New Firmware Update - WHEN???

[ejfiii]

I love VOOM. I hate my local ABC afialiate. They had no digital signal last night, so no HD game. I know I get the Baltimore station perfectly since I used to watch it with my old OTA tuner.

When in the world is the new FW coming that will let me map my own OTA channels?

Thanks,

E. J.

 

[The Stone Man]

Outstanding question. Answers of "it's coming", "it's close", "we are in Beta", don't tell us much. This version was originally scheduled (and I use the term loosely) for the end of May, but now it's the middle of June. Maybe we could call Voom and volunteer to be beta testers?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Wilt said yesterday it appears that the new software is about 2 weeks away from being released.

 

[The Stone Man]

Thanks, Scott. I hope it is as successful as your gateway to the Yahoo Voom group.

 

[vurbano]

Wilt said yesterday it appears that the new software is about 2 weeks away from being released.

"appears", "about"?

 

[andrzej]

vurbano,
I have had D* for several years. Software updates for their STBs (I've had Sammy and Sony) were never announced, we were waiting and writing thousands of posts with speculations and wish lists (on AVS Forum), and they were still buggy.
Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.

 

[ejfiii]

vurbano,
Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.

Good thing I don't like Basketball, or I would be really pissed. No way to take a deep breath when your only way of receiving a local broadcast is OTA digital. If VOOM doesn't want to give me a sat feed, then they damn well better let me choose which OTA station I want to watch. If my 2 year old buggy as hell Sam 165 lets me do this, then this fancy new Motorola STB ought to as well.

I hope its only 2 weeks.

E. J.

 

[HeavyC]

I'm having the same problem with my local ABC station WHOI in Peoria Illinois. I wrote their GM an email expressing my concerns, but I'm sure it won't help. I'd like to scan and see if I can still pick up the Springfield stations.

Does anyone know what stations are broadcasting in HD in the Springfield Illinois area? I'm pretty sure I can pick up the ABC affilliate there WAND.

 

[andrzej]

Good thing I don't like Basketball, or I would be really pissed. No way to take a deep breath when your only way of receiving a local broadcast is OTA digital. If VOOM doesn't want to give me a sat feed, then they damn well better let me choose which OTA station I want to watch. If my 2 year old buggy as hell Sam 165 lets me do this, then this fancy new Motorola STB ought to as well.

I hope its only 2 weeks.

E. J.

Ok. So be pissed if this helps you, somehow...

 

[vurbano]

Everyone should be pissed about the rotten software we currently have.

 

[gutter]

Wilt said yesterday it appears that the new software is about 2 weeks away from being released.

Wasn't that said 3 weeks ago. I never believe a suggest sofware update release. Very rare that any company is on time and if they are it is usually been rushed and very buggy. I am more concenre with PQ. Motorola boxes suck.

 

[rudolpht]

I think that was the comment 2 months ago. I don't know what was said 3 weeks ago. Looking forward to being pleasantly surprised.

 

[andrzej]

Everyone should be pissed about the rotten software we currently have.

You must be constantly pissed vurbano. I am sure that you are using tons of rotten software/hardware everyday.

 

[riffjim4069]

Coming "When it's done" from VOOM for the Motorola DSR-550

I think that was the comment 2 months ago. I don't know what was said 3 weeks ago. Looking forward to being pleasantly surprised.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Yikes!

Yes, I too want the firmware update, but until then I plan to relax and trust that we will be pleasantly surprised as Tim stated. Heck, if I can wait 8 years for Duke Nukem Forever---it only seems like forever---then I'm sure I can wait another week or two for the update.

Peace,
Riff...

 

[squicken]

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Yikes!

Yes, I too want the firmware update, but until then I plan to relax and trust that we will be pleasantly surprised as Tim stated. Heck, if I can wait 8 years for Duke Nukem Forever---it only seems like forever---then I'm sure I can wait another week or two for the update.

Peace,
Riff...

8 years going on 13 I've read in other places that firmware updates can help with multipath issues for OTAs. Is that true? Will this update address that?

 

[vurbano]

You must be constantly pissed vurbano. I am sure that you are using tons of rotten software/hardware everyday.

Whether or not I am constantly pissed is questionable. Whether or not you are annoying and fixated on the word "pissed" is not.

 

[JWK]

Man, I'm ready for the update so I can scan for OTA.

It's been annoying knowing that ABC is broadcasting locally in HDTV, and the Voom box won't pick it up.

I wonder what idiot came up with the plan to map in the first place?

 

[rudolpht]

I don't know who the "idiot" was, but the intention to have a complete integrated solution was well intentioned. If you have ever looked at Dish OTA guide data (or not looked at it, as the case truly is), you'll know what I mean. Since PSIP rarely if ever works and published guide data is wrong about 20% of the time, I guess a "hybrid" solution to get mapped data thats correct + scanned channels w/ or w/o guide data, and killing off non-receivable channels that are mapped would have (will be???) a better solution.

 

[Ken F]

I wonder what idiot came up with the plan to map in the first place?

As rudolpht notes, boxes without any sort of mapping tend not to offer program information on HD locals. Dish Network's 811 is one example. It has OTA scanning but it shows no program information for HD locals in the guide. It doesn't even separate content into 30 minute blocks.

DirecTV's latest approach is the best one -- which I presume (hope) VOOM is looking to duplicate. DirecTV maps stations based on the zip code you enter, but also includes OTA scanning to supplement this list of stations. DirecTV also allows the user to enter in a second zip code -- to map networks for a second market. That way, you can get program information on locals from two markets -- like Baltimore and DC.

 

[HDFreud]

Question for those smarter than me. Wouldn't it be smart to offer a partial solution via software update once per quarter or sonner for significant issues rather than to wait so long? From a PR standpoint, considering the problematic start-up, it would certainly leep more folks happy and increase the likelyhood for they recommending Voom.

P.S. I know that D*TV and Dish had growing pains, but that was when people didn't really know Sat services. If a new cable company tried to compete with my current (Cablevision) and had lots of bugs, I would have abandoned them by now.

P.S.S. I am a Vommer and plan to continue to be. With all said, I still think that it si truly the "HD solution". period