Has anyone tried this yet?

[Mr Tony]

As long as the Voom box was active the last day Voom existed, it WILL work for OTA

I just got a Voom box from a member here and it works just fine. I scanned in all my Mpls locals and it works great

Ebay boxes..buyer beware. It has to be active (active meaning never took the kill signal).

The HD OTA area has a FAQ on the Voom box

 

[voomvoom]

I believe Voom satellite receivers could be used for OTA hi def reception, too.
If memory serves, that would require the unit be taken out of service before the account was closed, or some such nonsense.
Perhaps as a dying gasp, the units were sent a kill signal to prevent their use as OTA receivers at the end.
For details, you'll have to search the forum, but I know the info is here.

They never killed my Voom box. I had it till the end, I read where people who cancelled the service were given the so called "Kill". I remember people were writing in the Voom forum that they were unplugging their box to keep it from getting the "Kill", but I never unplugged mine and it still works for OTA reception. They even bought it back fom me (I was an Owner), and told me I could keep it. I wouldn't have took there money otherwise.

Al

 

[rdel]

Thank Guys
I like the idea of the voom box but I was told that PBS will reset the unit and make it unusable, I'll try some of the other units.
rdel

 

[Tron]

I'm surprised that a method for flashing the Voom boxes to make the OTA tuner usable (other than them having been previously activated) has not been discovered yet.

 

[rdel]

Hi Tron
There's been a fewguys working on that for awhile.
If they ever get it working you won't find a voom box on ebay or for sale anywhere.
rdel

 

[BKP]

Okay, I get it now... You can use an older DirecTV receiver, hook your OTA antenna into it and receive your local digital stations.. So, you're just using the tuner section of the receiver.. Correct...

 

[Mr Tony]

Thank Guys
I like the idea of the voom box but I was told that PBS will reset the unit and make it unusable, I'll try some of the other units.
rdel

wrong!

It will make the unit reboot (only does it on the 3rd channel of the DT mux here in Minneapolis) but the box works fine. I just dont go to that channel

 

[bryansr]

Okay, I get it now... You can use an older DirecTV receiver, hook your OTA antenna into it and receive your local digital stations.. So, you're just using the tuner section of the receiver.. Correct...

If you read my POST #19 you will see that I use my Samsung DirecTV Receiver WITHOUT it plugged into a satellite dish at all for Over the Air Reception here in the town I live in Ga. It does a VERY GOOD JOB using a roof top antenna. I just erased the channels that were programmed in it and scanned in MY LOCALS.

BryanSR

 

[osu1991]

You do not need the dish for the old directv receivers to work for OTA digital, but if you have an extra dish laying around and hook it up you can get the guide listings for your channels free.

 

[Tron]

You do not need the dish for the old directv receivers to work for OTA digital, but if you have an extra dish laying around and hook it up you can get the guide listings for your channels free.

...perhaps a worthwhile use for those Phase III dishes

 

[BKP]

Does anyone have one of those older DirecTV receivers that works for OTA that they would like to get rid of real cheap.. PM me please..


Thanks, Brent