Don't think VOOM will solve your local station problem. In fact, I don't think any sat provider will provide all the OTA channels you could get with a big antenna.
I turned down the UHFantenna from VOOM because I knew that my stations came from 3 different directions, requiring a rotor, and I wanted a monster antenna for VHF, a Winegard 9095 for UHF and a separate FM antenna.
I'm sure that VOOM thought that they could offer better value by adding the OTA function, but they just opened a can of worms that brought huge amounts of customer service problems.
The majority of high-def owners use their sets as glorified DVD players and I have dozens of clients who have no true high def source of programming. They may break down and get 7 channels of HD thru cable here in San Diego, and 4 of those channels are rebroadcast (and compressed) OTA.
I know that many high-def owners put up their own antennas, and VOOM should have left the OTA to the "outside". I think any potential buyer of VOOM will dump the OTA antenna feature in a New York minute.
Let's face it. Cable will take a long time to compete with satellite in the HD market. The biggest reason is bandwidth. Here in San Diego, we have one RG-6 for analog cable, digital cable ,HD cable TV, telephone service, and cable modem. The cable companies are up against the 1 ghz ceiling already. Their only way out is to run two RG-6s to each house or run fiber optic from the nodes on the pole to each house, and then put a D-A converter in your STB. Mucho bucks. So satellite has a built-in advantage of potentially unlimited channels as well as better signal quality. There is so much compression and line capacitance in cable that I can't stand to watch it.
I know all you guys want an HD DVR. With cable, what HD is there to record except commercial filled network feeds? If that's what you want, don't get VOOM. Or cable. Get a good antenna with rotor and an LG LST-3410 which will do the job and save your money.
We consumers expect way too much from tech providers. VOOM is for HD. The SD is a bonus. OTA is a real gift if you happen to live in the right spot. Don't expect a guarantee.
If you cancel because of OTA, you didn't do your homework at antennaweb.org.
If you cancelled because of the lack of some SD national feed like the food channel, you should have kept your cable service like I did.
VOOM is supplemental at this point, and picky consumers may have already crippled it's potential.
If you are into HD and not SD like I am, be thankful and not critical.
Yesterday, I received a general mailing that went to everyone in San Diego. It was an offer for VOOM for $1 if you signed a six month contrtact with free installation for 3 rooms. That's really trying.
I think that we need to give VOOM a little slack.
Don't be afraid to put down the remote, hit the PC and order a nice antenna set-up. You'll enjoy the great, uncompressed, direct signal from your local broadcaster.
If you don't have the time, the money, or the know how, as we say in the real estate business, you're not "Home-Depot Qualified". You can hire people that are, but you need to choose the equipment.
VOOM is not for sissies.
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