HD Cinema are a bunch of old Movies that no one cares?

[Sean Mota]

Everytime I hear this it kind of makes me laugh. I know movies are a matter of taste but you need to give credit where credit is due as well.

My points:

1 - If your expectation of HD Cinema is to get Premium Movies (like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, TMC, Encore and Starz), you are fooling yourself. Don't get VOOM because that is not the type of movies, you will get.

2 - HD Cinema (including Monsters) is a Multiplex Movie Theater. The concept behind it is that you will get an average of 25-30 movies per day. There are 10 Channels that will repeat on an average of 2 movies per day throughout the day. It is sort like the concept of a Multiplex Movie Theater. The same movie repeated over the day and you find the slot more convenient to you to watch it.

Maybe you do not like this concept and you think it is a "waste". But this is how it is. Whether you like it or not is up to you.

3 - HD Cinema is part of the basic subscription package. This is overlooked a lot. You are getting HD movies as part of the basic package. There is not a premium collected here.

4 - A good/bad movie is a matter of taste. But we all can agree that good/bad movies are made in any area. It could be a 2005 movie or 1969 movie. Just because a movie is old, does not make the movie "bad".

5 - Look at movies reviewed by customers on this thread. It does seem like they are likable and in some degree not that bad.

6 - If you still find the movies "bad" (by your taste), then ignore them and subscribe to HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Showtime, TMC, or Encore or all of them. They do offer a more contemporary selection of movies. If does not satisfy you then VOOM is not for you. Go back to DVDs and get your selection.

 

[TheTimm]

1 - If your expectation of HD Cinema is to get Premium Movies (like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, TMC, Encore and Starz), you are fooling yourself. Don't get VOOM because that is not the type of movies, you will get.

This is the only part of your post I disagree with. There's a lot more to Voom than the HDCinema channels, so I would still advise someone to get Voom even if they don't like those movies.

The most important thing to me is that they're part of the basic subscription package -- I've been stressing that for as long as I've been around here. There's no extra cost specifically for these channels. If you don't like the kind of movies offered, and this is the only reason you'd go with Voom -- you will be disappointed. But Voom is much more than just the HDCinema, of course. As you mentioned, for the new-movie fan you could get all the HD versions of the premium channels for your fix and just enjoy the HDCinema if it happens to show something you like. I don't understand why people who don't like these channels get so worked up over them.

For the record, the HDCinema channels are quite possibly my favorite part of Voom. I love 'em, and a lot of the movies they show. And I even enjoy watching some of the not-so-good movies they show. It's a great outlet for movies I would otherwise never take the time to see, or in some cases have the opportunity to see. And in a lot of cases it's the only chance I'll have to see them presented in high definition and surround sound. Also, I've only had Voom for eight or nine months, but the improvement in movie selection has been outstanding. Voom (and specifically the HDCinema) just keeps getting better IMO.

 

[vinnyv07]

Everytime I hear this it kind of makes me laugh. I know movies are a matter of taste but you need to give credit where credit is due as well.
3 - HD Cinema is part of the basic subscription package. This is overlooked a lot. You are getting HD movies as part of the basic package. There is not a premium collected here.

It makes me laugh also. I was paying TWC 55 bucks a mth for CBSDT, NBCDT, FoxDT, ABCDT, WNETDT, DiscHD, ESPNHD...and thats all folks. Since I have subbed to VOOM TWC has added INHD 1 and 2 and TNTHD ...also HDNET and HDNET MOVIES. But, I still feel that VOOM is a huge upgrade to any other provider because of of what they give you in their basic sub pack. And I still prefer OTA over any ch that is piped through to me. Vooms movies have gotten a bit better since their beginning. But I still would like to see a better group of older movies shown.

 

[riffjim4069]

Amen! Typically, by the 10th of each month we have already seen the latest and greatest fare of new movies playing on HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax so we take a closer look at the VOOM movie channels. While Cinema10 may not be playing the latest and greatest blockbusters, they certainly provide a great deal of variety when you add them together. We can always find something at least mildly entertaining to watch. Sometimes we'll force ourselves to watch nothing but Cinema10 over a weekend and we're usually quite happy with the entertainment value being provided.

Perhaps it's just that I'm 40+ and/or have diverse interests? But I equate the people who can't find anything interesting to watch on Cinema10 to the same people who will look at me funny when I take them out for Vietnamese or Indian cuisine. Some people will only eat Applebee's and are unwilling or unable to try anything else; it's all crap to them.

Anyway, Cinema10 gets better each and every month...however, I'm going to scream if I see another Thunderbirds marathon on FamilyRoom HD. :yikes

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

...For the record, the HDCinema channels are quite possibly my favorite part of Voom. I love 'em, and a lot of the movies they show. And I even enjoy watching some of the not-so-good movies they show. It's a great outlet for movies I would otherwise never take the time to see, or in some cases have the opportunity to see. And in a lot of cases it's the only chance I'll have to see them presented in high definition and surround sound. Also, I've only had Voom for eight or nine months, but the improvement in movie selection has been outstanding. Voom (and specifically the HDCinema) just keeps getting better IMO.

Well said, TheTimm. I couldn't have said it better. :up

 

[rkr0923]

I see it the opposite way.....Voom pushes itself as "The HD" connection right, therefore the HDCinema is the package and the others are part of the basic subscription.

 

[riffjim4069]

Well said, TheTimm. I couldn't have said it better. :up

I watch quite a few Cinema10 movies, but not nearly as many as the TheTimm. I just wanted to say "Thanks" for posting so many excellent reviews; we agree on 80% of the material so your posts help a great deal.

 

[Sean Mota]

I see it the opposite way.....Voom pushes itself as "The HD" connection right, therefore the HDCinema is the package and the others are part of the basic subscription.

Don't understand this. Can you explain it?

 

[Sean Mota]

This is the only part of your post I disagree with. There's a lot more to Voom than the HDCinema channels, so I would still advise someone to get Voom even if they don't like those movies.

I agreed. There's more than the HD Cinema channels. I was just trying to make the point about how sometimes customer or potential customers make the mistake in thinking that they are going to get an HD Premium channel like HBO, Cinemax, etc. The argument is always "movies are old" and "repeated".

At this point, HD Cinema with its 10 movies Multiplex Channels has a purpose; however, I understand that when the DVR arrives (if it ever arrives), VOOM will have to re-think the idea of the channels as a Multiplex Movie Theater. With the DVR available, it makes very little sense to have them this way.

At that point, they should re-think the strategy of the movie channels. One idea is to make them like the Monsters HD channel. Have 5-10 movies per day, 24/7 or reduce the amount of channels and reconfigure their purpose. This, of course, is my opinion only.

 

[TheTimm]

At this point, HD Cinema with its 10 movies Multiplex Channels has a purpose; however, I understand that when the DVR arrives (if it ever arrives), VOOM will have to re-think the idea of the channels as a Multiplex Movie Theater. With the DVR available, it makes very little sense to have them this way.

At that point, they should re-think the strategy of the movie channels. One idea is to make them like the Monsters HD channel. Have 5-10 movies per day, 24/7 or reduce the amount of channels and reconfigure their purpose. This, of course, is my opinion only.

I understand what you're saying about rethinking the strategy of the HDCinema when the DVR arrives, but I'm not sure I agree with it. Remember, not everyone will get the DVR. I won't unless it is very inexpensive, which I don't anticipate. I like them the way they are, but who knows -- depending on how they'd reconfigure them, I may like it better, even without the DVR.

 

[jame_g]

I don't watch a lot of the Cinema movies, but I sometimes come across an old favorite or one I've never seen that catches my attention. It is nice being able to see them in HD widescreen or HD OAR. Much nicer than catching them scratchy, faded, fuzzy, SD and on late night! (And some are newer that just never made it big at the theaters.)

Plus, it's very entertaining to see a movie that I'd never seen and try to see how many actors are in it early in their careers who later made it big.

I also enjoy Equator and Rave.

 

[elocs]

I do not dislike Cinema HD, nor do I complain about it, but I do not think it is any better or worse than most of the other channels out there. I don't often find something I want to watch on Cinema HD, but sometimes I do--much like on most of the other channels I get. The fact that the movies are older does not bother me because I find more movies overall that I like on TCM. I have VaVaVoom and it is getting hard to find something on those channels that I want to watch or have not already seen. I think it may be the "57 Channels and Nothing's On" syndrome. We have such a wide selection of channels and programs that we are convinced that there must be something better on and so continue surfing. I know I spend an inordinate amount of time scanning through all of the programs and movies in the program guide.

Since we all want Voom to succeed, then it might be time to dispense with the like it or lump it attitude. In order to succeed, Voom needs to appeal to the masses as well as the hd and cinema snob. The average Joe and Josephine need to find something they want to watch and think is worth paying for on a regular basis. They do not need somebody trying to explain and rationalize to them why they should be happy with what they have. It is not like feeding a baby and saying, "num, num, num, this is really scrumptious and good for you".
I have eaten at many places that have varied quisine, but a good many of them also have cheesebugers on the menu for those who may want them.

I have Voom for the hd programming that it has to offer, not that all of it is good all the time, but there is usually something to watch. The basic subcription price for Voom is not much more than what my cable costs me and I get the channels I want. HD Cinema is ok and I do kind of look at it like a cinema multiplex which may be showing 10 movies, but maybe there is only 1 in which I am interested. Maybe there are none I want to see.
That doesn't mean that it is a bad place to go to the movies, just that there is nothing that I want to watch now. Tomorrow may be different.

So HD Cinema is ok, but could be better. Even if I never liked what was showing I would not drop Voom.
Although I now have VaVaVoom, I will probably drop it in another month because after I have seen the 6 or 8 new movies, then most of it is reruns or very run of the mill movies. I have a teenaged daughter who likes to go out to the movies and we watch dvds, so I have a variety of viewing experinces. Besides, my entire waking life does not need to be spent in front of a tv watching movies, old or new, blockbuster or mediocre. When the weather gets nice here in Wisconsin there will be many more things to do. This is my own taste and therefore is neither right nor wrong, but it is mine.

 

[TheTimm]

Plus, it's very entertaining to see a movie that I'd never seen and try to see how many actors are in it early in their careers who later made it big.

Good point, jame. I always get a kick out of seeing some actor where I don't expect -- or seeing how hot some actress was early in her career! (Cybill Shepard & Teri Garr come to mind)

 

[FredOh]

Love the cinema channels. Watched Giner Snaps last night. Watched the Last Picture SHow for the first time in my life a few days ago. I consistently find something to watch among those channels any day I look. I can't often say the same thing for the Premium channels. I get HBO for original programming, but often times their movies suck. WHy just the othe day, I couled watch Robot Jox in HD, and last night they had some Antonio Sabato jr movie, that would be home in any bargain bin, and I pay extra for this service. At least the HD cinema channels are included in the basic service which compared to D and E, it seems I'm only missing a bunch of shopping and religious channels. Thanks Voom.

 

[bookwalk]

I just got VOOM yesterday and the Cinema Channels was my first attraction--watched Pit and Pendulum--I had wanted to see that for years. There are a lot of GREAT vintage movies that are family-oriented that are NEVER shown anymore on major Movie Nets or any of the other SD channels.

It would be great to see vintage movies in HD--such as Grapes of Wrath, Sound of Music, Gone with the Wind, --there is a LOT that is not run on regular SD or Movie channels anymore.

Sure--we can buy the DVD's but they are not in HD...yet.

I like the HD Cinema--even a movie I didn't particularly care for intially will jump out at me in HD.

Question: what happens with 3D and HDTV? If they ran a 3-D movie and I had the old colored glasses, what would happen--is this possible? Remember 13 Ghosts in 3D?

 

[elocs]

I just got VOOM yesterday and the Cinema Channels was my first attraction--watched Pit and Pendulum--I had wanted to see that for years. There are a lot of GREAT vintage movies that are family-oriented that are NEVER shown anymore on major Movie Nets or any of the other SD channels.

It would be great to see vintage movies in HD--such as Grapes of Wrath, Sound of Music, Gone with the Wind, --there is a LOT that is not run on regular SD or Movie channels anymore.

Sure--we can buy the DVD's but they are not in HD...yet.

I like the HD Cinema--even a movie I didn't particularly care for intially will jump out at me in HD.

Question: what happens with 3D and HDTV? If they ran a 3-D movie and I had the old colored glasses, what would happen--is this possible? Remember 13 Ghosts in 3D?

It costs money to obtain the rights to run the movies and the rights to the vintage movies you named are already owned by others. That is why it would be nice if TCM was in hd because they show many classic movies in their original aspect ratio because they appear letterboxed on my widescreen hdtv.

I don't know for sure about the 3D, but if you mean the original 13 Ghosts from the early 1960s, that is one movie that scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. I think if I saw the horror movies that are being shown now when I was a kid I would probably be traumatized and need therapy.

 

[DarrellP]

If they would show more movies I would watch them more. I've had Voom for a year and I doubt I've watched 10 movies other than MonstersHD or UHD. Everytime I look in the guide, the same stuff is there all the time, it gets old very quick. I know they add new stuff now and then, but they rotate it over and over and over. Even some of the "Premiers" that are posted here have run many moons ago on Voom. I don't care that they are showing older movies, they just need more of them.

They have such a scarcity of movies that they have to take MonstersHD movies and run them on GuyTV or HaHa. Sometimes they even show on different channels on the same day, now that's lame.

 

[Sean Mota]

If they would show more movies I would watch them more. I've had Voom for a year and I doubt I've watched 10 movies other than MonstersHD or UHD. Everytime I look in the guide, the same stuff is there all the time, it gets old very quick. I know they add new stuff now and then, but they rotate it over and over and over. Even some of the "Premiers" that are posted here have run many moons ago on Voom. I don't care that they are showing older movies, they just need more of them.

They have such a scarcity of movies that they have to take MonstersHD movies and run them on GuyTV or HaHa. Sometimes they even show on different channels on the same day, now that's lame.

Darrellp,

I quite disagree with your assesment of what is new content on HD Cinema. We keep track of this and HD Cinema adds between 40-60 movies on the average every month. Just take a look at this thread here . I do not get it why you say that they add one movie here and there when they have been adding more than here and there. We only post what is new and do not repost them unless the PG was incorrect and never showed the movie. From what I have been able to track in the library of movies, they have 983 HD Titles. All these titles are over different gendre. If you only found 10 titles to watch out of the 983 (if I were you), I would have dropped the service a long time ago. That is pathetic if true.

Regarding some of the monsters movies appearing on FilmFest or other channels. You really need to look at the definition of each cinema channel and see that some movies go along with the gendre. You exaggerate when you say that you have seen a Horror movie on HAHA HD. That's quite an exaggeration since comedy and Horror/Monster don't go in the same bucket.

P.S. For next month, I have counted 27 new HD movie titles so far. As more are going to be added.

 

[elocs]

I guess I don't understand. Even if somebody never finds a movie they want to watch on Cinema HD, yet they are otherwise satisfied with Voom, what is the big deal? Why should they drop the service? If somebody cannot get all of their ota's should they drop Voom? If that was the case, then I would have to drop Voom.

I believe that with Voom's current anemic subscriber base that anybody who is happy enough to keep Voom for whatever reason should be encouraged to stay. I do not find too much to watch on Cinema HD, but ocasionally there is something. That is no reason enough for me to drop Voom. There are other Voom channels that I watch very little, or not at all, yet despite that I will keep Voom. I, personally, would not use Cinema HD to convert anybody I know to Voom. There are some good movies there, but it is not the be-all or end-all experience to either the film or hd experience. What is? Cinema HD, in my opinion, is ok. It shows older and some rarely seen movies and repeats them frequently, sometimes more than some people like. Sometimes I like the movies, sometimes I don't. Once I have viewed the movies I like on Cinema HD that does limit my selection of further movies to watch there. That's just the way it is.

Although there may not have been any Monster HD flicks on HaHa, I did notice that Monster HD is showing Abbott and Constello Meet Frankstein on Monster HD on Sunday morning. I have noticed some Monster movies appearing on a channel other than Monster HD. I don't think this necessarily proves anything, but it just is. So is it not possible that somebody could still want to keep Voom without embracing Cinema HD? Does it need to be proved to somebody why they should like Cinema HD and its ever widening selection of movies even if they do not like the movies or selection?

 

[zombie]

elocs,
I agree and don't think it could have been stated any better. Personally I have found very little on the voom exclusives that draws my attention but I still like VOOM.