# Phone Line for VOD



## ChrisWyso (Nov 16, 2005)

Hello All. I had my dish moved on Tuesday because we're putting an addition on the house. During the course of future features/services discussion with the tech, he told me that when they do launch VOD, "You're gonna need a phone line hooked up." Both my units have them, but I had mentioned a few things about the forums here, and he suggested I post this info. Just relaying the info, at some point I'm sure Earl will clear this up for us.

-Chris


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

We don't have the details on "how" VOD will work....

But I am ceratin that "VOD" with a cost (such as the NBC/FOX replays), would need some sort of way to communicate that. (Just like PPV)

So unless there is a form of communication (POTS or Broadband)..... 

But... time will tell.

HIGHLY recommended to ANYONE building or remodeling, run at least two CAT-5e or CAT-6 lines to each spot....


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

I think I could see that being the case. VOD is like pay-per-view so they'd need a way to charge you. Maybe they will let you do it online like pay-per-view?


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## jonaswan2 (Oct 29, 2005)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> I think I could see that being the case. VOD is like pay-per-view so they'd need a way to charge you. Maybe they will let you do it online like pay-per-view?


I doubt it, that's why I'm glad I have a regular phone line i my house.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

jonaswan2 said:


> I doubt it, that's why I'm glad I have a regular phone line i my house.


If they where smart and wanted more $ they would, but only time will tell.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

DirecTV is also very much aware that the days of POTS being in every house is dwindling..

It has "always" been a problem to have a jack right next to ever spot where there is a need for a DirecTV reciever...

But the days of POTS being the "guarantee" is long gone.


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

I know I don't have one. I have been a VoIP and cell user only for almost 4 years now. I will probably never have a POTS line again.



Earl Bonovich said:


> DirecTV is also very much aware that the days of POTS being in every house is dwindling..
> 
> It has "always" been a problem to have a jack right next to ever spot where there is a need for a DirecTV reciever...
> 
> But the days of POTS being the "guarantee" is long gone.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> DirecTV is also very much aware that the days of POTS being in every house is dwindling..
> 
> It has "always" been a problem to have a jack right next to ever spot where there is a need for a DirecTV reciever...
> 
> But the days of POTS being the "guarantee" is long gone.


POTS? I know your talking about phone lines but what does that stand for?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

POTS:
Plain Old Telphone Service

I am sure it "officiall" means something else, but that is how I remember it.

Referring to land-line tranditional phone service, via two wires


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## jcfolk (Jun 16, 2006)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> POTS? I know your talking about phone lines but what does that stand for?


POTS = "plain old telephone service"

That's as opposed to mobile phones or VOIP...voice over internet protocol, like Vonage.

I agree with Clint. The days of POTS are numbered. I've have Vonage for six months now and won't be going back.

Just wish my R15 worked as well. :nono2:


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> POTS:
> Plain Old Telphone Service
> 
> I am sure it "officiall" means something else, but that is how I remember it.
> ...


Thanks I knew you were talking about normal phone lines but I'd never saw that before.


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

I have a normal phone still for two reasons. I have DSL and I also have a monitored alarm system on the house. Both require a normal phone in my area. 

Landline phones are not going anywhere and will be around forever.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Bobman said:


> Landline phones are not going anywhere and will be around forever.


But they are no longer a "guarantee"

I know a MINIMUM of a dozen homes just in the two blocks around mine... that don't have POTS, they have VoIP

My Sister-in-law hasn't had any form of landline phone for nearly 6 years now. (just Cell)

If it wasn't for the DirecTV System, I wouldn't have POTS either......


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## jcfolk (Jun 16, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> If it wasn't for the DirecTV System, I wouldn't have POTS either......


I had Vonage before I had D* and they work fine together, including the caller ID.

But, I do have cable internet to the house (my company pays for it), and Vonage obviously works through that. I understand that many people (most?) with D* won't have active cable.


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## sheridan1952 (Mar 16, 2006)

I am one of those that will never give up my landline.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

VoIP doesn't play nicely with the TiVo Service (including the TiVo service on DTivos), it was more of a headache then the $15 savings I would have a month.

See I just want to get rid of one of my phone bills:
$80 for the Dual Line Cell-Phone (me and my wife)
$45 for the Land Line, which we maybe call out two or three times a day on..


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Earl,

Look into metered service options on your land line. You should be able to cut your bill in half or more. Also, drop long distance from it - no long distance pick and you shouldn't have to pay access charges, etc.

Call your phone company and ask them what is the absolute least cost service you can get. Specifically ask if they have a metered service option.

Carl


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

I have a monitored alarm system also and still haven't had a POTS in all these years. I also have had Tivo working on the VoIP, have done Fax, and various other things. It all depends on how much you want to search the net to get things to work correctly. 

Now DSL well you have me there but we have so many phone line related issues in my part of FL that I will never have them again.



Bobman said:


> I have a normal phone still for two reasons. I have DSL and I also have a monitored alarm system on the house. Both require a normal phone in my area.
> 
> Landline phones are not going anywhere and will be around forever.


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

I got mine to play nicely and even when I couldn't I still just used PPP. 



Earl Bonovich said:


> VoIP doesn't play nicely with the TiVo Service (including the TiVo service on DTivos), it was more of a headache then the $15 savings I would have a month.
> 
> See I just want to get rid of one of my phone bills:
> $80 for the Dual Line Cell-Phone (me and my wife)
> $45 for the Land Line, which we maybe call out two or three times a day on..


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## jcfolk (Jun 16, 2006)

carl6 said:


> Earl,
> 
> Look into metered service options on your land line. You should be able to cut your bill in half or more. Also, drop long distance from it - no long distance pick and you shouldn't have to pay access charges, etc.
> 
> ...


Good advice. But still, the absolute cheapest I could get POTS here in Columbia, SC was almost $30/month, and that's with no long-distance, caller ID, etc... Vonage is about $27/month with unlimited long-distance and all the bells and whistles, including a voicemail system, caller id, email notification of messages, etc... It's nice now not to have to use my cell phone for long distance.

Earl, are you sure that VOIP won't work with TIVO? I've heard that and have heard that it won't work with some alarm systems, but sooner or later those systems are going to need to adapt, and changes take place all the time. As I said, Vonage was "plug and play" with D*, just like POTS.


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## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

You guys are lucky, here in the "sticks" we have a private phone Co. It also is the cable provider. In order to have DSL, I have to have their phone line. Cell coverage in the mtns is spotty. So, I have POTS, DSL and cell. And pay premium for them all.

My "railing against the monoply" was replacing "lousy" cable with DTV. Getting 3 times the channels for the same price.


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## STEVED21 (Feb 6, 2006)

[/QUOTE]
Earl, are you sure that VOIP won't work with TIVO? I've heard that and have heard that it won't work with some alarm systems, but sooner or later those systems are going to need to adapt, and changes take place all the time. As I said, Vonage was "plug and play" with D*, just like POTS.[/QUOTE]

I've had 2 TIVO's hooked up to vonage for 9 months now. Makes the calls no problem


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

It has been hit or miss...

Could work one day, not the next...
Could work with your neighbor, but not you...

Just do a serach for VoIP over at www.tivocommunity.com 
and you can see how inconsitant the success rate is.


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## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

carl6 said:


> Earl,
> 
> Look into metered service options on your land line. You should be able to cut your bill in half or more. Also, drop long distance from it - no long distance pick and you shouldn't have to pay access charges, etc.
> 
> ...


I thought about dropping long distance but in the chicago land area things are so messed up. My parents live in a town only two towns down and it's long distance to call them. Heck to call my cell phone is long distant. We never know if the number we are calling is long distance or not. Since most of the calls from our house are to my parents, her parents, or my cell we can't get rid off it. We would go just to cell phones but the cells don't get a signal in our house.


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Earl Bonovich said:


> It has been hit or miss...
> 
> Could work one day, not the next...
> Could work with your neighbor, but not you...
> ...


I would rather do my searchs at places that specialize in VoIP. 

That is where you learn how to make it work all the time lol


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## BigApe (May 12, 2006)

Clint Lamor said:


> I would rather do my searchs at places that specialize in VoIP.
> 
> That is where you learn how to make it work all the time lol


tivocommunity.com does have some great info. Many of the VOIP sites do not know what problems us sat. TV folks have to deal with.

IMHO

Joe


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## ChrisWyso (Nov 16, 2005)

Frankly I feel they should turn on the broadband functions via the USB port when they turn on VOD. There are too many examples here of people having broadband more than POTS. Plus, in that February Investor Reations PDF of the presentation, it mentioned in addition to VOD, another section (page) on Broadband VOD. DTV, stay current, look at your customer base, and transition to broadband versus POTS.


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

BigApe said:


> [/color]
> 
> tivocommunity.com does have some great info. Many of the VOIP sites do not know what problems us sat. TV folks have to deal with.
> 
> ...


Many of the VOIP sites I used to visit where filled with people using TiVO, Alarms, DirecTV, and other things. So they know the issues and gave many useful hints and guids on how to fix them.


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