Voom Installation Not Going Well So Far

[azfrog]

I have high hopes for Voom but I have to say that my experience with the installation has been terrible.

I live in Phoenix and the local installer here is the cause of all the problems so far. It started when my install was scheduled for Saturday, 6/5. I called on Friday to confirm and to make sure equipment was there. They confirmed and said everything was there and ready to go.

Then on Saturday morning after I changed my plans they called me and said there was no equipment and they had to re-schedule the installation. They said when they told me my equipment was there they meant they "expected" it to arrive later that Friday. Guess I didn't think I would have to speak their language to figure that one out.

So I re-scheduled for today (Monday) between 10 and 12. I also asked for a certain tech. based on a recommendation from another member of this board. Of course, the technician I asked for didn't show up today and the one that did come arrived an hour early. They looked outside and said it was a "commercial" installation since I have a two-story townhome and they need to go to the top to get LOS to the OTA antennas in the south. They said they'd need to re-schedule since they don't have the tall ladder (only one in the whole company?!).

Now I'm frustrated because I told them they'd need to install 20' up my wall for LOS and they still sent the guys without the tall ladder. I called them on this and they said they have no record of it.

So now I'm scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. I'll write more after that's done. I hope that after all these issues I don't run into any of the Voom issues that you guys have discussed. If I do this could be a very short relationship with Voom.

 

[vurbano]

Voom is a new satellite service. YOU WILL RUN INTO ISSUES. those are the facts of life. It depends on whether or not you are willing to wait for voom to iron everything out.

 

[azfrog]

I know I'll run into issues, I just had to vent a little. This company installing is the same one that does lots of DirecTV and Dish installs so it's not a reflection on Voom. Other than the fact that Voom had enough faith in them to represent them in the cusomer's home.

 

[vurbano]

well installs inc assigns the installers. They seem to be the clearing house for installer companies. There are good ones and bad ones. And voom is asking them to do OTA antennas that the other 2 services dont have installers do. SO there is a big learning curve for installers both on voom and antennas. ANd then there is the fact that voom is so new and some of the installers are lying about what voom gives you in the welcome package and selling cables on the net

 

[vurbano]

make sure they ground your dish properly to NEC code. It requires a ground wire attached to the mast running to the main grounding system of your house.

 

[azfrog]

You're right. Installs, Inc. is responsible for assigning these guys. Voom is responsible for it all in the end, though. And if this guy tries to tell me I don't get a DVI and Component cable for free and then tries to charge me for it, then the sh** is going to hit the fan!

 

[vurbano]

My installer was pretty good. actually he let me unpack everything and install it while he mounted the dish. Good luck.

 

[bbtkd]

That line about it being a commercial installation almost sounds like they are looking for a reason to charge you something for the install, over and above the money Voom already pays them. The Voom contract may state residential, so anything other than that would be on the customers nickel. If they press that and try charging you something extra due to being "commercial", then push back stating that it is a residence, not a business.

The business about not having a ladder does not fare well either. A professional installer should show up with everything needed, including a ladder. As far as their not having a record of your telling them - not too surprising. Next thing to watch for is whether they try to sell you the DVI cable which comes with the receiver - or if they try to keep it if you don't need DVI. You should not have to pay for it - they are to supply all cables. I needed component cables - they threw those in for nothing and left me the DVI cable in case I ever need it.

 

[vurbano]

all of the cables come in 2 plastic bags. tele, component and analog Y,R,W in one bag, DVI in another. Its all yours from voom. I have 2 sets of everything here. No s-video though.

 

[azfrog]

To give an update, I had the installation yesterday. The tech. arrived right at 3 PM (on-time) and left at 8:30! I'm not sure what took so long, because things really didn't go all that badly at any point. Some points:

The Voom box came with no manual or user guide. He says he's never seen one of those. Huh? It also came with no audio cables so he gave me a second set of component cables to use for audio. Fine with me because now I have 2 components and I was going to use an Optical Audio interface anyway. Apparantly the boxes are still slow in getting to them.

The tech. said that he does all the satellite providers but Voom is the only thing keeping him busy these days. It seems to be taking off. I guess the informercials are working.

The only OTA I'm not getting is CBS. He had my antenna down low on the dish at first but I got CBS and a few others and that was it. So he went to the roof and mounted the antenna and I got all the channels except CBS. Strange. He said give it a day or two and if it's still not there he could come out and tweak it. I imagine that will be happening.

My signal is in the mid-fifties all the time so I guess that should never be a problem (knock on wood).

I tipped the guy $20 for being so thorough and just because he could have easily bailed out as his supervisor was calling him several times to go to other jobs.

 

[Sean Mota]

azfrog,

thanks for posting. Leave your receiver off so that you can get the new software at night time. Audio cables are not part of the package. Enjoy VOOM.

 

[Dvlos]

azfrog, my installation has gone to all hell, if it wasn't for this site- I am the type of person that loses patience and temper quickly, I would have thrown Voom out. The programming is nice, it's competitive, and they plan to offer more HDTV than anyone else looks like in the future.

However a dumb installer can wreck all sorts of havoc, for me I haven't been able to enter a single channel entry and have it turn out to be right. My OTA was pointing the wrong way. However if it wasn't for this site, I would have never figured out what the hell OTA meant, so I have someone else coming out, who supposedly knows how to handle this better...iand from the responses I've read on this site, VOom will replace equipment until it gets it right. Just chill and let it update, if not keep calling Voom.. they've giving me a free month for my 3-4 days worth of headaches, and I wasn't even angry mad or rude...which is cool.

 

[Dvlos]

Also I got some Voom user guides, but they are so dumbed down, it's nothing super technical as I had wanted.