VOOM STB Version 00.05.68: Features/Bugs/Requests

[Walter L.]

I suspect that a significant number of problems that we encounter are due to signal strength issues. To help us get a handle on that, it would sure be nice if the main Voom menu page displayed the signal strength/quality of the current channel. That way when we experience problems, we can quickly determine signal strength without having to go through several menus and put up with the beeping. I think we'll be able to identify antenna issues more easily also - if I am suddenly getting low signal strength I may run outside to find birds sitting on the feed!

That would be a very practical feature

 

[Ilya]

... determine signal strength without having to go through several menus and put up with the beeping...

What beeping? May be you are going to the wrong place to check the signal strength. Try this: Help-Info-OK and then press Down key 2 or 3 times. I even made a small macro for my Harmony remote to do it one click

 

[bbtkd]

What beeping? May be you are going to the wrong place to check the signal strength. Try this: Help-Info-OK and then press Down key 2 or 3 times. I even made a small macro for my Harmony remote to do it one click

If you go to the installation menu there is a screen for setup. It has signal strength and it beeps loudly - the idea is that the installer can crank the TV, open a window, and then move the dish around until it beeps. I wasn't aware of the other location - still it would be great if we can get it on the main menu.

 

[timfouts]

A peaker signal strength meter will solve that ackward idea

 

[mkwillia]

I would hope that the overscan issue(s) would be somewhat addressed.
Mike

 

[415Scope]

After receiving the 5.68 update, I notice my call back number is "0" - call back "unsuccessful". Before the update it was a 1-800-xxx-xxxxx number. Anyone else noticed this? I've rebooted the unit a few times since but still no call back number (not sure if that was term). I have a service call scheduled for today to fix my 0 OTA channels. I'll see if the service guy can figure this out.

 

[Ilya]

After receiving the 5.68 update, I notice my call back number is "0" - call back "unsuccessful"

Yes, the phone number is missing since version 05.5c. Don't worry about it. You do not need to initiate any report-backs really.

 

[415Scope]

Yes, the phone number is missing since version 05.5c. Don't worry about it. You do not need to initiate any report-backs really.

Cool, Thanks! I guess I'll just worry about getting my OTA fix now.

 

[Ken F]

Set-top Box & Remote Wish List

1. Add OTA scanning, with channel mapping ability for primary and secondary markets (ex: DC & Baltimore stations).
2. Add point-antenna screen or other means to easily access OTA signal strength to aid in antenna pointing.
3. Eliminate stutters on both locals and satellite channels.
4. When displaying guide, move to current channel, rather than channel 100.
5. Using channel up/down should always skip channels that you don't subscribe to -- it should not give the user a black screen, as it does now.
6. Add at least two more favorites lists; pressing favorites button while guide is up would cycle between them.
7. Better support for 4:3 HD displays. Described here.
8. Show channel logos in guide. For example, when HBO channel is selected in the guide, show the HBO logo on the top-left of the screen (just above the program description), rather than the VOOM logo.
9. Add option to hide channels that you don't subscribe to.
10. In Program Planner, make sure the box will power itself on and set auto-tune (not remind) as the default. Also add daily and weekly settings.
11. When on a channel, only a single Info button press should be required to bring up info -- not two presses.
12. Enable the red, green, and yellow buttons so they can be used to actually surf among exclusives, channels showing HD, and the current favorites without having to bring up another menu. Alternatively, have these buttons bring up guides with these channels when pressed without another button.
13. Modify VOOM button behavior to bring up the last selected guide/channel configuration when it is pressed while watching a channel; have the VOOM button display the VOOM menu when it is pressed from the channel guide.
14. Faster guide scrolling -- you shouldn't see it refreshing as you scroll.
15. Add option for translucent VOOM guide. This would display guide information for more channels at once (8?), but without picture window in corner. See example.
16. Make better use of BCM703x's 3D capabilities. Right now, everything is 2D. Refine the look of the guide and menus to make them more 3D, if it can be done without slowing responsiveness. The guide and menus should look like more modern than customer's old SD box from Dish or digital cable. See these two DirecTV guides as examples: #1, #2.
17. Add an aspect mode to crop the bars off content upconverted--with bars--by the networks. This would allow for stretching of this content on widescreen displays, and full-screen display on 4:3 displays. Enable the * button on the remote for aspect changes.
18. Add option for black or grey bars.
19. Show third line of program description.

 

[a&m 350z]

I have read of this problem:
"On some SD channels, I notice some heavy white scratches appearing a lot. Some Sd channels are fine, other have this problem. Not sure how to explain, but they are about 1-2 pixels tall, and 10-15 wide, and are very frequent on brighter colors like solid green and red. I've never seen anything like this before."
I am having what sounds to be very similiar. Very distracting. Has anybody found a solution? Would a new box solve the problem. I took a close up picture of it.

 

[Ilya]

a&m 350z,
Welcome to the Forum!
I think I had a very similar problem on most of my SD channels and a reboot took care of it. Try this, see if it works for you: Press the power button on the STB itself and hold it for 6 seconds. This will initiate a reboot. Give the Program Guide a few minutes to load. Hope this helps.

Edit: I am not positive that this is the same issue, but here is the thread that discussed a similar problem that I was having a few days ago: Vertical colored line on SD channels

 

[NoVAHD]

I don't know if anybody out there has the same problem but ever since my box was upgraded to version 5.68, I've been experiencing some audio problem during channel surfing. I got no sound at all when I change the channels. It doesn't happen all the time so it's kind of hard to explain. The only way to fix is to change the channels back and forth several times.

 

[DarrellP]

I have this same issue now and then.

 

[occammd]

it happens to me as well

 

[Lucky]

I don't know if anybody out there has the same problem but ever since my box was upgraded to version 5.68, I've been experiencing some audio problem during channel surfing. I got no sound at all when I change the channels. It doesn't happen all the time so it's kind of hard to explain. The only way to fix is to change the channels back and forth several times.

I have this, as well. I have to go channel back and forth to get the sound to drop in. It happens some of the time. Not all of the time.

 

[Ilya]

If you check [post=81299]the first page[/post] of this thread, this issue is the first one on the list of outstanding issues. VOOM is aware of it. Hopefuly it will be fixed soon.

 

[NoVAHD]

Thanks All,

Now I know why I love this forum so much :-.

 

[a&m 350z]

I think that worked. Thanks for the help and sorry for the confusion I posted in the wrong software section the first time.

 

[Ilya]

I think that worked.

Reboot? Glad to hear it helped!

Thanks for the help and sorry for the confusion I posted in the wrong software section the first time.

No problem! It's too easy to confuse the version numbers, I think moderators should simply lock those older threads about retired versions...

Ehjoy your VOOM!

 

[txcruiser]

Parental Locks

At the very top of this thread listed 12th in enhancement requests is...

12. Ability to un-lock channels (parental control) for several hours

This is confusing to me since here is how parental locking is currently working for me...

After inputing my PIN , the channel remains unlocked no matter how many times I leave the channel and come back.
The only way I can get the channel to become locked again (and prompt for the PIN) is to turn off the STB and turn it on again. Is anyone else experiencing this undesireable behavior? I don't mind the idea of having the ability to unlock a channel for several hours but let's first get the basics of parental locking working.