a Good pr article on Voom

[rang1995]

i found this in on a financial site,not sure if it was posted,but it's the first"maybe it will do good" article

By Paul Dykewicz, PBI Media LLC
Cablevision's [CVC] Rainbow DBS satellite TV business unit began providing commercial service in February, and it slowly is beginning to emerge as a legitimate competitor in the U.S. multi-channel video marketplace. The service, known as VOOM, is picking up subscribers through its Sears retail distributors and via its own direct sales. VOOM's subscriber base stood at 1,627 at the end of February, and its growth should accelerate as the service signs up additional retailers to distribute its programming. The service's key selling point is an unparalleled 35 channels of HDTV programming.

VOOM should gain further sales traction due to its recent reduction in the price of its satellite TV receiving equipment to roughly $400 from nearly $750. Subscribers also will be given the option to rent a set-top box for $9.50 a month, on top of the monthly subscription fee that starts at $39.90 per month. VOOM's willingness to subsidize the rollout of the service, combined with a growing U.S. demand for HDTV, also should aid its sales. Past drags on the growth of HDTV, including a lack of available programming and a dearth of HDTV-capable TV sets, also are becoming less problematic.

In addition, Cablevision appears to be on track to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the coming weeks to spin off its Rainbow DBS unit. Such a move would unlock Rainbow DBS from Cablevision, and it would help the satellite TV company develop as an independent entity. Thomas Eagan, a satellite and cable analyst at Oppenheimer, cited several of these trends in a research note about VOOM and Cablevision.

The market currently does not give Cablevision much value for its national cable networks or the potential of its Rainbow DBS business, Eagan said in a phone interview with Satellite News Friday. Rainbow DBS ultimately may carve out an enhanced valuation on its own through its unprecedented original HDTV programming and whatever subscription satellite TV service revenues it develops, he added. In addition, a spin-off of Rainbow DBS would allow its debt to be refinanced to speed growth.

Those who think VOOM is a non-entity that will not impact either DirecTV or EchoStar Communications [DISH] ultimately may be surprised. VOOM is a service that is worth watching for more than just its unique programming

 

[rang1995]

another tid-bit from a Wall street analyst(these are usually behind in info due to time to publish)
"Rainbow DBS – Voom. We expect to see a slight uptick in subscriber numbers for the Voom product as
a result of a new pricing and marketing scheme that began late in the quarter. With customers now
having the option of leasing the equipment from Voom for $9.99 (versus the original $750 upfront offer),
we think potential customers are more likely to try the service out. Also, we expect that Voom will
introduce a 250 gigabyte (30 HD hours) DVR sometime in the 2H04 (produced by Motorola, which has
been slow in rolling out new set-top boxes). March was the first month that Voom began to charge
customers for the service. At the recent Sky Forum, Voom management indicated that the company
would likely announce new agreements with retailers other than Sears. We have taken up our marketing
expense for the quarter and year to reflect the more robust marketing push."

 

[GadgetRick]

Well...

It's good to see some press about Voom. I'm always skeptical about analysts--especially when it comes to technology. Remember, most of the people evaluating how well technology companies will do usually know nothing about technology.

Either way, it's good to see press and it's better to see good press rather than bad press! I'm still a believe in Voom. We're gonna see a lot of growing pains but, in the end, I think Voom should make it in some form (could be bought by someone, who knows...).

Ultimately, this is good for HDTV as well. I've been posting in other forums for years now about the lack of HD programming for my HD-capable TV. The stuff Dish and DTV offers is insulting. For what it costs to get into HD it's really not worth it (to me anyway) to deal with DTV or Dish. Voom is perfect for me.

Let's hope they keep working to provide a worthwhile service. This not only means PQ but it also means the channels we want without compressing the hell out of them. In short, it means listening to their customer base and fixing the problems we report to them. Right now, they're doing a fairly good job of it.

The Rickster