My own "comparison" chart & questions

[Guy Owen]

I bought an HDTV by Mitsubishi two years ago. I've never had Cable and never subscribed to any form of Satellite TV -- I hate the idea of paying for TV broadcasting. But all those "reality" shows are forcing me to finally abandon normal TV. I can't stand it.

I'm considering VOOM as my first foray into this field. But I'm one of those "difficult" types that simply has to look at where the best "value" is for my dollar -- which is hard to do because the definition keeps changing.

Last weekend I sat down and listed every Channel listed by all three providers (Dish, DirecTV, and VOOM), across their respective Plans. The only one I haven't compiled, yet, is Dish's "Everything" plan. This is not entirely easy because different programs are listed differently at all three websites.

Station counts are pretty impressive at a casual glance. VOOM kills everybody else for HD channels -- but you all know that. The off-putting part of that situation, however, is I keep finding comments in Forums that say the Quality of all those HD broadcasts varies considerably. Complaints about poor-quality videos, etc.

Next, I started eliminating those Channels I considered worthless to me. Then those that are semi-useless. Then those I'll probably never watch. This eliminated virtually all Sports stations, although I watch the occasional Redskins game here in the DC area. All foreign stations are off the list. All women's-interest. All religious. And a few I'm not sure about because -- who knows -- I might actually WANT to watch a rural station talking about the tractor models available this Spring... nahhh!!!!

This leaves mostly educational, science fiction, science, investments, men's programming, news, home living, etc. -- those areas I have real interests in. But fighting that is the desire to mostly buy HD programming for that damned expensive HD set I paid for. I feel like I'm not really feeding my "baby" the right food these past two years. I'm curious about what I'm depriving myself of...

Getting down to a tally for "Most-Watchable Channels", I come up with the following counts...
DirecTV Plus Plan = 19 Channels
DirecTV Premier Plan = 21 Channels
Dish Top 180 Plan = 18 Channels
VOOM = 10 -- and only one is an HD show I recognize
VaVaVOOM = 11 -- and only one is an HD show I recognize
This is ignoring HD programming on VOOM -- which is unfair, in a way, because that's why you buy VOOM. My conclusion there might be that -- not including HD -- VOOM offers half as many of the normal Channels as I would find appealing on the other options.

Easing up a bit and including "Watchable Channels", the numbers increased to...
DirecTV Plus Plan = 64 Channels
DirecTV Premier Plan = 89 Channels
Dish Top 180 Plan = 72 Channels
VOOM = 57 -- but 10 of those are Cinema10
VaVaVOOM = 82 -- but 10 of those are Cinema10
This seems the most fair, to me, but I still have no experience to know that the exclusive shows on VOOM are any more "watchable"" than those on Dish or DirecTV.

This completely surprised me -- although, admittedly, I'm not experienced at this. That means I have NO WAY to evaluate the likelihood that I'll watch this-or-that without having actually had access to them for at least a year. But when I asked friends at work, they all said the same thing: "We actually watch only about 10 channels or shows on a repeated basis. The others we just flip through or never view."

Some questions I have include...
a) If the bulk of channels show Sports or Movies, do you find it "helpful" to have access to, say, 10 or 15 Movie Channels -- or do they pretty much repeat themselves? If they repeat themselves, do I count maybe only 2 or 3 Movie Channels? Are these all no-name shows that nobody rushed out to the theaters for, anyway?

b) Am I correct in assuming that two identically-named Channels listed as "East" and "West" are simply different Time-Zone rebroadcasts of each other? From my point of view, there's very little value in that.

c) Is it accurate to believe that having 5 different versions of Discovery Channel -- as an example -- available on DirecTV is no real "advantage" over one HD version on VOOM? How much Discovery can a person watch? Do you find yourself seeing shows being shared across those various Channels? Or does one standard version of Discovery pretty much cover all the other divisions?

For my personal comparisons, I "eliminated" all the music channels. Dish includes Sirius satellite radio, for example, but I doubt I'll listen to it through my TV. This was an interesting experiment for me, and I'd be happy to share the Excel spreadsheet to anyone who wants to create their own Preferred Channels Tally. Just don't harp on me about the mistakes I'm sure it's riddled with (wrong format indications, wrong availability listings, whatever). Most of it is probably right without my having to pour over every last little notation.

Thanks for reading and responding to a Newbie!

Guy Owen

 

[brookswashere]

I can answer question B for you. The answer is yes.

 

[Sean Mota]

a) I like to have access to all movie channels. I don't mind the repetiations because I find myself doing other things so it is good to know that I can catch them later in the month.

b) The answer here is yes but to me there is value until DVR comes around. I can always catch the movie or program 3 hours later if I feel like it.

c) I only watch one discovery --> HD. I have pretty much given up on SD channels so everything I am watching right now is HD. I do not watch F/X, USA, Sci-Fi, or any SD channels. The only SD channel I watch is ESPN. To me is not worthy to watch these HD channels on a big screen (this is only my own opinion).

Everyone has different formulas to get what they want. My formula is simple -- give me as much HD channels and content as possible and I'll be happy.

 

[Guy Owen]

Are the picture quality issues still existing with VOOM that are reported here in other areas since last September? Jittery pictures. Pixelation. Sparklies and streaks. Or have the images improved in the last few months?

I guess it doesn't hurt to try it for a few months with the current offer. Then I'll know.

 

[Sean Mota]

Are the picture quality issues still existing with VOOM that are reported here in other areas since last September? Jittery pictures. Pixelation. Sparklies and streaks. Or have the images improved in the last few months?

I guess it doesn't hurt to try it for a few months with the current offer. Then I'll know.

Encoder/decoder work has not finished. All cinema channels, Monsters and Epics are currently at 720p. A&E, E!, Comedy Central, CNN, TNT, BET & Oxygen are the channels with the sparkies. VOOM is aware of this. Stutter is still there. Not as pronounced as before. Image quality depends on what you look at (from the source perspective).

 

[squicken]

I love Voom, but if you're a science and education guy, you might really like the Discovery pack from Dish or Directv. Discovery HD is mostly nature and geography. You'll get that also if you sign up for D* or E* HD pack. But the Discovery package is different. It has:

Discovery Wings: All about airplanes, usually military. Hour long documentaries on the F-4, Stealth, B2, etc.

Discovery Science: Mostly nature and geography.

Discovery Times: Very similar to the History channel, but not as good. Lots of Walter Cronkite stuff, so you won't like it if you don't like his politics.

Discovery Health: Obviously, health related stuff. Inside an ER, specials on babies and women's helth.

Dish and Direct also let you get TechTV, which does alot of programming on computers and high technolgy.

If this is patronizing, I'm sorry. You said your not a pay TV customer, so I'm trying not to assume anything.

If I were you, I'd go with Dish. Unlike DirecTV, Dish requires no commitment. If you don't like it, cancel it. Voom also has the same offer, but only through 5/31. You might try Voom first, since this might be the only chance to enjoy the no committment. Just don't go DirecTV. You'll have to pay $250 upfront for the HD receiver, and they require a year or 2 minimum commitment. Since you're not too familiar with cable and satellite programming, it's best to not get locked in. Hope this was helpful. Good luck.

Also, I don't know what you mean by men's programming? If you mean wink wink, nudge nudge, Dish has the widest selection. Voom has the best HD channel in the genre.

If you didn't mean that, sorry. Everybody has Spike TV, TNT, TBS. These are probably the most masculine type channels.

 

[DBENE]

You don't like ANY sports?

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

Hi Guy Owen -

That's a noble analysis. But when you get as much HD as VOOM puts out, there is a tendency to forget your old viewing habits. There are a lot of posts here that say they cannot watch their favorite SD channels anymore after getting spoiled by HD. I thought that was weird. Now I am Vooming and I know what they mean. I have more of an interest in sailing, skiing, gravity games, even art shows in HD -- stuff I never watched in SD.

You may find yourself throwing out your old rulebook after you try all the HD programming on VOOM.

Good luck!

 

[Guy Owen]

I knew the comment about Sports would get a response! What normal "guy" doesn't like Sports? I like some, but I'm not going to spend any weekends watching 10 college basketball games, etc. Golf is my joy and albatross, but I can't sit and watch it. I'd rather be playing at some local Course. On the other hand, I find Championship Poker fascinating -- but I'm a horrible player.

Anyway, the insights here are great! I did get the feeling that Dish was the best option for me, based on my viewing preferences -- TechTV, etc. -- you hit the nail on the head there. Their $45 package seems to be the real value. I like Politics, too -- especally "The West Wing". How's that for a registered Republican? But I find myself tuning in PBS more often than anything else. Front Line. NOVA.

"Men's Programming" was just referring to shows like Spike and the Men's Channel. The occasional garage epic about putting together street bikes or the engineering behind Formula One racecars. The babes aren't bad, of course!

What surprises me the most is how many people I talk to who start off by saying they can receive "over 150 stations!" -- or whatever. But, when pressed, admit they "only watch about 10." So I guess it depends on which 10 you can get access to on the service you subscribe to.

I did sign up for VaVaVOOM last night for the very good reasons pointed out here. No up-front fees, rented equipment that can be returned, no Contract. If nothing else, I'll get to see how HD is going to change my life. I did see one HD channel at my boss' house two years ago. THAT was what prompted me to buy the Mitsubishi 55" TV when my Sony 21" went kaput. But I did not realize the non-existence of HD from normal sources at that time. Then I started reading about how US television companies were fighting its deployment. You get depressed -- and then two years pass by. $2500 for a TV that I've never used to its potential!!

Let's hope there's a clear line of sight to those satellites...

Another question:
VOOM requires a telephone connection near the TV. If I have no phone jack in that room, should I run one before they try to install -- or do they run a line from the phone box? And my service is through Cavalier -- which they tell me is a digital line. Does VOOM require analog?

Thanks,

Guy

 

[brookswashere]

If you don't have a phone line in the room you can either get one run or you can buy a wireless telephone jack.

Here is an example of one:

http://www.seniorshops.com/wirelessjack.html

This is just an example. You should shop around for quality and price.

 

[DrWho]

Well, without answering your questions specifically here is my answer for you.

You have an HDTV but no HD.
You like TV but only have local channels currently, and you most likely can't take your local channeld and display those on your HDTV.

So, it would seem any package with a few more channels would be worth it.

Get Voom before the deal ends. IF you don't like it, than you can drop it and choose another provider.

If you get Voom before the deal ends you are going to get all the equipment you need to start using your HDTV, FREE!, except for the rental cost of the Sat Box.

You don't need a Telephone Line unless you order Pay Per Views.

 

[DrWho]

Your choice of Voom was a good one.

Been using it for 3 weeks now, first Sat Service ever, and I am pretty happy with it.

 

[Tvlman]

Guy, what have you been watching for two years? No cable, no satellite? Just OTA and DVD?

 

[DarrellP]

Guy, let me forewarn you about Dish SD programming on a big HD set like you have: the Picture Quality totally stinks, even on their best "Premium" channels. If you can live with a fuzzy picture then go with Dish, otherwise, you will be very dissatisfied with what you get.

I dropped all Dish SD programming last Summer (even before I had my projector) and all I was watching on was a 27" set and I could see all of the awful compression artifacts that Dish gives you for free. Now that I have my pj, I watch nothing but HD & DVD's. Between Voom Basic, Dish HD Pack and OTA, I have 35 HD channels to tune into at any given time. As was posted above, once you start watching HD, you will change your programming habits and snub the SD stuff, you just won't be satisfied with the PQ.

If I were you, I'd order Voom before the 31st so you can try the no cost, no obligation offer. Voom's SD channels are sharper than Dish, trust me, I watch on a 110" screen and just sampled the free Weekend of programming that Dish gave out with Starz and the PQ was terrible. Voom SD is much more watchable in HD than Dish SD.

IF you can pickup your local HD channels, you will be amazed at how your favorite network programs transform themselves in the wonderful world of High Definition.

 

[Diesel Dog]

You got an HD TV (which you say needs fed) and you are counting SD channels? You may as well go to Radio Shack and buy a digital antenna and get hooked up with the locals.

If you are serious about feeding "baby" then the choice becomes very clear and easy. You may find (as I did) that you start watching things you never would have before. I caught myself watching a bug eat a piece of grass the other night and could not leave!! Channels in true HD are VERY easy to watch- even if the subject is not your favorite. And one more thing (hey, someone has to tell him) Playboy channel in HD is allways there when all else fails and it really rocks!

Hook VOOM up to "baby" and get ready to do a lot of burping.

DD

 

[wasch_24]

Guy,
Good choice on Voom. It is my first Sat service as well. Once experiencing HD your viewing habits are going to change dramatically. As far as the phone line goes, if you want to pursue the cheapest solution you can wait until the STB performs an unsuccesful call back and then move the box to the phone jack or run a long line to it temporarily and force it to call back that way. BTW, where in the DC area are you? Have you checked out the DC area thread in the Voom "In your area" Forum part of the forum?

 

[Guy Owen]

What I've been watching for 40+ years -- regular old TV (I'm 50).
When did I first see "The Wizard of OZ" in color -- about age 24.
In fact, I was high as a kite with some friends and when Dorothy stepped out of the house and everything changed to color, I jumped 10 feet off the floor and yelled out "Damn! They COLORIZED "The Wizard of OZ"!! I don't believe it!!"

Of course, none of them knew what I was talking about.
True story.

I've hated the idea of paying for television so much that I've carried it as a Badge of Honor for decades when all my friends declared how much they hated their Cable service. When I bought the HD-capable TV, I was of the impression that the US Government was actually going to follow the lead of the Europeans and Japanese and order the stations to broadcast in HD -- that took two or three more years. I have no clue why they're resisting this, except a lot of articles say each company wants to control the format.

I've been watching normal TV ever since, plus DVDs. There are about two shows on regular TV that I think are worth anything -- "The West Wing", and anything on PBS. I was spoiled when I lived in England for a year. There, you can actually watch a show on BBC in the wee hours of the morning that explains how they name stars, or how sheep herders train their Border Collies to manage sheep, or just why Americans are so bad at darts. I found it fascinating -- like the Society for the Preservation of Real Ale.

Yes, I'm trying VaVaVOOM for awhile. All I'm hoping for is they will, someday, OUTLAW those "reality shows". Reality shows are forcing me to cough up real money in an effort to find something that's entertaining on television -- yet, not demeaning to the human spirit.

 

[Guy Owen]

Here's another interesting comparison (assuming my Chart is fairly accurate).

It occurred to me while I was examining that I could subscribe to two satellite stations for $5 more than I'm willing to pay for VaVaVOOM ($80): Dish Top 180 ($45) + VOOM ($40 - not VAVaVOOM).

With that combination I gain the following that is not available on VaVaVOOM. Those with an asterisk are ones I'm most interested in from this list...
America's Collectible Network*
BBC America
Bloomberg TV*
CNBC World
Discovery Home (VaVaVOOM has two Discovery channels -- one in HD)
Discovery Times (VaVaVOOM has two Discovery channels -- one in HD)
Discovery Wings (VaVaVOOM has two Discovery channels -- one in HD)
Do It Yourself*
Encore Mystery East (there are 5 Encore stations with VaVaVOOM)
Encore True Stories (there are 5 Encore stations with VaVaVOOM)
Encore Westerns (there are 5 Encore stations with VaVaVOOM)
FOX Movie Channel
Healthy Living Channel
Home & Garden TV*
Men's Channel*
NASA*
National Geographic*
Nick at Nite East
Nicktoons
Outdoor Channel
PAX TV
Science Channel*
Sci-Fi Channel*
Stuff TV
Trinity Broadcasting Network
TechTV*
TV Outlet Mall
USA Network
VH1 Classic (VaVaVOOM includes VH1)
WGN Superstation
Wisdom Television
Mostly science, education and investments stations listed above...31 Additional Stations for $5 more -- 8 I'm probably interested in.

Exclusive to VaVaVOOM when compared to combining these other two options are...
@Max
Cinemax East
CinemaxHD East -- HD
HBO Comedy*
HBO East*
HBO Family*
HBO HD East* -- HD
HBO Signature
More Max East
Showtime HD East * -- HD
Showtime East
Showtime Family East
Showtime Next East
Starz East
Starz Family East
Starz HD East* -- HD
Thriller Max
TMC East* -- HD
Most of this list is Movies...18 Stations -- 5 in HD -- 7 I'm probably interested in.

These counts are AFTER I've eliminated those options I knew I wasn't much interested in on any service (foreign, sports, etc.).

Has anyone tried subscribing to both Dish and regular VOOM?
What are the up-front expenses involved?
They must use two different satellite dishes?
Two different controller boxes?
Will they both connect to one TV?

 

[DBENE]

Guy, I am right there with you buddy. While I don't have my VOOM yet, I have seen HD programming at a friends and I was very impressed. However, I don't ever see myself being like many of the people on here. Changing my viewing habits just to see 1080i, that is ridiculous. I would still prefer to see an Alabama football game on a snowy antenna reception over Julia Child on the Food ChannelHD slicing up a cucumber at 1080i . It is just like the hype around Progressive scan DVD players. All I heard for months was how amazing Progressive Scan was and to tell you the truth, I can hardly tell the difference in Pro Scan and regular DVD modes. I am all for the HD revolution but some of these comments seem a little "techie" or fanboyish for me.

I will be willing to watch a few art shows or soemthing just to test the HD out, but until many of the old SD stalwarts are converted into HD, I will still be watching them.

BTW, I have crummy analog cable and have had it for years. When, I get my SD channels on VOOM that will still be a huge step up.