VOOM OTA Mapping Problems? (Channels listed are not as expected)

[Tshark]

Hello to all,

This is my first post on this forum, great information by the way. I had Voom installed about two weeks ago. My installer actually showed up five days early for the install. We decided to not hook up my roof top antenna because I receive my locals through my TV's digital receiver. After he left, I decided to take a look at the locals through the Voom receiver, realizing my wife would appreciate the convenience. I hooked it (ran directly from my antenna to a booster to the back of the receiver - hooked in the correct input.) No locals, but the PG showed the listings. After an email, call, and some troubleshooting, still nothing except for an assumption that there might be a mapping issue (OKC, Oklahoma). Does this sound like the problem? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[oddwunn]

I'm in Boston, zip 02048- we're have tons of HD and SD local channels and they're all on the VOOM site- when I plug in my zip. There's no question that my zip should have tons of locals. We just can't map to them. We show on our PG 12-1 from Rhode Island, then a bunch of 53-1, 53-2,53-3 and I have no idea where those come from. Then straight to channel 100. After resets and trips back we get the 0-3, 0-4, 0-6 channels for a bit, then the PG comes back and we lose those and the 12- and 53s come back. VOOM and Installs acknowledge the probelm and say it's a Motorola problem and they'll get back to me.... Any ideas? Thanks. -Dan

This is a quote from Dan Tilton. I am in EXACTLY the same boat as he is, with the EXACT same numbers appearing in my mappings. The only difference is that my zip code is 02895, so I am a little farther from Boston than he, but my mappings should be exactly the same. My off air map is reading 0048, just like Dans' also.

I sent you an email with my information. Is there anything else I can do from this end or should I just wait until I hear from Wilt?

Thanks for all your help, Sean - You rock!!

 

[DarrellP]

I've been waiting since 3/15 for my Fox 480p widescreen subchannel to be added and it hasn't shown up yet.

 

[Sean Mota]

I've been waiting since 3/15 for my Fox 480p widescreen subchannel to be added and it hasn't shown up yet.

I was told that they are working on this list. Don't know any specific date for answer yet. I will let you all know as soon as I find out.

 

[Mr. Biggles]

I almost fell out of the chair when I got home and saw that V* finally mapped my ABC. Why they didn't map FOX is still the question of the day, but at least they moved a step forward in the right direction.

 

[astrossuperfan]

Emailed you about KNWS in Houston. sorry I didn't see it in the list of known problems.

The channel is still not on zap2it. about how long does it take for channels to be added?

 

[Sean Mota]

Emailed you about KNWS in Houston. sorry I didn't see it in the list of known problems.

The channel is still not on zap2it. about how long does it take for channels to be added?

I wish I could tell you a time frame but I really don't know. I will put through your request.

 

[astrossuperfan]

Thanks you're the best!

 

[JWK]

Okay, so, I e-mailed, er... someone-or-other about the OTA mapping problems I've got locally (Baton Rouge, LA).

There are 3 HD local channels broadcasting here (that I'm sure of), ABC, CBS, and PBS. The PBS and CBS channels are mapped fine -- but the ABC one is mapped incorrectly. There are two ABC digital feeds, one of which is the "real" channel, and the other of which is a cheesy local area radar feed with the current national weather service bulletins looped.

Only one of those two ABC digital feeds gets picked up by the Voom tuner -- the radar thing. My old OTA tuner picked up both just fine (using its auto-scan feature), and since part of the appeal of Voom was that I'd be able to recoup a bit of the expense of that OTA tuner, I'd definitely like to see Voom map the ABC channel properly.

AntennaWeb.org says that I should also have an NBC digital signal, but I didn't pick that one up with the old box, and even though I had them install the Voom OTA antenna so it should be pointed dead center towards the NBC antenna, that doesn't mean it will pick it up. Still, it'd be nice if it were at least mapped, and there's nothing even mapped for NBC.

Is there any timeline on when we'll see a software update to implement scanning rather than mapping? This mapping stuff definitely leaves a bit to be desired.

 

[GadgetRick]

Jumping for joy...

Well, sat down to watch some HD last night and, guess what? I have my locals mapped!!! WooHOO! Let's hope they don't get unmapped...

Don't know why, don't know how. Wish I did though. It's a little disconcerting to know I may lose this info at any time and not know how to get it back.

Anyone else notice this last night?

The Rickster

 

[dledeaux]

Update on my locals situation:

For the longest time, my locals only showed 0-4 0-8 and 0-10. This was due to no locals being mapped to my region. Now, after working with various people, I have 2 of my locals in my guide. 19-1 and 56-1.

Since some locals started showing up I decided to get my antenna upgraded. Yesterday, they put my antenna in; a Winegard 7082. We first pointed it at 198 degrees toward 19-1 and got nothing. Then we turned it towards 56-1 at 219 degrees and got nothing. So we plugged it into the analog tuner and tuned in to the analog version of 56-1. This channel came in so unbelievebly clear that it actually looked better than the cable version in the POP window.

So, I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't something else wrong with the mapping on the channel. Like maybe it's trying to tune to the wrong frequency? According to antennaweb the channel on 19-1 should actually be 18-1 and it's not scheduled to be live until June 4th. I just wonder if they didn't mess something up on my 56-1. (I sure would love an autoscan feature!)

Finally, the other half of my problem is that I don't have all of my locals showing up in my guide. Antennaweb lists the following channels available in my area:
* red - uhf KETK-DT 56.1 NBC JACKSONVILLE TX 219° 44.0 22
* blue - uhf KFXK-DT 31.1 FOX LONGVIEW TX 134° 7.0 31
* blue - uhf KTBS-DT 3.1 ABC Shreveport LA 73° 51.4 28
* violet - uhf KMSS-DT 34.1 FOX SHREVEPORT LA 75° 51.1 34

And zap2it lists these channels for my area:
3.1
3.3
12.1
19.1
56.1

(I happen to know for a fact that there are more channels coming out of Shreveport than are listed and those are the ones I'm REALLY interested in)

So there is my local channel saga!

 

[DarrellP]

I've been with Voom for a month now and still don't have my Fox WS channel so I called Voom this morning, the CSR called Installs INC, came back on the line and said they are working on it and I should get it in the next few days.

 

[oddwunn]

It's been 9 days for me and I have no locals at all. What is the average wait time (if there is such a thing) to get locals remapped?

 

[n0qcu]

I don't know the average wait time, but I've been waitng about 7 weeks & am still waiting.

 

[DarrellP]

I had mine from day 1, I guess it depends on where you live and if they have you mapped yet. You can go into the setup menus and see what your OTA location map is.

 

[oddwunn]

Voom refuses to remap OTA locals (fixed!)

After waiting 9 days to get my OTA locals remapped, I just called back Voom and have been told that they cannot remap my locals due to FCC rulings regarding the zip code in which I live in and what locals MUST be mapped to my zip code. Since I live in RI, my locals have been mapped to Providence, RI (0048), but there is only one OTA station broadcasting in HD.

Boston and Worcester, MA, (0006) have quite a few HD stations and is the only area where I can actually receive any decent amount of HD programming.

This situation is absolutely ridiculous, because as far as I know, the FCC ruling only applies to the satellite broadcasting of network affiliates, and does not apply to over the air reception. I mean, if my antenna can receive the Boston stations, then I am free to tune in whatever is in the air, right?

Voom has told me that the reason is due to the fact that the OTA signal goes through the Voom box, but this simply makes no sense at all, as the signal is not passing through any decryption circuitry (like the satellite signals). Also, I mentioned that eventually the software update is supposed to switch to a channel scanning format, and when it does, I will be getting the Boston locals anyway, so why isn't that against FCC regulations?

Grrrr...

 

[oddwunn]

I don't know the average wait time, but I've been waitng about 7 weeks & am still waiting.

Maybe you are just being refused and they didn't bother to tell you.

Read this:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=12082

 

[seandudley]

Seems rediculous to me! May try shooting Wilt an email at the Voom Yahoo Groups board, he seems to be pretty good at getting rediculous things resolved. Good luck.

 

[oddwunn]

I tried, Sean, but even though I joined the Yahoo group a couple of days ago, I have yet to receive an email from the group, and when I tried posting everything looks like it went through but the post doesn't show up in the list. They call that a forum?

 

[madpoet]

Hopefully the code release will come soon that will allow manual mapping of OTA>