A couple of weeks ago, I switched to VoiceWing (Verizon's VoIP service), after reading on their FAQ section. This is a direct quote from the VoiceWing site:
"Does VoiceWing work with Satellite or DVR (e.g. TiVo) service?
VoiceWing will work with your satellite TV and DVR services, such as TiVo, but you could experience occasional issues. Should you have trouble ordering Pay Per View through your remote control you can call your Satellite TV provider directly to place the order. If you use a DVR service, you will need a wireline to initially set up your DVR feature. For TiVo users, you can visit the TiVo website at [tivo's site] for instructions on connecting your TiVo to your VoIP service. "
Well, needless to say, after two weeks of VoIP service, four hours of terrible muzak on hold with Verizon and DirecTV, I have a unit that can't update over my phone line and each company is blaming the other. Verizon tells me to call DirecTV, and vice-versa.
Then last night, something interesting came up from the DirecTV side. A tech support rep told me that at the end of this month (OCT. 2005) there will be a new DTV/DVR unit released that won't need to "dial-in" over a phone line for the software updates. He said the new model "D11" will update over the satellite connection. I told him that I felt that DTV should replace customers' units with the new model for free, because VoIP is NOT a new technology and they should've had this situation fixed by now--- so he then connected me to DTV sales.
Now... the first sales rep I spoke to said, yes, in fact- they are going to be selling this new, "D11" model at the end of the month, but they aren't taking orders for it yet, that it's not even in their system for pre-orders. But they do know about it.
Then she connected me to her supervisor, who confirmed that at the end of the month the D11 model will be released and its not reliant on dialing in over a phone line to get the updates. Thank goodness!! So, maybe just two weeks of annoying messages from my unit, then I can place an order for an upgrade (which by the way, DTV said it would qualify as an upgrade-- you wouldn't have to purchase a new unit on it's own) and then this whole headache will be gone!
SO -- there's the answer to everyone's problem with DTV/DVR units not being able to connect to VoIP lines! Finally. And you can thank me for sitting on hold for over four hours and finding that out for you all!
Retailers don't even know about the new model coming out yet. I called American Satellite today to ask about it, and the never even heard of a D11 model.
Hope this helps every person Googling "VoIP and DVR"!
