Dolan Trying To Keep VOOM Alive

[rocatman]

riffjim:
Good Job !!!
The article says that: "One possibility (that Dolan is proposing) is to use medium-power Ku-Band to continue the service"

Update: I suspect that they're using the term "medium-power Ku-Band" to refer to AMC6 because in the other article (1/21) they talk about "the medium-power Ku-Band transponders that VOOM is leasing from SES Global". This is technically incorrect because AMC operates in conus mode

As a point of technical correction, the fact that AMC-6 operates in CONUS mode i.e., has CONUS Transponders (TPs) really has nothing to do with whether it has medium-power Ku-band TPs. The SES Americom website has the power of the AMC-6 Ku-band TPs listed at 110 watts. The Ku-band TPs on AMC-15 and 16 are listed at 140 watts. As a point of reference, AMC-2 that Dish currently uses at 105 W only has 60 watt Ku-band TPs and this satellite is at least useable for most of the U.S. So AMC-6 could be classified as medium-powered but probably still useable for CONUS mode.

 

[SonicRob]

Voom

I just got Voomed Installed and my Installer said he has been hooking up allot people with Voom receivers and i saw a commercial on Discovery HD.

 

[Hoopnoop]

Great work Riff in tracking down that article! Seems to all make sense. I'll bet that Cablevision would have already shut down Voom if not for placating Charles Dolan. I guess we'll just see what he can come up with...

 

[riffjim4069]

What are the odds that Cablevision is offloading its Satellite/Uplink assets to E*, all the while negotiating programming contracts for the VOOM channels (and other Rainbow Media channels) with D*? Just think about the competitive advantage D* would have over E* and Cable by having Sunday Ticket, HD LIL and VOOM.

Whether it's lights out for VOOM as a satellite provider, there are plenty of strategic alternatives for their programming assets. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised me to see Cablevision sell their cable service and focus on Rainbow Media.

Maybe it's not so surprising that D* has announced their plans to convert to MPEG-4 and offer the Ucentric Whole Home Networking solution.

 

[Sean Mota]

I hope not. D* has become the laughing of DBS providers with their HD Lite.

 

[Sean Mota]

Until we see an official "we will be in business and this is how" it all sounds like autopilot.
JL

Well why not a source as well that they are in "autopilot" (according to you) . It is well known that advertising contracts are not made for years but for a length of time. The fact that they are still renewing contracts (known fact here and at AVS) does say more than running a business in "autopilot".

No matter which side you take, we have vey little information to debate whether our assumptions are right or not. At this point I would say that there is force that want VOOM shut down but apparently that force is not strong enough to completly shut it down since it is the 21st day today since Rainbow 1 was sold and Voom customers are still getting the same level of service that they were getting before the sale of Rainbow 1. Whether this will continue it is anybody's guess at this point.

 

[riffjim4069]

I hope not. D* has become the laughing of DBS providers with their HD Lite.

I'm sure you're correct, but isn't this a temporary problem since they have more birds going up and plan to migrate to MPEG-4? I don't follow D* threads, but if they focus on HD LIL then their HD service will probably suck for years to come.

Anyway, I enjoy watching many of the VOOM Exclusive channels and would hate to see them disappear.

 

[seandudley]

It just seems like DBS companies never give quality back after they take it away. They always find a way to use it all up in a manner that won't give quality back. Let's hope that DirecTV will finally do the right thing here, and actually up the quality for once when they can!

 

[Sean Mota]

I'm sure you're correct, but isn't this a temporary problem since they have more birds going up and plan to migrate to MPEG-4?

It has been "temporary" since they started compressing the SD channels. The problem as Seandudley pointed out is that once bandwith is taken and D* sees that there is an acceptance level, there is no incentive to improving the quality! There are a lot of D* subs that do not see a problem with this and they just have decided to accept it until the next birds are available. Whether D* will do the right thing is anybody guess right now.

Based on their history of taking bandwith and not given it back, I won't expect D* to put it back. This, of course, is only my opinion. Again look at their history, every time a new bird was supposed to fix the quality issues, it made the issues worse as they started to add more channels and giving less bandwith to their current channels (7s, same happened with Sunday Ticket). Hopefully, it will be different this time around. One can only be optimistic the way HDTV is going.

 

[Bruce]

One can only be optimistic the way HDTV is going.

I can be optimistic that it is going downhill, with the letter from E*( and the actions of D* with HD-Lite), I think everyone can see what way this might be going.

 

[James Long]

It is well known that advertising contracts are not made for years but for a length of time. The fact that they are still renewing contracts (known fact here and at AVS) does say more than running a business in "autopilot".

Renewing for how long? Month to month? Those renewals may very well be no more than a reflection that corporation has not told the staff to not renew. The status quo in most business is renew unless told otherwise.

Any completely new promotions? Anything developed that would require more permission than "keep on keeping on"? That is where auto-pilot comes in. Keep taking orders, keep doing installs, keep sending out approved promotions until told otherwise. What we are seeing as "new" are in many cases simply things that were in the pipeline and happened to appear after the Jan 20th announcement.

Even the big stuff like SuperDMA and the DVR ... the development has been contracted and nobody has told them to stop. So the work goes on. "Auto-pilot" may not be the nicest word for status quo, but it seems accurate.

No matter which side you take, we have vey little information to debate whether our assumptions are right or not. At this point I would say that there is force that want VOOM shut down but apparently that force is not strong enough to completly shut it down since it is the 21st day today since Rainbow 1 was sold and Voom customers are still getting the same level of service that they were getting before the sale of Rainbow 1. Whether this will continue it is anybody's guess at this point.

Agreed. I know that if *I* were the Cablevision board and were shutting down the service I would be shutting down unnessisary functions and loss leader promotions as soon as possible to save money. Then again, if *I* were the Cablevision board and had a plan to keep the service running beyond the Rainbow1 sale I would be making the appropriate announcements. Voom is in limbo until one of those roads is taken.

JL

 

[Sean Mota]

Renewing for how long? Month to month? Those renewals may very well be no more than a reflection that corporation has not told the staff to not renew. The status quo in most business is renew unless told otherwise.

Do you know the term of the contract for Satelliteguys or AVS with them? Or better yet do you know the term of the contracts with anybody else?

Any completely new promotions? Anything developed that would require more permission than "keep on keeping on"?

If their current promotion does not end until 3/05, can you wait until this one is done and wait for the next one. I mean what you are asking is for them to put another promotion now even though their $1 promotion has not even finished. That's not the way to run a business. What better promotion can you get now with the $1 deal. The next best thing will be the DVR (if it is ever released). I am confused by that.

Even the big stuff like SuperDMA and the DVR ... the development has been contracted and nobody has told them to stop. So the work goes on. "Auto-pilot" may not be the nicest word for status quo, but it seems accurate.

There are clauses in every contract that you can use to get you out of the deal. Even if this stuff was paid under the contract (which you seem certain to know but have yet to provide your back up information), Motorola has to deliver it, so does this means that they are in your definition of "autopilot", no. Contracts are contract and Motorola is satisfying the part of their contract. You and I know very little what other stuff they are working on besides the Super DMA and DVR. You just mention those two because those are the ones making it to the public now. But do you know for a fact that beyond these two, there's nothing more that they are working on? If so, can you give us your proof.

Agreed. I know that if *I* were the Cablevision board and were shutting down the service I would be shutting down unnessisary functions and loss leader promotions as soon as possible to save money. Then again, if *I* were the Cablevision board and had a plan to keep the service running beyond the Rainbow1 sale I would be making the appropriate announcements. Voom is in limbo until one of those roads is taken.

JL

Limbo as far as future stragety is concerned, yes. Nobody knows that at this point. As far as today, they are providing the same HD level as before. Nothing has changed. Until this changes, my money will be paid to them monthly. Once the level of service is not there anymore, there will be no need to pay for the programming.

 

[bman549]

It has been "temporary" since they started compressing the SD channels. The problem as Seandudley pointed out is that once bandwith is taken and D* sees that there is an acceptance level, there is no incentive to improving the quality! There are a lot of D* subs that do not see a problem with this and they just have decided to accept it until the next birds are available. Whether D* will do the right thing is anybody guess right now.

Based on their history of taking bandwith and not given it back, I won't expect D* to put it back. This, of course, is only my opinion. Again look at their history, every time a new bird was supposed to fix the quality issues, it made the issues worse as they started to add more channels and giving less bandwith to their current channels (7s, same happened with Sunday Ticket). Hopefully, it will be different this time around. One can only be optimistic the way HDTV is going.

Is there any way to petition the FCC as to making a rule as to the minmum bandwith for HDTV, either delivered by Sat or OTA?
How would we go about this? would it make any difference?
It seems they think so long as it's broadcast in 16:9 that it's considered HD.
What would be a good rate? 12MB?

 

[Sean Mota]

A lot of folks have stated that VOOM only leased 16 TPs on AMC-6. But if you read the contract carefully, they may lease up to 24 TPs on AMC-6 if they decide to. We at this point do not know anything beyond 13 or 16 but the option is in the contract. Whether Voom executed those options remains a question.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1289606/000095012304013096/y01114a4exv10w10.txt

 

[Sean Mota]

Isn't this a funny math:

Voom currently has 13 tps on Rainbow 1 ~ 39 HD channels.
24 Tp on AMC-6 x 3 ~ 72 HD channels.


Funny math because this doe not accurate reflects the number of HD channels and there's more than meet the eyes here.

 

[danielle_s]

install set for march 31st

I called voom last night and explained my situation to them & that I'm moving on March 31st. I can't have satellite out here at my apartment complex unless you live on the 2nd or 3rd floor because first floor apartments have no private or enclosed areas to put the dish. Even it was mounted in a bucket or on a tripod it would have to be moved everytime they mowed the lawn. Anyway, I have been approved for the $1.00 install and my install is scheduled for March 31st.

The sales associate I spoke with was quite friendly and we were on the phone for quite awhile. I asked him about rainbow 2 and asked him if we would need larger dishes and he said that if you want the additional HD content that is coming out between March & April you will need a larger dish. I told him that I wasn't really interested in the additional HD but asked if I was going to get the additional SD channels without the larger dish when they lauch next month and he said yes. I'm not to sure about his answer.

The funny thing about this whole situation is that it all works like this:
Satellite company releases news/rumors then
the public, media and customers know it then
the customer service reps.. hear it.
You would think that the satellite company would atleast tell the reps before the rest of the world huh?

You know my mom used to say whenever we would get no mail, No news is good news and I'm wondering if the saying might be somewhat true in this situation.

 

[elocs]

It has been "temporary" since they started compressing the SD channels. The problem as Seandudley pointed out is that once bandwith is taken and D* sees that there is an acceptance level, there is no incentive to improving the quality!

I believe and it is my humble opinion that this "acceptance factor" is what is hurting hdtv overall. The vast majority of people are satisfied with the picture they are getting from their old sdtvs. If not, then they have no problem with going out and spending $400 for another 32" sdtv, but they are not willing to shell out maybe $1500 or more for a new hdtv. The parking lot at my Best Buy is nearly always full and people see hdtv there all the time. So if it is so great (and it is), then was is your average, workingclass tv watcher not beating down the doors to buy hdtvs? I myself had an hdtv for 2 years before I had hd programming because I bought it for watching dvds. I can see the date for switching over to hd being pushed back and back do to its lack of acceptance by the general population. If Voom had succeeded it might have gone a long ways towards changing people's perception of hd enough to want an hdtv, but I do not see that happening. Television may be a necessity to most people, but hdtv is a luxury that most can live without as much as I wish it were not so.

 

[rvsixer]

...then they have no problem with going out and spending $400 for another 32" sdtv, but they are not willing to shell out maybe $1500 or more for a new hdtv.

I agree completely with the current 'acceptance factor' situation. However 32" HDTV's are at the $800 price point nowadays (heck $1500 will get you a nice 57" RPTV HDTV ). My thinking is when they drop down to $600 or less you will see a shift favoring HD purchases.

Rob.

 

[barstonetv]

STAY TUNED>>>BIG NEWS!

Stay Tuned>>>big News!

 

[elocs]

I agree completely with the current 'acceptance factor' situation. However 32" HDTV's are at the $800 price point nowadays (heck $1500 will get you a nice 57" RPTV HDTV ). My thinking is when they drop down to $600 or less you will see a shift favoring HD purchases.

Rob.

When prices of hdtv come down further, that will certainly make a big difference. My 30" Samsung which I got about 2 1/2 years ago is still selling for close to the same price I paid for it at Best Buy. My best friend is using my now 10 year old 32" sdtv as his main set as well as my 16 year old 25" set in his basement. I think that as long as people do not buy hdtvs and are willing to settle for the pq of sd, then the growth of hd will be slowed.