Minneapolis/St.Paul Voomers

[vidpoboy]

Anyone In The Mpls/st.paul Area

Hi folks.
I've been on the fence about Voom for a while, and I am ready to jump.
I would love to hear from people in the Twin Cities about their install and how things are working, like OTA reception.

All replies are welcome, good and bad.


Thanks,
Vidpoboy

 

[hogdog]

I live in Roseville and get great OTA reception. Of course there are digital towers just a couple miles away in Shoreview.

My install was painless until the phonecall to VOOM which appears to be somewhat the norm. They didnt have my receiver "in their database" and tried to strand the installer at my house while they "sent an email." My installer was pretty pissed off. He troubleshooted us out of the problem with a spare receiver he just happened to have in his truck for a different install.

Everything has worked fine since then, besides the known bugs that everyone experiences. The service definitely isnt perfect.

 

[vidpoboy]

Thanks Hogdog,

I'm going to order soon. My friend just signed up and is set for install on tuesday next week. I'm glad to hear your OTA is working. Who did your Install?

Thanks again,
Vidpoboy

 

[jspamc]

I live out in Orono, about 20 miles west of Mpls.


OTA has been perfect. I get all the locals except for 41. I am using an old Radio Shack ant thats up in my attic. PG on 41.2 is not correct. There are also some mappings for channels that we don't get (some PBS stations from northern MN. . . no real problem, just extra listings in the PG that you have to scroll past.)


Install went fine, except my first box was dead. They did not bring another so I had to reschedule. I think I was one of the first in the area (12/15/03), and I had to show the installer how to get to the install menu. The install folks were very friendly and helpful, but you might want to get a hold of them directly before your install to confirm time/date.


Enjoy!

 

[vidpoboy]

Thanks jspamc,

Who did your Install?

I was looking at my mapping on zap2it and noticed that channel 42.5 KSTCDT2 seems to be HDnet. Is that true? I live in Minnetonka so I'm starting to think I should have no problem with the OTA, which makes me happy. Have you guys had any loss of signal due to our wonderful weather?

 

[jspamc]

Install was by:

Applied Services
612-282-3561

You may want to call them to confirm your install time/date- they did a great job, but sometimes the communication Voom -> Installs Inc. -> Applied Services did not seem to work so well.

45.2 is not the HDNet shown in zap2it. It is some sort of HDNet for OTA. You can get the actual guide here:

http://www.kstc45.com/programming/TVframe.htm

click on the "KSTC-HD" button to see 45.2.

Hope that helps!

 

[APUBUCK]

New Voom Install in MN

A friend raves about this forum, so I have used your threads to help in my quest for more HD progaming.

At least 2 months ago I called and ordered HD from my existing sattelite provider, DISH network. I haven't heard a word yet. They said I would get a deal since I had been a DISH customer for so long (2+ years), and it would only cost me $150 for the 811 box and a years contract of $9.95 a month.

Two days ago I called Voom and ordered service and have an install date 6 days later. As per the many helpful posts, I have called back to confirm the install date, and the shipment of the reciever to the installer. I got an "everything is on schedule" reply and what sounds like the wrong number for Installs Inc. (800-344-4856). They claim it is a "free lance type" installer and cannot give out his/her phone #, but they will have him/her call me.

I canceled my order with DISH.

I was glad to hear other Minnesotans have had good luck with installs and OTA reception . I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well.

 

[Sean Mota]

APUBUCK,

welcome and keep us informed.

 

[hogdog]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=10147

 

[vidpoboy]

Hey looks like we got a Voomin MN group going here. 3 people and one signing up next week. I know there are more HDTV's in MN than that. One more person and I think this can be the MN voom group thread. Especially since Apubuck's thread was merged onto this one, and he is the friend I mentioned earlier. I'll be on site for his install and we will tell ALL.
Let's hear from some more folks in the area.

Vidpoboy


"VOOM'S GETTING BETTER AND SO IS THE WEATHER"

 

[svx94]

New MN Voomer from Woodbury...

I signed up for VOOM and the installation is next Friday and very excited about it. I live in Woodbury. Which direction my OTA attena should face? Any suggestions regarding installation?

I requested DVI and optical cables. I heard that they have different OTA attenas, which one shall I request?

Also, when I saw the demo in Sears store in Maplewood, it was as bad as video tape. I called VOOM, they offered 30-day free trial and I took it. What is your experience about the PQ? Is VOOM's PQ truely HQ graded?

Sorry for asking so many questions I will keep you posted how it goes.

Cheers!
rh

 

[hogdog]

I dont have many complaints about picture quality, though I think I get better quality on SD when I let the receiver send out native resolution instead of upconverting.

I dont know anything about a selection of antennae.

 

[APUBUCK]

My voom installation is tomorrow in NE Mpls. Or at least it is suppose to be. Have you read the threads on installs? I called voom to confirm my install and was suppose to get a call back from the actual person doing the install, but haven't heard yet.

From the sounds of current voom subscribers, Install Inc is using good people in the Twin Cities area, but I am still a little nervous. In my years of experience with cable and satellite "service" personnel, poor service and technical ignorance seem to be more the norm. Even sometimes outright maliciousness.

I'm running my own cable into the house to save time and prevent the kind of poor installations I have had in the past. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

Good luck and I'll let all know how it goes tomorrow.

 

[jspamc]

Apubuck-

Be sure to call Applied Services to make sure they are coming. In my case, the data that Voom has was not the same as what Applied Services thought the install date/time was. . .

Applied Services
612-282-3561

My voom installation is tomorrow in NE Mpls. Or at least it is suppose to be. Have you read the threads on installs? I called voom to confirm my install and was suppose to get a call back from the actual person doing the install, but haven't heard yet.

From the sounds of current voom subscribers, Install Inc is using good people in the Twin Cities area, but I am still a little nervous. In my years of experience with cable and satellite "service" personnel, poor service and technical ignorance seem to be more the norm. Even sometimes outright maliciousness.

I'm running my own cable into the house to save time and prevent the kind of poor installations I have had in the past. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

Good luck and I'll let all know how it goes tomorrow.

 

[APUBUCK]

NE Mpls install goes well

I finally got a call back from the installer about 30 minutes before he said he would be there, around 9 AM for an 8 - Noon install. The guy wasn't the most cheery or professional, but he was competent. He got the dish and OTA up in about an hour and was calling for authorization about 30 minutes later. To his and my great surprise, he was on hold less than 10 min and I had all my channels in 15 min. He left shaking his head about how easy and fast it had all gone.

Overall, I am delighted and feel lucky to get everything the day I planned and no problems. I am impressed and pleased with the pic quality for both SD and HD content. I get all the OTA channels exceptionally, except for the PAX one from St Cloud, which doesn't come in at all, no biggie.

I was disappointed in the thoroughness of the installer. He never mentioned the "red button" for switching output and generally did as little as he had to. Granted I was prepared and seemed to know as much about the technology as he did, but he could have been more forthcoming with info and even a little more enthusiastic about the technology (He was a DirectTV and Best Buy installer most of the time and expressed doubts about the viability and value of Voom). I have enough of my own doubt and didn't need to hear his.

I guess I got the software update that came for some this weekend. My software version is v 00.05.5c. My signal quality is 96 for sat and 80 for OTA. Signal power is 67 for sat and 79 for OTA.

Can anyone give me some perspective about how good those numbers are?

I'm sure I will get cynical soon enough, but for now I am ooohing and aaahhing a lot. HD is so sweet.

 

[Gr8Reb8]

Since almost everyone now has signal quality in the 90s, it is unclear as to the value of that number. I would call Voom and tell them that they should include the info regarding the "red button" for switching output modes. Something so obvious, and there is no mention of it in the manuals from Voom.

 

[PSB]

This is GREAT a MN, Voom forum! Everybody please post all about their installation, and if the installers were covered by a license by the state and SBCA 1+2 certified? Every one should call the MN state board of electricity if they find any installers who are breaking the law! http://www.electricity.state.mn.us
Please check your installers SBCA 1+2 certification card, if he cant show you one with his name on it, cancel the installation, same if they show up with out a signal meter......cancel, I was VOOM certified at the Minneapolis I.Inc. Voom course on 03/07/2004 (afternoon class) and enjoyed the experience very much, I called I.Inc. yesterday and they have now confirmed my certification (and hat).

 

[MNHTUG]

If you are not familiar, we have an organized group of local home theater enthusiasts in the Minneapolis Metro. Some of our members have professional install quality theaters while others simply talk shop on HDTV, TiVO or audio.

After todays install, we may soon be having a get-together to show off the merits of Voom.

Notes from our successful install can be found here:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=81084&postcount=764

That post is part of the installations thread which can be found here:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=81084

 

[raptorctr]

Hello,

I am set to get VOOM next tuesday. As suggested in this group, i called Installs inc to get the # of my installer and they refused to give it to me. Is Applied Services the only one doing the installs that everybody knows of? I live in West Bloomington and am without ANY TV right now. I was just hoping by an off chance they could bump me up a day or two.

Thanks!

 

[Sean Mota]

raptorctr,

welcome. Just tell them to have the installer give you a call.