It seems like I remember that a couple of years ago we had disconnected our phone line to our reciever due to some remodeling and we didn't re-connect for several months. We don't buy very many PPV movies. One day I came home from work and turned on the TV and there was a message up that said I need to connect my phone line and that it should stay connected. I pressed the "select" button on the remote that corresponded with the Okay button on the screen and the large screen went away and the picture came on. I reconnected the phone line within a week. I just assumed that Dish routinely patrolled receivers or had software that caused the reciever to call in to corporate in order to verify its existence. I don't see why they can't just send instructions, much like the upgrades, for the receiver to call in and report itslef. If it doesn't do so within a certain time, then it is automatically turned off. I guess that would make a lot of people mad, but if they gave enough warning so that they could have time to connect phone lines, it should accomplish their goal of reducing sharing. Particularly if I knew there would be random receiver checks.
Stacy