VOOM satellite service?

[JScottie]

Now that I've graduated and have my evenings free again, I'm thinking of getting some kind of cable service. I have a projector that decodes HDTV signals and I'm keen on getting some kind of HD setup. I eventually plan of building a HTPC with PVR functionality but I've yet to find the right HD card; (I'm think of getting the 250 for standard definition timeshifting)

What do you fellas think of VOOM's basic service? $40 a month 35 HD channels, no startup or equipment costs. Seems like a great deal over Dish / DirecTV / comcrap, though its TechTVG4 is absent, which is why I've overlooked it in the past. Would I be able to setup a SD HTPC and control it using IR or serial?

Thanks for your input!

 

[doormat]

First, about Voom, while they say they have lots of HD channels, a lot of them are "filler", just channels with movies in HD (10 of their HD channels are just movies they show). Their SD channel lineup has got better since launch, like 55 channels now, comparable to any analog cable system. I'd look over other people's opnions at

http://www.dbsforums.com/vbulletin/...rumid=43&pagenumber=1&daysprune=1000&x=9&y=11

Remember that with Voom your local channels are recieved over the air in digital form (8VSB), so you'll need good reception or a big antenna and amplifier, as well as your local stations transmitting digitally. Check out http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx to find out what stations are broadcasting in your area, from where and what kind of antenna you need.

You'd have to control the receiver through an IR blaster mechanism. The PVR 250 does not have an IR blaster. This means that you'd have to change the channel on the STB to have it output the correct tv show to the capture card. This isnt the best way of doing things. A stand alone Tivo does have an IR Blaster however. I dont know of any capture card w/ an IR blaster to control an STB. I've heard you can do it with a spare soundcard but I have no idea how...

I was thinking about building my own VoD system, but its seriously cramping my style, I'm just going to get one of the $130 Tivos, put in a second 200GB HD, wait for the system upgrade to 5.x system (to enable LBA 48) and have tons of space. I'm just going to have a computer with my ripped DVDs for that part of the VoD system...

 

[flak]

i've seen some guides for building your own ir blaster thingy. a google search on the subject or the mythtv mailing list may be helpful. i think there are also some guides on building one at www.mysettopbox.tv