Its July 1, 2004 and no software.

[DarrellP]

A question not yet answered, is there a MANUAL OTA option to input a channel manually without doing a scan? I have some stations that take forever to lockon even though they have a very high signal strength and often when I tune them in, the Voom stb tells me there is no signal acquired, to try again later, but if I let it sit for a few seconds, it comes in.

 

[riffjim4069]

Also, can you manually add DMAs to your configuration? I receive programming from DC, Richmond VA and Baltimore - would love all channels to be fully mapped and integrated into the programming guide.

I have been told this feature would be added to the upcoming firmware release, but so far I don't think this feature has been mentioned...

Thanks,
Riff...<EOT>

 

[DarrellP]

You won't need DMA's mapped with the Autoscan, it will pickup whatever's there. I wonder how they'll handle the Guide info?

 

[Hi-Vac]

Yesterday, I had three new STB's (Voom Calls them IRD's) installed. All three had the new software on them. My original box (still 5.68) has yet to be updated. I can tell you this, the improvements (for me at least) did not warrant me changing one of the new sTB's out for the old one. Yes, the OTA Scan did work, and yes I can omit channels (only up to 100 though), but it wasn't enough for me to want to swap it out.

 

[riffjim4069]

To the best of my knowledge, the program guide can not work until mapped to a specific DMA...or hopefully DMAs. I was hoping the new firmware would provide:

1. Manual OTA scanning to pick up undocumented subchannels and perhaps a distant channel or two from another DMA.

2. Ability to manually add a known "problem channel" without having to perform a manual OTA scan. I define a problem channel as distant or low-power channels that are occasionally received.

3. Ability to manually delete all unwanted channels.

4. Feature to manually add/delete DMAs...especially useful for folks living in or near multiple DMAs and who would prefer these channels mapped in their programming guide.

 

[FrankJo]

whats a DMA?

 

[bryan27]

Designated Market Area, It's the same as saying Television Market, or Neilson Market.

Everyone belongs to a DMA, except for portions of Alaska and the US Territiories. Each TV station belongs to a DMA, no station belongs to more than one DMA. Basically all the DMA is used for is ratings and what channels you can receive via D* or E*.

In the OTA relm DMA means nothing, and in the cable world it means very little unless your cable system is importing stations from another DMA that are not "Significantly Viewed." Significantly Viewed means that 25% of the OTA households in your county tune into a particular station not in your DMA at least once per day for at least 30 minutes. Significantly viewed stations may demand cable must carry although they aren't technically in the DMA.

Confused yet

There is a similar structure in radio. Radio uses Arbitron Markets which in someways are better than the cut and dry DMAs

 

[FrankJo]

Program Info

I think that the program info is carried in the signal itself, so once it maps, i assume that the STB has the ability to read that info, and put it into its programming guide. This would work the same way as closed captioning, which it carried in the scan lines as a signal your tv can read. (they put them in the scan lines at the very top, where you can't see them because all tvs have overscan.

I say all this based on NTSC, but i'm sure that a digital signal has the ability to carry this info as well (like 5.1 audio).

Whether or not stations broadcasting digital do this is another question.

 

[bryan27]

To the best of my knowledge, the program guide can not work until mapped to a specific DMA...or hopefully DMAs. I was hoping the new firmware would provide:

1. Manual OTA scanning to pick up undocumented subchannels and perhaps a distant channel or two from another DMA.

2. Ability to manually add a known "problem channel" without having to perform a manual OTA scan. I define a problem channel as distant or low-power channels that are occasionally received.

3. Ability to manually delete all unwanted channels.

4. Feature to manually add/delete DMAs...especially useful for folks living in or near multiple DMAs and who would prefer these channels mapped in their programming guide.

The impression I got from last month's Inner Circle was that all 4 of those features would be included.

One would be able to add a zip code or codes to add one or two more DMAs to their channel map. Those channels would download the program guide and those that auto-scanned would show up as "no info" in the guide until VOOM, Motorola, and Tribune got around to adding them.

Any locals not received from the DMAs the subscriber would have the ability to remove.

At this point I don't care if "no info" shows up, or if I can add more DMAs, just as long as I can view the stations I receive.

 

[bryan27]

I think that the program info is carried in the signal itself, so once it maps, i assume that the STB has the ability to read that info, and put it into its programming guide. This would work the same way as closed captioning, which it carried in the scan lines as a signal your tv can read. (they put them in the scan lines at the very top, where you can't see them because all tvs have overscan.

I say all this based on NTSC, but i'm sure that a digital signal has the ability to carry this info as well (like 5.1 audio).

Whether or not stations broadcasting digital do this is another question.

Well, not entirely. VOOM actually puts in the station call signs and program info into the channel map. I haven't seen many digital stations send program info, just one around here will include the TV rating, but not program name. I haven't seen a station put it's call sign in the data stream either.

Also the VOOM STB remaps the channels. Many stations don't send a PID to remap a channel to the analog number. So when the VOOM STB scans and say finds a signal on ch.25 it isn't going to know what that station is. Is that the ch.25 that VOOM remaps to channel 2 in the adjacent DMA, is it another ch.25 from another DMA in the other direction, is it a new ch.25 that VOOM didn't know about?

Since the stations aren't sending such data all the STB can do until it gets more information is just put ch. 25 in the guide with "no info" in the listings. How long it would take to get the information to the STB could take months as VOOM, Motorola, and Tribune gets around to adding that channels listings.

Now if you can add another DMA from the get go then the STB would know that if it sees a signal on ch.25 then it must be that ch.25 from the adjacent DMA you put in and it remaps it to ch.2 and up pops the guide data from the satellite.

 

[Scotty]

Well, not entirely. VOOM actually puts in the station call signs and program info into the channel map. I haven't seen many digital stations send program info, just one around here will include the TV rating, but not program name. I haven't seen a station put it's call sign in the data stream either.

Also the VOOM STB remaps the channels. Many stations don't send a PID to remap a channel to the analog number. So when the VOOM STB scans and say finds a signal on ch.25 it isn't going to know what that station is. Is that the ch.25 that VOOM remaps to channel 2 in the adjacent DMA, is it another ch.25 from another DMA in the other direction, is it a new ch.25 that VOOM didn't know about?

Since the stations aren't sending such data all the STB can do until it gets more information is just put ch. 25 in the guide with "no info" in the listings. How long it would take to get the information to the STB could take months as VOOM, Motorola, and Tribune gets around to adding that channels listings.

Now if you can add another DMA from the get go then the STB would know that if it sees a signal on ch.25 then it must be that ch.25 from the adjacent DMA you put in and it remaps it to ch.2 and up pops the guide data from the satellite.

In pittsburgh, none of the stations send program guide info, but 2 stations actually broadcast blanks instead of the default text, which is Regular Schedule on my tv or maybe that is what the psip boxes send by default.

also, in the info box that comes up on my tv when I press info on my remote, at least WPXI, is sending a Next up: Channel 11 News, alternating with the current program, which happens to be Jeopardy right now, at the top of the box. Also, where the built in Direct TV receiver would display the channel logo graphic, WPXI is displaying its call sign. This is all OTA on my TV's internal digital receiver. I guess it varies by stations and equipment manufacturer. It's too bad that FCC can't mandate some minimum things that all stations need to be sending and not make it voluntary. Then the voom receiver should pick that stuff up, and display it if it's available and if not, get its guide info elsewhere. Right now, my Voom box displays a differnt call sign than the station is sending and that I see on my TV's digital receiver.

 

[Dvlos]

Any new official info on the patch?

 

[Tvlman]

Sure, go back to 0 channels of HD or 10 for cable and 8 for DirecTV. Also their constant promises not delivered.You're going to swap that for 40 channels of HD? So far my investment is $0. I think good things are worth waiting for.