Considering Voom.

[PILMAN]

I'm so tired of Dish Network and their overcompressing and lack of HD channels. Their tech support is a joke. I really want to switch providers but I don't want to go to directv. The only thing that is holding me back is the fact that voom requires you to have a phone line in every receiver (we don't have phone jacks in all our rooms and all our phones are cell phones). Another issue is I'm a bit worried about programming. I can live without TechTV and such but I watch WWE a lot. Will a lose Spike TV/USA Network and WWE on payperviews? I'll consider the switch if theres some sort of alternative to the phone lines and someway to get WWE payperviews, maybe I can live with webcast.

And this is probably going to be a newbie question but I have an 811 receiver I bought on ebay about 2 months ago, that wouldn't work on voom would it? Thanks.

 

[ComcastOgre]

Your 811 receiver wouldn't work on Voom, unfortunately. I don't know how everybody else feels, but the Voom PQ for me was ABSOLUTELY terrible. Far worse than anything I've seen on Dish Network, and a lot of their HD channels looked like most of Dish's SD channels to me. Again, not necessarily that way for everybody.

 

[PILMAN]

Is it due to all the HD channels they have? I was talking to a voom representative and he claims that they don't compress their channels nearly as much as Dish, also stated that Dish compressed their HD (yet their hd looks fine to me). Only thing killing me is Dish's SD is driving me nuts and they haven't added anymore HD content. I also was confirmed that you only need one phone line, you only need to activate the receivers with a phone line first is what I was told.

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

My understanding is that you need the phone line only for the coming PPV. We have been Vooming since last May, and the phone line has never been used once. I even paid extra for my install to buy a pair of wireless phone jacks. With a wireless set you don't need phone jacks in every room.

Maybe DBSOgre didn't have his signal peaked properly. I have no idea. But I think Voom's PQ is superb and there is so much HD to choose from. And the sound is also superb. I only have Voom, so I cannot compare to other services.

There are lots of members on here with multiple services, and I think the general consensus is that Voom's PQ is best overall. However, I remember reading a few comments that the PQ of DiscoveryHD is better elsewhere due to less compression or higher bandwidth -- I don't remember if they were talking Dish or DirecTV.

Good luck!

 

[PILMAN]

Dish HD is very good quality to me, but there is not much HD at all nor a future for HD if I stay with DISH. Charlie wants to just keep adding more locals and that's not helping me at all. The channels I do get are good but I just need more than that. I just hope I'm not making a mistake if I do go with Voom. My mothers concerned as it is that she will not be getting most of the programs she watches. My brother will already be mad that we won't be getting TechTV/G4 and I am not too thrilled about not receiving WWE Pay per views but I can live without that. Right now I pay $111.00 a month (before taxes) and that's for 180 channels, HDTV content, and the receiver leases.

 

[jame_g]

I don't have a phone line hooked up to any of my Voom receivers. (Never did with E* either.)

As a former Dish customer, I must say that I find the Voom PQ much better than anything I ever got from Dish. The SD looks so much better.

Voom has Spike and USA, but currently no PPV.

I don't get as many channels as I had with Dish, but I certainly don't miss most of them (too many shopping, religious channels, etc) and I love having a lot more HD to watch.

Some people here have kept their E* or D* basic packages for access to sports or PPV and supplement with Voom. I have basic cable because it comes with the cable modem (what a rip off). This option isn't for everyone though.

 

[PILMAN]

So the HD looks just as good as on dish? Will I be saving money?

I currently have 6 receivers (5 tvs but one dual tuner), I pay the monthly fee for no phone line, 180 channels, 10 hd channels and that's around 111.00 a month and that's before taxes.

What would I be looking at for all voom channels? I just want to try to save money but not be limited by most of the basic stuff my mother watches, you know?

I saw it was like 89.95 or something a month plus for 5 receivers the guy says around 25.00 a month so around 115.00 a month I would probably be paying.

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

You should contact Voom for pricing. I recommend VaVaVoom at the higher price if you want all the premium movie channels in HD, beyond the basic Cinema10. The Voom Cinema10 are good though, and they keep getting better.

Everybody's taste is different. There's no way anybody can tell you if Voom is "worth it" for your own hard earned money. I suggest you go to the Voom site, review the channels offered, decide if the new channels you will get with Voom will outweigh the channels you will lose. Also, you can depend on changing your viewing habits!! Everybody says they watch stuff in HD on Voom they never would have watched before. I certainly agree with that.

I say go for it! It isn't forever, and you can always go back. At least you will see what lots of HD is all about. Nobody wants to go back to SD after they enjoy all the HD available on Voom.

Good luck!

 

[richard_rd]

The main reason a Sat company wants your STB to be hooked up to a Land Line phone is for Multiple STB signal theft pertection. You could order the Voom 3 for $1 deal. After the install you could give the other two STB's to two of your friends/relatives and the threee of you could split the monthly price. All that is needed would be a $50-100 dish and LNB for the other two people and someone that knows how to install the dish.

So even though VOOM does not actually hook up the landline today, they may make it a requirement in the future if they feel enough people are sharing/stealing their service. With the 3 STB's hooked up to the phone lines, when the STB calls the VOOM data center periodically, they will use caller ID to make sure all 3 boxes called in from the same number (home).

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

Interesting that the previous post was how to steal Voom, and then how Voom will shut it down. Hmmmm...

One more comment for PILMAN, really check the channels and see if Voom is for you. Every now and then somebody tries Voom, even says the PQ is terrific, but quits because "Voom is not for me." (They didn't like the programming?) There was a post like that a couple days ago.

 

[richard_rd]

Interesting that the previous post was how to steal Voom, and then how Voom will shut it down. Hmmmm...
QUOTE]


I am a paying customer and only ever had one STB box installed, so no i am not stealing their service, or did i give other STB's to someone else to use. But i am sure alot of people are!!! It is too easy to do if VOOM dosn't use the land line for verification. The main reason i posted this was because i know VOOM monitors this forum and i am actually hoping that they will make it mandatory to have the landline hooked up. Trust me the people that steal the service already know all the tricks and i did not inform them of anything that they don't already know!!

DirecTV's policy is if you have more then 1 STB on an account, connection to a common landline is required, or they charge you the full monthly rate for the additional receivers. This is the only way to control signal theft!!

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

I am a paying customer....

Okay. I didn't think you sounded like a thief. But thanks for the clarification!