Can I drop my home phone and still have my DTiVos "phone home?"

[BryanRDC]

My family is now 4 for 4 with having cell phones, as our son rises into middle school. And we're ready to become a mobile-only family, BUT - can I get my TiVos to do what they need to do?

I can imagine a cable with mini-USB on on end and an RJ11 (that's right, isn't it?) connector on the other, so I can manually force the calls through my cell phone when I want. Is there such a thing?

I know that having a standalone TiVo connect to a home wireless network is possible - is that true for the DirecTiVo as well?

Any explanation of what I have to do, buy, install, etc. would be welcome.

Thanks!

[stevel]

No, communicating through your cellphone is not an option. While there are devices that will allow use of a cellphone for "regular" home phones, the modem in the TiVo will be hopelessly lost by the audio characteristics of a cellular call.

However, all is not lost. You don't need to do anything. Once your DTiVo is active, it never needs another phone call, so just leave the phone disconnected. What you'll lose is the ability to order PPVs using the remote (use the web instead), and having your TiVo instructed to install a software update (unlikely to happen.) You will get a daily nag screen after a month, which you can dismiss. Everything else will work.

If you "hacked" the software on the TiVo, you could connect a network adapter, but my understanding is that even with that it will not use it to "call" TiVo.

[BryanRDC]

<snip>
You will get a daily nag screen after a month, which you can dismiss. Everything else will work.
<snip>

Yeah, but that's what's going to drive my wife and kids crazy.

Thanks for the answer, however. My not liking it has nothing to do with my gratitude for getting it. :)

[Dkerr24]

Yeah, but that's what's going to drive my wife and kids crazy.

Thanks for the answer, however. My not liking it has nothing to do with my gratitude for getting it. :)

I'm a cell phone only family and my DTivos don't nag me. However, I installed the zipper script which has a piece of code that fools the unit into thinking it made a Tivo call. Might be worth it, as saving $30/month by dropping my landline has been worth it.

Another huge plus of no landline is no sales calls or calls from political parties, etc.

[stevel]

Right - if you hack the TiVo, you can disable the nightly nag. My HR10 hasn't dialed in in 2-3 years. I apply the software updates manually.

[rlj5242]

You get used to the screen. It takes 5 seconds to click through it with the remote. My HR10-250 hasn't made a successful call in 1095 days. My GXCEBOT was around 1,400 days when I removed it from service last year.

-Robert

[jasoncarr]

I know that having a standalone TiVo connect to a home wireless network is possible - is that true for the DirecTiVo as well?

Any explanation of what I have to do, buy, install, etc. would be welcome.


My Philips DirecTivo is happily phoning home over the net,

Need Hardware:
* the Tivo serial cable (normal serial at one end, audio-looking plug at the other). DTivos don't come with them as they don't need to control a settop box.
* null modem adapter
* gender switcher, probably

Have it talk through a nearby linux (http://www.jtang.org/tivo/tivo-ppp.html) or windoze (http://www.tivohelp.com/archive/tivohelp.swiki.net/45.html) box.

You'll have to set the special dialing prefix ,#211 in the Tivo phone menu.

[Krosis]

There are two phone calls involved with this. One is the Tivo call and that one can be done over the Internet if properly hacked and set up. The other is the Direct TV call and that one cannot be done over the Internet.

Mine does the Tivo call over the Internet but doesn't make the Direct TV call. Since the Tivo calls complete I don't have to worry about nag screens since they are generated by the Tivo side. The Direct TV calls are required for ordering PPV with the remote, so I can't do that.

I believe the Direct TV calls may also be required to coax the thing into upgrading the software. The actual software comes from the satellite, but a call is necessary to trigger the update process. I'm not sure if its a Tivo call or a Direct TV call though. I did my last updates manually.

[jasoncarr]

There are two phone calls involved with this. One is the Tivo call and that one can be done over the Internet if properly hacked and set up. The other is the Direct TV call and that one cannot be done over the Internet.



My DirecTivo picked up the 6.4a off the bird a year ago but hadn't been able to call in to take the next step. I did the serial/ppp hack, it dialed in over the net and immediately applied 6.4a and rebooted.

I don't do PPV, so I haven't tested it. I don't know what other kinds of things would go out to DTV. Showcase info requests perhaps? I just requested an asthma packet from the showcase so we'll see what happens.

Hey, remember when Showcase had interesting stuff in it, and not just ads?

[stevel]

The calls to DirecTV are only for PPV. It's the calls to TiVo that trigger software updates.