A few years ago Directv would shut down a box that didn't call in at least every three months. They have relaxed that now and boxes will stay up indefinitely without the phone connection. You can order pay-per-views but when the total of what you have ordered reaches $49.95 the box will not allow you to order more until it can call in.
A few years ago they were careful about sports subscriptions like NFL Sunday Ticket. The box needed call in and prove you were not in a blackout area. They don't seem to care about that anymore either, you can disconnect the phone line and the subscription stays up.
There is a soft, 12 box per household maximum, but the do not advertise it. You can sometimes talk your way past it.
If a box is without power for more than a week it starts to lose channel group authorization updates. This gives you a 721 error on those channels. You can connect it and wait a few days for the updates to take. However they now have a way to rehit your box yourself over the internet.
Go to DirecTV.com and Log in
go to> Customer Service
go to > Troubleshooting
go to >On-Screen Messages
go to > Please Call Customer Service Ext 721
At the bottom, follow the link in this line... "Finally try resetting the affected receiver by clicking here" Click There and then pick the receiver by unit id or card number.
Boxes do not call in immediately when the phone line is connected, give it 24 to 48 hours.
If you know how to "work the system" you can get waivers that allow you to receive the NY and LA national network feeds. My wife loves the LA feeds. If she misses a soap she can catch it three hours later in LA.
|