Phone Line Required?

[rbrome]

I thought that only TiVos were weird enoung to require a phone line... but I've heard mention of a phone line requirement for the HR20 as well?

If so, is that only required for PPV?

Is there any way around the requirement?

[Earl Bonovich]

"Technically" ALL DirecTV receivers require a phone line...

PPV via remote, special sports packages, and using the mirroring features....

"Practically"... you don't necessarily have to have a phone line connectted.

There is no point with the HR20 (like the TiVo) where it MUST make a phone call to enable anything.

[rbrome]

"Technically" ALL DirecTV receivers require a phone line...

PPV via remote, special sports packages, and using the mirroring features....

"Practically"... you don't necessarily have to have a phone line connectted.

PPV via remote... so if I order PPV movies via the web, I don't need a phone line connected?

I don't use the sports packages.

What is mirroring?

There is no point with the HR20 (like the TiVo) where it MUST make a phone call to enable anything.

By "enable", do you just mean activation / setup, or will it need a phone line constantly?

[Earl Bonovich]

Mirroring is when you have a 2nd, 3rd, 4th.... receiver on the account, and only pay the $4.99 extra (aka MIRRORING your service plan to the extra receivers).

The Tivos... need to make two phone calls when they are first being setup, or the DVR functions won't activate... after that you just get a nag screen.

The HR20 and R15 have neither of those.