VOOM Goes BOOM - update Dish Drops all 15 VOOM Channels

**crainbo** · 05-20-2008 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Apologist

I think closure for me will be when V* is no longer uplinked. That already might be the case. At that time reality will set in and I'll deal with it.

Got it. Ignore the previous post. At least we have a timeline now.

**sgarringer** · 05-20-2008 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Tokafatty

The only 2 studios left releasing on HD-DVD are Paramount and Universal. Toshiba discontinued manufacture of HD-DVD Drives and media in March. Even Microsoft has discontinued sales of HD-DVD drives for the Xbox360 and announced Blue-Ray drives coming later.
[/I]

Actually you're behind the times. Neither Paramount or Universal are scheduled to release any movies on HD-DVD. Anyway, enough taking this off topic. I think we can all agree that now that Voom is gone, lets bring on the REAL CHANNELS!!!

**Apologist** · 05-20-2008 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by crainbo

Understandable but please........this is ridiculous. I guess that's why we have these forums. People can come complain rather than suck it up and deal with it.

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed MonstersHD and it sucks that it's gone but that's where we're at.

Its not all bad- at least we have Chiller

**Bradp56** · 05-20-2008 04:46 PM

I am a horror fan but MonstersHD turned me on to so many movies that I had no idea about, and it angers me that I cant have this anymore.

**Wererat** · 05-20-2008 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Starshifter

Nascar??? Well, if watching cars going around in circles "over and over" again is your thing more power to you. Sorry, I'm not a gear head.

Nascar? ROFLOL!!!

I learned from sim-driving that 'turning left' is trickier than it seems; the other cars' aerodynamics are a very dynamic set of forces within which to maneuver a car, which is important when you're already asking 100% grip from your tires.

It's a very challenging and technical sport.

However, watching it on TV is dull dull dull, I agree, except for the two (?) weeks where NASCAR is on road courses. Watching those cars on the Mexican autodrome (Hermanos Rodriguez Autodrome) was very cool.

**Geronimo** · 05-20-2008 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by 8bitbytes

Refuting the Voom Haters Lie that Voom has had nothing new and repeats the same thing without change:

Voom is quality we will never see again. Anyone who believes otherwise is entitled to their beliefs no matter how obviously false they are.

Wha percentage of the programming each month was original---or at least original to VOOM

**Jeffro34tx** · 05-20-2008 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by 8bitbytes

Dish lost to DirecTv while they had SciFiHD and USAHD uplinked but refused to turn them on. They also lost in the ad department and in the sports dept.

If nobody knew about Voom, how could Voom have been Dishes demise?

Jeff, I know the new stuff is NOT a replacement for Voom even though the CSRs have been told to say that and the form letter email that is sent out says that.

I'm not even taking the Voom take down personally. I AM taking to task some of the misinformation and "too bad for you" attitude, although that kind of behavior will never be corrected on a public forum. Probably just had too much coffee today!

Agreed, Dish lost to DirecTV on many different levels, recently, and Charlie has finally admitted to that. It's up to him to correct that now.

As far as "If nobody knew about Voom, how could Voom have been Dishes demise?" Perhaps Dish didn't feel it was as compelling as the other "HD" networks. Perhaps it was that DISH felt it was paying more for the channels than what it felt it was worth. Maybe they felt that VOOM was not upholding it's end of the contract. They may have been expecting alot more in return. I mean, we are talking about hundred's of millions of dollars. I really couldn't say for sure why, but DISH seems to have felt necessary to remove them. I do not think they would arbitrarily remove channels from their line-up for no sound reason. Even Direct's marketing hit on the fact that DISH was pushing channels that most had not heard of. And for what's it worth... it sounds like DISH did want to keep at least those FIVE last VOOM channels. Maybe it wasn't the 15 as a whole that DISH had a problem with, maybe it was just 10 of the 15.

The TOO BAD FOR YOU attitude is cruel. But I really havn't seen it that way. Those who have played it like that, I don't see any reason for it. The way I see it, is similiar to the AMC-14 situation. When it was first announced that it had not made it's orbit, I think many, at least the few that I read, from DirecTV subs were supportive and hoped for the best. They would have rather seen the sat make it, as it is good for competition. I see it the same way for VOOM, I would rather have it available, along with the additional HD channels of course.

**M Sparks** · 05-20-2008 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Tokafatty

Edit: Also keep in mind that Betamax took a full 2 years before finally going away after Sony lost its format war way back when...

How do you define "lost"?

Most people say Sony admitted defeat in the late 80s when they started making VHS. But Betamax machines were made up until 5 or 6 years ago-though not sold in the US.

Betamax was a viable format in the US for at least 15 years. I used to rent movies at a place that had new releases on Betamax up until '91 or so.

And we still use Beta-related formats today. I have a BetaCam SP deck sitting 3 feet from me. (Though it's probably 15 years old. But the point is, I still have it because it's still required in my industry.)

Anyway, I don't know where you're getting this "2 years" thing, but in any case, it's hard to compare Betamax to HD-DVD. How many installed players are there in the market? BetaMax may not have had mass popularity, but it had a very large installed base.

**Hemi 6.1** · 05-20-2008 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Geronimo

Wha percentage of the programming each month was original---or at least original to VOOM

5% or less.

**Tokafatty** · 05-20-2008 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by M Sparks

How do you define "lost"?

Most people say Sony admitted defeat in the late 80s when they started making VHS. But Betamax machines were made up until 5 or 6 years ago-though not sold in the US.

Betamax was a viable format in the US for at least 15 years. I used to rent movies at a place that had new releases on Betamax up until '91 or so.

And we still use Beta-related formats today. I have a BetaCam SP deck sitting 3 feet from me. (Though it's probably 15 years old. But the point is, I still have it because it's still required in my industry.)

Anyway, I don't know where you're getting this "2 years" thing, but in any case, it's hard to compare Betamax to HD-DVD. How many installed players are there in the market? BetaMax may not have had mass popularity, but it had a very large installed base.

Sony lost the moment they ignored what consumers wanted. This was evident long before they even started manufacturing VHS recorders in 1988 when JVC had a 70% market share with VHS by 1980. Consumers wanted longer recording time (VHS=2 hours, Betamax=1 hour) and greater compatibility. Ask any marketing rep that knows of the entire ordeal who lost that war and every single one of them will not only tell you it was Sony but most will know exactly why.

Beta-related formats may exist in other areas, but find me a new Betamax recorder and new blank media. VHS, on the other hand, is still readily available. Sure, Betamax has other niche uses. However, in home video recording, VHS beat Betamax just as in high-definition DVD, Blue-Ray beat HD-DVD. HD-DVD players will still be around for a while (as long as current stocks exist since nobody manufactures them anymore), and so will some movies, but give it a few years and few people aside from techies will even remember.

Within 2 years after Sony conceded (which everyone assumes was in 1988 when they began manufacturing VHS recorders) Betamax recorders/media were no longer available in the US (for home recording/viewing purposes). However, Betamax was still produced up until 2002 in Japan. It's entire lifespan was 27 years. It was hardly a "viable" format for any more than 4-6 years as "viable" went out the window with Sony's stubbornness.

Edit: forgot to address your last part...

Betamax only had a large install base because its war lasted several years, not to mention that there really was no viable solution for home video recording prior. HD-DVD players were only first available March 31,2006 (Toshiba) and movies released on HD-DVD were first available April 18, 2006. Furthermore, the public in general already knew there was an impending format war as both formats were already well announced long before either was released, so many were smart enough to wait before committing to one format or another. Lastly, high-def content was already available by other means, so it's not like there was a major rush for everyone to just run right out and buy an HD-DVD/Blue-Ray player (which were cost prohibitive to begin with).