South Florida Voom Zone!!!

[truqui]

I wanted to let those of you with Comcast know that TNT-HD was added on Channel 204 this weekend in Pembroke Pines. The Comcast Tech informed me that TNT-HD would be on one of the following channels depending on your service area:

Channel 771, 182, or 204

I was also told that 7 new HD channels are coming by the end of the year. I made a good contact at Comcast and he said that he would send me regular, updates which I will pass along to the group.

The tech also told me that he would forward an e-mail regarding Adelphia users switching over to Comcast. I will pass along any information as I get it.

It is good to see other providers starting to make progress on HD. Without a doubt, I think we owe Voom a lot in pushing its competitors. Thanks Voom!!!

Hey Skakusha...welcome back...you had a lot to catch up on but you're up to speed and on a roll...!!!

Thanks in advance for any insight on the Comcast take over of Adelphia.
I would really like to be abreast of when all this starts to happen, specially because Adelphia in my area is lacking a DVR (HD or SD) so hopefully when Comcast takes over I may have hope!

 

[truqui]

BTW, I spent some time at Circuit City playing with the DirecTV HD Tivo, and I was very disappointed. The HD is very weak. Several artifacts and grainy. As long as there is little to no movement then the picture is decent, but far from desired. With any movement the pixelation is pretty bad. Reaffirms my decision to cancel D* and avoid any contract commitments.

I decided tonight to buy a Tivo DVD-Recordable with 80 hours. I am setting this up via my Comcast HD box in order to archive shows and make DVD's when desired. I thought that since this box has component outs and 480p playback of Tivo recordings, it should be a pretty nice addition to my AV rack. I had one before for Voom and sold it. I missed being able to burn shows on DVD for viewing later. I am also curious to see how these burnt DVD's will look when played in the HD upconvert DVD player a bought a month ago.

Just a thought, we need a new forum thread where we can discuss cable (Adelphia and Comcast), HD, and Tivo's. I would still like to keep in touch with this group and share knowledge of things to come. Any suggestions where we should move our Local Area Forum to?

I have my Tivo networked via wireless router and I just started burning DVD's via Tivo To Go...it takes a little longer I assume, than with a DVR/DVD burner combo, but it works like a charm!
I recorded via Tivo the Phil Collins Farewell Concert on Rave, transferred it to my computer via Tivo to Go and made a DVD. The PQ and AQ are much better than commercial DVD's, granted the source was HD...!!!

Plus the nice thing with the Tivo To Go is that I can accesss and view all my pictures and listen to all my digital music that's on my pc, in my family room!!!

 

[Vlad D]

I called the 800 number (1-888-683-1000)
Don't know if I got any specific discount by being a basic cable sub but they did have me as a customer even if it's through HOA.
I actuallly had Telemedia's Digital Box (Motorola) a few years back. No commitment.
The Ultimate Pack includes everything they offer except the Adult channels, so it's like the VaVaVoom Package.

Here's the breakdown I was quoted:
Ultimate Pack $43.45
HD Pack $ 12.95
Spanish Tier $ 9.99
Install $ 9.95
Additional Digital Box (Non HD) $6.50

HD CHANNELS I will be getting: (Plus whatever new channels added)
CBS WFOR
NBC WTVJ
FOX WSVN
PBS
HBO
SHOW
STARZ
ESPN
DISCOVERY
HDNET
HDNET Movies
InHD 1
InHD 2

Just got off the phone with Adelphia and I'm setup for Weds May 4th, they could have installed it on this Weds, but I wanted to wait until after Voom shuts down, so I can remove the STB and make room for the HD cable box.

They also had me listed in their database as a current customer. The prices were exactly as you quoted, $56.40 for Ulimate Pack, HD Pack and HD box, $9.95 for install.

I don't see our local ABC, WB or UPN listed in that list above, and I forgot to ask the CSR (who, BTW, was extremely nice and was praying that he will still have a job when this buy-out settles). If they don't carry them, thats going to be a problem. My TV only has two sets of component inputs, one for my DVD and the other for HD STB/Cable box, so I won't be able to use my OTA tuner to pick up the missing channels. Anyone know if the Adelphia HD box has an OTA input?

Just a thought, we need a new forum thread where we can discuss cable (Adelphia and Comcast), HD, and Tivo's. I would still like to keep in touch with this group and share knowledge of things to come. Any suggestions where we should move our Local Area Forum to?

I agree we should definitely keep in touch. It would be cool if we could somehow keep it here. But if not then there is HTF or AVS.

 

[skakusha]

Tivo and Comcast Reach Partnership Agreement! (Old News)

Guys,

Just in case you missed the announcement a few weeks back, Tivo and Comcast reached a partnership agreement. Legacy Tivo boxes are being refitted with cable cards, and perhaps we (Comcast and Adelphia) will be able to get HD Tivo's early next year. Since there seem to be a lot of us Tivo junkies here, I thought this information may be of interest.

 

[skakusha]

I have my Tivo networked via wireless router and I just started burning DVD's via Tivo To Go...it takes a little longer I assume, than with a DVR/DVD burner combo, but it works like a charm!

Truqui, thanks for the information. I have not tried that yet. Just curious, how long does it take to transfer 2 hours worth of television?

 

[skakusha]

I agree we should definitely keep in touch. It would be cool if we could somehow keep it here. But if not then there is HTF or AVS.

I asked one of the moderators if the "Voom In Your Area" forums can be moved or replicated elsewhere once Voom shuts down. Perhaps an "HD in Your Area" forum. I pm'd him since he has helped me a lot in the early days of Voom. I will let you know what I find out.

 

[truqui]

Just got off the phone with Adelphia and I'm setup for Weds May 4th, they could have installed it on this Weds, but I wanted to wait until after Voom shuts down, so I can remove the STB and make room for the HD cable box.

They also had me listed in their database as a current customer. The prices were exactly as you quoted, $56.40 for Ulimate Pack, HD Pack and HD box, $9.95 for install.

I don't see our local ABC, WB or UPN listed in that list above, and I forgot to ask the CSR (who, BTW, was extremely nice and was praying that he will still have a job when this buy-out settles). If they don't carry them, thats going to be a problem. My TV only has two sets of component inputs, one for my DVD and the other for HD STB/Cable box, so I won't be able to use my OTA tuner to pick up the missing channels. Anyone know if the Adelphia HD box has an OTA input?

Yes, the lack of ABC, WB and UPN is not good but what other option do we have without going to a satellite provider?
On the other hand if Voom let's us keep the STB and OTA functional, well that be great for me as my HDTV doesn't have an intergrated tuner.

I don't know what inputs/outputs the cable box comes with...hopefully it will have DVI as well.

Well, we will soon know...4 more days of Voom...6 days for my HD cable install!!!

 

[truqui]

Truqui, thanks for the information. I have not tried that yet. Just curious, how long does it take to transfer 2 hours worth of television?

With my wireless network, an hour of SD takes a little more than real time but it took like 9 hours for the 3 hour HD Phil Collins concert...!!!
The PQ is outstanding though...

Reading the Tivo Forums it's pretty much what most are getting with a wireless network. Wired network is faster, but my HT is far from my PC
and I don't mind leaving it transferring overnight.

It's really a great feature becuase you can either watch it on your PC,
burn a DVD or put it on a laptop for portable viewing. The only downside is that Tivo uses a specific encoding that plays back in Windows Media Player 10 (I think) and to burn DVD's you need to use Sonic (provided for trial with the Tivo to Go). There are other ways using codecs and such but I'm not a PC wizard at all. Also it seems that some programming is protected so you can't burn them to DVD. I haven't done much with Tivo to Go yet so I haven't encountered any of these things yet.
I have read of others being able to take shows on their PDA's using Dr. Divx.
and Pocket DVD (which I have already) I want to try it but haven't had the time to play around with the setups...
Check the Tivo Forums here ... and read up on the Tivo Home Features & Tivo to Go

 

[skakusha]

On the other hand if Voom let's us keep the STB and OTA functional, well that be great for me as my HDTV doesn't have an intergrated tuner.

Check Ebay and Craig's List for HD OTA tuner boxes. In my opinion, there are too expensive when you buy them brand new.

I bought a new TV with an HD tuner built-in, so I will be seeling my old HD OTA tuner on Craig's list this wekend. I bought it right before Voom, so I wasted the money on hardware that sat in the closet.

 

[skakusha]

I have read of others being able to take shows on their PDA's using Dr. Divx.
and Pocket DVD (which I have already) I want to try it but haven't had the time to play around with the setups...
Check the Tivo Forums here ... and read up on the Tivo Home Features & Tivo to Go

Thanks for the update. I will work on this over the weekend and try this on my Treo 600 and the Sony PSP. I hope to take 2 weeks off fram traveling to play with the new electronics and networking interfaces.

 

[skakusha]

Comcast 30 Second-Skip Remote Control Hack

You can remap any of the buttons on the Comcast silver remote control. From what I have heard, all of the Motorola boxes' remote controls allow for discrete button codes. I am using theses feature on a Motorola HD-Dual Tuner box.

Once programmed on the Comcast remote, you can then pass this information to any learning, universal remote. I mapped the "30 Second Skip" to my "Lock" button( Left of Day - and Day + buttons) since it is placed right under the 10-second rewind button. This makes it easier to skip commercials and jump back 10 seconds if you want to see something. The detailed procedure is as follows:

1) Press the "Cable" button at the top of the remote to put it into Cable Box control mode.
2) Press and hold the "Setup" button until the "Cable" button blinks twice.
3) Type in the code 994. The "Cable" button will blink twice
4) Press (do not hold) the "Setup" button
5) Type in the code 00173.
6) Press whatever button you want to map the skip function to ("Lock" in my case).

Then sit back and enjoy your new commercial skip feature.

 

[skakusha]

Voom Forum Will Stay After April 30th

Guys,

I just recieved a PM from one of the moderators, and he informed me that the forums will stay up and running. We can keep posting and keeping each other informed here.

 

[truqui]

Thanks for the update. I will work on this over the weekend and try this on my Treo 600 and the Sony PSP. I hope to take 2 weeks off fram traveling to play with the new electronics and networking interfaces.

Cool, let me know how it goes with the PDA

BTW, if the locals in HD don't look as good via Adelphia I will certainly be looking for a receiver, what are you looking to get for your OTA tuner? What is it and will it work with the Voom OTA Antenna?

 

[skakusha]

Cool, let me know how it goes with the PDA

BTW, if the locals in HD don't look as good via Adelphia I will certainly be looking for a receiver, what are you looking to get for your OTA tuner? What is it and will it work with the Voom OTA Antenna?

It is a Zenith HDV420, and it works with all HD antennas. It is going for about $150 online used, plus shipping. Since we are in the same area and on this forum, it saves me the trouble of posting the ad and shipping it. As a courtesy, I can sell it to you for $125. I won't post it until I hear from you. I am in no hurry to sell it since it has been in the closet for some time. You can private message me here and let me know either way.

 

[truqui]

It is a Zenith HDV420, and it works with all HD antennas. It is going for about $150 online used, plus shipping. Since we are in the same area and on this forum, it saves me the trouble of posting the ad and shipping it. As a courtesy, I can sell it to you for $125. I won't post it until I hear from you. I am in no hurry to sell it since it has been in the closet for some time. You can private message me here and let me know either way.

Thanks skakusha...I PM'd you...

Are you currently using OTA via your sets tuner or viewing via Comcast?
Which is better PQ overall?

 

[Vlad D]

Well now that Dish will be carrying 10 of the VoOm Originals I think I might cancel my Adelphia install and switch to Dish. I'm just waiting for more info to come out and see what deals they offer.

 

[salsadancer7]

ACCORDING to LONGHORNXP in the HD Directv forum...he stated that in June....Directv will be getting STARZHD, CINEMAXHD, ESPN2 HD AND possibly a partial VOOM package....and he states he is well connected...please check it out.....

 

[skakusha]

WOW! Great news! It seems that Voom really has pushed teh competition to the next level. . .

 

[nate22]

Comcast HD-DVR in Kendall

First of all, skakusha, thanks so much for that 30 second skip hack. It works great and I love it.

Guys, just wanted to relay my experience so far. I got the Comcast HD-DVR package installed on Saturday, April 31st. As expected and as many have already reported, the PQ on the analog channels is terrible. Especially on my HD TV through the STB. I really feel bad for the people who watch shows on UPN or Sci-Fi as the analog signal converted to digital displayed on an HD TV looks pretty grainy. However, I love the DVR features. I had no previous experience with Tivo or any others so there is no real reference, but I think it is great to have especially since I had to pay $0 up front equipment costs. The first thing I DVR'd was Discovery HD as a test. When I played it back, it looked exactly the same as the broadcast. Dolby Digital 5.1 and PQ was outstanding. I DVR'd the Heat game on HD ABC and it was unwatchable though. For some reason it had a lot of "pixelation" and the audio kept dropping in and out. It looks fine live right now, maybe the cloudy/windy weather over the weekend had something to do with it. Honestly, at this point I do not miss Voom that much. I was only a customer for 2 months and found myself watching mostly HD locals and TNT HD. I had a lot of trouble with the OTA antenna and had to have Voom send a technician out 3 times to try to get me better reception. I like the fact that Comcast delivers HD locals through the cable instead of relying on an antenna at my house. For some reason OTA antennas don't work good in my area. That being said, I obviously had trouble with ABC over the weekend so now, I am at the mercy of Comcast and whatever signal they can get. The only exclusive Voom HD content I really watched was HD News and whatever channel had the live concerts. That was sweet, but Comcast has INHD1 and 2 which also play live concerts. I may have an issue with the size of the drive though, as I quickly got up to 40% drive space after recording a few HD programs. I read on Motorola's web site and they say that the USB and other features of the box will be activated with future software releases. So that indicates the possibility of adding a USB hard drive to increase the storage capacity in the (hopefully) near future. So, all I can say is, so far, so good. I like the Comcast DVR a lot. I'll keep posting my experiences if anyone else is interested.

 

[truqui]

Adelphia HD Cable installed today and SURPRISE...!!!

Well guys here's my situation so far...
I haven't read anything on the main forum so I don't know if this is unique to me or not. The Voom STB is obviously not getting sat signal but is working for OTA.

Anyhow, Adelphia came over this AM to install HD Cable. He came in early, which surprised me, I was expecting to be at home all morning.
Installer brought a Motorola Dual Tuner HD DVR...but he quickly mentioned that the DVR was not active until maybe the end of the year...bummer! But I knew this from the CSR. Also that the DVI wasn't active as well.

Well he got it all connected via component and had to bypass my Tivo because he said he was allowed only to go straight to the TV. No biggy I thought, I'll work on it tonight.

Tested some HD and I was really impressed on the PQ...on par with Voom! Audio seems a little weaker though, but I haven't connected the out to my receiver so I can't compare DD yet.

Anyhow I was happy except for SD which as noted, looks terrible but digital SD is OK and HD is awesome.

Now just out of my shear curiosity, I punched the pause button and voila...the DVR works...!!! Installer and I looked at each other like...WHAT? Well long story short, the DVR is working, granted the program guide hadn't downloaded yet so I couldn't check out all the features but pause, rewind, ff etc. are all working and in HD...!!! Woaaaa!!!
It's a Motorola DCT6400 (Not sure right now if 6412 or 5416)
NOW I'M REALLY HAPPY...!!!

I'll play some more with it later tonight, maybe even try the DVI connection and post my experiences, but so far so good...maybe I won't miss Voom si much after all!!!