Atlanta Area Voomer

[mkwillia]

I have ordered Voom and I am set up for installation on Thursday. I was wondering if there were any Atlanta Area Voomers that could comment on their installation, OTA reception, and overall service experiences. Any pointers would be helpful.

Thanks
Mike

 

[brooks]

Atlanta

Mike
I live in Gwinnett Co. and am considering getting it...any feedback on your experience will be greatly appreciated.
Jim

 

[mkwillia]

Jim,
It is good to see that I am not the only one in the Atlanta area thinking about Voom. (though I believe there are more out there - even on this forum)

I will post my experience from tomorrow event.

By the way. Are you currently using another dish service? Do you plan on keeping some parts of that service?


Mike
(DeKalb Co. - Chamblee Area)

 

[brooks]

Mike
I'm with Dish currently. If Voom really delivers, and the OTA pulls in the locals okay, then I'll drop Dish in a heartbeat.
I've got a 65" Mitsu Platinum that I've never seen do what I paid it to do...and that bugs me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you have a good experience with this. Keep me posted...
Jim

 

[LOBO2999]

I live in the Atlanta Area,well in cumming or lets say Forsyth. I got Voom on 3/30 and I am watching Munster HD right now and it looks great , they eally need more content IMO, Had a great install , not one problem I have already recived all the D/L's and updates , I did not have them install an OTA I all ready install one a long time ago myself and I get all the channels in, I also have Directtv and plan on keeping it , want to see what voom does and what content they add,HDTV is great but I need better shows but thats just me.




Mits 65712
XBOX
PS2
GAMECUBE

 

[slick1ru2]

Got Voom yesterday in West Cobb Co. The HD is AWESOME!!! Had Chris do the install. Did an excellent job, fished a wall ($75) and used an old Dish Network mount for the Stealth OTA and mounted the Voom on the side of the house. This guy is the QA guy for Installs, Inc and it showed. He also told me he did the Voom setup at the Douglasville Sears.

Anyway, I told him I didn't want the diplexer, based on what I have read here, and he told me they don't use the inside diplexer anymore and that when you use the one cable it acts like a preamp and boosts the OTA signal and he asked if that was OK. I said sure. I get the 4 major networks with 50-80 signals, excellent picture. TBS is on the edge.

He also told me that the DirecTV line that was installed 2 weeks ago was not grounded ! So I called the local installers (Ron's) and they will send someone out today. Chris said to make sure I watch them because they will DC my Voom!!!!

The receiver had to download the new software update that went out yesterday morning. Voom said all new installs were doing that yesterday. The receiver went blank for about 20 minutes and Chris went and got us lunch at Taco Bell during the wait.

Anyway, I have both DirecTiVo and Voom. When Voom gets a DVR and more programs I will upgrade to Va-Va-Voom and dump DirecTV.

The receiver is doing something that may be due to the upgrade. Sometimes when you switch to a channel you get sound and a static picture and none of the buttons work. Hitting the Sat power button and the Voom button fixes it.
Chris said he hasn't seen a receiver do that before.

Anyway, great install, AWESOME picture!!!! Very satisfied!

 

[slick1ru2]

I've got a 65" Mitsu Platinum that I've never seen do what I paid it to do...and that bugs me.

I have a 57" Hitachi Ultravision for about 2 weeks and felt the same way. I was going to wait until the fall before football season to get at least an OTA professionally installed (got some quotes...$250-$400) and decided the Voom offer w/OTA is a no-brainer, but am keeping DirecTiVo for now.

You won't believe the PQ on the Voom HD channels. I even have the new Samsung DVD player that upconverts to 1080i with a DVI connection and its nowhere near the PQ! Visit the Sears nearest to you and all the TVs are playing Voom feed, usually on DiscoveryHD Theater. Yesterday, BravoHD was playing the 2002 Winter Olympics and hockey looked like you were sitting in the arena looking through $5000 binoculars!

But be aware that OTA locals in Atlanta varies by location. The Voom installer told me people in Carrol Co. are pretty much out of luck and that even slightly farther out from where I am (Powder Springs, Lithia Springs) can be iffy due to the rolling of the landscape.

 

[mkwillia]

Hey Guys,
First, I am glad to see that everyone likes their Voom as much as I do. On my initial review, I thought my install went fine but upon further inspection, I have some cross-channelling (if there is such a word) going on with my reciever. I believe that diplexers were used in my install, so slick1ru2 if you could give me your installer's (Chris) info, I would greatly appreciate it.

As for PQ, VOOM is AWESOME. It really gives you HD. I still have Directv HD (only due to ESPN HD). In my opinion, VOOM blows away D*. Now for HD programming, I really like it. It has programming for the whole family in HD and you get a lot more that you would with any other service. I know the arguement has been about how VOOM is really not broadcasting anything of value, but outside of ESPNHD, they are giving you what you have on other services plus more.

I had my install done on 4/1 and had to take the family to see Mickey Mouse on 4/2. I am really looking forward to having my Voom when I get back today. BTW, the installer is supposed to come out Monday to fix my problems. I will post whatever happens.

Mike

 

[slick1ru2]

Chris contracts for Installs, Inc. Signed the form as Christopher Dunn. I thought he put a splitter inside and the duplexer outside, but it looks like he did both. Oh well, I get the big 4 great plus WB. UPN and TBS are fringe. You can also check your address on antennaweb.org for directing the stealth antenna.

 

[slick1ru2]

Anyone get either of the 2 PBS channels when mapped? I don't.

 

[bshoe54]

I did not have them install an OTA I all ready install one a long time ago myself and I get all the channels in, I also have Directtv and plan on keeping it , want to see what voom does and what content they add,HDTV is great but I need better shows but thats just me.

I just got installed yesterday evening in Canton. The installer put in an upgrade antenna but insisted on installing the diplexer instead of running two lines. I am getting a good OTA signal for all except 2, 46, and 69. I don't get any signal at all on those three and was wondering if you receive them good up in Cumming? On TitanTV's antenna selector page, it reports that I should be able to get a good signal for all three channels so I'm puzzled that I can't get any signal at all when the other channels come in fine.

 

[PeckW]

Roswell Voomer

Hi,

I have been Vooming in the Roswell Area (Martin's Landing) for about 2 weeks. I was a Charter customer but finally gave up on them getting the HDTV right. I never did get a satisfactory signal. I'm very happy with Voom so far. I had a little trouble with Installs Inc, because the first installer insisted I didn't have LOS with the Satellite, but I had a 2nd installer come out and convinced him that I did.

I am getting my OTA Antenna upgraded this weekend because the FOX affiliate is very iffy. Actually, all the OTA channels get iffy if it's really windy because the signal is having to come through the woods behind my house. Hopefully the more sensitive antenna will make it less of a problem.

My TV is an Hitachi 61" widescreen, and Voom really shows it off.

 

[slick1ru2]

Anyone seeing pixilation on Chanel 2 today? I have an 80+ OTA strength on that channel but noticed it when Oprah was on. 46 was also acting really weird too, going from the 40s to 0 and back. I am having Installs come back out and check it out. Maybe getting a bigger antenna if repositioning and checking the connections doesn't fix me up. I'm only 13-17 miles from the antennas and was acually getting TBS before (fringe now) with a Silver Sensor so I know I can get better signal quality.

 

[morepar2u]

Atlanta VOOM Installation

Peachtree Corners (Spalding & Holcomb Bridge) - I just had VOOM installed on Thursday(April29) and I am very pleased overall. I get all the OTA channels clear as a bell except 2.1 (WSB) which comes and goes (mostly goes). I am calling the installer back out to see if he can get this channel better. What is neat about the VOOM is that the OTA and satellite are combined in the receiver as if they are the same source so you don't have to switch inputs to watch one or the other. The channel guide even lists both sources together. (Now, if they could just figure out how to get local unscrambled cable channels into the VOOM receiver also, it would really be great - One video source for all your TV!)
My installation consists of the Stealth antenna and the duplexer so maybe my not getting 2.1 very well is a function of the antenna? Funny that the other channels are perfect.
This makes my third attempt to get HDTV: I tried a SONY TV with an integrated HDTV tuner and my attic antenna but never got any local channels very well despite TWO uhf antennas wired together. I then tried COMCAST but it was not worth $35-40/month just to get a few HDTV + local channels. The VOOM offers much, much more HDTV content and they are adding new channels all the time. I am also getting rid of DISH Network because of the poor picture quality on my 57" RP HDTV. One major selling point with VOOM vs DISH: Most of the VOOM channels are already formatted for the HDTV screen size - If you watch any of the standard DISH channels and blow it up to fit your HD screen, the already smeary/fuzzy picture will look even worse. Once you watch HDTV, it will make you ever so critical of the picture quality of analog and digital signals. I also had some type of interference from the DISH receiver (I think): I was getting very faint whitish vertical bars which were apparent when watching any DISH or HDTV program. It was very noticeable on dark solid backgrounds when the image panned. I thought it was the TV but now that I have unplugged the DISH receiver, the bars are gone. The image quality is nothing short of superb. There is a faint vertical white line that runs down the middle of the screen that is problematic for the Toshiba TV set as I have seen this reported by others with Toshiba RP sets. It is barely noticeable and I didn't notice it until I read about it!

My home theater:
Toshiba 57HX83 RP HDTV
ChannelMaster Stealth outdoor antenna (mounted beside the VOOM dish)
Harman Kardon AVR-630 Receiver
Sony DVD Progressive Scan Player
Infinity Kappa 600 fronts & center
Infinity Alpha and OWS surrounds
Infinity 150 watt 12" subwoofer

 

[bshoe54]

My installation consists of the Stealth antenna and the duplexer so maybe my not getting 2.1 very well is a function of the antenna? Funny that the other channels are perfect.

I live in Canton and have upgraded my antenna to the biggest Radio Shack model available and I still cannot get 2.1 at all. The installer put in their Winegard upgrade antenna with a preamp originally and I couldn't get 2, 46, or 69. They came back and tried a larger antenna but said there was no improvement and that it was the best I could expect. Being stubborn, I bought the RS and put it in myself to see what I could get.

After upgrading to the RS antenna, I can now get 46 and 69 along with all the other locals just fine but still no 2. It puzzled me also since the antennaweb site maps show that all the towers are pretty much the same angle and distance from out at my house.

I guess 2 is using a very low power signal that can't extend out past the perimeter. It is frustrating as I now have to keep "lifeline" cable just to get that one channel. I will do it for a while in hope that 2 will either increase their signal or the cable company will greatly enhance their HD content offering. Eventually though, either Voom or the cable company is going to get my exclusive business as I won't deal with having to switch back and forth between tuners and pay two bills for long.

 

[slick1ru2]

2,5 and 11 are the strongest channels I get here in W. Marietta/Austell. They are in the 70-90 range. It is strange you are having a problem with 2, unless there is a tall building close to them in that direction from you. But as far as I know, only 46 is operating are reduced power (60%) is what I have read. Try the Atlanta HDTV Forum on Yahoo. They have a loaner antenna and might be able to help you.

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/ahdtv/

 

[PeckW]

5 is my weakest channel. It will play around in the mid sixties, then drop to 0 for a second or two then back up to the mid sixties. All others are fairly stable except PAX which is in a totally different direction.

Someone mentioned the PBS channels earlier, and according to antennaweb the two PBS channels are only broadcasting in analog at the present time.

 

[morepar2u]

I had the installer back out today and he said that 2.1 is a problem in the Atlanta area - He thinks they don't have enough power. I am only 11 miles away and still can't get it at all. FOX is perfect, 46 is excellent (99% of the time). I do have color fade on 11.1 and 69.

He suggested a WINEGARD GS SENSAR antenna but VOOM only offers the huge roof mount type so I would have to buy the Sensar type. I don't know. I sent an email to WINEGARD to see if they have any suggestions. I hate to keep trying antenna after antenna not knowing if one will work or not - This gets expensive. Winegard also has a new dish type of HDTV antenna made just for OTA - Their model SS 1000. It costs about $140 once you buy the preamp, etc... Anyone had any experience with this one?

 

[300z]

New

I am scheduled for a installation on 5/12.

I am not much into fixing stuff myself or living on the edge, so if this doesn't work out i am going to Charter HD.

Man, This forum is depressing.

 

[PeckW]

Charter couldn't get their piddly HD offerings right for me. I worked with them for 4 months before I finally gave up. My experience with Voom is wonderful in comparison.