Washington D.C. Metro area Voomers

[Wayne88]

Comcast and locals

i am going to either go comcast or ota if voom lets me. but if they don't can i hook up the ota antenna to comcast somehow. i am able to get bmore channels in hd but wont if i go to comcast. does anyone know if this is possible?

If you are going to comcast, you will get your HD locals automatically without need of OTA. I still hope that OTA works so that if and when Cable service is down you can still watch local HD.
Wayne

 

[jgantert]

Welp, I'm with Comcast in Howard Co, MD now... At first I was reasonably impressed, but the more I try to do with the HD DVR, the more I dislike it. I got the 8000HD box and it doesnt do SD and HD at the same time... no DVI... Dolby Digital audio skips during playback... extremely basic EPG (simular to Voom's except in 8 bit 4:3 mode). Actually the EPG is WORSE than Voom's because when you scroll left/right it actually moves the time, not just the cursor. So you need to scroll right twice, click info, then scroll left twice to get back to the current time. ALSO, you cant change the PG channel without changing the actual channel. UGH!

Who designed this awful thing??? Man, I've only had cable since Saturday, and I'm already back to using my Voom box as my main box. I've actually used Zap2It to find programming, then went thru the EPG to set up DVR recordings because that's easier than trying to use the EPG on the 8000HD....

-John

PS> Just checked, and the 8300HD is not available in my area...

 

[riffjim4069]

WUSA-DT News Ready to Rock in 7 Days

Image current being displayed on the WUSATV9.com website.

 

[566]

fwiw: dish offer (silver spring area) - no new info here...

no information here that's not in the 'Voom News and Developments' thread "It's Official - VOOM ON DISH NETWORK!"

still...

i'm in the silver spring area.
i called dish - this is what i understood - numbers are mostly rounded.
inital call, didn't schedule installation.
i called the number displayed on the voom screen 1-800-969-HDTV
the guy i spoke with was polite, concise (most important), knowledgable, and didn't pressure (would've hurt his "concise" assessment)...

i have 1 hd & 1 reg set & not a former dish sub. - so this scenario is for that - i think it's the same for up to 4 rooms. i'm bummed dish won't have LAB (channel, at least as part of the inital 10voomchannels).

free equipment: dvr, hd rec'vr, dish, additional dish for locals + voom

free installation

1 time 50 activation fee, credited toward later payments

service: assload of channels (18o sd?) - $32/mo for 3 months,
$53 thereafter OR after 3 mo. $32 for less channels (or in between).

HD Pac - free for 6 mo. - $10 thereafter

DVR use fee (or whatnot) - $5 / mo from the beginning

expected payments (note, i'm kinda dumb and bad at math)

1st payment: $86
mo. 1-3: $37/mo (-50 activation fee paid above)
mo. 3-6: $58/mo (or $37 if package is reduced)
mo. 6 -> $68/mo (assuming full package)

local mapping for dc & hagerstown (reliability unconfirmed and skeptical)
1 yr committment.
i'll probably order this week.

hope this helps.
please feel free to point out mistakes or ommissions or things heard otherwise
peace,
6

ps: i don't dig cable tv, it's regulation (prices) and i think that voom failing (if you can call it that) is sad - but i have no regret,

 

[jgantert]

Man, I'ld love to do that, but I'm going to wait. I'm with Comcast and its $48/month for 16 months. Simular to the Dish 180 pack (includes Encore movie channels), but without the VoomHD channels.

Also, now that I'm a CATV customer, it saves me $15 on the internet service. So, the Dish would end up costing me (at the $68/month price) $35 a month more. Right now I'm just not willing to do it.

But my frustrations with the CATV HD-DVR may sway me in the coming weeks.

-John

 

[riffjim4069]

John, the broadband discount sure is nice, but (as in my case) Adelphia is Adelphia. It's kind of funny, but after all the complaining we used to hear about VOOMs pricing it's poetic justice that it turned out to the best bargain around. Anyway, we went back to CATV two weeks ago, but we really haven't used it yet even with the DVR - still waiting for VOOM to go dark. I'm seriously considering going with E*: same price months 1-3, $22 more months 4-6, and $32 more months 7-12. After month 12 the price difference will only be $12, but by that time I'll be looking at other options.

What really sucks is Adelphia is the only broadband provider in town. We can't even get DSL which would save us $25 a month compared to Adelphia's stand alone price. It's a good thing Verizon is negotiating a franchise agreement with the County and bringing FTTP and FiOS to the area. We still need more and better choices. Ugh!

 

[Wayne88]

Comcast vs Dish

Hey John,

Although I told you earlier about cancelling Comcast installation due to a very late installer (and that I ordered Dish install while waiting for Comcast installer), I since re-scheduled Comcast and then re-cancelled it (I have never felt so indecisive). I have been adding this question to several threads (still waiting for an answer). Which is better Comcast HD picture quality or Dish HD picture quality. Which is the closest to Voom? I really need to know which one to stick with. I can have a new Comcast installation as early as Monday while my Dish installation is set for the 10th of May.
I am set with both Comcast and Dish (until I cancel installation for the one with the worse PQ) for a 3 room set with HD in all 3 rooms and all the premiums. After the 3 month break on the America's everything Dish plan, and the 6 months of free HD, I will be paying $101.99/month to Dish compared to $74.99/month with Comcast (at least for 1 year). Dish has already taken the $250 bite out of credit card for the 942 (plus the refundable $49.99 for installation). I am willing to pay $27 more per month (after promotional period) for Dish if the picture quality in HD is decent and not like what I hear about Directv (with whom I only had Standard Def).
Thanks!
Wayne

 

[jgantert]

riff, Hold off on using that DVR until you have to... It's done nothing but piss me off... Gets me upset just thinking about it!!! Argh!!! I used to have Verizon DSL, but it was too slow here (only 768kbits). Takes 18 hours to download a DVD, with Comcast 4mbit I can do it in 3 hours. (I hear with FIOS it would be around 20 minutes!!!)

Wayne, Comcast HD is good in my area. Better than Voom, IMHO. Not nearly as soft, and no artifacts that I notice. Still some pixelation, especially in some of the INHD basketball games. However, INHD is incredible quality (horrible content, tho). Before the new encoders, I'ld give the edge to Voom, but as they are now, definately Comcast. On the flip side, Comcast SD sucks (analog 2-99).

Sean has already reported (and I believe him) that D*, E* and V* are all simular on HD quality. From what I read, my 8000HD box can only do 860 horizontal resolution, but I dunno... looks good to me. So I'm guessing HD-Lite should be ok as well...

-John

 

[Wayne88]

Thanks for the HD PQ info!

riff, I used to have Verizon DSL, but it was too slow here (only 768kbits). Takes 18 hours to download a DVD, with Comcast 4mbit I can do it in 3 hours. (I hear with FIOS it would be around 20 minutes!!!)

Wayne, Comcast HD is good in my area. Better than Voom, IMHO. Not nearly as soft, and no artifacts that I notice. Still some pixelation, especially in some of the INHD basketball games. However, INHD is incredible quality (horrible content, tho). Before the new encoders, I'ld give the edge to Voom, but as they are now, definately Comcast. On the flip side, Comcast SD sucks (analog 2-99).

Sean has already reported (and I believe him) that D*, E* and V* are all simular on HD quality. From what I read, my 8000HD box can only do 860 horizontal resolution, but I dunno... looks good to me. So I'm guessing HD-Lite should be ok as well...

It is good to know that based on what you say

-John

Thanks John,

So whether I choose Dish or Comcast, the HD PQ should be acceptable by Voom HD standards. One minute I want to stick with Comcast install and the next, it is Dish. Well anyway the 942 won't ship before Monday and the Dish installation is not til Tuesday of the following week. I can flip 1000 coins by Monday morning (and probably will).
By the way they uncapped the Verizon DSL and lowered the price. To make way for FIOS pricing. For where I am my 1.5 mbps download and 135kbps upload speed went to nearly 3mbps download and over 700kbps upload. And best of all the price went down from $34.95/month to $29.95/month. I guess for $49.95 you can get 15mbps download and 2mbps upload with Verizon FIOS (Can't wait....could be what we move to after Dish and Comcast for HD content).
Wayne

 

[jgantert]

Well, my verizon cap is 18000 feet from the CO. So 768 is the physical limit for me.

As for Comcast, I'ld give them a try. No commitment sealed it for me. I can try to live with their DVR, and if I can't I'm not out anything!

Oh, as for simular channels (per your PM), Discover and TNT-HD were nearly identical from V* to C*. ESPNHD looks better on C* then it did on V*. OTA looks better on V* (duh, true ota having more bandwidth, I bet.).

-John

PS> Maybe you'll get lucky and get a good Moto box. Sounds like some areas have rolled back to the old single tuner Moto box because of problems with the dual tuner model (or just short supply).

 

[riffjim4069]

On which E* Sats are the DC locals?

Sorry, this really is a question for the E* Forum, but I just can't bring myself to post on the darkside. Anyway, how do I find which E* Sat my locals on? Also, while I do not specifically care to receive them...there are 2 or 3 PBS channels that require 2nd dish. I'm in the the Washington DC area and noticed that some of my neighbors have two dishes: one pointing 110-119'ish and the other pointing towards 61.5.

Can I assume the bulk of programming is coming from 110-119???
Can I assume the other 2-3 locals are coming from 61.5?
Where do I locate this information?

Offhand, it appears that requesting the 2nd locals dish will also take care of the VOOM dish requirement as well.

Thanks in advance...

John, I've used the SA8300HD DVRs. They actually work pretty well, but I need more HD channels. Local Adelphia cannot add more HD since they are still rebuilding the cable headend...2-4 months away...and E* doesn't appear to want my business.

 

[Wayne88]

61.5

From what I heard (might be wrong), 61.5 is for locals and international channels around here (I'm in B'more, MD). I hope that we won't have to pay for installation of 2nd dish to point at 110. I am going to call them now. I still teatering back and forth between Dish and Comcast. All I need to do is hear that Comcast might pick up some of the originals from Voom and the balance will be tipped (or hear that my Dish installation is not free after the $49.99 credit).
Wayne

 

[Wayne88]

Comcast vs Dish

Well, my verizon cap is 18000 feet from the CO. So 768 is the physical limit for me.

As for Comcast, I'ld give them a try. No commitment sealed it for me. I can try to live with their DVR, and if I can't I'm not out anything!

Oh, as for simular channels (per your PM), Discover and TNT-HD were nearly identical from V* to C*. ESPNHD looks better on C* then it did on V*. OTA looks better on V* (duh, true ota having more bandwidth, I bet.).

-John

PS> Maybe you'll get lucky and get a good Moto box. Sounds like some areas have rolled back to the old single tuner Moto box because of problems with the dual tuner model (or just short supply).

Wow John! you are far from Verizon central office. I am 4800 feet away and get those nearly 3mbps. I wonder if the distance will be as important with Fiber (FIOS) as it is with copper (probably not).

I just left an email and voice message with the Comcast direct sales guy (much nicer than those Comcast CSRs) stating if he can get me the install tomorrow plus the $20 reduction to my first bill for missed appointment window, I will cancell my Dish installation (and get my $299.99 back) for the 10th of May and go with the committment free Comcast (hoping that they too will pick up some of the Voom originals or at least get TNTHD in this area too before the end of the NBA playoffs). If I don't hear from him soon though, I might stay with Dish. I am happy to hear about Comcast HD picture quality too thanks!
Wayne

 

[jgantert]

John, I've used the SA8300HD DVRs. They actually work pretty well, but I need more HD channels.

Yeah, the 8300 has SD & HD as well as DVI (or is it HDMI or something). Oh well.

Seems like this box is fairly reliable tho... Not too many issues about what actually works.

-John

 

[riffjim4069]

Did anyone catch WUSA-DT's News9 last night. The HD production, to include a great deal of HD cameras in the fields, was excellent. I used to the local FOX or NBC news...until now. Great job WUSA-DT!!!

 

[jgantert]

Yeah, looked nice. I wish the weather maps were in HD, tho...

-John