Pay For View

Hello Nancy, We appreciate your loyalty to us and would love to clarify what could happen with this Pay Per View. To better assist you, I will reach out to you via a PM. Sergio, DIRECTV Community Specialist

PPV can be ordered by the remote, over the phone, or also through your account online.

If you speak with DirecTV, they can verify by what method the PPV was ordered.

To protect against ordering from the remote, even accidental (yourself, dog, guest, etc.): Menu > Setings & Help > Settings > Parental Controls > Spending Limits. As it is per PPV, not a total limit or resetting with your bill cycle, set it to $0. This needs to be done on any box you have.

You mention having DirecTV for 25 yeras. Do you still have boxes that old? I ask as they are shutting down their older SD-only feeds. If you still have legacy boxes, you will need to call DirecTV for a complimentary MPEG swap. To be sure, what are the models of each box you have? Just so you don't have problems later.

I haven't been able to purchase PPV for years. I have been able to in the past with the same box I now use (TIVO THR 22).

 I order it with my remote and it shows in my "to do" list, but it doesn't record. There is nothing regarding these orders in the recording history list.

Oh, reading your reply may have my answer as I am SD only.

 What is the MPEG swap? Can I get it with my old 18" dish?

@bearbig 

The OP had a PPV ordered they disputed so were wondering how it happened. That's a bit different from your situation.

Is your THR22 connected to home internet? Ordering by remote has to send to billing (in the old days that is why they were required to be connected to a phone line).

The MPEG swap would need to replace your dish. The question is if your account reflects HD or do you have any other non-HD boxes. As a THR22 should have required an HD dish to be installed as requires HD service, even though it can filter to SD-only channels. Unless they did a special MPEG swap a long time ago and were out of R22s.

AFAIK the THR22 can no longer connect to DVR services for some reason as it fails while configuring, so I assume that it is no longer connected to anything on the internet even if there is a physical connection to the internet.  On Demand is also gone.

The THR22 is a modified HR22 to run the TiVo software so it is a MPEG4 HD receiver.

My THR 22 is connected via ether net cable. It must be connected to my modem as I can schedule recordings from my computer.

 As for the HD dish, a service tech claimed that there are too many trees to see the satellite, and the dish needs to be installed on my roof (a non starter).

No, as scheduling recording from the computer is done via the satellites.  While the 101 sat that the round dish gets will continue to send MPEG4 channels it is unknown what they will be.

?????????

How would my computer interface with my satellite ?

The DTV website you use sends the info to the sat.  There was very limited internet when DTV started in 1994 so everything was done via the sats or a phone line.

Still a bit confused, forgive me. The only way my computer can interface with the sat is through my DVR, correct?  If so, why then can't the DVR order directly to the sat?

Satellite TV is a one-way transmission. Your receiving dish is just that, receiving-only. It has no way to transmit.

PPVs ordered by remote get sent to billing by being connected to your internet (not your computer), or the old way by being connected to a phone line (don't know if that can still do the auto call-in).

Otherwise, PPVs might store on the access card until either connected or upon return of equipment (referred to as unbilled PPVs showing on your final bill). It can't keep an indefinite amount.

Your computer has nothing to do with DTV and works without an internet connection.  AFAIK you log into your DTV account to schedule recordings and you can pay for PPV there also or use the automated phone system or for a fee you can use customer service.