My Thoughts on my VOOM Experience After 1 Month

RickCathey

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Dec 19, 2003
43
0
Today being my one month anniversary with VOOM I thought I would post my thoughts up to this point..

Right now my VOOM service isn't costing me anything per month for programming. VOOM is currently working on finishing up adding the promised HD channels to their lineup and the word is they will do so sometime next month. I bought a Hitachi 65S700 for HD and went looking for what was available in HD programming. DirecTV and Dish only had a few HD channels and after a little research I read that both companies have been claiming for months they will be adding more but neither have came through with their promises. Direct just announced they are adding CBS-HD and Fox-ED to their lineup but only about 30% of the population are eligible to receive it anyway.

VOOM caught my eye since their main focus was HD programming whereas the others main focus was how many SD channels they could offer while their HD content was left in the shadows. Direct and Dish better realize that HDTV sales are growing in leaps and bounds and as the sales of these units increase so does the need for having HD programming available to feed to them so they can used for what they were bought for. Someone made the comparison to it being like buying yourself a Porsche and driving it in bumper to bumper traffic everyday. This won’t make for an enjoyable experience by any means. Thus goes the same with sending a SD signal to a HD unit all day long. You might as well just have bought a 36” SD TV if all you are going to watch is SD programming.

If I was going to pay a monthly bill to someone I wanted the most HD programming I could get for the money and VOOM fit the bill. Although the initial cost for the system/install was a little steep at $750 (which has now been dropped drastically in certain areas) this is fully refundable up the end of March if I decide I don’t want to keep it. I signed on with VOOM on Dec. 27th which will end up giving me 3 months of free programming/viewing without having to sign-up with a one/two year contract just to get “free and/or reduced cost of equipment“. That’s not going to happen with either Direct or Dish unless you pay full price for their HD receivers.

Yes VOOM is still in it’s growing stages and there are some of their exclusive channels which are showing repeats every so many hours but I feel sure this will change as I feel for now they are concentrating on getting the promised channels added by their Feb. deadline they set. Once they get everything in place and running as advertised I feel sure they know they will not be able to sell their service to the masses if they are known to run endless loops of programs over and over.

Do I like the service so far? Yes, but like others, want to see more new programming but am being patient and willing to wait on them to fulfill their channel lineup. Some have had terrible installation stories to tell but my installation was flawless and was on time and the installer was very reliable and knowledgeable about the system. Since I have until the end of March for them to prove themselves I will wait it out along with everyone else trying to be patient and try not to get overly aggravated because things aren’t progressing as fast as some would like to see. This is a big endeavor for VOOM and am wishing them success once the smoke clears.

I don’t work for VOOM or know anyone that does. I am just a lone customer, like many others, that are glad to see a company dedicating their efforts toward offering the most HD channels possible to the individuals that are spending thousands of dollars for new HDTV units with nothing to use to maximize their potential.

Regards..
Rick
 
Rick,

Just a quick response to your post to say that I enjoyed reading your thoughts with your Voom experience. I have to say that you've taken the words right out of my mouth. I've had a pleasant experience with my installation (12/03/03) and have enjoyed the free trial period. There have been a few bugs but I'm sure they'll get worked out. Considering there aren't that many satellite companies out there offering the HD lineup that Voom is offering, I to am willing and will be patient for them to fullfill their channel lineup. I'm excited to see where this is going.
 

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