Satellite TV
[Jim M] Would like to echo the experiences above. I am using an "extra" receiver as mentioned above, on DSS for 5 bucks per month. It is true that you can even get PPV movies without hooking up the phone line, but I am told that after a while the receiver will "fill up" since it cannot dump to the phone line and may lock up. Also, technically, when you do this you are "pirating" movies. So, don't recommend getting PPV's while in this mode. I usually hook the phone line up over night at home after I sign up for a PPV. The movie then comes out on my next bill. My Sony SAT B2 seems to take its sweet time communicating with Direct TV. I have not had good luck in making the phone connection and then unhooking it quickly as mentioned above. ALso, once, I had been unhooked from the telephone line for several months, (I had not wanted PPV for a long time) One evening my wife wanted a movie, and none of the movies would activate. I called DIrect TV and they explaind that they had detected a problem with my phone line and had disabled the PPV. I asked them to check it and fix the problem--they did and I have had no problem since. Since then I have been unhooked from the phone line most of the time. Don't know what caused that anomaly, but it does confirm that at least sometimes they check to see if you are connected to the phone line. None of this phone line stuff is a problem if you just forget PPV exists--that plan works well for me. We just rent videos! PPV is costing more now anyway and is not such a great bargain.