 Beware of Voom over the air HD receivers if your LCD doesn't support 16:9 |
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 Mar 29 2006, 03:13 AM
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#1
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 Help Desk  Group: Customer Posts: 287 Joined: 2-April 05 Member No.: 6103  |
I wanted a cheap HD over the air receiver, so I bought an activated Voom unit off ebay.
The thing works wonderfully except for one glaring problem: It does not support letterboxing within a 4:3 display through the component output. Let me explain. With the receiver, you can choose 4 different outputs, 480i, 480P, 720P, 1080i. HD programming is in a 16:9 aspect ratio, and to make the receiver display correctly on a 4:3 TV, the engineers created an option to display the 16:9 picture in a letterbox format that puts the black bars above and below the image. However, this feature only works with RF and composite out. When you enable the "letterbox" option when using the component output, nothing happens. The 4:3 monitor will stretch the 16:9 image vertically making everything look tall. I researched this receiver a lot before buying one, and found no mention anywhere of this problem. I know a lot of us here use 4:3 LCDs that don't support 16:9 resolutions, so I thought I would mention it. |
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Mar 29 2006, 04:17 AM
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#2
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 Grayson Sigler  Group: Admin Posts: 8636 Joined: 8-December 03 From: Asheville, NC Member No.: 2 |
Lame :/
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Mar 29 2006, 04:32 AM
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#3
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Help Desk Group: Customer Posts: 208 Joined: 9-August 04 Member No.: 2092 |
I am not sure if this is the problem, but is the monitor adjusting the signal? My 15" BenQ did the same with the Samsung until I purchased a signal converter (VGA2TV2WAY).
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Mar 29 2006, 06:58 AM
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#4
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 Enlightened Group: Customer Posts: 1413 Joined: 26-September 04 From: WA Member No.: 2756 |
QUOTE (brainchild @ Mar 29 2006, 04:17 AM)  Lame :/ Wow, extremely. Thanks for the heads up Chad. -------------------- Great quote and so true....
"My projector is performing fantastically in all light conditions. All things considered (initial cost, bulb replacement cost, and picture quality) I kill a $10k projector with my projector as is. I don't know a soul that would pay that kind of money for a marginally better picture. When its all trimmed out with a nicely finished final box, hidden wires, finished screen etc, I don't think anyone would argue my opinion." -joewerb (pasted my favorite parts, hope you don't mind joe. :P) |
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Mar 29 2006, 01:50 PM
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#5
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Help Desk Group: Customer Posts: 287 Joined: 2-April 05 Member No.: 6103 |
QUOTE (rlwoodjr @ Mar 28 2006, 10:32 PM) I am not sure if this is the problem, but is the monitor adjusting the signal? My 15" BenQ did the same with the Samsung until I purchased a signal converter (VGA2TV2WAY). If your monitor doesn't support 16:9, it will stretch the image. The letterbox feature on the Voom box was created so a 16:9 image could display properly on a 4:3 TV. The problem is, this letterbox feature is disabled when you use component output. (I don't know about the DVI out because I have nothing to test it with). |
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Apr 18 2006, 07:40 PM
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#6
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I Should Be Working Group: Customer Posts: 116 Joined: 31-December 04 Member No.: 4484 |
Works on my box...
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| Register NowTESCORP_* |
Apr 19 2006, 01:42 AM
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#7
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Unregistered User |
I used to install for Voom until they went bust, I have a few here I can play around with, I also have the manual for it. I'll have to see what you mean. I also have about 75 remotes if any one wants one. and about 20 off air antennas. mine started to reset itself when I tune to channel 11 analog.
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Nov 17 2006, 03:27 PM
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#8
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Lab Rat Group: Guest Member Posts: 3 Joined: 17-November 06 Member No.: 21347 |
QUOTE (Chad N. @ Mar 28 2006, 10:13 PM) I wanted a cheap HD over the air receiver, so I bought an activated Voom unit off ebay. The thing works wonderfully except for one glaring problem: It does not support letterboxing within a 4:3 display through the component output. Let me explain. With the receiver, you can choose 4 different outputs, 480i, 480P, 720P, 1080i. HD programming is in a 16:9 aspect ratio, and to make the receiver display correctly on a 4:3 TV, the engineers created an option to display the 16:9 picture in a letterbox format that puts the black bars above and below the image. However, this feature only works with RF and composite out. When you enable the "letterbox" option when using the component output, nothing happens. The 4:3 monitor will stretch the 16:9 image vertically making everything look tall. I researched this receiver a lot before buying one, and found no mention anywhere of this problem. I know a lot of us here use 4:3 LCDs that don't support 16:9 resolutions, so I thought I would mention it. I tested with composite out. It didn't work either. Anyone experience differently? |
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Nov 17 2006, 03:28 PM
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#9
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Lab Rat Group: Guest Member Posts: 3 Joined: 17-November 06 Member No.: 21347 |
QUOTE (TESCORP @ Apr 18 2006, 08:42 PM) I used to install for Voom until they went bust, I have a few here I can play around with, I also have the manual for it. I'll have to see what you mean. I also have about 75 remotes if any one wants one. and about 20 off air antennas. mine started to reset itself when I tune to channel 11 analog. Do you still have some spare off air antennas? How can I get one? |
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Nov 17 2006, 03:30 PM
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#10
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Lab Rat Group: Guest Member Posts: 3 Joined: 17-November 06 Member No.: 21347 |
QUOTE (davejcb @ Apr 18 2006, 02:40 PM) Works on my box... Hmmm... how did you get it to work? What kind of monitor are you using? 4:3 or 16:9? CRT or LCD? What type of connection? component or composite? Thanks! |
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Nov 17 2006, 03:30 PM
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#11
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 Help Desk Group: Guest Member Posts: 381 Joined: 7-September 06 From: Saint Louis, MO. Member No.: 17679 |
QUOTE (TESCORP @ Apr 18 2006, 07:42 PM) I used to install for Voom until they went bust, I have a few here I can play around with, I also have the manual for it. I'll have to see what you mean. I also have about 75 remotes if any one wants one. and about 20 off air antennas. mine started to reset itself when I tune to channel 11 analog. *cough* i'll take those off yer hands.. 
-------------------- Link for my webshots, with lots of pictures that deal with my projector. HERE
Sorry for crappy pictures, using a 2.1mp camera.  Life is a dream from which all must wake. |
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| Register NowTESCORP_* |
Nov 19 2006, 06:33 AM
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#12
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Unregistered User |
anyone looking for Voom remotes or winegard HD antennas e-mail me at TESCORP@STARBAND.NET
I still havent had the chance to hook up and test the outputs for 16:9 aspect I have to try it. I do have the unit set to display wide screen format on the coax and s-video outs just fine. oh yeah, it stopped resetting on channel 11 and now works just fine. I did get both of mine for free so I cant complain. |
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Nov 22 2006, 01:05 AM
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#13
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Enlightened Group: Customer Posts: 744 Joined: 29-October 04 Member No.: 3264 |
My voom box works really well. The picture has been excellent. No problems with the letter boxing on mine through component.
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Nov 22 2006, 03:25 AM
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#14
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Lab Rat Group: Guest Member Posts: 2 Joined: 21-November 06 Member No.: 21606 |
if anyone has a voom box for sale please let me know! my parents have an HDTV but it doesn't have an internal OTA tuner. I want them to see what HD looks like on their tv! it's a 55" widescreen. thanks!
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