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October
22, 2002
By: Bob
Buckham
direct tv test
card: Access to your account
A direct
tv test card or access card is an important part of your
satellite TV system. The direct tv test card is a credit
card sized brain that accesses information for your
digital satellite system but there are some precautions to
take. We'll discuss this more below.
(If you
wish to skip direct tv test card tips and go directly to
our website that has all the lowest prices and packages on
the Internet, click here)
When you
think of a direct tv test card, some people think ordering
a movie or special event uses the phone line that’s
supposed to be hooked up to your system. It's often heard
from customers who say they always made sure to plug in
the phone line right before they order a movie – but
then they always unplug it after the movie ended. That's not the way your pay-per-view system works. Here’s what really
happens: When you order a pay-per-view
movie or special event, the information, including date
and time, is marked with your direct tv test card or
access card’s unique number and recorded on the card’s
magnetic "brain." When the provider does
"callbacks" to the millions of satellite systems
in use around the country, the data is downloaded from
your access card to the provider's computers. It’s then
applied to your account, so that you can be billed for
your movies.
Consumers
of a direct tv test card also need to be aware that there
are many companies on the Internet selling dish network
cards and there are some precautions to be aware of. The
cards are commonly referred to as DSS Test cards. These
test cards are illegal in Canada and United States and
cannot be produced or sold anywhere in North America. If
you are considering buying one there are some tips to
know: Compare prices, they are usually around $400.00 to
$500.00US and if they are not in this range – be
carefully of fraudulent companies. There is no guarantee
on test cards and they need to be reprogrammed about every
6 months. Make sure you are speaking with a live operator
and a real address, not an answering machine and PO Box.
Finally, in the event that your program providers need to
send you a new direct tv test card or access card, use the
Access Card option to initialize your new card. During
this process, you'll follow the on-screen instructions to
copy information from the old card onto the new card.
After you initialize the new card, your old card becomes
invalid.
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