Phone Line to receiver

[sbsi]

How much does Direct TV charge if we don't have a phone line connected to a receiver?

 

[mikew]

There is no charge.

 

[ClemSole]

Depending on what receiver you have, you will get messages about it not being connected and you will not get any softwere updates. Of you have a newer unit and connected it to a network you don't need the phone line except for caller-id.

 

[jdspencer]

Since the OP seems to have just signed up with DirecTV and is getting an HD DVR, he won't need a phone line for anything (unless caller-id is important).

 

[sbsi]

I have not sign up. I have a friend planning to get Direct TV and does not plan to have a home phone unless Direct do charge for receiver connection fee like Dish.

Is the no phone line fee good for all receivers???

 

[jcrandall]

No fee.

Old tivo receiver need it for updates. DirecTV does not sell/install Tivo receivers anymore.

Your friend is good-to-go.

 

[sbsi]

Thanks. Of course they rather have satalite dish vs cable.....

 

[claw]

I had a new installation completed last month - first time subscriber.

The installer wanted the HR21 hooked up to a phone line. I told him I had Vonage VOIP and the nearest phone jack was in the next room.

He said it was important to have the phone line connected for the first couple of weeks, but I could disconnect it after. I think he was implying that he would hear it from DTV if he left without it connected to a phone.

So I ran a long phone cord from the next room. Disconnected it last week.

When I told the installer that I thought the HD DVRs would connect via an internet connection so a phone line was not needed, he replied that he didn't know anything about that.

After he left, I hooked the HR21 to my router. No problems getting connected.

 

[NutFlush920]

Most homes don't have landlines any longer. I haven't had a landline for years and my receivers are all in great working order.

 

[Jimbo]

Most homes don't have landlines any longer. I haven't had a landline for years and my receivers are all in great working order.

Say WHAT ????

I bet landlines are still active in at least 90 % of the country, just because many use cell phones as well, does not mean the are not in homes anymore.

Jimbo

 

[KE4EST]

I had a new installation completed last month - first time subscriber.

The installer wanted the HR21 hooked up to a phone line. I told him I had Vonage VOIP and the nearest phone jack was in the next room.

He said it was important to have the phone line connected for the first couple of weeks, but I could disconnect it after. I think he was implying that he would hear it from DTV if he left without it connected to a phone.

So I ran a long phone cord from the next room. Disconnected it last week.

When I told the installer that I thought the HD DVRs would connect via an internet connection so a phone line was not needed, he replied that he didn't know anything about that.

After he left, I hooked the HR21 to my router. No problems getting connected.

Installers get $5 per receiver extra that is hooked to a phone line. That is why it was important....You may think only 5 bucks ain't worth it, but if he has several installs a week and 2 or more receivers per install it adds up. Does the customer need it no, DTV just wants it for their stuff.

 

[KE4EST]

Say WHAT ????

I bet landlines are still active in at least 90 % of the country, just because many use cell phones as well, does not mean the are not in homes anymore.

Jimbo

Not around here, I would guess 60-70% are on a cell phone only. And I live in the boonies..

 

[KE4EST]

Not around here, I would guess 60-70% are on a cell phone only. And I live in the boonies..

I will back that up by saying though, I live right in the heart of the Smokey MTNs, a lot of people have 2nd homes here and don't want a land-line. However a lot I would guess 40% of people that live here year around only have cells.

 

[iwc5893]

Installers get $5 per receiver extra that is hooked to a phone line. That is why it was important....You may think only 5 bucks ain't worth it, but if he has several installs a week and 2 or more receivers per install it adds up. Does the customer need it no, DTV just wants it for their stuff.

What?!!?! We never got paid extra for installing phone lines, but we would get DOCKED the $5 per receiver for not running them, if our non-responder percentages were high enough. DirecTV doesn't care if you are cell phone only or not, they only look at the total numbers and backcharge the HSP's accordingly.

 

[svsam50]

This may be redundant but is the phone line used at all for activation or is it all done by satellite for a HR21-200 receiver.

I get stuck at screen saying to call D* for activation and D* says they can no longer help. Singal strengths seem good.

 

[jtwex]

This may be redundant but is the phone line used at all for activation or is it all done by satellite for a HR21-200 receiver.

No, it isn't used or needed at all unless you are trying to activate an old card that was owned by you.

I get stuck at screen saying to call D* for activation and D* says they can no longer help. Signal strengths seem good.

At this prompt even the installer from D* has to call for activation & then usually the picture turns on. Does channel 100, 114, 200 tune in before activation? How about test channels 490 through 494? I believe the HR still uses 101 for activation/guide data & that your system might not be aimed correctly. Maybe what D* is saying is they can't help you any longer without sending out a technician.

 

[svsam50]

I have been trying to do the install myself. I called D* and they said to call the third party tech, but did not answer my question about the phone line.

Picture did not turn on after calling. They asked me to turn to 202 but never 101 or the others.

 

[Jimbo]

If your setting it up yourself, you should get at least channel 100 and 200 and probably 500, 2 and 5 are preview channels, 100 is the main channel D* wants to see on before activating a unit.
Hopefully you have sat signals in the 80-100 range


Jimbo

 

[svsam50]

Bad Receiver Out of the Box

To close on my probelm: I tuned and retuned the dish several times and got the best signal possible. I still had a few zeroes on 101 deg. and 119 degrees, a few 88%, but most were 95 -100%. I gave up and called a third party commercial installer with tech questions. They forwarded me back to D* who were no help. I finally went back to Costco and bought another HR21-200 since it was cheaper than a service call. The new unit started up immediately without any further tuning of the dish. Costco took back the bad unit without any questions. Thanks Costco!

 

[iwc5893]

To close on my probelm: I tuned and retuned the dish several times and got the best signal possible. I still had a few zeroes on 101 deg. and 119 degrees, a few 88%, but most were 95 -100%. I gave up and called a third party commercial installer with tech questions. They forwarded me back to D* who were no help. I finally went back to Costco and bought another HR21-200 since it was cheaper than a service call. The new unit started up immediately without any further tuning of the dish. Costco took back the bad unit without any questions. Thanks Costco!

Somebody was looking to rip you off if they were going to charge you more for a service call than for you to replace the receiver. Service calls with the Protection Plan are free, without it they run in the vicinity of $80-90. New HD-DVR's are generally twice that much.

On a side note, your contract restarted for another 24 months once you activated the new receiver.