I’m pretty sure the DirecTivo gets its listing data from the satellite, same as the regular DirecTV receivers. It’s only the standalone Tivo boxes that require a phone line. (For Series 2 Tivos, you can also hook it up to your broadband connection via Ethernet, with a USB-Ethernet adaptor.)
and with Series 1 Tivos, with a few hacks, you can get your info from the internet, too. Patiently awaiting for my Tivo-hacking book to arrive, since I decided it really was too expensive to transform my peecee into a MythTV box.
Just piping in to add information: Some premium services, like NFL Sunday Ticket, also won’t work if your phone line is out. Nothing says “rip out the bloody wireless phone jack that never works and just run a bloody wire under the baseboards” like finding out at kickoff time that you can’t see the big game unless the receiver can call home.
I’m assuming that DirecTV is making sure that your receiver is still located in your house while you’re watching it or something.
-lv
Lord Vor I was watching NFL Sunday Ticket today on my DirecTV (we have two in the house, and both were tuned to different games) and neither box has EVER been hooked up to a phone line. The boxes are new (1 Aug install date) and we signed up with NFL ST, but we have never hooked the boxes up to a phone line.
Don’t know if they’ve changed the system this year or not, but that’s been my experience.
And pasta thanks - unplugging the units brought the local programming back!