Not happy with Voom & don't expect much

[Tarmack]

Well...pretty much what you saw last month...you can see again next month...at least that is what I observed since November of last year....on the Cinema10 channels.

Never got over to watch that Monster stuff....cuz I was so awe struck with that News Channel on 100.

Geezzuzzzz...that one is gonna win some kind of an award...someday...on SNL.

I suppose with about 2000 subscribers that most publishing companies would find it quite difficult to produce something with "slick" and "shiny" pages for Voomers.

Fact is....just saw a VOOM ad on the Discovery channel tonight on DirecTV...stupid commercial was in SD format.

Enjoy.....I am totally unsubscribed....twice now...from this mickey mouse operation.

May have to stick around some of these forums to read the almost "orgasmic" revelations of installs...and when you guys can change channels faster with the new code push....that will be another big event. Grin.

Does anyone know if Voom is planning a magazine like Dish Flicks where you can tell what is coming on during the month?

I would love to know what is coming on Monsters HD & Cinema 10 over an extended period of time.

 

[Kickor]

So Mel ... a guy asks a legitimate question and you lambast him with a smarmy post ... what gives ?

 

[Tarmack]

Depends upon what your definition of "smarmy"....is.

99% of the posts to this forum and the Yahoo forum usually tell the newbie to open the little door and press the red button.

Or they tell him to call the installer back to " fine tune" the dish.

Or they tell him to email Wilt.

Or they tell him to get a bigger dish.

Or they tell him to wait until the next code push.

Or they tell him to either....unplug the diplexer...or get a bigger OTA antenna..and of course to send in his zip code for a Mapping fix.

Or they tell him to wait until MPEG4 gets to VOOM and then VOOM will/can add the SciFi and Food channel.

Or they tell him to wait until VOOM gives everyone a new HD recorder...."later" this year.

Which set of "smarmy" is more accurate?

So Mel ... a guy asks a legitimate question and you lambast him with a smarmy post ... what gives ?

 

[RickyMac]

Reply to Tarmack -

Thank you for your comments. I want to hear both good and bad about Voom. No one can fix a problem if they don't know what's broke. I do believe that Voom will make it, if for no other reasons than it's new and it is getting better.

Most people I know have large screen TVs and until recently they never used the HD because they did not have a good HD source.

Tarmack, would you care for a little friendly bet? I'll bet that by December 31, 2004 Voom will have over 500,000 subscribers. Say a case of good German beer (or soda if you prefer)?

 

[Sean Mota]

Mel,

I do not know you personally (I am not trying to attack you) but I am trying to understand your point of view in this matter as well. You have your good points but it's best if you create a thread to post your dislikes and we may or may not debate you on them. We are not ignoring your comments as you may see their signature all over the place in this forum and other forums. Some of us are more tolerant because we do not have other providers that we'll give us as much HD channels as VOOM.

So given this I will split this this thread and create a thread with a different topic were it will be more suitable to discuss this.

 

[Sean Mota]

So here it is...If you want you may change the title or I can change it for you.

 

[Kickor]

OK ... point made ... still, your posts, while witty, are neither helpful nor serve to disuade anyone from Voom (as must be your goal, otherwise your posts are only self-serving which I know a 747 captain could never be ) Others enjoy Voom ... you did not (either time) ... let it rest man.

 

[Mr. Biggles]

Mel,

So given this I will split this this thread and create a thread with a different topic were it will be more suitable to discuss this.

My vote is to delete the thread. !protest

Bill

 

[rollerfink]

Depends upon what your definition of "smarmy"....is.

99% of the posts to this forum and the Yahoo forum usually tell the newbie to open the little door and press the red button.

Or they tell him to call the installer back to " fine tune" the dish.

Or they tell him to email Wilt.

Or they tell him to get a bigger dish.

Or they tell him to wait until the next code push.

Or they tell him to either....unplug the diplexer...or get a bigger OTA antenna..and of course to send in his zip code for a Mapping fix.

Or they tell him to wait until MPEG4 gets to VOOM and then VOOM will/can add the SciFi and Food channel.

Or they tell him to wait until VOOM gives everyone a new HD recorder...."later" this year.

Which set of "smarmy" is more accurate?

Did you try unplugging your set top box for 15 minutes?

Also, check your setup, it could be your fault.

 

[Tarmack]

Yup, I can take that bet....with some clarification......let me know if it then meets your willingness to continue with the wager.

I would like to see that VOOM has a "current" and active subscriber base of 500,000 by the end of the year...not just 500000 total activations...we must count the deactivations also and then get a total from there.

I just cannot imagine VOOM ever being able to "handle" 500,000 customers....they are now having trouble handling 2000. At one time during one of my conversations with a CSR...she told me that there were 8 of them on duty that day....but that as many as 10 are there sometimes. That number would certainly indicate that there is not much planning for the "mass migration" that you see happening, to VOOM, by the end of the year.

That tempo of new customers would have to be about 1750 per day....to reach your betting number....by the end of the year.

I would personally think that of those 1750 per day of signups...there would easily be 20 to 30 percent that would cancel after 30 to 60 days.....so I feel that there would be a required number of over new sign ups..... 2000 per day....to reach your number.

Additionally....with the current problems of the hardware box....and the lack of signal strength with the current software compression into a small 18" dish...it would be most futile to "issue" another 480,000 boxes....knowing full well that damn near all of them would have to be replaced at least once or twice during the rest of this year. Now we are talking about almost a MILLION installer events.....and even that should dull the mind of Sean who seems to love to read about installs.

I do like Saint Pauly Girl beer......but would prefer San Miguel if there is a choice. Grin.

Thank you for your comments. I want to hear both good and bad about Voom. No one can fix a problem if they don't know what's broke. I do believe that Voom will make it, if for no other reasons than it's new and it is getting better.

Most people I know have large screen TVs and until recently they never used the HD because they did not have a good HD source.

Tarmack, would you care for a little friendly bet? I'll bet that by December 31, 2004 Voom will have over 500,000 subscribers. Say a case of good German beer (or soda if you prefer)?

 

[Tarmack]

Do what you gotta do.

Mel,

I do not know you personally (I am not trying to attack you) but I am trying to understand your point of view in this matter as well. You have your good points but it's best if you create a thread to post your dislikes and we may or may not debate you on them. We are not ignoring your comments as you may see their signature all over the place in this forum and other forums. Some of us are more tolerant because we do not have other providers that we'll give us as much HD channels as VOOM.

So given this I will split this this thread and create a thread with a different topic were it will be more suitable to discuss this.

 

[RickyMac]

It's ON!

Just one bet clairification:

We call Voom on December 31, 2004, if they do not have 500,000 paying customers on that day, I will ship you the beer (case) of your choice (lets keep it under $75.00). If they have 500,000 paying customers, you ship to me. Sounds great!

This bet may cause me to become a Voom salesman.

 

[Tarmack]

<<<This bet may cause me to become a Voom salesman.>>

You already are.

Just one bet clairification:

We call Voom on December 31, 2004, if they do not have 500,000 paying customers on that day, I will ship you the beer (case) of your choice (lets keep it under $75.00). If they have 500,000 paying customers, you ship to me. Sounds great!

This bet may cause me to become a Voom salesman.

 

[rollerfink]

Can we make this thread a sticky?

 

[Sean Mota]

Can we make this thread a sticky?

nope. As we are trying to keep the stickys down... I will add it to the "Hot Topic" category in the "Quick Look up" thread.

 

[vinnyv07]

Any company can not satisfy everyone. VOOM is still ten times better than cable in my area will ever be. And thats right now. Bottom line is that VOOM is new. Directv in its early days had major problems....MAJOR. ANd it was ver expensive to install and for equipment. VOOM should be looked at as a startup that is new. They are going to have growing pains, just like directv did and just like dishnet did. VOOM really is in no position to compete with directv...they just cant. Its unfair to compare the two. In my area , NY, TWC gives me 5 HD ch's for 55 bucks a mth and VOOM Im getting 25 HD ch's plus CBS, ABC, and PBS and the sub ch's. Right now Im pulling in 28 HD CH's for 52 bucks. I dont care about the slow receiver...I dont care if they are showing the same movie every week....some of the ch's on VOOM are good and some stink. Bottom line to me is 28 HD ch's vrs 5 for less money. The only ch that Im not getting now that I had with cable in NBC. But I'll live with that. Compare VOOM to DTV....DTV wins. Compare VOOM to TWC in my area...VOOM wins.

 

[The Stone Man]

I have to say that I respect Tarmack's opinions. For anyone who has any doubts about the sophistication of his HD installation, there is a thread that describes his setup while trying Voom. He's had more than 4 years experience with HD television, and has 8 of them installed (last time he posted the number).

The main point that I see in all this is that Voom is struggling at the outset. Most will agree that there is room for improvement, but everyone has a different level of patience. Probably, the great majority of people are relatively new to HDTV, and when it is working, it is mind-boggling compared to SD. However, there have been problems with PQ, box reliability, installer knowledge, and physical location of the satellite. Some people are just not going to put up with all of the problems.

Personally, I've had no problems since day 1, and that has built my own patience to the point where I'll stick with it for longer than others might. I want to see Voom survive and thrive, and believe most people who read the forum are in that mindset. I'd rather see somebody bet on resolution of the problems, and whether or not that would bring Tarmack back to Voom.

 

[rollerfink]

Any company can not satisfy everyone. VOOM is still ten times better than cable in my area will ever be. And thats right now. Bottom line is that VOOM is new. Directv in its early days had major problems....MAJOR. ANd it was ver expensive to install and for equipment. VOOM should be looked at as a startup that is new. They are going to have growing pains, just like directv did and just like dishnet did. VOOM really is in no position to compete with directv...they just cant. Its unfair to compare the two. In my area , NY, TWC gives me 5 HD ch's for 55 bucks a mth and VOOM Im getting 25 HD ch's plus CBS, ABC, and PBS and the sub ch's. Right now Im pulling in 28 HD CH's for 52 bucks. I dont care about the slow receiver...I dont care if they are showing the same movie every week....some of the ch's on VOOM are good and some stink. Bottom line to me is 28 HD ch's vrs 5 for less money. The only ch that Im not getting now that I had with cable in NBC. But I'll live with that. Compare VOOM to DTV....DTV wins. Compare VOOM to TWC in my area...VOOM wins.

If Voom can't compete with DirecTV or Dish then I will jump ship. I don't want to pay for two services so for me it's either one or the other. I think there are a lot of people out there like me who only want one system -- so bottom line is that Voom will have to compete with DirecTV and Dish, and if the can't then they will have to build a business model that can be succesful in a niche market.

 

[rollerfink]

nope. As we are trying to keep the stickys down... I will add it to the "Hot Topic" category in the "Quick Look up" thread.

I was just kidding really, I just wanted to be able to follow the bet between Tarmack and RickyMac.

 

[andrzej]

nope. As we are trying to keep the stickys down... I will add it to the "Hot Topic" category in the "Quick Look up" thread.

Sean,
please don't. You want to make Mel's constant whining more important? We all have had enough of Mel on the Yahoo.