The VOOM Countdown has started 23 days 'til 2/29/04

[Sean Mota]

Now, I am not that happy. According to this page on VOOM's website the 39 HD channels will not happen until 2/29/04. This is not what we have known and was made to public to us.

http://www.voom.com/cert/login.jsp

 

[mike123abc]

I think it just shows that Echostar is not the only DBS company that has trouble getting the terms it wants from content providers.

 

[Sean Mota]

Here's more information posted at AVS. If this is true, we are not looking good for 2/1/04.

cporterfield
New Member

Registered: Nov 2002
Location: University Park, Texas
Posts: 2

I emailed VOOM about HBO and the cost of additional receivers. Here is the reply I got:


"We are just finishing up contract negotiations with several broadcasting
providers, including HBO, and look to have two HD feeds along with it's SD
plexes available in our HBO PlusPack by the end of February. This is the
main reason our introductory offer comes with free programming until your
March 04 billing cycle, and a FULL money back guarantee through
3/31/04-just in case you're not completely satisfied with our updated line
up.
Each additionl receiver is currently discounted at $199.99+tax. The
monthly fee to view programming on those additional receivers is just $5
per account, not per receiver."

 

[Sean Mota]

I like to believe something will show up by 2/1/04 but it seem like we won't see a whole package until 2/29/04. 29 days + 13 days = 42 days!!

 

[Sean Mota]

If newsbytes-hd shows up by 2/1/04, there is a good indication that others might show up. They might not but it does give us some hope!

 

[MagicConch]

I signed up just now. They offered both Showtime and HBO with two HD channels in each package. 400 dollars without any coupon code. I couldn't hold out any longer. I am sure it will drop to $250 soon. Oh well.

 

[Sean Mota]

I signed up just now. They offered both Showtime and HBO with two HD channels in each package. 400 dollars without any coupon code. I couldn't hold out any longer. I am sure it will drop to $250 soon. Oh well.

MagicConch,

Welcome,

How were you able to get the $399 offer without any coupon. Also, HBO is not yet available. Show-HD and Starz-HD are with two feeds (East and West).

 

[MagicConch]

I just told them my friends have it and I want it too. He said okay. There is something interesting though. I get 30-day money guarantee which means until the end of Feb. You guys get until the end of March right? I also get free programming for only one month, which is technically only a few days difference, but wording was interesting.

Another thing he said that was interesting is that although you get one free plus pack with the 40 buck monthly fee, if you cancel and sign up again later, you lose the plus pack in the monthly fee and have to pay for any plus packs you want, about 15 bucks each. Weird eh?

As far as HBO he said when my 30 days were up, he would have HBO with 2 HDTV feeds so he said choose the plus pack you want after 30 days (you get all channels for first 30 days just like you guys). I chose HBO because all those motels choose it and there must be something to it (I have never had pay channels).

After perusing the schedules it seems HBO has the most true HDTV content showing. If that is not correct, please correct it!

 

[compson]

After perusing the schedules it seems HBO has the most true HDTV content showing. If that is not correct, please correct it!

That's correct. Unfortunately, if movies don't fit the screen, they make them fit. HBO generally gets the best new movies (virtually all in HD) and it has the best original programming, like Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Carnivale. You made the right choice.

 

[Sean Mota]

Five more days until 2/1/04. Well, in one more hour. Are we going to see more channels added by 2/1/04 or not? Should it surprise us if we don't? Just ask E* and D* subs and they will tell you that these negotiations of new HD channels are not easy sometimes. We are all happy when another channel goes HD but in reality the HD channel might not be in your DBS provider until an agreement is made. These agreements sometimes do not come until very later.

I know that we are all dissappointed with Cinema 10 selection of movies. Especially early subscribers. It looks like we have reached that point where we need more movies and better selections. You know there is a bigger problem but we do not seem to talk too much about it. Starz-HD. What a pathetic channel this turn out to be? 20 movies in HD ONLY? Their premier movies like the Pianist, Chicago, Gangs of New York, Frida, 25th hour, etc not in HD and yet "HD available". What a disgrace? Take a look at their selection this month. Here's another problem - TMC-HD. Running the same HD movies as Show-HD. So in effect you compound this with Cinema 10 not given us great selection and it looks like VOOM is not delivering right now. We were all happy when Starz-HD started. Starz-HD enticed us with "Lord of the Rings I & II" and we were all happy. That effect is not gone and our selection of movies went down as well.

I hope Cinemax-HD does not turn out to be a duplicate of HBO-HD. This is why VOOM needs to add more HD channels. We have seen all these problems compounded at the same time and immediately VOOM looks like a bad idea. Now we get very little of those "A" type movies and majority of movies we get from Monsters-HD, Epics-HD and Cinema-HD are type "B" and "C".

I am hoping to get the additions by 2/1/04 but if they do not show up I will wait until 2/29/04 because it is a free programming period and I am not paying anything to play the waiting game. Heck! I have been waiting for E* to add new channels for a long time and what Charlie decide to add; you guessed it --- BINGO TV. ~~~ Yeah! that's what I said. Let's go VOOM...I feel optomistic...

 

[mike123abc]

After reading about your Starz-HD reviews, I am relieved. I recently changed away from the E* AEP because of the price increase. I prepaid anually to lock in the AT150/180, and decided to drop all the movie packages except 1. I finally decided on Showtime since they have HDTV in original aspect ratios. Of course on E* I only had HBO for the other choice, but they are more $$, and they P&S the HDTV to 16:9.

 

[Sean Mota]

Hey! Check this chart out. Maybe these people know something that we do not know.

http://www.orlandodigital.tv/HD_Reception.htm

HBO HD EAST Feb 2004
HBO HD WEST Feb 2004
CINEMAX HD Feb 2004
TNT HD May 2004

These fours might all be PPV

IN DEMAND 1 HD PPV Yes
IN DEMAND 2 HD PPV Yes
THE PLAYBOY CHANNEL HD Yes
SPICE CHANNEL HD Yes

Missing from all of this is:

INHD
INHD2
ESPN HD
BRAVO HD+
NBA-TV

I wonder where they got their information.

 

[Acerone]

That's not 39 HD channels.

 

[Sean Mota]

I agree. For a minute let's play devil's advocates. Currently 30 channels + 2 HBO + 1 Cinemax + 4 PPV + 2 Missing = 39! What's those two missing might be? INHD 1 & 2 or ESPN-HD and BRAVO-HD+; Take your pick.

 

[neo0285]

thats crap!!

if thats the case, out of 39 hd channels, 4 are ppv so we would really get 35 hd channels including the "awesome" 21 exclusives. If thats the lineup come feb 29, if thats even the date, then I might as well cal today and cancel, which is probably what im going to do!

 

[rtt2]

Are you counting that "Inside Voom" channel? I think they actually count that as part of the 39

 

[neo0285]

thats right!

You're right, i forgot about that faboulous channel,how could i forget about the great programming on that channel. VOOM has been a disappointment so far, and if these channels are true, it should be a final blow to this company.

BTW i took this link from one of the other forums, i dont know know if this means anything, but it states where bravo hd is going to be broadcasted and it doesnt mention any plans for VOOM, make your own conclusions.
http://www.nbcmv.com/release_detail.nbc/bravo-20040121000000-bravohdannouncesdist.html

 

[Lucky]

I'll tell you if there is no ESPN-HD I am cancelling VOOM. That channel is a must for me. How do they expect any sports fan to subscribe to a service without ESPN ?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Up to this point ESPN-HD has been a joke. But I do agree a staple channel such as ESPN, CNN, etc should be a part of the lineup.

 

[Sean Mota]

Guys,

As I said before, I do not know how this site came up with the list. I only posted it because it made some sense. I agree about those 4 HD PPV channels. In my book they are worthless because they are PPV and I am not interested in paying more for them. I do not think I ever watched PPV on DBS.

If (BIG IF!) this is true, I am dissapointed. I was really hoping that INHD 1 & 2 would have been added, and ESPN-HD and NBA-TV. I do not care about BRAVO-HD+; BRAVO-HD+ has only two shows in HD as of today. ESPN-HD did not show a lot of HD programming in December but it is picking up. More and more HD programs will come to ESPN-HD (college basketball, NCAA tournament, NBA, NBA playoffs and SPORTCENTER in HD this spring). NBA-TV I can also live without because it looks like INHD has picked up all the NBA HD games.

I hope that these are only preliminary and we will see something similar but with better selection. Those 4 PPV HD channels do not benefit us - Just VOOM.