I don't agree, either, that the VOOM 21 are the "best"--but it was the whole combination--the other channels VOOM put in the package--far better in terms of picks than Dish has--I hate their Top 60 and 120--Top 60 doesn't even have Fox News. As soon as my one year committment over, going back to C-band for the basic channels.
Also, the other HD channels VOOM had--virtually almost everything in HD that there was available--except the HD Net, etc, but who else had WEalth HD? Also, what other satellite provider had Starz HD, Cinemax HD, Encore HD?
Voom 21 is a very small part of the whole picture and the 10 on DISH are NOT the best of the 21, by any means--the FamilyNet was great, as was Lab, Gunslingers--definitely NOT HD News--I have no idea why they would have picked that channel--it is useless--except for their weather screens.
Why didn't they (Dish), if they could only put on 10 channels, at least rotate them every month--with a different set of the 21 available at different times????
You will tire of these 10 quickly, if they continue to repeat, but now that they have a subscriber (and if they pick up more, such as D*, cable, etc), perhaps their budget for new stuff will increase and the repeating loop will change???
I still hope SOMEBODY can come up with a 3rd Satellite Provider--such as VOOM was--and take the best of both Direct TV (their channel picks and pricing) and Dish (PQ from the new 942 for BOTH SD & HD) and create a "choice".
There are just as many potential HD Satellite users as Wideband Internet, Cell Phone and they certainly have more than 2 or 3 choices?
What happened with Satellite TV--was it the FCC?