BREAKING VOOM DVR News from CES!!!

[JimP]

At a party I hosted a few years ago, someone saw the huge wiring mess behind my component cabinet and called others to come over and see it. They were somewhat taken aback as to what it takes to connect everything together.

I can see the argument people who want a high end system, but don't because they don't think they can connect all the wires. Its to the home theater industry's advantage to simplify the wiring, therefore removing yet one more objection to buying.

From my perspective, it gets a bit old trying to connect/disconnect a component without pulling something else loose. I welcome simplifying the network of wires.

 

[rudolpht]

I actually thought this was a thread about Voom vs the merits of HDMI. HDMI is a single standard replacing multiple DVI variants (I count 5) to a single consumer electronics standard digital video input. It takes a $50 connector to convert DVI to HDMI (that's a high end version of the connector). Some day it will carry audio, but the spec for multichannel audio is still being finalized or recently voted, and no manufacturers to my knowledge are doing audio with the existing chip sets. That said 2 cables, an HDMI and any firewire, coax digital or optical digital can carry sound. I know things are complicated, but most folks can do 2 cables.

Now back to our originally scheduled Voom channel, particularly now that there will be A NEW CHANNEL for every recorded show on our networked DVRs starting in Mar. Cool stuff.

BTW they seem to be leaving the cabinet open for all the joe publics to see the hardware, even the doubting Thomases.

 

[madpoet]

There are 2 advantages to HDMI currently. It has a smaller cable and head connector, and it is spec'd for longer distances than DVI.

-MP

 

[vurbano]

Now back to our originally scheduled Voom channel, particularly now that there will be A NEW CHANNEL for every recorded show on our networked DVRs starting in Mar. Cool stuff.

what new channel?

 

[dnyce]

Did I miss something?

Ummmmmm, so where is the Demonstration of a Functional DVR??

I saw a couple pictures of empty boxes and the new HD and SD STB's but no DVR demo. Is their another thread somewhere that I missed?

Also, any word about PPV from the CES? Seems to be a forgotten subject.

 

[andrzej]

Ummmmmm, so where is the Demonstration of a Functional DVR??

I saw a couple pictures of empty boxes and the new HD and SD STB's but no DVR demo....

Hop on the next flight to Vegas and you will see it...

 

[vurbano]

Ummmmmm, so where is the Demonstration of a Functional DVR??

I saw a couple pictures of empty boxes and the new HD and SD STB's but no DVR demo. Is their another thread somewhere that I missed?



Also, any word about PPV from the CES? Seems to be a forgotten subject.

the empty boxes were SD boxes. they had a functioning DVR at CES according to Scott.

 

[TheForce]

OK, I apologize to all who want to remain in the 20th century. You have a right to do that but for all who want the new technology, this is really about you.

Here is a low res video I shot with a digital still camera in the crowd at the VOOM booth. This was not a real demo of how a PVR works but more to explain the VOOM concept of what THEIR system is intended to do. For all who want to make comparisons to TIVO and even the 921, you will indeed have major problems with this concept. A TIVO it is not. Doesn't try to be. It is a way for multi viewers to have access to recorded content from several locations. Add multiple stackable PVR's and you expand the capability and storage capacity. If it's TIVO you want and will settle for nothing else then feel free to move on, This is not for you. For all who are willing to accept a VOOM concept of THEIR system, then check out this:

http://www.TV-Shopper.com/CES/VOOMDVR.wmv

(case sensitive link)

 

[vurbano]

OK, I apologize to all who want to remain in the 20th century. You have a right to do that but for all who want the new technology, this is really about you.

Here is a low res video I shot with a digital still camera in the crowd at the VOOM booth. This was not a real demo of how a PVR works but more to explain the VOOM concept of what THEIR system is intended to do. For all who want to make comparisons to TIVO and even the 921, you will indeed have major problems with this concept. A TIVO it is not. Doesn't try to be. It is a way for multi viewers to have access to recorded content from several locations. Add multiple stackable PVR's and you expand the capability and storage capacity. If it's TIVO you want and will settle for nothing else then feel free to move on, This is not for you. For all who are willing to accept a VOOM concept of THEIR system, then check out this:

http://www.scubatech.com/CES/VOOMPVR.wmv

(case sensitive link)

he says something about upgrading rainbow1 and bringing online the other sat. DOes upgrading mean mpeg4? and does that mean even more than 50 hours on the 250 gig drive???? IS VOOM GOING MPEG4?????????

 

[ChetK]

You have a right to be skeptic. You do not have right to print false information or at least check your facts first.

:haha That's funny Sean. Wasn't it YOUR message board that talked about a PVR by summer? Then by Christmas? And now your saying March. How about a friendly wager? I'll send you $10 via PayPal if ANY Voom customer (excluding SatelliteGuys moderators) is actively using a Voom PVR by the end of March. If not, you send me $10 via PayPal. Sound fair? LOL

 

[Sean Mota]

:haha That's funny Sean. Wasn't it YOUR message board that talked about a PVR by summer? Then by Christmas? And now your saying March. How about a friendly wager? I'll send you $10 via PayPal if ANY Voom customer (excluding SatelliteGuys moderators) is actively using a Voom PVR by the end of March. If not, you send me $10 via PayPal. Sound fair? LOL

Difference is that in that thread we were all speculating about Christmas... The only press release was made by Voom and it was stated that they may have it by summer. There was no question in no one's mind that we were all speculating. It was never stated as a plain fact that it was going to happen. ChetK, we moderators knew about the DVR by October as I said before and as you or anyone can check not once we ever stated as a "fact" that it was going to be released by December. In fact, there were a few members that contacted me privately and asked me to tell them what was going on with the DVR because they were planning to drop the service. I told everyone that contacted me privately not to put their hope on it and to base their decision on what they thought it was best for them to do.

I could have said "oh yeah VOOM will have it in by the end of december" but I never did. Those members that contacted me privately can come and post whether I tried in any way to string them along to keep the service. That is not the person I am. We try to bring the good and the bad information here and whether you keep your current service or go some other place is up to the individual. I myself carried three services just because there is not one that can satisfied my thirst for HD programming.

I am not going to make a wager with you or anyone. I am not in that business. Whether you think I have one now or may have one in the future it is up to you. I, myself, worry very little about it. I am not preocupied with it. I continued living and when there is one to be released be sure to check the site because we will have the first review or try to break the news here. That I can guarantee you that we will do.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

While you guys argue amunst yourself here are some shots of the 580 and the rear of the 580. (These taken from the spec sheet... I dont have a scanner here to scan it in)

I should also note that VOOM realized it did not have an actual 580 on display (since the units look identical) VOOM actually had one FLOWN IN late yesterday afternoon so we could get photos, unfortunately I had already left the show by the time it arrived (and if I took the shuttle bus back it would be an hour and a half back to the show because of all the traffic and the show would have probably been closed by the time I arrived)

About the only thing I did not like about the VOOM DVR was the record button instead of being a red circle, on the VOOM remote is a Red Heart. (Whoever designed that has been watching the Devine channel too much... not that theres anything wrong with that)

 

[jnardone]

Huh?

Difference is that in that thread we were all speculating about Christmas... The only press release was made by Voom and it was stated that they may have it by summer. .

Sean:
the press release from VOOM didn't say the DVR "may" be released by Summer. It said it was "expected" as in:

"The latest advancement from Rainbow DBS will be the rollout of its VOOM HD Home Media Network, expected this summer" (VOOM press release from CES 2004)

Many people wouldn't consider VOOM's language to be as ambiguous you want it to have been and you don't do much for SatGuys credibility when you try to revise VOOM's own statements.

 

[Sean Mota]

Sean:
the press release from VOOM didn't say the DVR "may" be released by Summer. It said it was "expected" as in:

"The latest advancement from Rainbow DBS will be the rollout of its VOOM HD Home Media Network, expected this summer" (VOOM press release from CES 2004)

Many people wouldn't consider VOOM's language to be as ambiguous you want it to have been and you don't do much for SatGuys credibility when you try to revise VOOM's own statements.

Expect, may, might... whatever the language is and how you interpret it... the only thing I am saying is that this is the only known fact that everyone knew... Nothing else nothing more... everything else was speculative language and anyone understood it to be a fact... well, that person did not understand...

 

[Ilya]

Guys, although various interpretations of the word "expected" in the last year's PR might be interesting, can we keep this thread focused on this week's news? Please?!!

 

[techweb]

While you guys argue amunst yourself here are some shots of the 580 and the rear of the 580. (These taken from the spec sheet... I dont have a scanner here to scan it in)

Oh good, it has four tuners as was rumored (two sat, two ATSC). Guess I'd better think about getting around to running another coax out to the LNB.

 

[BFG]

Geez so many negative nancys around here...

 

[jnardone]

This weeks news: "DVR expected in March" .... but not the "nine months later" expected...more of a "sooner than nine months later" expected... but probably not an "actual" expected

 

[vurbano]

The movie clip is great!!!

 

[mkwillia]

About the "expected"-like terms.....This is a trade show, people. No one, D*, Dish or Voom is giving out MM/DD/YYYY on any new products or services. let's just hope they are close.

The thing that scares me about Voom's PVR objective is......do we expect Installs Inc. to set this up for us. (i.e. how difficult should this be?)