[sgconer]

With my old tivo unit, I could call in to the DVR service by going to Menu>Setup>Phone>Connect to DVR service.

Can I do something similar with my HR20? My unit is not always connected to a phone line. I don't want to have to leave my HR20 connected to a phone line at all times just to wait for Directv to connect in order to get any pay per view info.

I'd rather connect to a phone line, dial in myself, and disconnect the phone line until it is needed again. I just can't figure out if this is possible.

Any info would be appreciated,
Steve

 

[Earl Bonovich]

It is not needed on the HR20.
It doesn't do the same "phone call", that you where forcing on your TiVo.

And that particular "forced" called on the TiVo, didn't handle PPV purchase information either.

On neither platform, you can force the PPV portion of the call.
You can call DirecTV and request that they "instruct" the box to call...

You can purchase your PPV via the internet website... If you don't keep your phone line connect all the time.

 

[sgconer]

If I didn't have my old tivo unit connected to a phone line, I would keep recieving messages that I needed to make a daily call soon.

I was under the assumption that the reason for this daily call was to retrieve any pay per view info. When I didn't make that daily call after a while, I lost my ability to purchase pay per view on screen. Even after calling directv, they couldn't fix that issue. And ordering movies on line can be a pain in our house. After a couple months the problem somehow fixed itself.

Will I receive a similar message on my HR20 if it isn't connected to a phone line? If I won't receive messages regarding a daily call, will I eventually lose my ability to order pay per view programming online?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Two different things.

You lost your ability to PPV because you maxed your Access Card... It has about a $10 limit before it starts to deny PPVs to be purchased, with out calling in.

The daily nag message you where getting, was from the TiVo portion of the software. That was uploading and downloading viewing patterns (amongst other things).

Eventually if you leave the phone connected long enough, the DirecTV portion of the call with go through.


On the HR20, you won't receive the daily nag, but you will reach a point that the Access card will start to deny authorizations for PPV until it has connected to DirecTV

Hopefully this will change once networking is enabled.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Hopefully this will change once networking is enabled.

Woohoo! Looking forward to that.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Woohoo! Looking forward to that.

I only said Hopefully, I don't know if they are planning to do the "PPV" call via broadband.

 

[sgconer]

Obviously these issues could be avoided if I kept my unit connected to a phone line. But that's not possible in a media closet that doesn't have a phone outlet.

I have to run a line to an outlet in the room and hate to have it exposed for too long a period of time. Too bad I don't know approximately when that call from Directv is coming.

Can I assume it is not possible to change the spending limits above $10 until I'm willing to leave that line connected until the call comes?

thanks for all the info. It was helpful.
Steve

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Can I assume it is not possible to change the spending limits about $10 until I'm willing to leave that line connected until the call comes?

As far as I know, no... it isn't possible.

 

[bonscott87]

As Earl says, you don't need the phone line for daily calls like the Tivo. But you do for PPV. I have Vonage and so I see when my receivers make their call home to DirecTV. It is typically around the same day of the month (used to be the 18th for me). If they miss their call they will try about every hour until they connect. I've found this out a couple times when I've found the phone cord unplugged. As soon as I plug it it within an hour they all make their call and then are quiet again for a month.

So basically what you can do is plug the receiver in say every 4-5 weeks for a day or so and it should make the call home to DirecTV for the PPV and you should be fine.

 

[CousCous]

You could try something like this:

http://www.merchantamerica.com/utahsatellite/index.php?ba=product_enlarge&product=71900

My Grandpa used one of these on his Directv box for a while. You just plug the line into one and then put the other in your media closet.

 

[sgconer]

I always thought Directv called in to my unit rather than the unit calling "home" to dtv. That's why I forced a call to "connect to DVR service now" after missing those calls. Primarily to eliminate those daily call messages and also to get DTV their pay per view info (Incorrectly as I've been informed).


But what you're saying is that sometime after the original scheduled call, my HR20 will dial OUT shortly after I plug it back in? And every 4-5 weeks would do it b/c it definitely would have missed its scheduled call.

 

[opelap]

If Directv called into your unit, your phone would ring. That would be real annoying at 2 am when most units make the call.

Hard to say how long it would take for the call to be made once plugged back in to a phone line. So to keep PPV, your choices are to plug the unit in constantly, plug in it for a day or two every 4 weeks, or use the internet/phone to order PPV. Phone cost an extra 1.99 or so.

 

[jkc120]

The daily nag message you where getting, was from the TiVo portion of the software. That was uploading and downloading viewing patterns (amongst other things).

This is off topic for this forum, but Earl do you know if anything "bad" will happen if you leave an R10 unplugged from the phone line for extended periods of time? Mine has been off the phone jack for about 62 days (at least that's the last # I remember from the daily nags :lol. Will the unit crash or have other issues if I don't let it make daily calls?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Bad... the only thing "bad"... is that if you let too many of the NAG messages build up, if you ever try to get into that screen, the TiVo will crash.

 

[houskamp]

Bad... the only thing "bad"... is that if you let too many of the NAG messages build up, if you ever try to get into that screen, the TiVo will crash.

What? A bug in the mighty tivo??? :lol:

 

[jkc120]

Bad... the only thing "bad"... is that if you let too many of the NAG messages build up, if you ever try to get into that screen, the TiVo will crash.

heh ok...I've been deleting them every 10 days or so, as I was worried that might be an issue. Thanks, good to know I don't have to drag a 30' RJ11 cable out weekly... :eek2:

 

[bonscott87]

heh ok...I've been deleting them every 10 days or so, as I was worried that might be an issue. Thanks, good to know I don't have to drag a 30' RJ11 cable out weekly... :eek2:

If you can actually get a phone cord to it then I'd do it once a month and force the daily call. The daily nags don't start until after 30 days of no call so once a month will save you time deleting all those messages.

 

[mooniac]

You could try something like this:

http://www.merchantamerica.com/utahsatellite/index.php?ba=product_enlarge&product=71900

My Grandpa used one of these on his Directv box for a while. You just plug the line into one and then put the other in your media closet.

I used one of those with my DirecTivo box but it doesn't seem to work with the HR-20. Not sure what's up with that.

 

[bonscott87]

I don't have a phone jack anywhere near my home theater which includes an old Hughes E-86, a DirecTivo and an HR20. I just have an RCA wireless modem jack I got from Walmart and they all dial out just fine. Be sure you get a *modem* jack. A wireless phone jack most likely won't work, won't be fast enough. Another key though is to have good electrical wires in the house that are clean and not "noisy". Most of my house is ok but my upstairs has really old and cheap wiring with a lot of noise in it. A phone barely works let alone a modem device.

Plus I have Vonage on top of all that so I'm really pushing the envelope.

 

[mooniac]

I don't have a phone jack anywhere near my home theater which includes an old Hughes E-86, a DirecTivo and an HR20. I just have an RCA wireless modem jack I got from Walmart and they all dial out just fine. Be sure you get a *modem* jack. A wireless phone jack most likely won't work, won't be fast enough. Another key though is to have good electrical wires in the house that are clean and not "noisy". Most of my house is ok but my upstairs has really old and cheap wiring with a lot of noise in it. A phone barely works let alone a modem device.

Plus I have Vonage on top of all that so I'm really pushing the envelope.

Thanks, do you know which model your HR-20 works with? Is it the RC930?