TiVo Community Forums Archives - DirecTivo and phone line issue

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DirecTivo and phone line issue
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Posted by: Slinky

I am hearing different stories now about Tivo and the phone line. Can
someone please sort these out for me ? (in plain english ;) )

1. It does NEED a phone line ?
2. Without a phone line the instant replay and "stop and go" WILL NOT WORK ?
( heard at Best Buy)
3. Phone line is only needed for initial setup, then everything works fine
after that ?
4. Guide data comes from satellite?
5. Guide data comes from phone line ?
6. Guide data etc can be downloaded via broadband connection hooked up to USB port, therefore no phone line is needed ?

7. How does the damn thing work anyways? (just the basics)

I read somewhere else :
"I am an installer and can tell you that a Directivo unit will not
initialize w/o a phoneline"

Initialize during installation ? e.g. first time use ?

I'm confused :(

Posted by: Piggers

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-v...threadid=169112

Posted by: classicsat

it NEEDs a phoneline for initial setup an PPV report back. otherwise it will work fine with just the satellite feed, possibly with some notices it has not called home. Guide data and subscription status comes from satellite (IIRC, Tivo subsciption is a tier bit like the channels have.

Posted by: Piggers

quote:
Originally posted by classicsat
it NEEDs a phoneline for initial setup an PPV report back. otherwise it will work fine with just the satellite feed, possibly with some notices it has not called home. Guide data and subscription status comes from satellite (IIRC, Tivo subsciption is a tier bit like the channels have.

You can use PPP over serial connection to do the initial setup. You won't be able to order pay per view movies using remote without a phone line. You can still order them online by going to www.directv.com. There is no cost for ordering movies online. There is a cost for ordering them over the phone. A minor inconvience but tolerable.

So basically if you want to do away with your phone line or you already have and you want to get a direcv/tivo box then it won't be a problem. I have done the initial phone call with the installer present. The thread I posted above. He also did the same. So it works.

What you will need.

1. A tivo serial cable from store.tivo.com.
2. A null modem adapter or cable. They sell them at radio shack.
3. http://www.b-lan.com/otto/tivo3xp/

Posted by: all4jo

so would this setup work for getting software updates too?

Posted by: Slinky

quote:
Originally posted by Piggers
[B]
So basically if you want to do away with your phone line or you already have and you want to get a direcv/tivo box then it won't be a problem. I have done the initial phone call with the installer present. The thread I posted above. He also did the same. So it works

Can I somehow connect a Tivo to my wireless network ?
I have a Netgear 802.11b router.

OK, I just did some more reading ;) Found out the series 2 Tivo's can be networked via the USB port.

So I assume that I can have the Tivo dial in over my broadband internet connection ?

Is there anything else I can do with having the Tivo hooked up to my network ? Save shows to my desktop etc (160) GB?

Posted by: Piggers

Keep reading!

Posted by: Will Cunningham

Do you know if the Direct TiVo's really needs to make the initial call? The way things worked for me leaves me unsure if my box ever made an offical "initial" call or not and it seems to be working well.

I have a Hughes SD-DVR40 serries 2 TiVo. I don't have a phone line so I wanted to use the serial over PPP for the "Initial Call" and to get updated to the most recent software. I got the serial over PPP stuff working (Thanks again Piggers!!) on a stand alone TiVo to make sure my cable worked. I made the cable instead of buying one. When I got my Direct TiVo unit in, I hooked it to the satalite and got the DirectTV account enabled. The DVR service didn't get enabled though, so as far as the box was concerned, I did not pay for TiVo support.

Not realising that, I unhooked the box, brought it over to my XP PC and hooked up the serial cable and TV, I left the satalite inputs off as they were across the room. I went into the Setup and forced it to do a test call over the serial...it did the call successully so I made it do the daily call, which it completed successfully, but very quick. It didn't do much because as far as TiVo was concerned I did not have TiVo service. That may have counted as my initial call, but I don't really know. It did set the clock, but I don't think it did much else. That is where my confusion sets in.

Anyway I eventually hooked the box back up to the satalite inputs and called DirectTV and got my DVR service enabled and my box started working as a TiVo. I was excited so I thought I would go get my "initial call" and software download out of the way. I went to hook it up and broke my serial cable (I did a poor job soldering it :) )...I finally get around to fixing my serial cable and my cable modem goes dead...I think the universe is conspiring against me to prevent me from making that ellusive first successful call with DVR service enabled.

In my current setup, the Tivo seems to be working well and I don't even have any nag screens yet. :) I don't know if I made an inital call or not, but it makes me wonder if you really need to make one after all? I wish I had experimented more. Does anyone know what happens if you don't make an initial call?