allen1466

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Hello Everyone,

I would very much like to get the DVR/Tivo but from what I hear, I need a land line. I turned off my land line for my cell.

Do I really need a land line for the DVR?? I have DirecTV and it still works without the land line. Or do I need it for the start up for the DVR and then turn off the land line??

Thanks, Al

tubaman

Tivo bad, costs to much, but Dishnetwork gives you a free dvr. I've got two myself, and I don't believe the DVR needs the land line, because it worked fine when they phone company shut off my phone for a while. I do know that there is a $5 a month surcharge if you don't have a phone line hooked up, regardless of the type of reciever.

freakshow

I figured I could give you the info on DirecTV's stuff since I worked for them for over 3 years. With DirecTV if you have a TIVO unit then yes it has to be connected to a land line. It will work for a little while without, but then will flash a message that it hasn't been able to make it's daily call after 14 days or so (has to be long enough to download any PPV you ordered)....the alternative is to get what I have for DirecTV (if that is what you have or going for).

The Ultimate TV receiver was made with Microsoft software, has P-I-P (tivo doesn't), wireless keyboard (for typing in searches for actors name, show name, whatever), if you connect the phone line it will also access the internet (56k connection of course) with 3 hours included in the monthly price.

Both have upgradeable hard-drives (105 hours max on ultimate tv, and not sure on tivo). Both have dual tuners (to record one show while watching something else, or record two shows while watching something you recorded previously). TIVO was $4.99 a month and Ultimate TV is $9.95 a month. The DVR charge is once per account for all the units you have...but if you get TIVO and Ultimate TV it is $14.94 a month for DVR service (so obviously it is best to have only TIVO or only Ultimate TV although I have seen accounts with both types)Dish charges PER DVR past the first one.

Dish network usually only provides a single tuner dvr or a two room dvr. With the single tuner dvr you have to watch what you are recording (my in-laws have one)...with the two-room dvr you can record something in room 2 while watching a different show in room 1, but if someone want's to watch a different show than what you are watching or recording...then I hope you have a 3 room system.

Unfortunately, I have not forgotten much since I quit, so if you have anymore questions....PM me.

daremonai

sorry but the UltimateTV sucks. That is why RCA and SONY stopped making them. The other solution to you TiVo and phone line woes is to crack the kernal on a used/old DVR that you get at a yard sale for $25 bucks, tell the DTV tech that your old box fried and you need the access card remarried (or repaired) to the new(used) DVR. Then with the kernal crack in place you can use the USB ports on the back of the dvr (and a USB to LAN converter, or even USB to Wireless LAN converty) to perform the TiVo service daily calls through your existing internet service (dsl or cable) and forget about the land phone line. The only thing this doesn't fix is the monthly call for IPPV. If you don't watch ppv don't worry about it if you do then when the DVR says call ext 73x on your ppv channel plug the phone line in over night and it will clear and you'll get the charges on the next bill.

freakshow

How does UTV suck? Take any feature from a TIVO (the High Definition isn't a TIVO feature, it's a reciever feature) and its on the UTV, the menus and guide are faster on UTV and the searches are easier to do (even faster with a keyboard)...add to that features that TIVO has never had (PIP, Wireless Keyboard, etc.) plus the fact you don't have to do anything to it if you don't want to connect a phone line. Both units can be upgraded with new hard drives for increased storage. The only thing TIVO has on UTV is a lower monthly price (although it used to be the other way around when TIVO was $12.99 a month)
FYI...the reason they are no longer made is because of the higher cost of purchase vs. the TIVO. But my 4 year old Ultimate TV is still faster (through the guide, menus and searches) than my friends brand spanking new TIVO (he has had it now for 6 months and he got it about a week after it was released to the public).