Just got this email.

Scott Greczkowski

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Sep 7, 2003
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This note just appeared in my mail box.


Dear Scott Greckowski,
We are thrilled to report about our success at CES 2004! The overwhelmingly positive response coupled with being honored as a finalist for "Best of Show" by Tech TV, demonstrates VOOM's position as the industry leader in the creation and delivery of HDTV.
This year's CES was a major step forward for VOOM. We demonstrated our networkable HD DVR product that will be available this summer, showed over 30 channels of HD and introduced ourselves to the people that are going to make this business explode...you! The consumer and retailer interest in VOOM has been overwhelming and is surpassing all of our expectations.
We share your enthusiasm for new and better television. We believe in the future of HD. We believe the delivery of HD can only truly be done with a delivery system built around HD from the ground up. VOOM's 39 channels of HD and 80 channels of Standard definition will continue to grow. But the only way to grow our customer base is to grow our distribution with the right distributor and retail partners.
So, what's next? Over the next several weeks we will finalize our distribution relationships with several companies who have national and regional coverage. Once those agreements are completed we will be sending you information on how to apply to be a Sales Agent for VOOM. This application process will be handled through your choice of one of our distribution partners.
This is an exciting time in the history of consumer electronics. The transition from standard to HDTV is happening far faster than anyone ever anticipated. VOOM is the only programming service created solely to cater to the HDTV customer. We look forward to taking the next steps with you in the launch of the VOOM service.
We urge you to visit our website www.VOOM.com to get the latest on what's happening at VOOM.
Regards,
VOOM Sales Support
800-677-1441
[email="salessupport@voom.com"]salessupport@voom.com[/email]
 
"The consumer and retailer interest in VOOM has been overwhelming and is surpassing all of our expectations."

Yet they are forcing employees to take 14% pay cuts due to lack of demand. This letter is very ingenuous. I hope independent retailers don't get stuck with useless inventory.
 
I like this line...

VOOM's 39 channels of HD and 80 channels of Standard definition will continue to grow.

Shouldn't they grow them to 39 HD Channels and 80 SD Channels before advertising that they are continuing to grow?
 
Rub it in now guys, rub it in and laugh :p I will laugh with you all :D when my 39 HD channels are in :yes. Those 39 channels maybe in "limbo" right now. :confused: But who knows they might show up tomorrow and then I'll be under the breeze :cool: cooling... :haha :haha :haha
 
Seems pretty misleading to me. I think I will stick to Dish Network (or DirecTv if I switch) for a while.

I would rather have 12 good HD channels than 39 junk HD channels.
 
I agree with Stargazer, come on over to DirecTv and in the long run, you're be glad you did. Sean Mota keeps saying the same thing, and I hope for Voom supporters he right, but time will tell. The real question is how long can Voom hold out on fault promises, or who will take them over Dish or Directv.
 
C'ommon guys,

you are taking this scripted message very seriously. This looks like it was made sometime ago. Don't tell me that we have not seen scripted messages like this from D* or E*. I have seen too many of them and any which way you interpret the message, it does not matter.

dcbag, I agree with you regarding time will tell. I have said that from the beginning. I am willing to give VOOM a chance because right now is not costing me anything. The way I look at it is that there is an unwritten contract between me and VOOM. They give me the free programming and the guarantee that I will get my money back by 3/31/04 (if I decide that it is not for me), in return I give them some feedback, through this board and others, of what I think it is good/bad programming or negative/positive feedback about the hardware/software.

I believe I have been unbiased in my assessment and only have tried to give a fair review whether positive or negative. I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. I am just an HD enthusiasts who loves the idea of HD programming. This, unfortunately, I cannot get from E* or D*. I have E* with two 6000 receivers and besides DHDT and HDnet, the rest is garbage!--- Espnhd (lacks programming, although they are showing more), HDnet Movies--(B rated movies, same as Cinema 10), SHOHD (no content, and get the same with VOOM), HBO-HD (only watch for Carnivale!). With VOOM, at least, there is more junk and it is HD and a lot of the HD junk, I like.

So in a nutshell, I will give my $$$ to whomever is willing to provide me with HD channels-- to me that's important. To others it may not. I couldn't careless about network HD locals because I can get them all through OTA so rupert can put them all on D* and he still will not get my money for something I can get for free over the air.

Everyone ridicules the VOOM box, yet I can see 811 owners screaming about the problems and bugs. Same about the 921 owners. I owned one of the first 721 and it took 4 to 5 months for the 721 to become a stable receiver. Today I love the 721 and I am sure 811 and 921 owners will be delighted after all the bugs are resolved. I am sure others will appear as this is the case with the 721 but you learn to live with them and go around them. The VOOM box is no different. I have one that is dead right now and another that has been working. I am sure these problems will go away in a few months if VOOM is still in business. and again only time will tell.
 
I believe it is more important to have quality than quantity when it comes to the type of channels or programming that you have. Why have 39 HD channels if a lot of them will not interest most people? It would not be as big of an issue if the upfront hardware cost was not so much and if they had most of the SD channels that Dish and Direct have.

I thought Voom was going to have a lease available but I have seen nothing about that. It would have been like PrimeStar and be even more successful if they had a lot lower upfront cost with a lease instead.

Perhaps Voom wanted to have something available until more HD content become available, and still be able to get some customers until then. Them having to create a lot of their own HD programming also allows them to keep a lot of the money for themselves keeping their costs down and be able to offer the free programming to new subscribers. Perhaps the free programming is why they had to ask the CSR's to take a pay cut to make up for that.
 
Stargazer,

241 Showtime HD East HD
242 Showtime HD West HD
251 TMC-HD
261 Starz HD East
262 Starz HD West
311 NFL HD
601 Discovery HD Theater
201 HBO HD East
202 HBO HD West
221 Cinemax HD East
222 Cinemax HD West
281 InHD
282 InHD 2
301 ESPN HD
321 NBA-TV HD
501 Bravo HD+

and later on...
TNT-HD
Encore-HD

Are these garbage channel if we assume these to be part of the 39 HD channels? Now, the lease program will come because it is written under the customer agreement booklet the rules and regulations about leasing equipment. This has yet to be implemented but it will be an option for the future.

P.S. I agree with you about the price of admission. Too high and it will drive people away but yet there is the $399 promotional option now and I am sure more promotions will be coming.
 
Them having to create a lot of their own HD programming also allows them to keep a lot of the money for themselves keeping their costs down
I don't thinkso!!!....right now it is costing them way more to produce these channels than it would to supply someone elses channels!!!

I agree with Sean, I like it, its a good system and only getting better (slowly to be sure)

My prediction is all you detractors are gonna be whining for Voom come a year or so from now. Thier business model is good, and their plans for the future even better. They are gonna be arounf for a LONG time to come
 
Maybe that is why they are producing the channels themselves, so that they can make more content available.

I did not say that those 16 channels that you listed is junk, I am just saying that many would consider some or all of the rest of the 39 channels junk. I am comparing what Dish and Direct may have compared to what Voom has and if the extra channels Voom has in addition to what Dish and Direct have does not have good enough content then many would not want to spend the extra money upfront on a system just for that extra type of content.

In addition to this there needs to be SD content that is comparable to what Dish and Direct offer. You have to ask yourself what you get on Voom that you do not get on Dish and Direct and what you give up by choosing Voom instead. Sure you could have Voom and Dish/Direct but then you have two bills each month instead of one.

Many do not even know what the content is like until they have the system then they would not want to get rid of the system because of the investment they have in it upfront. When having to pay upfront for hardware it may make some wonder if a 4DTV C/Ku Band dish would make more sense since you can purchase some of those channels ala carte getting the HD content you want along with many SD channels. Is there much HD content using a 4DTV system? A lot of people do not want a big dish so Voom would be an alternative for them.

Perhaps in the future if the extra content is worth taking, in which is a bit more than what Dish or Direct offer, then it would be a better investment. By the time they would offer more content Dish or Direct may also get additional content on their own.

Another big thing is that Voom could go bankrupt then that huge investment would be an expensive paperweight.
 
Is there much HD content using a 4DTV system?

Well I for one LOVED my 4DTV, but they have basically NO HD content, they have HBOHD, SHOWHD, and thats it. Supposedly can get DiscoveryHD too, but I coulod never get that channel to tune in. I definitely prefer big dish most of all though, I only gave it up cause Voom made a good enough offer to entice me away. E* and D* would never have gotten my business, they could care less about HD. The one thing I miss most of all from c-band, is my east coast networks, I could watch prime time starting at 5pm here on the west coast, and be in bed by 8pm (I go to work at 3am)
 
4DTV may not have the most HD programming (8 channels) but it is of noticeably better quality. When viewed on a small (80" or less) screen and/or with a monitor with less than 1280 X 720 resolution the difference is barely detectable. When viewed on a 28 ft. screen with a Christie DCP-I (3 X 1280 X 1024) the difference is striking. What is even more striking is the difference in quality of the source. It varies from spectacular to awful. I give Discovery HD an A+ for consistent good quality, with PBS a close second.
I have found that the quality of OTA varies by station from great to pretty poor and seems to even change over time on the same program and station. (Good days & bad days?).
Ranking the other services in order of quality:
1. 4DTV
2. V*
3. E*
4. D*
4. Cable (Time Warner)

Quite honestly I could not hear any difference in the audio among any of the above but maybe my eyes are better than my ears.

While I realize this is based on a strictly subjective observation I believe most viewers would agree.

The above evaluation is just my opinion. I'm sure others may arrive at different conclusions.

BTW the 4DTV HD channels are:

Showtime HDTV - East
Showtime HDTV - West
HBO HDTV - East
HBO HDTV - West
Starz! HD East
Starz! HD West
Discovery HD Theater
Nebraska Education Television HD (Mostly PBS stuff)

I have not decided weather or not I will keep Voom past the free trial period. I guess it will depend on what they do for the early adopters that paid the full $800+ price and the programming. In any case I will definitely keep the 4DTV and DVB systems as nothing even comes close to the quality of the HD or the amount of SD content available there.



JaydeeD said:
Well I for one LOVED my 4DTV, but they have basically NO HD content, they have HBOHD, SHOWHD, and thats it. Supposedly can get DiscoveryHD too, but I coulod never get that channel to tune in. I definitely prefer big dish most of all though, I only gave it up cause Voom made a good enough offer to entice me away. E* and D* would never have gotten my business, they could care less about HD. The one thing I miss most of all from c-band, is my east coast networks, I could watch prime time starting at 5pm here on the west coast, and be in bed by 8pm (I go to work at 3am)
 
I do not think many people are attracted to Voom by Rave, Full Frontal Fashion, or many of the what I consider the extra channels. It is more for me an HD premiums network, e.g., Max can't be received on BUD. Half the list isn't on Dish or DirecTV. To date, though, other than TMC-HD & Starz (E&W), we are in a wait mode relative to other services.

I will say that Monsters is better than SCiFi or many premium channels. It's focused and well run. I wish someone gave me the reins to run/manage Epics. I would take a few months sabatical & we would have great war, adventure, big screen action movies in quick succession.
 
I believe many that choose Voom may be those that do not want to keep waiting for more HD content on Dish/DirecTV or those that are looking into buying a satellite for the first time and want some good HD content for the HD tv's that people have a lot of money invested in that would end up making better use of their investment.

Those people probably do not know about the HD offerings that Dish/DirecTv offer and if they do then they think that they may not get it for a while, comparing what they have now vs. what they may end up having in the future. Hopefully Voom didnt start this business based upon having more HD content and having content that the other providers have to get most of their business just to have the competition catch up to them. They have to stay ahead to be successful especially if they are not going to be a complete alternative to what the other providers offer such as SD content.