VOOM STB Version 7.26 (2.30): Features/Bugs/Requests

[Ilya]

Let's use this thread for reporting new issues and feature suggestions only. Please, do not post any questions here. Use other threads for discussion of specific issues.

VOOM STB Version 7.26 (aka Software version 2.30)
Version 7.26 (released on November 16, 2004) is the latest VOOM STB software version. It has introduced some new features and addressed several important issues.

New features introduced in 7.26 (since 6.20)

1. Caller ID display.
2. Quick Settings screen ("*" button) for enabling Caller ID and Closed Captioning.
3. Super-DMA capability.
4. Internal changes for future PPV functionality and DVR compatibility.​

Issues Addressed in 7.26 (since 6.20)

1. The PG now displays 3 lines of program description
2. Program name with quotation marks is now displayed on the Info screen
3. Yellow "Add to Planner" icon no longer stays on screen
4. Temporary screen black-out and/or DVI synchronization loss when switching channels - no longer happens
5. No sound (or no picture) after switching channels - fixed​

New Issues (in 7.26)

1. Caller ID does not always work, or sometimes shows previous caller.
2. Frequent lockups when connected to the phone line.
3. PIN Code may not work after the version update.
4. Unable to enter the Installation Wizard ("The Dreaded Wizard Trap")​

5. Hidden OTA channels re-appear after reboot

Important Outstanding Issues

1. Occacional problems with Closed Captioning (not fixed completely)
2. Stuck pixels after navigating through the Program Guide
3. Problems with HD Audio & Video Test
4. PG Navigation does not always preserve the Channel Selection
5. The OK button does not always select the program in the Surf Bar
6. Black screen after exiting System Settings
7. Vertical colored line in the middle of the screen on (all) SD channels ([post=107759]picture[/post])
8. The Program Planner occasionally fails to switch channels
9. STB reboots when switching certain OTA channels in Massachusetts.​

Issues reported in 6.20, which are not yet verified in 7.26

1. The STB spontaneously turns on at night
2. Lockup when rapidly switching channels (improved, but not fixed completely)
3. Wrong channel number shown
4. Channel number displayed in the PG without channel description
5. Unable to hide the last channel when the OTA map consists of 11 channels​

VOOM STB Version 7.0B (aka V00.02.10)
Version 7.0B (released on October 6) is a maintenance update. No new noticeable features imtroduced. Most changes are internal, that had to be done in order to enable future PPV functionality and for compatibility with the upcoming DVR. Certain previously reported bugs are fixed, but not all of them.

Issues Addressed in 7.0B

1. The PG only displays 2 out of 3 lines of program description
2. Program description with quotation marks is not displayed
3. Yellow "Add to Planner" icon stays on screen in certain cases​

New Issues (in 7.0B)

1. Temporary screen black-out and/or DVI synchronization loss when switching channels
2. Lockup when switching resolution with the red button​

VOOM STB Version 6.20 (aka V00.01.20)
Version 6.20 (released on August 12) is an update that fixes a couple of important issues discovered in version 6.10

Issues Addressed (since 06.10)

1. Semi-transparent Surf Bar
2. Frequent break-ups on all satellite channels after tuning to a weak OTA station
​

New Issues (in 6.20)

1. Occasional lockup when checking signal strength of a weak OTA station​

VOOM STB Version 6.10 (aka V00.01.10)
(Most of this also applies to version 6.00 which was shipped with some STBs in July)

New features (introduced since 05.68)

1. Installation Wizard
2. OTA channel scanning
3. Channel List (capability to hide OTA channels)
4. Resolution selection through the menu
5. The Program Guide now starts on current channel (but only when "All" is selected)​

Issues Addressed (since 05.68)

1. Temporary screen black-out or "snow" effect when switching channels (improved but not fixed completely)
2. Microstutter/frame drop on all channels, including OTA
3. Closed Captioning (improved)
4. Black screen after pressing WATCH in Configuration
5. Wrong Polarity Displayed in "manual tuning"
6. Program Planner does not work with PlayboyHD: the STB locks up
​

New Issues (introduced in 6.00 and 6.10)

1. Semi-transparent Surf Bar in certain cases.
2. Frequent break-ups on all satellite channels after tuning to a weak OTA station
3. Unable to hide the last channel when the OTA map consists of 11 channels​

VOOM Issues that are not software related

1. Video noise (“sparklies”) on certain SD channels, e.g. 403.
2. Occasional sound and video dropouts on various channels.
3. Occasional Black screen during the program on various channels.​

Feature Suggestions
(This list is far from being complete. Please post your additional requests in this thread)

1. Discrete power on/off IR codes for programmable remotes
2. PG should always start on current channel, including Favorites and Themes
3. Search feature for the PG (by name or partial name)
4. Ability to scroll the PG one line at a time
5. A full-screen option in PG
6. One-button PG (instead of VOOM+OK)
7. Satellite channels that are not subscribed should not be shown (except for PPV)
8. An option to have transparent menus to help avoid burn-in
9. Ability to enter sub-channels (e.g. 5-3)
10. Ability to un-lock channels (parental control) for several hours
11. Program planner should allow for daily or weekly repeats
12. Multiple Favorite lists (?)
13. A semi-native resolution mode, where only 720p is converted to 1080i
14. On-screen CallerID display​

Previous software versions and related threads
Voom Box Version V00.05.68. Bugs/Problems/Feature Requests
Voom Box Version V00.05.5c. Bugs/Problems/Feature Requests
Voom Box Version V00.05.08. Bugs/Problems/Feature Requests

P.S. This thread was originally created for version 05.68, but many of the issues, observations and feature suggestions posted in it are still relevant in 6.10 and 7.0B. So, instead of reposting them all over again, let's continue this thread. I have deleted all messages that are no longer relevant and have edited the first posting of this thread to reflect the latest released version. A copy of the original 05.68 thread is saved here for historical purposes.

 

[Ilya]

The occasional no-sound (or sometimes no-picture) issue after switching channels it is still not fixed completely. Switching channels back and forth usually resolves this problem.

 

[Sean Mota]

Sean,

What problem are you seeing with video output (number 3 on your list)?

Carlos

The main function of this is to adjust over/under scanning on the video output. Do not know if it's channel independent or one setting will work for all channels. Anyway, after clicking "return and save", you may think that the setting you have chosen was saved but after hitting the "watch" button or "back" button to go back to watch the program, you find that the new setting was never saved.

 

[vurbano]

I see no problems with this reciever or remote now since the update. I would suggest that the voom channel menu should bring one back to the current channel position in the channel list rather than starting from the beginning each time. And a previous channel feature in the programming would be cool for those of us buying improved remotes.

 

[Ilya]

"Stuck Pixels" bug

OK, this is a good one! I've been hunting this bug for some time and finally it is caught! If you want to see it, follow the steps below. But hurry up! I will be displaying it only till midnight on Saturday!

This is a really ugly-looking bug! And yes, you can actually see it! It looks like a worm (or a snake) with a white head and a black tail. And it is very scary, especially for those of us with LCD TV sets! (Stuck pixels is our worst nightmare...) Fortunately the bug seems to be harmless, unless you leave it on-screen for a long time

I think I've seen this bug before. And others reported it too. But this is the first time I can reliably reproduce it. Too bad I haven't caught it on April 1. Would've made a good joke...

Symptoms
On some occasions after closing the PG window with the WATCH button, I see groups of stuck white and black pixels on the screen. They stay on even if I switch channels. Bringing the main menu with the VOOM button clears them. I think this problem is caused by a mistake in the STB software that is responsible for clearing the screen when the WATCH button is pressed in the PG.

Steps to reproduce the problem
(Note: this works on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only! So, try this right away!)

1. Switch your STB to the 1080i mode.
2. Open the on-screen Program Guide by pressing VOOM and then "OK".
3. Note the word "Today" above the program grid.
4. Scroll the program list to the right until the word "Today" changes to the word "Sunday".
5. Press WATCH. A group of pixels will remain on the screen in the area where the end of the word "Sunday" was displayed.

Stuck pixels are also caused by certain program descriptions in the Program Guide. I noticed that some long descriptions ending with a letters "o" and "s" in the PG occasionally leave a group of white pixels in the middle of the screen when you press "Watch". The pixels are left-overs from those letters. I was able to reproduce this, but couldn't figure any pattern...

Enjoy!

 

[Ilya]

Info screen does not show titles in double-quotes.

Symptoms
In the Program Guide some program titles include text with double-quotes. This text is not displayed in the Info screen. I don't know if this is a bug, or it's done by design, but in some cases the result might be confusing (see example below).

Steps to reproduce the problem
1. Open the PG.
2. Navigate to Sunday 4/4 8 PM on channel 125 RAVE.
3. Note the program title: Rave in Concert "The Branford Marsalis Quartet..."
4. Press INFO button. Note, that the title name does not contain the name of the quartet. In the PG this is not a big problem, but in the Surf Bar it is somewhat confusing to read the following:
Rave in concert.
See and hear the musical scope of this Grammy-Award winning tenor saxophonist. Produced in High Definition. (Which saxophonist? - the name is missing!)

 

[Ti-maniac]

Although its been requested before, I would like to request it again:

Please discrete power codes for voom box.

Thanks,

 

[DarrellP]

No idea, since that was the only time I've used it.

Does anyone know if there is a way to make the Planner "power-on" be the default? It seems like this should be the default anyway.

 

[oddwunn]

Feature requests:

1. Please make the main guide begin at the currently viewed channel, not always starting at channel 100. I know that the surf guide does this, but it takes too long to view one channel at a time. And I think this has already been requested, please make the guides transparent, or at least make it an option. Both of these requests should be able to be handled easily in the system settings.

2. The guide needs a lot of work. It should cover at least 2 hours on a single screen with the time increments marked, as well as an indicator showing the user where he is in time currently.

3. The guide should be a single button hit that does not require hitting the "Voom" button first. I know there are ways around this, but it should work this way by default. "Guide" and "menu" should be two independent buttons.

4. Assign a "clear screen" button somewhere. This is desperately needed, as it is a royal pain to keep using the "back" button over and over again until the screen is cleared.

Bug report:

1. S-video output sync signal needs work. It does not sync up properly to an InFocus X1, yet 6 other s-video sources have synced up properly, so I have to assume that something is funky with the Voom box's sync.

2. High definition output from the component outputs is not being scaled correctly by the Voom box, requiring aspect ratio adjustment from the display device. Once again, all other HD sources display correctly on the same projector, so I must assume that something is awry with the Voom 1080i signal.

Edit: It looks like this is not a bug after all, but is actually very poor engineering. Voom is assuming that every HD display device is formatted 16:9, and this is simply not the case. Front projectors, for example, come both in 16:9 and 4:3 varieties, and Voom needs to provide a control that selects the aspect ratio of the display device, and then allows the user to control the AR from there.

3. IRD still locks up for no apparent reason.

4. Some channels blacked out, but returning to them makes them appear.

5. Pixelization on channel changes still needs to be addressed.

6. Audio dropouts still need fixing.

 

[vurbano]

i agree the main guide should start with the channel you just came from.

 

[Trouthead]

agreed

Having the PG go back to the start each time is counter intuitive. It should start up where you left off. I'd also like to see how many minutes are left in any program.

 

[DarrellP]

Does anyone else find it irritating that the Surf direction is opposite between the Surf Bar and the Guide? I'm so used to going DOWN in the Guide to get to a higher channel number that when I have the Surf Bar showing, I always go the wrong way since you have to push UP to go up.

 

[DarrellP]

Here's another one: In the Planner, put the total time for the show. To record, I have to add a show to the planner then set the recording time on my DVHS recorder and I always have to go back through the Surf Bar to the time of the show to find out the length if I forgot it or didn't set the recorder's timer first.

Has anyone tried the conflict resolution with the Planner yet? If so, how does it work?

 

[rexoverbey]

I would like to make a few request. Things I had in other receivers before.

1. The guide be able to switch to view more channels at once.
2. A search menu to be able to find a program at a later time. Guide Search, by credits, title, text, category
3. Automatically bring up the channel guide without having to hit all channels button.
4. Have a reminder setting to view a program you select for a later time.
5. Be able to change aspect ratio within the receiver.
6. Be able to manually enter an OTA channel.
7. DVR! With a good sized hard drive at no extra costs.
8. On-screen Caller ID Number

 

[bbtkd]

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!

 

[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

 

[mkwillia]

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

 

[Ken F]

Set-top Box & Remote Wish List

1. When displaying guide, move to current channel, rather than channel 100. Do this on favorites too!
2. 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.
3. Add at least two more favorites lists; pressing favorites button while guide is up would cycle between them.
4. Better support for 4:3 HD displays. Described here.
5. 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.
6. Add option to hide channels that you don't subscribe to.
7. 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.
8. When on a channel, only a single Info button press should be required to bring up info -- not two presses.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Faster guide scrolling -- you shouldn't see it refreshing as you scroll.
12. Add option for translucent VOOM guide with more listings. This would display guide information for more channels at once (8?), but without picture window in corner. See example.
13. Make surf bar and info screen translucent.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. Add option for black or grey bars.
17. 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