New Sat Scheduled to Launch in Oct, x2 capacity

[rudolpht]

With apologies for "new"s & any redundancies to prior posts.

From http://electronichouse.com/default.asp?NodeId=2042

Voom to Zoom

06/01/04 — Voom, digital broadcast satellite service that launched last year and specializes in HDTV programming, has some aggressive expansion plans, according to Bill Casamo, executive vice president of marketing and sales.

With one satellite currently operating, Voom offers more than 120 total channels, about 35 of which are dedicated to high-definition programming, including 21 original channels from parent company Rainbow DBS’s Rainbow Media.

According to Casamo, a new satellite scheduled for launch in October and a move from current MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 compression technology will double the amount of bandwidth for standard-definition channels. In 2005, Voom broadcast centers will be upgraded to deliver high-definition content via MPEG-4, and more than double the amount of HD channel capacity.

Casamo says when the upgrades are complete, Voom will be able deliver about 184 channels in standard definition and 94 to 96 channels in high definition. -- Tom LeBlanc

Related:
www.voom.com

 

[Sean Mota]

Tim,

I do not think this is a launch but a lease. The satellite is already in space. VOOM just starts leasing in 10/04.

 

[squicken]

Good find on the article, tim. 184 sd, 94 hd. That'll be amazing if they can pull it off. Will there even be 94 hd channels by the end of 2005, let alone 2004?

 

[rudolpht]

Tim,

I do not think this is a launch but a lease. The satellite is already in space. VOOM just starts leasing in 10/04.

My original understanding was lease with a different LNB/power configuration, that's why this news tidbit struck me as unique.

 

[vurbano]

LMAO the executive vice president of marketing and sales apparently has no clue, go figure. I can picture this idiot trying to watch the launch. ANd frankly much of the bandwidth will have to be for a backup

 

[gutter]

What I think he meant by "launch" was the start of new services and new configuration on Oct 4th.

 

[Sean Mota]

LMAO the executive vice president of marketing and sales apparently has no clue, go figure. I can picture this idiot trying to watch the launch. ANd frankly much of the bandwidth will have to be for a backup

No backup... It has been stated it is for new programming...

 

[vurbano]

I dont see how you can operate without any backup, these sats have a history of problems and things that go wrong. I hope you are correct though. But It is really embarassing that the VP is so misinformed

 

[Sean Mota]

I dont see how you can operate without any backup, these sats have a history of problems and things that go wrong. I hope you are correct though. But It is really embarassing that the VP is so misinformed

Vurbano,

How can I say this? How do we not know if there is a back up now or in the future? VP (Casamo) was not quoted in this article. The author para-phrased or said something which Casamo has not said. If you read the Form 10 filing you can read his direct quote and he did not said this.

 

[vurbano]

ive read the filing before and it clearly states leases. Was Casamo the VP of marketing quoted in form 10? How could a reporter get it soo wrong?

 

[Sean Mota]

ive read the filing before and it clearly states leases. Was Casamo the VP of marketing quoted in form 10? How could a reporter get it soo wrong?

I believe so. I also saw an article quoting him directly and he does not stay anything about satellite launch. He talks about increase space for VOOM. So as I said, the author of this particular article is just expanding his own views about a satellite launch.

 

[vurbano]

or the reporter never talked to Casamo, skimmed over form 10 and made his deadline

 

[jgantert]

Cool! Sounds like enough bandwidth to carry all of the FSN's in HD!

-John

 

[Stargazer]

They could use all the space and if one of the satellites fail then they could keep the main ones until another one would be available (in which would be the same ones that would be on if they kept another one for backup without putting channels on it).

 

[rudolpht]

Backup issue is moot. Should be capacity to hold as much HD as available in near term. Capacity is not the the gating issue now (though close), it's carriage contracts.

 

[vurbano]

Contracts that V* cant seem to get done. I very reliable moderator over at AVS says his sources indicate that INdemand, the owners of INHD are anxious to be carried by DBS!! ANd there is now talk of how it may be a real coup for directv.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=408115

 

[snathanb]

Contracts that V* cant seem to get done. I very reliable moderator over at AVS says his sources indicate that INdemand, the owners of INHD are anxious to be carried by DBS!! ANd there is now talk of how it may be a real coup for directv.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=408115

Look at the source.... mini1 .. who will say anything to bash Voom or E*.

 

[The Stone Man]

vurbano-
It' getting easy to see you are on the edge over recent things that have happened. More specifically--over things that were promised but didn't happen. It seems like all the DBS companies make promises that they can't keep. You'll probably go with whoever gets INHD1 & 2 first. I'd like to think that Voom has good plans for the future, and I want to see what happens later this year.

There are a lot of good things planned up through October (so we hear). It will be interesting to see how much of it actually happens. If it's true that INHD channels are really interested in DBS companies, I gotta believe Voom would show interest in carrying them. I hope it's true, and that Voom has their 'ace negotiators' working on it.

 

[hd_SDI_1080i]

I have INHD 1/2 as Comcast throws it into my local digital package. I'm shocked at how people seem to want this "gem", more so they can simply say they have it and not for the the actual programming. Like kids that collect comic books and don't read them. The proof is totally in previous posts for the TNT HD - now that we actually have it - the same people are threatening to run if we don't get INHD, before that it was is ESPN HD.

HDNET for me is interesting as I would love to see some of its "content" in full 1080 splendor - I might even spend 10 bucks a months and throw up another DISH, but I would never dump Voom to get. I don't expect VOOM to satisfy 100% of my HD content needs.

Overall if you would leave Voom so you could get less overall HD content than you are truly a big baby - or a DiretTV troll !

 

[Sean Mota]

Contracts that V* cant seem to get done. I very reliable moderator over at AVS says his sources indicate that INdemand, the owners of INHD are anxious to be carried by DBS!! ANd there is now talk of how it may be a real coup for directv.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=408115

This looks like a perpetual debate. Will DBS get INHD or not? So far not. Future when? tomorrow? three weeks? three months? three years? where is the press release that INHD has offered and said we want to be carried by DBS companies. All speculations but nothing concrete. Sorry to say but D*, E* or V* have equal chance in what seems to be the new baby in town to carry --- INHD.