How does a satellite account get verified?

Bill.Satellite wrote:
The information you get from that option if very limited. Better than nothing suppose but it's just the expected highs/lows and clear/rain/snow. It's just a static display in a small box.

Yep... The more detailed current conditions and forecasts for multiple locations entered in the Weather Channel and Weather Nation apps require an Internet connection. Just as the Netflix and other interactive apps do. We don't use the "Games" app, so I don't know about that one. ;)

The information you get from that option if very limited. Better than nothing suppose but it's just the expected highs/lows and clear/rain/snow. It's just a static display in a small box.

Dutch_12078 wrote:

GordonThree wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
There's no way the set top box is broadcasting to the satellites. Not that it's technologically impossible but it would add a lot of costs for little benefit to the company. Take a look at the weird LNB used by satellite Internet setups.

I've never had a red button receiver, but my guess is there's an amount of side-band info like weather, news headlines, etc being downloaded alongside the video and the button toggles a display filtered by details from your account information.

VOD and apps like the weather, etc., use an Internet connection when available to download the requested data or program. The weather app for instance lets you enter specific ZIP codes that you want the info for. There's no practical way the weather data specific to all 43,000 or so ZIP codes could be kept updated on a sideband sat signal just in case you happen to select a given ZIP or ZIP's. An easy test to prove that would be to just turn off the available Internet source and then try to access updated app data.

I'll agree to disagree. The device only stores information relevant to its programmed location. If you changed zip codes it will make you wait until the next update is broadcast.

I just added a seventh ZIP code to my Hopper's Weather Channel app, all in different parts of the country. Explain to me how it almost instantly updated with the weather for the new location? And why it buffers for a few seconds when changing locations if all the data is already in memory? And why it doesn't work if I turn off my Internet connection?

If I am following this post right, when I am traveling around the country in the MH, I will put in the zip code into the Weather Channel for where we are stopped and get the weather for that area. Without internet service. That is one thing I like about the sat TV. Sometime we are in places without our cell phone service so we can not get the weather information from it. So the sat TV will give us that information.

Aridon wrote:

One issue satellite has is account stacking. Which is when someone gives out their boxes to other people and you all split the bill. So long as the boxes aren't hooked up to the internet or phone directv has no way to really tell where anything is.

That's a neat idea!

GordonThree wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
There's no way the set top box is broadcasting to the satellites. Not that it's technologically impossible but it would add a lot of costs for little benefit to the company. Take a look at the weird LNB used by satellite Internet setups.

I've never had a red button receiver, but my guess is there's an amount of side-band info like weather, news headlines, etc being downloaded alongside the video and the button toggles a display filtered by details from your account information.

VOD and apps like the weather, etc., use an Internet connection when available to download the requested data or program. The weather app for instance lets you enter specific ZIP codes that you want the info for. There's no practical way the weather data specific to all 43,000 or so ZIP codes could be kept updated on a sideband sat signal just in case you happen to select a given ZIP or ZIP's. An easy test to prove that would be to just turn off the available Internet source and then try to access updated app data.

I'll agree to disagree. The device only stores information relevant to its programmed location. If you changed zip codes it will make you wait until the next update is broadcast.

I just added a seventh ZIP code to my Hopper's Weather Channel app, all in different parts of the country. Explain to me how it almost instantly updated with the weather for the new location? And why it buffers for a few seconds when changing locations if all the data is already in memory? And why it doesn't work if I turn off my Internet connection?

If you don't connect it to the Internet or phone line there is no way for them to track or know where the box is. I can take a box up to Canada and if the dish up there is pointed right it will work just like it would in FL with the exception of locals (outside of NY / LA) because those are on spot beams.

There is no capability for the box to communicate with the satellite.

The box can communicate via internet or phone although it is limited to VOD and ondemand.

One issue satellite has is account stacking. Which is when someone gives out their boxes to other people and you all split the bill. So long as the boxes aren't hooked up to the internet or phone directv has no way to really tell where anything is.

All I want them to do is fix the QuickTune, but I think that's a lost cause.

Thanks for the info. I too thought I was communicating with the satellite.

2oldman wrote:
Interesting. All the weather for all those zip codes is already in my TV?

Possibly, it's not that much information actually, only a few megabytes for every major city in the US.

More likely weather for the nearest major city is cached in your satellite receiver during the data update and the other cities are discarded.

Interesting. All the weather for all those zip codes is already in my TV?

Dutch_12078 wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
There's no way the set top box is broadcasting to the satellites. Not that it's technologically impossible but it would add a lot of costs for little benefit to the company. Take a look at the weird LNB used by satellite Internet setups.

I've never had a red button receiver, but my guess is there's an amount of side-band info like weather, news headlines, etc being downloaded alongside the video and the button toggles a display filtered by details from your account information.

VOD and apps like the weather, etc., use an Internet connection when available to download the requested data or program. The weather app for instance lets you enter specific ZIP codes that you want the info for. There's no practical way the weather data specific to all 43,000 or so ZIP codes could be kept updated on a sideband sat signal just in case you happen to select a given ZIP or ZIP's. An easy test to prove that would be to just turn off the available Internet source and then try to access updated app data.

I'll agree to disagree. The device only stores information relevant to its programmed location. If you changed zip codes it will make you wait until the next update is broadcast.