D* needs to move past phone lines

[redondoman]

I recently started getting phone calls a 2:00 AM at night from what sounded like a fax machine. After bugging the phone company to run a trace I have made contact with the residence that keeps calling. We have determined that somehow my phone number is in their DirecTv box. I'm assuming they will be able to get this corrected, but what a BS system D* has. I am now moving to VOIP (unrelated to this incident) and I've heard that I'm going to get nagging messages. WHY CAN'T D* FIND A BETTER SYSTEM IN THIS DAY AND AGE THAN AN ANALOG TELEPHONE LINE!!! :mad:

[Dkerr24]

Hack the software so it doesn't bug you about not making a phone call. The zipper can take care of that.

That being said, I completely agree that analog phone lines have gone the way of 8 track tapes. VOIP or simply connecting it to your home network (without hacking) should be standard, especially on the new R15 model.

[Boston Fan]

Hack the software so it doesn't bug you about not making a phone call. The zipper can take care of that.

That being said, I completely agree that analog phone lines have gone the way of 8 track tapes. VOIP or simply connecting it to your home network (without hacking) should be standard, especially on the new R15 model.All software updates on the R15 currently come through the satellite, not through a phone line. Since we only order PPV online, there is never a need for the box to make a phone call.

[stevel]

And the DirecTV boxes always call an 800 number. I can't imagine how your number would get in there. Something else is at work.

[HiDefGator]

From a customer support perspective it is a lot easier to solve phone line issues then to solve home networking issues. Plug a phone into the outlet, does it work? Good then your good to go.

[ebonovic]

Do you have two phone lines?

If not... how is your DTivo calling YOUR phone line, and causing it to ring? wouldn't it get a busy signal?


Regardless... you are starting to see the move with the R15 and the HR20 (since it is going to come with an RJ-45 connection native)....

They know Analog phones are going out of style... Cell and VoIP are replacing the POTS

[Lee L]

Well, right now, there are way more DSL lines installed than all other types of broadband. For the most prat to get DSL, you must have a standard phone line, so unless that changes, analog phones are going away yet.

[lajohn27]

Actually .. it's someone elses DirecTV receiver calling him.. (if you read his post: :))

[redondoman]

Well, right now, there are way more DSL lines installed than all other types of broadband. For the most prat to get DSL, you must have a standard phone line, so unless that changes, analog phones are going away yet.

Not true. In many areas you can have DSL without an analog phone line. I have Verizon DSL and will be installing Verizon Voice Wing VOIP tonight. My phone bill should drop from around $140 for phone and DSL to about $45 ($15 DSL & $30 VOIP) + taxes now.

I will look into getting "the Zipper".

[Lee L]

Man, I wish I lived in Verizon territory then. Bellsouth loves to rake you over the coals. No chance of getting unbundled DSL here for a long time since I think SBC/ATT also will not allow it.

[ScubaCat3]

Man, I wish I lived in Verizon territory then. Bellsouth loves to rake you over the coals. No chance of getting unbundled DSL here for a long time since I think SBC/ATT also will not allow it.

It depends on what state you're in. I'm in Georgia, and that's the case here, but if you read the fine print, other states (like Alabama) don't allow that. It's mainly a regulatory matter; to see if your state legislature will stand up to the telecom companies.

[Boston Fan]

Well, right now, there are way more DSL lines installed than all other types of broadband.From what I've read, DSL has fewer overall subscribers, a gap that is projected to continue.

From a recent report by the Telecommunications Industry Association:

Total DSL and cable modem subscribers reached 17 million and 22.5 million respectively in 2005. By 2009, there will be an estimated 23.8 million DSL subscribers, up 8.8 percent on a compound annual basis from 2005. Cable modem subscribers are expected to total 35.9 million that same year, up 12.4 percent on a compound annual basis from 2005.

http://www.rfglobalnet.com/content/news/article.asp?DocID=%7B0A87B0DD-C1BA-498B-A9CD-366531CF3E6B%7D&Bucket=Current+HeadlinesThey do note that in 2005, new DSL connections outpaced cable modem connections for the first time, due in part to price factors.

Either way, more competition is better for us :)