April fools: {WinVoom}?

Alto101 · Apr 1, 2005

The main Voom thread over at avsforums has an interesting post about a new company called WinVoom. The person who posted it claims that he has a leaked internal Microsoft memo. I can't decide if I believe this or if it is an April Fool's day joke. Any thoughts?

Ronald_Jeremy · Apr 1, 2005

Um, I would think if it were even a remote possibility, then the domain would be bought by them.

It is not taken. It is available.

BFG · Apr 1, 2005

I'm pretty sure it's a joke. Cpanther is really having fun with that thread with the countdown and all...

shanewalker · Apr 1, 2005

I think it must be a joke...here's the posting for any interested:

From http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5417099#post5417099

Voom to become WINVOOM ?

Let me preface this by saying DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP:

From an internal Microsoft memo (forgive the cryptic paraphrasing - I promised anonymity):

The Good News:

* There is a lot of Voom discussion recently at Microsoft.
* Discussion centers around a "new" company referred to as {WINVOOM} .. (((brackets are theirs, not mine - and are always there)))

The Few Available Details:

* "Proposed {WINVOOM} Board"
- Blair Westlake
- Robert Bach
- John Malone
- Steve Ballmer
- Charles Dolan
- Thomas Dolan
- Moshe Lichtman
- Charles Noski
- Frank Biondi

* A very brief, vague reference to an Xbox tie-in of some sort.

The Bad News:
Apparently things are in a holding pattern waiting for two things

* The Dolans must secure the rights to all Rainbow programming.
* Cablevision must cancel the sale of Rainbow 1 to E*

-----------------------------------------------------
TIFWIW

Ronald_Jeremy · Apr 1, 2005

I also forgot to say, we don't want the BSOD on our TV's.

BFG · Apr 1, 2005

and the b meaning blue

not as in black with dish

Scott Greczkowski · Apr 1, 2005

Actually it may be possible, as I have discussed with the staff Microsoft HAS been spending lots of time in our VOOM forums.

I have also mentioned this here publically a few times.

Also I have heard some things over the past few months how the Mpeg4 that will be used could be some special Microsoft Windows Media 10 version of it and not pure MPEG4.

So knowing these things I would not be so quick to call it a April Fools joke (although its timing is bad)

However I don't think they would call the service WinVOOM, I would expect it to be MS-VOOM or something like that.

B.Greenway · Apr 1, 2005

Come on

shanewalker · Apr 1, 2005

Gates-O-Rama has a certain ring to it

.

I know Microsoft has been itching to be a significant player in the media/distribution game for a long time. They have been pushing WMP as an HD scheme, were trying to be a link in the digital cinema distribution chain, and so on...I'm surprised to hear that they'd embrace MPEG4 in any form, though, as they made such a stink about how it was inferior to their proprietary technology (i.e. opposing Apple and partners who touted the 'open standard'). Hmmm.

Walter L. · Apr 1, 2005

More stuff posted by CPanther over AVSForum:

I know the timing is bad, and if I had checked my personal email yesterday, I could have posted this last night - like I said - I considered posting this tomorrow, but with the 3/31 deadline come and gone, I actually thought an official announcement might come today - then it would no longer be a "scoop".

FWIW - This is from a 4 page memo (including a 1 page attachment) that was not dated 4/1/05 - but on 3/xx/05. Even if it was dated today, Microsoft doesn't strike me as the April Fool's kind of company On the 1 page attachment (which was a scanned copy) the places that should have read the company name were replaced with blacked out magic marker instead and the area blacked out is not big enough to contain "{WINVOOM}" or even "WINVOOM" - but the spacing seems larger than VOOM would require.

mindstein · Apr 1, 2005

Scott Greczkowski said:
Actually it may be possible, as I have discussed with the staff Microsoft HAS been spending lots of time in our VOOM forums.

I have also mentioned this here publically a few times.

Also I have heard some things over the past few months how the Mpeg4 that will be used could be some special Microsoft Windows Media 10 version of it and not pure MPEG4.

So knowing these things I would not be so quick to call it a April Fools joke (although its timing is bad)

However I don't think they would call the service WinVOOM, I would expect it to be MS-VOOM or something like that.

Microsoft does have its own MPEG-4 encoder.

riffjim4069 · Apr 1, 2005

Walter L. · Apr 1, 2005

One thing is sure: if VOOM becomes WinVoom, I bet the naysayers will call it WinDoom

wmichsabre · Apr 1, 2005

How long before there is an underground movement called LINUXVOOM?

Scott Greczkowski · Apr 1, 2005

Hmmm....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,152050,00.html

vurbano · Apr 1, 2005

Dolan selling his programming to microsoft to help finance this thing?

Scott Greczkowski · Apr 1, 2005

Hmm What do you think?

Indy · Apr 1, 2005

Microsat

Walter L. · Apr 1, 2005

Scott Greczkowski said:
Hmm What do you think?

Scott, I think that the current voOm logo with Bill Gates face in the middle of the big 'O' will be more appropiated

Can somebody create it?

Nayl · Apr 1, 2005

Def April fools prank part of the prank is to make it seem as real as you

April fools: {WinVoom}?

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