Voom should enable OTA permanently!

[barth2k]

if voom is not going to collect the receivers they they should enable OTA permanently, i.e., no satellite or authorization needed for OTA reception. it's the least they could do for their customers.

Sean pls pass this to TPTB

 

[enoree]

Ota

There should be no need to enable it because it works Before the box is activated.

 

[Indy]

There should be no need to enable it because it works Before the box is activated.

Wrong. A Voom STB that has not been activated previously by Voom will not work for OTA. You can not obtain access to the menu to scan for channels. IT WILL NOT WORK!

 

[T2k]

Wrong. A Voom STB that has not been activated previously by Voom will not work for OTA. You can not obtain access to the menu to scan for channels. IT WILL NOT WORK!

It works. Over at AVS somebody has tested it PRIOR TO activation.

 

[kvchief]

Is there anyone who has personally experienced this? Do we have facts or just conjecture?

In reality, we may not know until after April 30th.

I have seen bold, conclusive statements that say it will work and then ones that it won't.

Can we know for sure?

 

[enoree]

Ota

My Voom was installed on Tuesday of this week He turned it on and BEFORE he hooked it up to the dish and BEFORE it was activated he scanned for locals and the all showed up and worked.

 

[kvchief]

My Voom was installed on Tuesday of this week He turned it on and BEFORE he hooked it up to the dish and BEFORE it was activated he scanned for locals and the all showed up and worked.

Now that's a useful post!

Thanks.

So, what's a VOOM (OTA only) receive worth these days?

 

[voombot]

Let me clarify because i have done this three times.

1. bought reciever with voom service

installer came and activated box and OTA worked, box still needed activation.

2. bought reciever from ebay. OTA set for somewhere on east coast. rebooted downloaded latest firmware and scanned for San Francisco locals without issue.

3. bought third reciever from ebay. Unit was never activated by voom. Booted 1. went into menu checked it had old software. rebooted to start firmware download but said box needs to be activated. Cannot access OTA or menu. keeps poppin up with activation required error.

Box needs to activated at least once by voom for OTA to work.

 

[bryan27]

You can scan for channels prior to activation. That is actually one of the pre-activation that are done. However, you will not receive your local channels until the box has been activated. You will instead receive a teal colored screen with the message that your box has not been activated, upon activation the locals then can be viewed.

If anyone is in doubt, do an Authorization Reset which will erase the authorization from your receiver. You will be unable to tune to anything until the activation is received by your receiver (sometimes this takes an hour).

rebooted to start firmware download but said box needs to be activated. Cannot access OTA or menu. keeps poppin up with activation required error.

There is away to access the Instalation Menu while a receiver is waiting activation. I don't remember the button, but I think all you have to press is the green button when you see the activation required screen, but you still won't receive locals until it is activated.

 

[barth2k]

the thing is we DON'T know for sure. I keep hearing conflicting report. would be nice to get definite confirmation from an engineer.

 

[Indy]

You can scan for channels prior to activation. That is actually one of the pre-activation that are done. However, you will not receive your local channels until the box has been activated. You will instead receive a teal colored screen with the message that your box has not been activated, upon activation the locals then can be viewed.

If anyone is in doubt, do an Authorization Reset which will erase the authorization from your receiver. You will be unable to tune to anything until the activation is received by your receiver (sometimes this takes an hour).

Bryan, you are coreect. The channel index or Voom button screen will not load until the box is activated. With out that screen to start from it is like trying to run your PC without a Windows OS authorization key. You will go no where.

 

[TuxCoder]

I run my PCs without any Windows OS authorization keys...
TuxCoder

 

[SKrueger]

Assuming Voom wants the stb's back - What's the best way to power the OTA antenna

Assuming Voom wants the stb's back, I can't see them expending the cost to have installers come out and collect them. I think the most likely scenario (if they actually want them back) would be to send out prepaid shipping boxes to return the units - and inform us they will be billing us if we don't return them.

Since I don't think they'll go to the cost of sending installers out. I imagine the dish and OTA antenna will stay.

My set has a built in HD tuner but how do I power the antenna if they do collect the boxes?

 

[cidbozek]

confirmed by a csr today, the dish and the antenna stay unless you request that they take them, only because if they take them they have to patch your roof. the boxes will be picked up! i asked if they will send installer out or just send prepaid boxes, she said send an installer out. i said good because you delivered them, you can pick them up (only because they dont allow self installs) !!!

 

[OHMS]

so did mine, BUT....

My Voom was installed on Tuesday of this week He turned it on and BEFORE he hooked it up to the dish and BEFORE it was activated he scanned for locals and the all showed up and worked.

that also happened to me; when I asked the installer, he said the unit had been de-installed from somewhere else the week before. The other location was near here; so the data remained from before my install. mike

 

[funk101]

Buying STB's from VOOM?

I wouldn't mind buying my STB's at a discounted price (50 bucks or so) if I could still use them for OTA's. None of my HDTV's have built-in tuners.

If I understand correctly, they should work after the shutdown since they were already activated by VOOM. Right?

 

[Mindstorm]

confirmed by a csr today, the dish and the antenna stay unless you request that they take them, only because if they take them they have to patch your roof. the boxes will be picked up! i asked if they will send installer out or just send prepaid boxes, she said send an installer out. i said good because you delivered them, you can pick them up (only because they dont allow self installs) !!!

Hummm...well maybe I'll have them remove the dish and keep the OTA unless it's an all or nothing type of thing. As for picking up the boxes, hope they schedule weekend pickups...I'm not taking off from work for an installer to come pick a box up. I wonder what happens wif you tell them you'll be on vacation for the next 6 months....please come back then--theink they will remember...or care?

 

[DucTape]

Hummm...well maybe I'll have them remove the dish and keep the OTA unless it's an all or nothing type of thing. As for picking up the boxes, hope they schedule weekend pickups...I'm not taking off from work for an installer to come pick a box up. I wonder what happens wif you tell them you'll be on vacation for the next 6 months....please come back then--theink they will remember...or care?

Yes and at the same time be sure and let them know if they want the boxes they must remove the dish which is 6 stories up on a very steep slate roof.

 

[T2k]

Frankly, it doesn't make any sense to me, to collect these boxes unless they can be sold for somebody else... all of these logo'd...

Why not to offer us some nice deal on them, as OTA tuners?

 

[ram1220]

I wonder if you will find installers that are willing to come by and pick up the boxes since they won't be paid. Installers won't be paid after today. At least that's what I was told.