Does Dish Network monitor my family television viewing habits?

Jeffdbs

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Sep 28, 2003
74
2
Well I got my second 510 receiver installed. I noticed the 510's seem to call Dish Network alot more than my 6000 receiver does. So I was wondering does Dish Network monitor my family television viewing habits? I have seen TIVO most watched programs reported in the USAToday paper. I always wonder why my receivers call home when I have no PPV listed in my receiver. Any ideas what is going on when our receivers call Dish Network?
 
I think TiVo discloses that fact and I'm sure DISH would be required to disclose it as well. It would probably violate their current TOS. That doesn't mean it's not happening.
 
Why do you think they require dual tuners to have a phone line plugged in? It's so they can sell the info and make up for the $5 loss on an addl outlet fees.

I have suspected this for a long time. I only plugged my phone in when making PPV purchases. (See.. another incentive to keep the phone line plugged in, PPV's purchased over the phone or online cost $1 more.. more cost recovery)
 
Isn't the phone line mostly used to ensure that the receiver is where it's supposed to be? 2 boxes that are supposed to be in the same place, but are actually 30 miles away, can be detected this way...

I don't know that DISH is monitoring your viewing habits because like a lot of people, my box isn't plugged in...never has been, never will be.

So if they are, I guess it's like the actual ratings, Guesses based on what some people are watching...which is horribly inaccurate and explains shows like "Everyone loves raymond" and most of the reality shows that are on...
 
The phone line is required on all DISH receivers. The rule is not always followed but it is E* policy.
 
It's suggested, i've never seen anything that said it was required.

If it was required, my box wouldn't work, right? Well guess what...
 
ken said:
The phone line is required on all DISH receivers. The rule is not always followed but it is E* policy.

if you have more than one receiver, then maybe yes

I have one receiver and have been cell phone only for 2 years now...how am I gonna hook the phone line up if I don't have one?
 
I have 5 IRD's and been w/ dish 3 + and None have mine have been Plugged into a Phone line and Nor have I been asked to , and even if they did I wouldn't Cause Only 1 receiver is near a Phone line , The rest are no where Near ! I also No quite a few people with dish the at Don;t have a PHone line plugged in and Have Multiple receivers!
 
Well having looked at the filesystem of the 522/625, I can tell you there does not appear to be any kind of history as to channels viewed, at what times, for how long. There is only a history of recorded events and a caller-id history but that is what you can view through the on-screen interface.

Given the history of software development on these machines, I seriously doubt there is any kind of data reporting going on. They have a big enough task just making it display TV properly to worry about doing much else.
 
Yeah, I don't know what people are so worried about if they were monitoring...Oh no you watch porno, oh no you watch gilmore girls...who cares...
 
Purogamer said:
Yeah, I don't know what people are so worried about if they were monitoring...Oh no you watch porno, oh no you watch gilmore girls...who cares...

People watch Gilmore girls? :shocked

Now if Gimore Girls was pr0n then I would definatley watch!
 
No E does not sell your viewing info nor does it record it for any purpose, about all it does is dial out for ppv, check location referenced to phone #, and wether you've hacked your box. E can have the box dial out if your having a service issue and run remote diagnostics as I have been told but I have as yet to see it actually happen.
 
Purogamer said:
Isn't the phone line mostly used to ensure that the receiver is where it's supposed to be? 2 boxes that are supposed to be in the same place, but are actually 30 miles away, can be detected this way...
Yeah - lots of people are sawing their x2x boxes in half so that they can put one tuner in someone else's house. :cool:
 
I would be very concerned if they were, that is well over the line of invasion of privacy in my book. If someone wants to know what I'm watching, then they can ask me.

However I do not believe Dish is collecting this information.

I could understand a DVR monitoring the info and suggesting programs I might like. But I don't like the reporting part.
 
If you have more than 2 receivers and a few aren't plugged in, get ready for a call from the auditing department. Give the wrong answers to their questions and they will disable your secondary receivers until you do.
 
R-U-Q-R-U said:
Not only do they monitor they suggest programming based on your viewing history.
Which was one of my favorite "King of Queens" episodes... "Tivo thinks I'm gay!"
 

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