Telephone line required-newbie question

[rikker]

I recently had a Directv HD DVR 10 250 installed in my living room and it is hooked up to the telephone line. I just installed a Directv DVR Tivo upstairs to my non hi def tv in the bedroom and the telephone jack is across the room and not real convenient. I know this from the way my wife doesn't like tripping on the telephone line on the carpet. Is the modem required after the original install for the guide? Does the guide get its info off the satellite? I'm sure this has been discussed before but I just got here. Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[TerryC]

The guide comes from the satellite, so you don't have to have the phone line connected. You could use the phone line to get software updates and buy PPVs via remote and maybe a few other non-essential things but it's up to you how important those things are to have. Simple answer to your question is no. It'll run fine without a phone line connected.

[larrystotler]

D*'s EULA requires that all receiver be plugged into the same land based telephone line. The main reason for this is that they don't trust people, and it is pretty much the only way to make sure that subs are not sharing receivers instead of having their own account. Technically, they can charge full subsciption price for each receiver not plugged in all the time, however, they rarely do that.

[tds4182]

I recently had a Directv HD DVR 10 250 installed in my living room and it is hooked up to the telephone line. I just installed a Directv DVR Tivo upstairs to my non hi def tv in the bedroom and the telephone jack is across the room and not real convenient. I know this from the way my wife doesn't like tripping on the telephone line on the carpet. Is the modem required after the original install for the guide? Does the guide get its info off the satellite? I'm sure this has been discussed before but I just got here. Thanks in advance for any help on this.

If you decide you need the phone line, you can buy a flat, ribbon-like phone cord in lengths up to 50' and run it around the carpet/baseboard to the receiver. Then the Wife won't trip.

[Mark Holtz]

Unless some changes occur, you will need to have the phone line hooked up in order to download the occassional software updates. You can use a "wireless" phone jack that can also be used on FAX machines. This will limit the speed to about 14.4, but considering how little information is transferred in the weekly "phone home" sessions, it shouldn't be a problem. You don't have to have the receiver hooked up to a phone line, but you'll get the "Receiver must phone home" messages.

Only my DirecTiVo is hooked up to a phone line. My HBH-SA receivers are not hooked up to the phone line and, per my instructions, PPV ordering has been disabled on those two receivers. (I don't need a nasty PPV bill). Part of the phone hookup is to determine your actual location for sports blackouts. Even if you have Caller ID blocking enabled, the receivers phones DirecTV's 800 number which still gives your location.

[rikker]

Thank you for the help and replies. I will see how long it works w/o the telephone line trip device.

[theebdk]

I moved into a house with a family room addition without a phone jack. The previous elderly residents did not have many phone jacks. For my phones I have since gone with cordless phones.

But for the Directv Receiver that sits in my family room, I bought an RCA Wireless Modem Jack - model # RC930. The modem allows you to use the electric circuits as a network. Essentially you plug one unit into an electric outlet then plug in your phone. The other unit you plug in near the Directv receiver and run telephone cord into the back of the unit. Works like a charm although costs about $80.

Hope this helps.