In older receivers, the phone line was "required" but they had no way to enforce it. In my new DVRs, if they're not hooked up you pay the $5. The phone line is strictly for PPV. However, I believe I read in the DISH book (a while ago, so this may be out of date) that the receiver only needed to be able to check in every 5 days or so.
Really though, call them. They WILL answer questions, usually accurately. Assuming you can understand them....
Yes, we found out that we are paying $5 extra a month (at home) because our phone line doesn't have a filter at that access plug (we have DSL). My personal opinion (paranoia?) is that they use the phone line to monitor your viewing and sell the information to marketers.
Husband: Derek
Dog: Bucky
RV: 2000 Aerolite 19RB TT
TV: 1996 Chevrolet Blazer 6 cyl. 4WD
This car used to be our toad, now is our TV!
Yes, I paid the $5 a month, for 18 months....w/o knowing it. But after I switched to Direct, then they wanted to give me everything including 3 months service free.
Dish wants you to have a phone line connected to each receiver, because that is the only way they know that the receivers are in your house, and not your neighbor's,....or your friends house. They know that 1/2 the RV receivers are in neighbors houses, and nothing they can do about it.
Rich
'98 Flair, 454, Onan Microlite 4k, Intel PD 9155 w/ wizard, Sta-power 1500 watt Inv, 2 6v batts, ammeters, KingDome/sat, Oly Catalytic Heat, hauling 2 Bent Bikes and sometimes towing a Tracker F&S boat.
Pay your neighbor ?? Huh ? I think my neighbor or friend would gladly pay me 1/2 my subscription price to use my extra (RV) receiver when I'm not using it,.....or at least pay my $5 per month.
In reality, it seems many RV or bedroom receivers have never seen an RV or bedroom, but are the main receiver in a friend or neighbors house, that is splitting the subscription price, or just plain getting it free, or for $5 depending how good the friend is, I guess. For myself, I am paying $5 a month for an RV receiver that is idle 9 months out of the year. But it is connected to another sat dish on the MH port, for guests that stay in it once in a while,....or when wife kicks me out quite often !
SageCrispin wrote:
Quote: They know that 1/2 the RV receivers are in neighbors houses
Why would I do that? Pay for my neighbor to use my subscription?
mockturtle wrote: Yes, we found out that we are paying $5 extra a month (at home) because our phone line doesn't have a filter at that access plug (we have DSL). My personal opinion (paranoia?) is that they use the phone line to monitor your viewing and sell the information to marketers.
Frankly.. I don't think that's paranoia.. I believe that is what they are doing.. And since they are not telling you I question if it's legal
However... I switched to DirecTV. . They don't do that
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business John is Near Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
I have 3 dish recievers at home and none of them are connected to a phone line and haven't been since they were installed several years ago. My daughter has had her receiver unplugged for a year while she was away at school, I plugged it in the other day and had to call dish to have then resend the codes (or what ever they do)to get the unit to receive the station info. They never once asked if I was connected to phone line. (Maybe I will check my bill to verify I paying the $5 fee.) I don't have a land line phone at the house anymore, we use a cell phone for the home phone, it saves me about $35 a month from what Sprint/Embarq was charging us for a phone that maybe rang twice a month.
I will be moving my daughters receiver out to the fifth wheel this week, and they won't know the difference.
Steve & Linda
Son married (1 DIL, 3 granddaughters 1 grandson)
Daughter in College
Miami CO. Kansas
2004 F350 CC dually 8ft bed 6.0 PSD
2009 Bighorn 3670RL
B&W under bed hitch with 18k companion hitch
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