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I'd pay an extra $200 for a RTV with an Ethernet port.

164 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by ijprest, Oct 11, 2000

mgleason

Discussion Starter · Oct 8, 2000

Why? I want to get rid of my local telephone service! I don't need both a cell phone and traditional home phone service (wired telephony, how quaint

). I already have long-distance disabled, but a "simple" local service only installation plus CallerID (and numerous federal surcharges) is about $50 a month! Even at the outrageous additional $200 fee I propose, you can see it would quickly pay for itself.

So, the only reason I need that crud is so my ReplayTV can dial out for updates. So it'd sure be nice if somehow a ReplayTV with built-in 10 MBit ethernet could use DHCP to connect out via my home network to do it's dirty work. Of course to be realistic, very few of Replay's customers would be able to make use of it, so I doubt it will see the light of day soon, but even if it was a separate add-on accessory that could be plugged into the unit that would sure make me happy.

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starkyov

· #2 · Oct 9, 2000

I would bet that it's coming sooner than we think. Why?

Just think, you log onto myreplaytv.com order the lastest movies, and boom, they instantly start d/l to your replay box!

Finally on demand movies (ok 2-3hrs for d/l at 512). But why not, the ethernet port, with cable or DSL service is the missing link!

Let's all keep asking for it!

I have an ethernet 100 port waiting right next to the TV for this option!

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Chris Myers

· #3 · Oct 9, 2000

Quote:

"simple" local service only installation plus CallerID (and numerous federal surcharges) is about $50 a month!

$50/mo for local telephone service? Are you sure you don't live in Europe http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif ? Ameritech is about $27 for the same, including Caller ID and the LD access charges.

$200 for a $10 Ethernet port? Can we start another thread on overpriced hard drives <g,d,& r>?

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Amazingly Smooth

· #4 · Oct 9, 2000

I believe there is a box that was reviewed by Fresh Gear that allows you to use Dialpad from your regular telephones. You may want to check it out. Here's the link:
http://www.techtv.com/freshgear/revi...002888,00.html

They didn't like it, but I suspect other versions will be coming around soon. This may also allow some international users to dial in. They didn't mention if a modem would work over the connection, but I'd look into it if you really want to get rid of your home phone service.

Cheers

------------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ReplayTV -- The only one that had firewire...

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FreezeFrame

· #5 · Oct 9, 2000

Quote:

Originally posted by Amazingly Smooth:
I believe there is a box that was reviewed by Fresh Gear that allows you to use Dialpad from your regular telephones. You may want to check it out.

...

Cheers

I am almost certain that this device won't properly carry modem signals. There are timing issues that are guaranteed with dialup lines that cannot be guaranteed across IP without enhanced networking gear. Modems are much more dependent on these things than humans(voice). Humans are much more adept at determining the meaning of a message vs. the transmitted signal(well almost always!).

Having said that, I think there is a solution along these lines, although I have never seen one. What I am thinking is that one could build a box that speaks the phone I/O on one side and talks out a serial port on the other. The translator box would store the dialed numbers, then produce the appropriate tones to make the ReplayTV modem think it got carrier and then connected ... After which it would decode the data(tones)and translate it back to digital data. The serial port would be connected to a computer which in turn would be connected to the Internet. A program would take the incoming "phone numbers" and lookup a matching Internet Host server/service. Once connected it would then send the data stream from the ReplayTV modem to the IP service and route back any responses. Perhaps the box could add a layer of encryption to keep out prying eyes.

I just did some web searching,

The following link describes a device that act's as a phone line simulator(cost $400) Hook it up to the ReplayTV unit and then to another modem. Hook the other modem up to the PC write some interfacing/translating software ...

http://www.web-tronics.com/parphonlinsi.html

Here is another, but a bit more expensive($545):
http://www.teltone.com/telecom_solut..._features.html

Ah pay dirt!, a lower cost one($98.50) and a better packaged one for $229

http://www.jechtech.com/linkit.htm

Gotta love the web eh!

[This message has been edited by FreezeFrame (edited 10-10-2000).]

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mgleason

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 10, 2000

Hey, cool! I've maxed out my credit card (the 3060 was the straw that broke the camel's back

), but in a few weeks I'll order one of those phone line simulators. I can then hack a copy of pppd for Linux so it accepts any user/password the ReplayTV decides to send and let it do it's thing.

I'm assuming from what Lostboy wrote awhile back that ReplayTV is just using PPP to connect to a local ISP and uses IP to access its servers.

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ijprest

· #7 · Oct 11, 2000

Yeah, a line simulator is the way to go if you want to eliminate your land-line. Be careful with the JechTech models, though---they only support data speeds of 33.6k. You might want to consider a Skutch line simulator ( http://www.skutch.com ), which supports 56k. (Disclaimer: I haven't actually tried this yet, but I'm planning to, so I've done a bit of research on it lately.)

Not only does it free up your phone line, but it will allow you to proxy the channel guide data, with some programming work (Lostboy indicated that he did this a year ago.). I'd like to substitute my own channel guide data, for use when I'm out of the country.

[This message has been edited by ijprest (edited 10-11-2000).]

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