John, I've been with DirectTV for a couple of years here in the USA.
In this case, the receiver must be connected to a phone line. This is
how they activate your account, what premium channels you have access to,
and bill you for Pay per View events. This data is all stored on your
card. The card contains NVRAM and possibly a micro-processor but I'm not
sure. There are news groups that go into this but I'm just a regular
`pay my bill each month' type of customer so I have not got into the
`hacks'... In any case, be it Dish or DirectTV, the card has to be there,
and the phone line has to be connected, or you will eventually loose
your service if you don't pay your bill...

   - Tom

At 10:16 AM 3/5/00 -0800, John Pearson wrote:
>I don't understand how satalite dish systems work:
>
>I have a reciever into which I insert a card. What is on the card?
>
>How does the dish service discontinue my subscription if I don't pay my
>bill?
>
>Thanks
>
>John


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Handley
New Age Communications
Since '75 before "New Age" and no one around here is waiting for UFOs ;-)