage
| Re: TiVo? Get educated! said by Supafly :
Hey Karl, the truth is the land-line isn't used to download guide updates on DirecTV TiVo units, it's downloaded through the sat, which is how us hackers can hack without worrying about TiVo checking our hardware. The phone line is only used for the following:
Software updates (which are a infrequent as 1-2 times a year.)
or
Premium purchases, including all PPV movies, adult movies, and one-time sport shows.[/b]
The phone line was supposedly also used for DirecTV to check via ANI that all your receivers are in the same household. Whether they check or not is one of the mysteries of the universe.
My Sony SAT-T60 series 1 is hooked up to the phone line (to run elseed and YAC for onscreen caller ID), and on my vonage dashboard I see that it is dialing repeatedly to DirecTV. It dials at least ten times per day. And I've never ordered any PPV using the remote.
quote:
On DirecTV TiVo's (Both Series 1 and 2) however, if you don't dial out the modem for more that 30 days, you'll get a nag screen once a day reminding you to do so. This is not a problem though if you are a enthusiast, as there is a script that fixes that.
Turbonet cards do work on S1 DTiVo as well as standalones. You can also hack S2's DTiVo's software to run ethernet over the USB ports using a USB to ethernet dongle.
Of course most people who would go that far would just set noupdate to false to control the release of software updates on their boxen. | |
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Supafly
Premium
join:2000-07-15
Elk Grove, CA
1 edit | Re: TiVo? Get educated! | |
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| | | | | hottboiinnnc
join:2003-08-27
Fremont, OH
| My grandparents lost their DirecTV one day for a week due to they didnt have it plugged into the POTS line. My grandma called in and bitched at the lady from DT and she said you have to keep it plugged in the card can't be checked to see if its legal or not. so they knock the card out. | |
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rchandra
Stargate S G-1 And Atlantis Fan
Premium
join:2000-11-09
14225-2105
clubs:
| DirecTV are morons for more than that reason, IMHO. Did you ever try to look something up on their Web site? It's absolutely horrendous. They're basically screaming, "Let's assume everyone operates their computer in 800x600, uses Internet Explorer, and they always have JavaScript turned on." It's so incredibly narrow-minded. I'll not be a DTV subscriber anytime soon.
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English is a difficult enough language to interpret correctly when its rules are followed, let alone when a writer chooses not to follow those rules. Blog is here | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: TiVo? Get educated! Thanks Supafly! That was very helpful! | |
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| therage57
join:2002-01-03
Salt Lake City, UT
| Re: I like my land line said by Omega :
Dependability was the main reason. Also in blackout's cell phones are not too dependable.
Interesting...in the last power outage in my area my Comcast digital phone was down yet my cell phone was working fine. In the past several years I cannot recall a time when my cell service was down. Myabe I'm just lucky. | |
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| | hottboiinnnc
join:2003-08-27
Fremont, OH
| Re: I like my land line well then again you dont live in the state that has the power company --First Energy-- that caused the nation's largest black out cause they are tooo stupid to fix shit on time and to trim trees when its time to.. My cell phone was down during the last blackout but the landline worked fine. However TWC cable was off and on due to the headend has 2 different power companies...doesnt make sense but then again our main headend is in another city about 1hr and 30 minutes from my house. | |
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jmuskratt
join:2000-11-21
New Orleans, LA
1 edit | I've got a Series 1 DirecTiVo and Vonage and actually had to take off the special prefix ",#319" or whatever it was to get it to work. All I had to do was add 1504 (my area code) as the prefix and it works fine for downloading the program guide and the bonus (advertising) videos.
Now, i've just gotten Vonage, so maybe they've finally updated the firmware on the ATA to support Tivo?
I can see a call once a week on the dashboard to the local tivo access number. No problems as of yet.
The Series 2 DirecTivos have the USB ports on the back disabled, so I think a more elaborate work around is required. See www.tivocommunity.com for better answers. | |
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GNXPower
Got Boost?
Premium
join:2003-12-18
Huntington Beach, CA
3 edits | Like a previous poster, I disconnected POTS at the NID and just plugged the ATA into the nearest jack. I had no problems faxing, my alarm system didn't have any problems connecting to the monitoring station and it also used cell backup, and my now dead series 1 TiVo used a TurboNET NIC I picked up from 9thtee...the drivers were included in TiVo 3.x software. But even before I got the NIC, I didn't have trouble with TiVo dialing via VoIP. And you can slow the baud rate of the DirecTiVo modems by using ,#034 or ,#019 prefixes. I ran a pretty hefty UPS (1400W) anyway and even with power outtages I didn't go down. It wasn't until Verizon got their crap together here and Comcast's last wave of price increases before I dropped Vonage (along with Comcast)...but it certainly wasn't because of incompatibility...Vonage wasn't the problem...over priced cable provider was my problem.
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Mac Truth »members.cox.net/clyqz/macs.html | |
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Ditching Copper
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Unplug Telco, Plug in VOIP?