Harmonic Encoder Improvements? (Feedback Need it)

[onay]

Experiencing the same problems with all of the channels, HD or SD. Ever since they moved to the Harmonic Encoders, the picture has been bad. Before I had to look for pixelation now it's just so obvious. Quality over quantity, please.

Also, the reason we subscribed was because of HD. Where is ESPN2 HD and Fox Regional Sports HD?

 

[riffjim4069]

Again, I don't want HDLite either...however, I am willing to see what new HD channels will be on-the-air in the coming week or two. I am also willing to wait for a press release or e-mail shortly before or after the March 31st deadline. If no deal is reached by 31 March, then it's lights out come 1 April and none of this will matter. However, if a deal is reached then I'm sure (at least I hope) we will hear all about plans for additional HD/SD channels, bigger dish, Rainbow-2, MPEG-4, etc.

Wishful thinking: All channels on Rainbow-2 are MPEG-4, STB modules are mailed out to all customers, the DVR is released with MPEG-4 and Whole Home Networking support (skip right to version 2.0), and bigger dishes are installed...all at the same time!

We shall see...

 

[Dog6869]

I am having a lot of pixelation and I am getting moe times when I have a a few white spots on my screen but when I turn my box off then back on it fixes itself...... Plus I still have to keep switching btw channels to have the one I want to come on.... I have to agree at times the 1080 or the other HD does not as good as it had in the past....... this is with both of my boxes and I use DVI....
The SD channels are ok BUT I want more HD!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ram1220]

Again, I don't want HDLite either...however, I am willing to see what new HD channels will be on-the-air in the coming week or two. I am also willing to wait for a press release or e-mail shortly before or after the March 31st deadline. If no deal is reached by 31 March, then it's lights out come 1 April and none of this will matter. However, if a deal is reached then I'm sure (at least I hope) we will hear all about plans for additional HD/SD channels, bigger dish, Rainbow-2, MPEG-4, etc.

Wishful thinking: All channels on Rainbow-2 are MPEG-4, STB modules are mailed out to all customers, the DVR is released with MPEG-4 and Whole Home Networking support (skip right to version 2.0), and bigger dishes are installed...all at the same time!

We shall see...

I think most of my frustration with Voom and the poor PQ is a lack of communication from them. If Voom would come out and tell us something then yes I could live with poor PQ for a while longer. I have seen what great HD is and I know Voom is capable of airing it. But to just say "We're working on it" through a third party is just plain BS. I sure hope Voom survives but in order to do so and keep growing a subscriber base they MUST communicate with the people paying the bills. So far all I know is for the last 3 weeks the PQ has been poor with the new encoders and Voom has done very little to fix it. And they sure have remained silent through it all. After a while I wonder if it will ever be fixed.

 

[Jamey K]

Wow, I'm not getting any of this at all. I've had it on all day and everything looks great. My wife discovered the Auction channel last night and I've flipped around when she takes a break and everything looks good. VH-1 Classic looks as good as the original videos do. A lot of them look like hell, but they did a 1/2 on Prince last night, mostly VT rather than film and it looked very good.

 

[Walter L.]

I'm watching "Great Canadian Rivers" in DiscoveryHD and PQ looks razor-sharp, one of the best I've seen in a long time. Also, spent some time flipping through SD channels and noticed some improvement from what I've seen in the last few weeks.
Good job VOOM, keep tweaking the encoders!!!

 

[DarrellP]

Waler, maybe it was the rain we got today, filtering out the noise. ;-)

 

[KostaVan]

Does anyone get mosquito noise/pixelation on some HD channels from Voom?

SD channels are horrible no matter what IMO --- looks like i'm using a Nintendo for my tuner.

 

[JimP]

Somethings not right boys (and girls).

Why are some people seeing better picture quality and others are seeing worst??

 

[DarrellP]

Does anyone get mosquito noise/pixelation on some HD channels from Voom?

SD channels are horrible no matter what IMO --- looks like i'm using a Nintendo for my tuner.

EquatorHD is the biggest culprit, but I've also seen them on Rave, Rush, Gallery, Aucton and Ultra. The Cinema 10, Starz, Monster, Ultra and Discovery do not seem to be infected with skeeters.

Forget the SD channels, they are terrible on my 13" monitor.

 

[softwiz]

Somethings not right boys (and girls).

Why are some people seeing better picture quality and others are seeing worst??

Look everyone, we are specifically talking about PQ during motion or where a lot of the background is moving/changing. I think we all can agree PQ on HD channels is spectacular during still or very low movement scenes. MOTION or heavy ACTION is where we are seeing the blotching, skeeters, and in rare circumstances pixelation. SD channels also suffer more when there is movement now.

It was better yesterday than it was the prior day. But it appears to all boil down to bandwidth (lack of) and compression (heavier). I would call it acceptable if it doesn't get any worse than Saturday. However, when I first got Voom before the new encoders and channels I can tell you I didn't see the PQ issues during motion. Voom channels used to be as good as OTA channels when it comes to PQ during motion. Not anymore.

 

[softwiz]

If you want to see an example of what I'm talking about, go to UHD and watch the Olympic Basketball game on right now.

The PQ is terrible during even light motion. You can see all kind of blocking. If there is no motion, it looks great.

 

[klen]

My picture did get worse after the change, but it seems to have gotten a lot better in the last 2 days.

no complaints here.

 

[ram1220]

Yes. Late last night it did look a little better. Still shots look good. But any type of motion at all and the problem crops up. Equator HD was a joke last night.

 

[DarrellP]

Those of you with Dish and Voom, hurry now to your TV and watch Wierd Wheels on DiscoveryHD, Oh My GOD! Voom is awful. Switch to Dish, it's like a breath of fresh air, ahhhhhh!

 

[Walter L.]

Those of you with Dish and Voom, hurry now to your TV and watch Wierd Wheels on DiscoveryHD ...

Except those that need to work for a living

 

[DarrellP]

Except those that need to work for a living

Or those of us who have the luxury of working from home. I have my daughter for spring break this week so I'm goofing off today after dragging her around from sunup to sundown with me yesterday.

 

[neo0285]

To me the PQ is so bad, that we dont need tweaking we need an overhaul.Please VOOM, and i think everybody will agree, im willing to wait till R2 for more programming, but i cant wait till R2 to have the PQ back...

 

[socalpanman]

In LA,CA:
BBCA, History International, CNNi are still grainy. The new kids channels have improved. Fine Living looks ok.
However there's a lot of jittery channels currently.
But DHD 601 as well as any of the other HD channels have remained crisp on my 43" Pioneer Plasma and 17" LCD.

I'll take a few bumps in the road if the road keeps taking me to better and better places.

 

[Devil24]

Ranging from semi-decent to decent... but nothing comparable to what I saw a couple of months a go when I decided to join Voom... and PQ was the reason why I did it, so this is a bummer.