# Satellite TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154 "2001-01-21T20:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/1 "2001-01-21T20:17:21Z")
Can the satellite television companies determine what programming we watch? Is that why they encourage us to keep the system hooked to the telephone system? Would they sell the results to advertisers and can we defeat them by not keeping the systems connected to the land line? ---
**Author:** ![archmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@archmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/archmichael)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/2 "2001-01-21T20:29:12Z")
Having worked for unsaid company, you can trust me that they cannot track your viewing habits. It is only there to keep track of the pay per view movies that you order, so that they can charge you. Now a service like TiVo or Replay. They can track your viewing habits ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/3 "2001-01-21T20:29:40Z")
They are not spying on you. The encourage you to keep your receiver connected to the phone line so you can order Pay-Per-View movies and pornography. Dish Network allows you to do this over a voice phone if you’re paranoid (or don’t have a phone line near your television.) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/4 "2001-01-21T20:33:50Z")
**archmichael** : Do you have any cites for your statements about TiVo? I’d be interested in reading about documented cases of companies like that monitoring someone’s viewing habits. ---
**Author:** ![jrishaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@jrishaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrishaw)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/5 "2001-01-22T00:07:32Z")
TiVo tracks what you watch IF you tell it to. You can “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” a program to tell TiVo that you like that sort of programming, so it can make educated guesses and suggest other programming you might like. The data does NOT go to TiVo. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/6 "2001-01-22T16:43:17Z")
Satellites are one way, down. ALthough Hughes is supposed to be coming out with a two way system soon. Could be cool having their system, which is cable tv & satellite internet (400K)… ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv/51154/7 "2001-01-22T22:38:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\ ***archmichael** : > Do you have any cites for your statements about TiVo? I’d be interested in reading about documented cases of companies like that monitoring someone’s viewing habits. \*\* This is an excerpt from their (Tivo’s) privacy policy: > [@](#): > > If you don’t want even your anonymous viewing information (information that does not identify you or your household) used in any way, simply tell us by calling our toll-free telephone number and it will not be. So yes, they REALLY DO know what you watch. But, this is anonymous, supposedly. Check out [www.tivo.com](http://www.tivo.com) and look for their privacy policy. I wonder that they don’t publish the results as a competitor to Neilsen?