I was wondering what it would be like in the final days of Voom. Will there be certain channels going offline line one by one or will it all vanish at once? Will there be certain channels going offline during the last week of April or will they go off one by one on April 29th and April 30th? Also, when exactly on April 30th will the transmission be ceased at the uplink center? I was thinking about staying up and watching HDNews on Friday, April 29th until 12:00AM central time April 30th and see what happens. Also, Voom has not made anymore headlines concerning the issue of the shutdown except for last Friday when they mentioned it briefly for about 15 secs before going on to something else on HDNews. I expected them to start really hitting on it in the news segment to get those who have not been around here in a week or so or haven't checked their email box. I know the Voom menu has it stated in the message section, but as some have mentioned on here, some people don't even bother reading those messages. I almost didn't read it the other day until I took a double-take before punching up the guide. Is there any chance if we can get Charles Dolan on HDNews live and have him telling everyone a big thank you for supporting Voom as well as to those hard working employees that are being booted off at the end of the month?
The Final Countdown till the end........
- Thread starter lilyarbie
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IMHO Voom should take over the promo channel and turn it into the shutdown channel with a thank you message from C Dolan and technical information about what is happening.
Today's message: We are working out details relating to the shutdown of Voom on April 30th. Please seek another service provider for your needs beyond April 30th.
Future message: What to do with your box. What you will be billed for.
Keep Voomers informed.
JL
Today's message: We are working out details relating to the shutdown of Voom on April 30th. Please seek another service provider for your needs beyond April 30th.
Future message: What to do with your box. What you will be billed for.
Keep Voomers informed.
JL
I hate those promos too......
They need to yank those promos now. They've already said it's over. I'm tired of seeing those promos about Voom on both channel 700 and in-between segments of HDNews. It's like saying look at all the good programming Voom has to offer even though we're going to be dead in 18 days!! All these promo ads do is add more fuel to the already scorching fire of death that's going to consume Voom in the end.
They need to yank those promos now. They've already said it's over. I'm tired of seeing those promos about Voom on both channel 700 and in-between segments of HDNews. It's like saying look at all the good programming Voom has to offer even though we're going to be dead in 18 days!! All these promo ads do is add more fuel to the already scorching fire of death that's going to consume Voom in the end.
JL, much as it pains me to say so...and I know you KNOW it does...I have to agree with you on this issue. Vickijustalurker said:
(no joke on the smilie!)
The people doing the technicals are busy lining up their personal future about now. I doubt they are concerned with developing new content for a channel on a server loop. But, they are being paid to do a job even with their 30 day notice, so changing the VOOM 700 channel with a still billboard announcement may happen but I doubt it. Personally I think it is low priority. First should be to yank all the VOOM advertising from other channels like the bombardment on Discovery and the like.
Server ad insertions are the easist to stop but embedded advertising is costly to remove.
I'm trying to decide what to put on the shelf, the empty shelf in the middle of my equipment rack where the VOOM receiver is now. I suppose I'll use it to build my hard drive horizontal rack for the D* HDTIVO.
I'll put the 61.5 dish back on E* and set it for WCBS again as I have a waiver for the NY channel.
What amazes me is there are so many of you who love to worry about dumb stuff. Like what to do with the equipment I lease. I'll help you put some worries to bed. Stop worring about it and spend your time figuring out what service to switch to. Cablevision/VOOM will let you know what to do with the hardware when the time comes. Hang onto it for the balance of 2005 but if they never come, just junk it. My neighbor still has his Primestar system sitting on a shelf waiting for them to come pick it up. I told him not to worry and just toss it. They won't be around.
Server ad insertions are the easist to stop but embedded advertising is costly to remove.
I'm trying to decide what to put on the shelf, the empty shelf in the middle of my equipment rack where the VOOM receiver is now. I suppose I'll use it to build my hard drive horizontal rack for the D* HDTIVO.
I'll put the 61.5 dish back on E* and set it for WCBS again as I have a waiver for the NY channel.
What amazes me is there are so many of you who love to worry about dumb stuff. Like what to do with the equipment I lease. I'll help you put some worries to bed. Stop worring about it and spend your time figuring out what service to switch to. Cablevision/VOOM will let you know what to do with the hardware when the time comes. Hang onto it for the balance of 2005 but if they never come, just junk it. My neighbor still has his Primestar system sitting on a shelf waiting for them to come pick it up. I told him not to worry and just toss it. They won't be around.
Don, in most respects, I agree with you...particularly about the advertising aspects...but I'm still not ready to buy the idea that VoOnm won't be around sometime in the future.
In a different form perhaps...and quite possibly one I won't like...Personally, I'd resent seeing Charles' vision being farmed out (substitute "whored out" if you're not real genteel). I know that's wishful thinking, bit I still don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility, so hanging on to the equipment for a while is what I consider a good recommendation. Vicki
In a different form perhaps...and quite possibly one I won't like...Personally, I'd resent seeing Charles' vision being farmed out (substitute "whored out" if you're not real genteel). I know that's wishful thinking, bit I still don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility, so hanging on to the equipment for a while is what I consider a good recommendation. Vicki
Vicki said:Don, in most respects, I agree with you...particularly about the advertising aspects...but I'm still not ready to buy the idea that VoOnm won't be around sometime in the future.
In a different form perhaps...and quite possibly one I won't like...Personally, I'd resent seeing Charles' vision being farmed out (substitute "whored out" if you're not real genteel). I know that's wishful thinking, bit I still don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility, so hanging on to the equipment for a while is what I consider a good recommendation. Vicki
Can't disagree except for the "Dolan's dream part. I don't resent any redistribution of Charle's "dream" Frankly I really don't know what his dream was/is at this point. Business or HD legacy, or just putting more money in his pocket. We can only guess. All I see is a bunch of content owned by someone likely, Cablevision and this content could be sold off and I believe the likely candidate is the eclectic genre producer Mark Cuban's HDNet channel. Frankly, I don't really care if that content appears on HDNet or UHD or TNTHD etc. as long as it's an HD channel we viewers have access to on a national level. Dolan's dream? I think you'll get over that if the content is "whored" out and all you have to do is switch to "HDNet" and watch it, whatever your favorite VOOM21 content was.
Also, I do want to believe and do wish that Dolan has another trick up his sleeve we just don't know about. All we can do is wait. I'm in a much better position than most as I don't have to rush out and find a provider. As you saw, I already have the three DBS and have cable too. But, I watched the VOOM offering the most for live content and D* second for time shifted content.
I thnk they should shut down the Voom channel or just put a blue screen saying "Voom will cease service to existing customers on April 30, 2005."
All advetisement should be stopped. I received a May issue of HT magazine and it had and ad in there for Voom.
All advetisement should be stopped. I received a May issue of HT magazine and it had and ad in there for Voom.
Vicki
I'm not sure if I'm just in denial, or merely being an astute business prophet as I'm expecting for Voom to go dark on April 30th and either Voom LLC, E*, or a newly form company we've never heard of before to show up on May 1st.
If it happens, you heard it first here.
I'm not sure if I'm just in denial, or merely being an astute business prophet as I'm expecting for Voom to go dark on April 30th and either Voom LLC, E*, or a newly form company we've never heard of before to show up on May 1st.
If it happens, you heard it first here.
"I'm not sure if I'm just in denial,"
I'll help you escape denial-
FACT- VOOM as we know it is done on April 30th. unless all this was a lie by Cablevision
FACT- HDTV continues to grow and offerings of new HDTV channels will continue to grow and be carried at some future time by all services and networks.
FACT- VOOM21 in and of itself as a service will not happen. That was Cablevision's and is being shut down.
Speculation- The content inventory owned by Cablevision company may be offered for sale to other networks or may be like the Prince Music videos, stored away in a vault to rot with time.
Guessing that the content will show up under a different name means that it will be a collective service purchased from Cablevision. I doubt that will happen but wish and believe Cablevision may want to recover some investment in the content rather than let it rot in a vault as does Prince. The most likely candidate to purchase the content from Cablevision would be Mark Cuban for HDNet. I would look for this to happen piece by piece and not the whole ball of wax.
I'll help you escape denial-
FACT- VOOM as we know it is done on April 30th. unless all this was a lie by Cablevision
FACT- HDTV continues to grow and offerings of new HDTV channels will continue to grow and be carried at some future time by all services and networks.
FACT- VOOM21 in and of itself as a service will not happen. That was Cablevision's and is being shut down.
Speculation- The content inventory owned by Cablevision company may be offered for sale to other networks or may be like the Prince Music videos, stored away in a vault to rot with time.
Guessing that the content will show up under a different name means that it will be a collective service purchased from Cablevision. I doubt that will happen but wish and believe Cablevision may want to recover some investment in the content rather than let it rot in a vault as does Prince. The most likely candidate to purchase the content from Cablevision would be Mark Cuban for HDNet. I would look for this to happen piece by piece and not the whole ball of wax.
Well, lets be honest here about the short term future for a HD provider...
Event though I don't have hard numbers, based on what know there are TONS of folks who are jumping on the HDTV bandwagon now; just go to your local Best Buy/Tweeter/Circuit City or whatever, and observe where all the action is; its the HD TV's that are moving out now that there are some real deals on the hardware..Eventually, some sharp business mind will go after the hundreds of thousands of new HDTV owners with some sort of "VOOm like" service..
I guess VOOM was just a bit early, and until the mainstream consumers jump on the bandwagon, which they are now, albeit slowly but surely, the Corporate bean counters and decision makers won't back a HD type of provider...
I still think that Microsoft would be a perfect candidate for this type of service, but who knows what "re-incarnation" of VOOM will appear..
No doubt in my mind, but someone else will be doing this within the next 12 months....
I guess until then, digital cable will be my alternative, since there is no commitment or hardware to deal with...
Event though I don't have hard numbers, based on what know there are TONS of folks who are jumping on the HDTV bandwagon now; just go to your local Best Buy/Tweeter/Circuit City or whatever, and observe where all the action is; its the HD TV's that are moving out now that there are some real deals on the hardware..Eventually, some sharp business mind will go after the hundreds of thousands of new HDTV owners with some sort of "VOOm like" service..
I guess VOOM was just a bit early, and until the mainstream consumers jump on the bandwagon, which they are now, albeit slowly but surely, the Corporate bean counters and decision makers won't back a HD type of provider...
I still think that Microsoft would be a perfect candidate for this type of service, but who knows what "re-incarnation" of VOOM will appear..
No doubt in my mind, but someone else will be doing this within the next 12 months....
I guess until then, digital cable will be my alternative, since there is no commitment or hardware to deal with...
The guide announcement is minor. A few words on a screen that can be missed. Meanwhile the promo channel gives conflicting information. They need to pull the 700/999 channel and make it at least a shut down slate. And stick a commercial into their insert space on each channel telling subscribers about the shutdown. Otherwise Voom is carrying on the lie that they will be there May 1st. I hope that they are not showing promos for May content ... but if they are that would be the icing on the mistake.vurbano said:
Don - The good folks at Voom can take care of their personal future problems on personal time. They go to work, not playschool and are still being paid to come to work to do work for Voom / RainbowDBS / Cablevision. At least some of those creative technical people will be there after May 1st working on Rainbow Media's content channels. There is no excuse for not being able to put together a loop to be shown on the promo channel other than bad management making the decision NOT to do such a loop. A bad decision that only serves to hurt dedicated customers.
JL
A year ago about 1.5 million US TV households had a HDTV set.wase4711 said:
This March the number was at 4 million US TV households.
There are about 108 million total US TV households.
Penetration of HDTV sets is expected to continue to expand.
JL
MY boss told em this weekend that it took 3 years for Primestar to come take his equipment. What I found AMAZING was that they actually came after all that time!Don Landis said:The people doing the technicals are busy lining up their personal future about now. I doubt they are concerned with developing new content for a channel on a server loop. But, they are being paid to do a job even with their 30 day notice, so changing the VOOM 700 channel with a still billboard announcement may happen but I doubt it. Personally I think it is low priority. First should be to yank all the VOOM advertising from other channels like the bombardment on Discovery and the like.
Server ad insertions are the easist to stop but embedded advertising is costly to remove.
I'm trying to decide what to put on the shelf, the empty shelf in the middle of my equipment rack where the VOOM receiver is now. I suppose I'll use it to build my hard drive horizontal rack for the D* HDTIVO.
I'll put the 61.5 dish back on E* and set it for WCBS again as I have a waiver for the NY channel.
What amazes me is there are so many of you who love to worry about dumb stuff. Like what to do with the equipment I lease. I'll help you put some worries to bed. Stop worring about it and spend your time figuring out what service to switch to. Cablevision/VOOM will let you know what to do with the hardware when the time comes. Hang onto it for the balance of 2005 but if they never come, just junk it. My neighbor still has his Primestar system sitting on a shelf waiting for them to come pick it up. I told him not to worry and just toss it. They won't be around.
justalurker said:
So, if the # of households more than doubles again this year, which I am sure it will,maybe THEN someone will realize the Total Available Market for HD is growing incredibly fast, and try to take advantage of that group of folks...
If only Voom could hold out another year or so....
JL you should email Wilt. He is the SVP at CV and has worked closely on the VOOM project. wilth@optonline.net
Don Landis said:My neighbor still has his Primestar system sitting on a shelf waiting for them to come pick it up. I told him not to worry and just toss it. They won't be around.
No Shi`ite??!!
Those old Primestar receivers are selling on eBay for around, oh $1.35!
