St. Louis VOOM thread.
- Thread starter StingyScotsman
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 14
- Views 3K
I live in St.Louis to and am thinking about getting voom and cancelling dish network.I'm wondering how you install went, what antenna you used and dish size.I also would like to know how your picture looks on your tv and what size tv and if it's widescreen?Were you happy with the install and installer and what's his name so I can request him.If any other info please reply.I'm in the process of moving in about 2-3 months and any info about your experience would be appreciated.I have a 53" mitsubishi widescreen hdtv ready.And how about your ota?
Dude!
Hey there! Welcome! I'd given up on finding another STL Voomer.
Regarding my install, Chris Fears of C.F. Communications did a great job. He went out of his way to hide the coax. It was as cosmetically perfect a job as I could have asked for. My wife was impressed.
He DID balk at not installing a diplexor, but being as I already had dual coax from the cable install ran, he ran the two lines at no charge.
I have the 18 inch VOOM dish.
I will say this: The Stealth antennae used for OTA channels sucks. For a total of $21, I went to Radio Shack and bought a RS 15-2160. I swapped out the Stealth on my own, and called Chris to come pick up the Stealth. He reimbursed me for the cost of the Radio Shack out of his pocket.
It made all the difference in the world. I haven't had a lick of trouble from my STL Stations since. I've had a Sony 51" HD for a long time, but never used it to it's full potential. The digital local picture is so sweet that I wish I'd used an antenna and decoder for local stations long ago.
As far as the Satellite picture.... Some of it is jaw dropping. Some of it is just as blah as cable. Some SD channels aren't tuned well. HBO HD is a freakin' HOAX! The picture quality is laughable. THAT was a huge dissapointment, but the Sopranos and Deadwood are being upconverted from film... Poorly.
And frankly, while the picture quality of channels like HDNews, and Rush, and Auction, and all the Voom-created networks are breathtaking, the content is such a yawn that I never watch them.
I've never had satellite before. I like Voom better than cable, but then again I like prostate exams better than cable. As a seasoned satellite consumer, I don't know what you'll think about Voom.
If you sign up, be sure and let me know how it goes.
Be advised, Voom is still working out the bugs. Receiver lockups and reboots are a part of Voom life. If that drives you nuts, Voom is not for you.
Hey there! Welcome! I'd given up on finding another STL Voomer.
Regarding my install, Chris Fears of C.F. Communications did a great job. He went out of his way to hide the coax. It was as cosmetically perfect a job as I could have asked for. My wife was impressed.
He DID balk at not installing a diplexor, but being as I already had dual coax from the cable install ran, he ran the two lines at no charge.
I have the 18 inch VOOM dish.
I will say this: The Stealth antennae used for OTA channels sucks. For a total of $21, I went to Radio Shack and bought a RS 15-2160. I swapped out the Stealth on my own, and called Chris to come pick up the Stealth. He reimbursed me for the cost of the Radio Shack out of his pocket.
It made all the difference in the world. I haven't had a lick of trouble from my STL Stations since. I've had a Sony 51" HD for a long time, but never used it to it's full potential. The digital local picture is so sweet that I wish I'd used an antenna and decoder for local stations long ago.
As far as the Satellite picture.... Some of it is jaw dropping. Some of it is just as blah as cable. Some SD channels aren't tuned well. HBO HD is a freakin' HOAX! The picture quality is laughable. THAT was a huge dissapointment, but the Sopranos and Deadwood are being upconverted from film... Poorly.
And frankly, while the picture quality of channels like HDNews, and Rush, and Auction, and all the Voom-created networks are breathtaking, the content is such a yawn that I never watch them.
I've never had satellite before. I like Voom better than cable, but then again I like prostate exams better than cable. As a seasoned satellite consumer, I don't know what you'll think about Voom.
If you sign up, be sure and let me know how it goes.
Be advised, Voom is still working out the bugs. Receiver lockups and reboots are a part of Voom life. If that drives you nuts, Voom is not for you.
A transfer from film in HD is NOT upconverted. It is true HD just as recording live action, only a bit grainier.
Upconversion would be 480i to 480p or 480i to 720p, etc.
Upconversion would be 480i to 480p or 480i to 720p, etc.
Upconvert Schmupconvert
Okay, delete the "up" from "upconvert." It's still converted and that affects the picture quality.
The only two things I watch on HBO HD are Sopranos and Deadwood. I worked in video production for several years and I know that there are supposed to be at least 30 luma values between white and black.
Both those shows are so dark that when I see dark backgrounds they morph into four or five black values that look like a little kid's watercolor circles.
Then again, I notice it more on the West Coast feed (gotta watch after the kiddies are in bed!). There were some threads that said that the West Coast HBO was whacked.
My point is only that TRUE HD - Filmed in/Broadcast in/Displayed on - is spactacular. I'll watch stupid European soccer on WorldSport because of the PQ, not because I'm interested in soccer. I don't consider a film transfer TRUE HD, even if the signal is technically still fat. You can see the difference in an instant.
Maybe it's the extra 6 frames per second in video broadcasting that adds to the realism.
Okay, now I'm waxing.
Wax off.
Okay, delete the "up" from "upconvert." It's still converted and that affects the picture quality.
The only two things I watch on HBO HD are Sopranos and Deadwood. I worked in video production for several years and I know that there are supposed to be at least 30 luma values between white and black.
Both those shows are so dark that when I see dark backgrounds they morph into four or five black values that look like a little kid's watercolor circles.
Then again, I notice it more on the West Coast feed (gotta watch after the kiddies are in bed!). There were some threads that said that the West Coast HBO was whacked.
My point is only that TRUE HD - Filmed in/Broadcast in/Displayed on - is spactacular. I'll watch stupid European soccer on WorldSport because of the PQ, not because I'm interested in soccer. I don't consider a film transfer TRUE HD, even if the signal is technically still fat. You can see the difference in an instant.
Maybe it's the extra 6 frames per second in video broadcasting that adds to the realism.
Okay, now I'm waxing.
Wax off.
Thank You for the reply and when did you get voom and was wandering when you got it and how has the problems you had at first been at first resolved like the bugs, picture quality,sd channels,the lockups and reboots. Do they have the Fox Sports Networks like Fox Sports Midwest For Blues,Cardinals. Thank , Tom
Brother,
The bugs are definitely still there. Channel lockups. IRD lockups. Overmodulated chroma on some channels.
The most annoying bug... 3 second channel changes... was fixed with a software upgrade, but now it seems like they are slowing down again. I'm guessing that Voom is putting all their "fix" efforts into the new IRD with the DVR.
No Fox Sports. No Fox Midwest. Five ESPN's, but no Fox Sports. Sorry.
CMc
The bugs are definitely still there. Channel lockups. IRD lockups. Overmodulated chroma on some channels.
The most annoying bug... 3 second channel changes... was fixed with a software upgrade, but now it seems like they are slowing down again. I'm guessing that Voom is putting all their "fix" efforts into the new IRD with the DVR.
No Fox Sports. No Fox Midwest. Five ESPN's, but no Fox Sports. Sorry.
CMc
I live in the St. Louis area and just got Voom installed Saturday. The installer has been out 2 times so far for a total of 9 hours. I am having a ton of problems trying to watch HDTV. He swapped out Receivers, Diplexors, and Splitter to try and get me working. Finally when he got a new receiver I was able to watch TV. But this is where another problem comes into play. The picture freezes and pixelates after a few minutes of viewing. Then clears up. Then repeats freezing and pixelating over and over. Happens on both OTA and Satellite. I have not been able to watch a full show without it freezing at least 20 times. The installer left and asked to see if it would clear up by today. I'm still having the same problem. He has check the position of the satellite and that was ok. I'm just not having any luck getting a smooth signal from voom. 
Crud! That is terrible.
Yes,
I work in Creve Couer. We were ground-zero for the biblical hailstorm yesterday. I live about three miles from where I work, so I fully expected to come home to find my OTA and Voom dish in pieces (or at least dented like my car is!).
Oddly enough, I arrived home to find out from my neighbors that we hadn't had so much as pea of hailstone at my house.
The point? Yes. I'm getting to it.
I turned on the Voom to check that everything was working, and the reception was TERRIBLE. It was as you described. Darn near unwatchable.
I've never experienced "rain fade" or had cloud cover so thick that it affected my signal before, but there was something in the air yesterday that was decimating the signal.
I'll go out on a limb and guess that things were much better last night and today???? I turned on the tube at 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, and the picture was back to normal. Please tell me that everything is okay today?
Upon closer re-reading, I see that you've had this prob since Saturday. (Yes, I'm a dumbass) I have to ask a couple of questions:
1. What version of software are you on?
2. What kind of OTA antenna are you using?
3. Where about in town are you?
4. Are you SURE that you are getting this on the Sat channels, too?
What you are describing is much more prevalent in OTA reception with an underpowered antenna. The Voom channels are toast too?
Hmmmm.
Check your software version. You may have got an o-o-o-o-l-d STB, especially if Voom is running short on supplies, as others have said. You should be getting a software download soon.
Yes,
I work in Creve Couer. We were ground-zero for the biblical hailstorm yesterday. I live about three miles from where I work, so I fully expected to come home to find my OTA and Voom dish in pieces (or at least dented like my car is!).
Oddly enough, I arrived home to find out from my neighbors that we hadn't had so much as pea of hailstone at my house.
The point? Yes. I'm getting to it.
I turned on the Voom to check that everything was working, and the reception was TERRIBLE. It was as you described. Darn near unwatchable.
I've never experienced "rain fade" or had cloud cover so thick that it affected my signal before, but there was something in the air yesterday that was decimating the signal.
I'll go out on a limb and guess that things were much better last night and today???? I turned on the tube at 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, and the picture was back to normal. Please tell me that everything is okay today?
Upon closer re-reading, I see that you've had this prob since Saturday. (Yes, I'm a dumbass) I have to ask a couple of questions:
1. What version of software are you on?
2. What kind of OTA antenna are you using?
3. Where about in town are you?
4. Are you SURE that you are getting this on the Sat channels, too?
What you are describing is much more prevalent in OTA reception with an underpowered antenna. The Voom channels are toast too?
Hmmmm.
Check your software version. You may have got an o-o-o-o-l-d STB, especially if Voom is running short on supplies, as others have said. You should be getting a software download soon.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=15215
Tried everything we could possibly do. Had to get voom taken out. I'm in the Affton area. Refer to the tread above to find out all the trouble I went through.
Thanks for the reply.
Tried everything we could possibly do. Had to get voom taken out. I'm in the Affton area. Refer to the tread above to find out all the trouble I went through.
Thanks for the reply.
will be Vooming soon...
I live in South County, St. Louis (Lemay), and I'm getting Voom installed next Thursday, 2/10/05. I was originally going to get D*, but my installer (Bill) came out Monday and said I had no line of sight (too many trees). Luckily, returning the equipment to Best Buy was no problem.
This installer recommended Voom, since he also installs it, and noticed I have line of sight to the 61.5 satellite. I am certainly hoping this works out, as Voom appears to be the only satellite service I can get. Charter "digital" cable around here leaves something to be desired.
Incidentally, Voom originally gave me an install date of 2/19/05, but since I called Installs, Inc. and requested Bill (of L&B Communications), I can have it installed on 2/10/05. I am really looking forward to it, despite the nay-sayers and possible impending doom of Voom.
I live in South County, St. Louis (Lemay), and I'm getting Voom installed next Thursday, 2/10/05. I was originally going to get D*, but my installer (Bill) came out Monday and said I had no line of sight (too many trees). Luckily, returning the equipment to Best Buy was no problem.
This installer recommended Voom, since he also installs it, and noticed I have line of sight to the 61.5 satellite. I am certainly hoping this works out, as Voom appears to be the only satellite service I can get. Charter "digital" cable around here leaves something to be desired.
Incidentally, Voom originally gave me an install date of 2/19/05, but since I called Installs, Inc. and requested Bill (of L&B Communications), I can have it installed on 2/10/05. I am really looking forward to it, despite the nay-sayers and possible impending doom of Voom.
