West Coast VOOM Issues

[Seawaves]

TVLman...

Yes, I do get the pixalization, alot when I change channels. It's like the bird is moving too fast in space for my dish to catch up, lol.

 

[heaphy]

Hi Heaphy -

Thanks for your post! Glad to hear you are getting VOOM loud and clear in nearby Napa Valley.

If VOOM's HD is less important to you than local channels, I suppose switching to DirecTV is your best option. But your other "cake and eat it too" option is to keep your VOOM and add local analog cable for about $18 a month.

Thanks, 1080iWannabe, for the suggestions,

I want to have the local broadcast channels in HD as well as the satellite HD content, if I am going to keep VOOM. I am unconvinced that VOOM's company-specific content is all that worthwhile or exceptional. The movies seem mostly old, and are repeated way too often. The antique show is beautiful, and I have enjoyed watching it several times, but not enough to pay $85 a month for it. DirecTV also claims to offer lots of HD content and it is increasing as time goes by. Has anyone been dissatisfied with DirecTV and more satisfied with VOOM?

Jim Heaphy
heaphy@aol.com

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

Hey Heaphy -

I don't even have mine installed yet. But one thing I am banking on, after the next software release and when the VOOM box has channel scanning instead of mapping, is to connect my local cable to the OTA feed and use the VOOM box to render local broadcast HD. The only obstacle (folks here say) will be if the HD is not carried on cable. But I think it is. I'll find out soon enough.

If that doesn't work, I could rent a HD receiver for $5 a month from Comcast to render local broadcast HD and pipe that to the HDTV. You could do the same. Just a thought.

I just hope my install goes well....

 

[sat4me]

Just wondering if anybody has any good or bad things to say about DishConnect installers. They do northern California and parts of Colorado. "ranked as one of the top five largest installation companies in the country" www.dishconnect.com

They are doing my install on Friday, 5/21. Hoping for a textbook install.

TIA,
- 1080iWannaBe

DishConnect did my install in San Ramon, CA. The installer Rick was awesome. Very professional. They confirmed all the info before he came out, he was on time too! Had some problems with the stealth antenna, and in my area, reception is hard because of being somewhat in a valley area and sutro tower is not at all in line of site. They upgraded me to the 8-bay winegard antenna and even with that no go on the majors.
I bet there in Santa Rosa getting any local off-air reception or from anywhere will be very difficult too, had an uncle that used to live up there, never was able to with any antenna and he had to get cable, good luck.
Anyway, DishConnect was good. Talk to Ryan at their office if you have any questions, or problems, he seemed to really know about VOOM.
I'am very happy with VOOM and the service. Sorry so many of you others have had horror stories with the install.

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

Thanks, sat4me! Your good experience with DishConnect gives me hope.

The DishConnect rep told me they have done about 20 VOOM installs out here -- also reassuring. He said they provide up to a 24 ft ladder, and if anything higher is needed I must supply it. So I borrowed my neighbor's 40-footer -- I am definitely ready for this install on Friday!

 

[Tvlman]

Good luck. check your field of view at 61.5 SE. If there are obstructions he may have to mount the dish higher up on the roof. I had my home theater pulled out from the wall so he could easily plug in the connections as well as a space on my stacking rack. You will also need access to a phone jack as well as an extra ac outlet on your power strip. I bought a new power strip with additional outlets. After installation be sure he configures your set properly and stays until the phone call is made to Voom and you give him an "all clear" sign that everything is working ok. I had a good experience with my Voom install. Also, you should know how your receiver, vcr, dvd are all set up so that you can run sound through your system. Since I have 3 sat. boxes, one receiver, 1 vcr, 1 cd, 1 dvd and 6 speakers I had to draw myself a diagram to remember how it is set up. I moved my dvd setup from components to s-plug to make room for VOOM somponents. Now all 5 video inputs are being used.

Good luck.

Don
Huntington Beach, CA

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

I guess I got lucky!

Here is a link to my GREAT install experience today:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?p=110933#post110933

 

[Tobar]

Anyone have any installs in Sacramento? Any comments?

 

[DarrellP]

Searching returned this link.

 

[Seawaves]

I'd like to hear from folks who think they have a good OTA install.

My questions are this. Are you getting 90% of your locals or close? What is the OTA signal number?

Mine is 30-31 with a lot of bleeding on the top of the picture as well as no local channel 13.

Thanks!

 

[DarrellP]

I'd like to hear from folks who think they have a good OTA install.
My questions are this. Are you getting 90% of your locals or close? What is the OTA signal number?
Thanks!

I have a good OTA install, but I did it myself. I've had OTA digital for 3 years now and when I got Voom, the guy took one look at my big hurkin antenna then took a look at the little Stealth and said "We'll use your antenna". My signal is up in the 70's and I never have a reception issue.

As far as channel mappings go, Voom put 2 channels in the Guide that are very low power and only available in Portland and since I am about 25 miles from the towers, I don't pull them in but it's no big deal, one is a religious channel and the other is a PBS channel. I can get the religious channel in analog if I choose to, but I would never watch it anyway.

As far as all of the regular channels, I get them all and have good strength on all of them. We are fortunate in Portland that all the transmitters are on the same hill so we don't have to worry about direction.

 

[cgscot49]

I have a good OTA install, but I did it myself. I've had OTA digital for 3 years now and when I got Voom, the guy took one look at my big hurkin antenna then took a look at the little Stealth and said "We'll use your antenna". My signal is up in the 70's and I never have a reception issue.

As far as channel mappings go, Voom put 2 channels in the Guide that are very low power and only available in Portland and since I am about 25 miles from the towers, I don't pull them in but it's no big deal, one is a religious channel and the other is a PBS channel. I can get the religious channel in analog if I choose to, but I would never watch it anyway.

As far as all of the regular channels, I get them all and have good strength on all of them. We are fortunate in Portland that all the transmitters are on the same hill so we don't have to worry about direction.

I went a different route. I didn't want any antenna on the outside of my house. So I bought this Terk indoor antenna I saw in my Hometheater magazine. It works great, my signal is up in the 70's. I am also pretty close to the tramsmitters, I don't the range of this antenna. You check out this antenna at Terk.com it's called the HDTVi Antenna Pro.

Charlie