Landline Required for VOOM??

[szman167]

Steve

Just get it installed with the phone line, then disconnect it after it's activated, if you have only one box they really shouldn't care about the phone line, I get mine installed next week and don't intend on splitting my dsl/phone line anymore than it already is.

Directv was never like this, I have not had the phone connected to it for the past 3 years, also I call in Pay per view or do it from the web. I've had a TVRO 10' dish since 1993 also, never had a problem back then, boy those were the days, I got so much free stuff, watched football games with the announcers cursing during commercials, lol. I think the day of Ala Carte should come also, so I ban avoid channels I don't want like I used to do with Turnervision back in the good old days. No gay MTV for sure.

Steve

 

[kirkdj]

For PPV

My installer told me that the phone line was for the Pay Per View.....whenever it's implemented!

Any ideas when the PPV will be activated?

 

[Sean Mota]

My installer told me that the phone line was for the Pay Per View.....whenever it's implemented!

Any ideas when the PPV will be activated?

Probably after the next software upgrade (not the patch that is supposed to fix the current software upgrade). Just a guess.

 

[Fripp]

I feel that this is a very important issue on the horizon for Voom and a number of its subscribers:

Voom feels that all of their boxes need to be connected to a phone line for security purposes. This is not a view shared by DirecTV or Dish (before switching to Voom I had DirecTV for 3 years and never once had it hooked to a phone line).

I do not think that Voom realizes the impact that this policy will have on its subscriber base.

This policy means that:

A) A number of current subscribers (myself included) that are very happy with Voom service will be forced to cancel their Voom subscription and go back to DirecTV or Dish, (who do NOT, despite what Walt implies, require a land line hook up) or pay an additional $20-$50 a month just to have the privilege of Voom checking in on your box for 30 seconds. This could effectively double the price of having Voom service to those that are affected. Many will prefer to leave Voom than pay this amount every month.
B) Some affected subscribers may not wish to completely drop Voom, but would instead drop Voom’s premium program packages to help offset the additional cost of a land line. Bye-Bye $80 VaVaVoom package, hello $50 basic subscription. That’s real money out of Voom’s pockets every month.
C) Prospective NEW subscribers will have to decline picking to Voom because of the additional costs.

To people who use wireless exclusively, it’s analogous to the Power Company saying: You can have electricity but you also have to buy $50 worth of HATS every month. I want power, I don’t want hats, and I shouldn’t have to pay for hats I don’t need.

This is not a problem that will decrease over time, but will become MORE prevalent as more and more people drop there archaic land line service in favor of a wireless number that will go with them where they go.

Your customers are not bootleggers. DirecTV and Dish do not demand this type of forced requirement to purchase additional service monthly so that they can keep tabs on their equipment, so it must not be so huge a security loophole that they are willing to lose customers over it.

What we need is options from Voom. Let the box dial in over the Internet for those that have broadband. If the technology is not there for the box yet, then WAIT until it is ready. DirecTV and Dish are doing pretty good with their stance on this, I’m sure Voom would as well.

I think we need to organize so that Voom knows how many subscribers this will affect (current and FUTURE) and how this policy will hurt them. It doesn’t seem like they have thought this all the way through. They figure: “So a few people have to buy some extra long phone cords, so what!” They are really missing a bigger picture here.

Even if you only usually lurk, if this issue affects you, or you think it will in the future, I encourage you to post below and send Voom an email to let them know what you think.

So, if in 4 to 6 weeks when Voom shuts down all receivers that are not connected to a land line (as it is speculated they will do), let me be the first to say, Voom, I’ll really miss you when I’m surfing DirecTV’s 5 HD channels.

Thanks,

Josh Anderson

 

[madpoet]

Dish has in the past disconnected receivers not connected to a phone line. Not a lot, but some.

 

[Sean Mota]

Wilt, did say that they were also looking into other alternatives besides a landline. So hang in there. Let's see what they come up with.

 

[Fripp]

I hope you are right Sean, but if in 4 to 6 weeks Voom shuts down my receiver because it is not because it not hooked up to a phone line, then I won't BE ABLE to "hang in there"!

Believe me, I'm not going anywhere... unless Voom assumes that anyone without a landline is a crook, and disables their boxes. Voom, the ball is in your court. Do not deactivate any boxes without phone connections until you can offer those "alternatives".

 

[squicken]

I hope Voom provides a solution to those without a landline. But I think Voom is right to try to implement some extra security. Half of the guys in my apartment complex in college had some sort of card programmer that unscrambled all the channels on DIRECT. I don't know if that is a problem yet for Voom, but I imagine a lot of those guys are still stealing DIRECTV. This is a bigger problem than OJ.

 

[obba]

If there was any other way for it to 'dial up and check' that would be great. usb-ethernet adapter and use my cable inet. heck, even take the little card out and calling in the number myself would be better

 

[Fripp]

I created a similar thread on AVSforums a couple of days ago:

VOOM's Land Line Policy: An Important Issue

If this issue affects you, check it out. It’s already up to 147 posts.

There are a heck of a lot of Voom subscribers (and potential subscribers) voicing their frustration over this issue.

 

[Pete In Plano]

Vonage VOIP Service

I have Vonage voice over IP service and they use a Cisco ATA unit. I was unable to get my DirectTv box to send data and after talking with Vonage, they said that their service will work with a fax machine up to 14.4k modem speeds. The DirecTv STB was connecting at 115k baud and that was too high a speed for the Vonage service to handle. I wonder what the speed is on VOOM'S Motorola DSR-550 STB?

 

[Mntneer]

Land Line Requirement Question

Over on AVS Forum, there's talk that Voom is soon going to require a fulltime land line be available for the Voom STB to phone home every so often.

Is this the case? Does it require a dedicated second line? Can it use an existing line? Does it have to be connected 24/7?

I'd like to get Voom. Been holding out for ESPN (any format) and SciFi (not as important as ESPN), but this issue may be a killer for me. I don't have a jack near the TV i would set-up Voom at, and have no intentions of pulling anymore cable anytime soon, or allowing some installer to do it for me. I'm also certainly not going to pay and extra monthly fee for another phone line just to make Voom happy.

 

[n0qcu]

Yes, NO,Yes & Yes

 

[DarrellP]

Who knows for sure? When I was installed last month, I did not have either of my 2 boxes hooked up to a land line and they installed just fine. Do you have a VOIP (Voice Over IP; Internet) solution available to you?

 

[Videofx]

The phone line is NOT a requirement right now but is supposed to be required for the next major update we receive. Wilt will probably inform us when the phone line is necessary before the next major update.

Bill

 

[The Stone Man]

Mntneer----Same problem with phone lines here. I used an RCA wireless phone jack hookup and it works fine. Consists of a transmitter unit plugged into the wall near your phone with the phone plugged into it. The receiver is then plugged into an electrical outlet near your tv, with a phone cable running between it and the receptacle on the STB. No worries, unless you are 100% cellular.

 

[Mojoseeker]

Line Feedback

I have both my units hooked to the phone but have line feedback to phone on one unit. Low hum in background on phone. When I unhook that unit, it stops. Any suggestions?

 

[vurbano]

I have both my units hooked to the phone but have line feedback to phone on one unit. Low hum in background on phone. When I unhook that unit, it stops. Any suggestions?

change the phone cords. if that doesnt work try a different phone. If that doesnt work call voom for a new box

 

[madpoet]

Or it could simply be grounding issues.

 

[vurbano]

Or it could simply be grounding issues.

Yeah so I guess weve narrowed it down to "just about anything"