South Carolina Voom Roll Call

I live in Clemson, and just had my install on Saturday. Everything went fine, with a competent installer. Picture quality is excellent, and I receive all the OTA that I expected to (two stations). I'm quite happy
 
I'm Voomin'. I got it installed today! Installation was flawless. Picture and sound quality is awesome. Anyone who owns a HDTV and doesn't sign on to Voom is going to regret it.
 
Greenville, SC Checking In

Voom installed on 6/10/04 - working on 6/16/04. OTA doesn't work at all, PG has all channels mapped but they don't work (d*mn*d trees...). Have requested upgrade OTA antenna, anyone know how long that takes?

6/22 - Have now got a service call scheduled for 6/26 to install upgraded OTA antenna, will let you know how it goes. :)

6/26 - No call from installer on Friday, I called at 9 AM, they returned call at 10 AM to let me know that they needed to get the antenna (they didn't have it) and would call me back this week to re-schedule. :(

6/30 - Hooked up Silver Senser antenna to see if I could get anything that way. The highest signal strength I could get was 45.

7/1 - Called Voom to confirm that I am approved for the upgraded antenna. They modified the work order to note the approval. I have service call scheduled for 7/10 will let everyone know what happens.

7/10 - Have not heard from installer by 10AM (8-12 window), I call and get a new story about having to send emails to Voom to get authorization for the upgraded antenna - expressed my displeasure to the installer (calmly and politely). New service visit scheduled for 4PM on 7/14. (Are we having fun yet?)

7/14 - Installer arrived at 4:45, installed an 8-bay Channel Master on 10 foot mast on a tripod on my roof. I now have OTA of NBC, CBS, PBS, UPN, FOX and WB. ABC is from Asheville, NC (WLOS) and 45.8 miles away. I was really hoping to get this one two, but didn't really expect to. Installer added an in-line amplifier to see if it helped (not really) and left around 7:45.

Voom HD is 'da bomb' baby! :D

Jeff
Hitachi 51S500 (DVI to Voom STB)
H/K AVR525
JVC Progressive Scan DVD/VCR
TiVo Series 2
Charter Digital Cable (for HGTV, Food, QVC, HSN, and backup...)
 
Hilton Head Island here.... just had voom installed last week, installers gotta come back out because i'm not picking up the only local ch i get here (CBS 11-1) in Savannah, GA.
 
jstrait said:
Voom installed on 6/10/04 - working on 6/16/04. OTA doesn't work at all, PG has all channels mapped but they don't work (d*mn*d trees...). Have requested upgrade OTA antenna, anyone know how long that takes?
[... Snip ...]

7/14 - Installer arrived at 4:45, installed an 8-bay Channel Master on 10 foot mast on a tripod on my roof. I now have OTA of NBC, CBS, PBS, UPN, FOX and WB. ABC is from Asheville, NC (WLOS) and 45.8 miles away. I was really hoping to get this one two, but didn't really expect to. Installer added an in-line amplifier to see if it helped (not really) and left around 7:45.

Voom HD is 'da bomb' baby! :D

Jeff

Hello Jeff,

I am very close to dumping my Charter HD cable and moving over to Voom, but your installation saga is a little disconcerting! I don't want to take a month to get to the point of being able to get OTA channels.

Where in Greenville are you? I am on the Eastside and according to Antennaweb.org am 47.5 miles from WLOS (ABC) in Asheville. Most channels are between 320 and 332 degrees except CBS (Spartanburg) and WB (Anderson). I'm very glad to hear that you have managed to get basically everything through your OTA antenna.

My dealings with Voom customer service through email indicate no guarantees for OTA channels. What did you do have to do to get the larger antenna? Is it possible to jump to preauthorization for a better antenna quickly by having an initial survey done?

Did the larger antenna cost additional?

Did you sign up over the phone or through a local dealer? I know Stereo Video on Laurens Rd is supposed to be a Voom retailer.

Thanks,
CDH.
 
Va-Va-Vooming in Mauldin

CDH said:
Hello Jeff,

I am very close to dumping my Charter HD cable and moving over to Voom, but your installation saga is a little disconcerting! I don't want to take a month to get to the point of being able to get OTA channels.

Where in Greenville are you? I am on the Eastside and according to Antennaweb.org am 47.5 miles from WLOS (ABC) in Asheville. Most channels are between 320 and 332 degrees except CBS (Spartanburg) and WB (Anderson). I'm very glad to hear that you have managed to get basically everything through your OTA antenna.

My dealings with Voom customer service through email indicate no guarantees for OTA channels. What did you do have to do to get the larger antenna? Is it possible to jump to preauthorization for a better antenna quickly by having an initial survey done?

Did the larger antenna cost additional?

Did you sign up over the phone or through a local dealer? I know Stereo Video on Laurens Rd is supposed to be a Voom retailer.

Thanks,
CDH.
Hello CDH!

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. I am in Mauldin near the high school. The antenna upgrade was at no charge. I signed up by phone. I hope that if 13-WLOS ever ups their power to get that station too. I didn't push the OTA issues as hard as I could have because I fully intended to keep Charter around for Internet and basic cable channels. Voom doesn't have every SD channel the we watch yet.

To get the upgraded antenna, I made sure the installer noted on the work order that he could not get any OTA channels. Then I kept following up with Voom / Installs, Inc. / local installer in turn, until they got it done. (Very frustrating, but I knew what to expect and adjusted my attitude accordingly.)

I would not discourage you from getting Voom, I love my HDTV and the choices I have with Voom. Just set your expectations based on what you read here and react accordingly.

Hope this helps!
Jeff
 
Thanks Jeff for the reply. Not exactly what I wanted to hear! However I'm optimistic that things will improve with a little prodding with customer service. I don't mind not getting ABC for the time being, but I'd love to get NBC, PBS, and the local WB affiliate. I was going to keep Charter for a month of Voom after which I'd dump it completely or just keep local affiliates at $16/month.

I have an install appointment for Wednesday of this week and I will see what they can do with the large antenna up in my attic. Perhaps they could get that to pull in most of the stations? I believe it is highly directional but has an automated rotation system with a box in the living room. I haven't used it at all since moving into the house because we signed up with Charter.

The only SDTV channels I'd like on Voom that aren't there are BBC (Boo!) and Food Network. I can live without both.

Thanks,
CDH.
 
My install went smoothly today in Greenville with great reception of the Voom content. The installer used the large antenna in my attic rather than installing Voom's OTA antenna (I have a mechanism where I can adjust the direction from a box in my living room). The OTA channels I can pick up are NBC, CBS, and a *bunch* (6!) different sub-channels of PBS from two different locations. Charter only gave me the NBC affiliate in HD.

The picture quality is terrific -- I upgraded to a 30" 16:9 Panasonic HDTV at the same time -- and *much*better on the SDTV channels than I was getting through Charter cable.

If I can keep reception in rain (Bonnie and Carlos are coming through the Carolinas this week) then I'm sold. I might keep Charter for "broadcast only" SDTV of the locals I can't get OTA, but I am hopeful that when my box upgrades from 6.00 to 6.10 that like many people I'll get a couple more locals. ABC, Fox, and the WB would be nice.

The only things Charter offered that won't get with the new set-up would be their "On Demand" (at best 50/50 of it working!) and the HDNet and HDNet Movies (nice picture but nothing I wanted to watch!).

The heralded DVR box would be great. I hope that it does become a reality.

I'm hoping the 321, 593, and 594 will bring me the HD Olympic coverage discussed elsewhere on the forum, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the soccer on WorldSport. :yes

Thanks for the help from the forum,
CDH.

BTW - FWIW: the installer said that Installers Inc was going for a big push of Voom Installations over the next week, hoping for 1,000 I think.
 
i am in clemson and i get ZERO OTA channels... very rarely i get FOX on 21 or NBC on 04 but even then they dont stay long. I have messed with the antennae as well as an amplifier and still gotten nothing. So if i complain to VOOM then they can provide me with a channel master antenna free of charge?? i sure hope so.
 
Munscher prompted me to follow up.

I figured out that the amplifier to my attic antenna (big one that was in the house when I bought it -- I think it is a Channelmaster Crossfire) was not plugged into the power outlet... Duh!

Powered it up and now receive all available locals here in Greenville: NBC 4, CBS 7, PBS 9.1-3, ABC 13.1-2, Fox 21, PBS 29.1-3, PBS 33.1-5, TBN 35, WB 40, and UPN 62. The channel 9 and 29 subchannels are the same, and the 13.2 subchannel appears to be an Asheville-based WB.

CDH.
 
Anyone in the Upstate of SC (or Asheville/Hendersonville, NC) picking up Channels 4, 13, and 33? Since Ivan came through I haven't been able to pick up these channels OTA. Are their transmitters down?

I believe 33 (broadcasting on 25) and 13 (broadcasting on 56) share a tower up in Asheville and 4 (59) comes from Caesar's Head.

CDH.
 
Hello from Goose Creek (aka Duck Puddle, USA)

Hello to all you Sandlappers out there...

I am new to this thread, but have been following the saga of Voom and Cablevision very closely thanks to SatGuys. I am in Goose Creek and had a glorious install, and all signs point to a pleasant experience. I have been Voomin' since February, and don't ever want anything else. As soon as the DVR is released, I will be dropping E*.

My OTA experience has been quite pleasant. I receive most locals clearly, except Fox and UPN. I do get those two, but not 100%. However, when the wind is from the South East, the temperature is between 60-67 degrees, and the moon is full, they look great. ;)

For OTA, I have a Channel Master (not sure of the number, only that it is the "deep fringe" model, rated for 50+ miles) that was installed by my E* installer, and I kept it when Voom came in. The installer, who lives in Mt. Pleasant and has difficulty getting Fox/UPN, was floored when I immediately got both. And the CM antenna is only elevated to the level of my roofline - attached to chimney - maybe 15-20 feet.

I am always looking at everyone's dishes attached to their houses and looking for company logos. Shame that I am not seeing more Voom dishes. Hopefully the rest of the world will come to their senses and sign up! ;)

If anyone in the area ever has some complaints or concerns about their service, or might want some current info/testimonials, I am always happy to chat via email (admin@cvh360.com) or PM.

Thomas
 
Hi from Enoree

I got VOOM on 5-5-05 and hooked my OTA antenna up to the VOOM box instead of my DTC-100 built in my set. I get ALL of the Greenville market stations in the mid to upper 90's SS and 4 of the Charlotte stations in the upper 80's to low 90's SS. With subs and everything I get 26 DT channels. I was getting the same channels on my DTC-100 but with less SS and WLOS was very unstable, very stable now. I have a very large deep fringe yagi, CM rotor, RS pre amp at 30' elevation. I have regularly picked up WOLO in Columbia with my "B" antenna which is a RS VU-190 with pre amp. On a few occasions I even picked up 2 stations from Augusta.
 
Enoree...you're a long way from my home, but I keep an out all posts as best I can, and yours gives me lots of hope for solving my problems with OTA...I get 51 channels after the DMA...can only actually get signals for about 15, and of those 15 am really only "obsessed" with about 5. I just havent' yet spent the time necessary to swap things around and really get my "sea legs" on where everything stands for me right now. If I end up getting even a fraction of those 51 possibilities...I'll be thrilled. Thanks for posting your success story! Vicki :D :D :D
 
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