VOOM review after 12 days
I currently have E* and I had been following VOOM on various web sites ever since it was introduced last year. I hesitated to get it then because of all the installation problems I had read about, but finally had it installed on 6/28. Installer locked in on satellite right away and pictures came in clearly. He had to put off installing OTA antenna because he needed bigger antenna to pull in signals. Came back Friday with a 4228, but still no luck. After watching VOOM for 12 days, here's my unbiased assessment.
1. CONTENT: I was somewhat disappointed in the HD content even though I had done a lot of research and knew what was available before I ordered. Within 72 hours I came to the realization that my expectations were far way too enthusiastic, and I actually found myself searching for some captivating HD programming, only to wind up switching back to E*.
2. PQ: I have a 50" Pioneer plasma and was anticipating outstanding HD PQ with VOOM. While I did see some superb HD PQ, my viewing was usually limited to the few channels that I preferred to watch and several of them were not up my expectations. My installer was impressed with my PQ on E*. He said it was the best he had ever seen when he switched between E* and VOOM to compare Bravo and TNT HD programs that were showing at the time. I’m sure this was due to up converting of content as VOOM was a clear winner on Discovery. While VOOM SD PQ was good, it was difficult to distinguish any noticeable difference when comparing it to my E* reception. Also, I’ve recently noticed pixilation after my software was updated to 6.0
3. SOUND: I have a Klipsch THX surround system and the overall sound quality was equal to or better than anything on E*. I still have to adjust sound levels while changing to some channels, even though I read somewhere that the problem was supposed to be fixed with a software update to 6.0 which I now have.
CONCLUSION: I was overly optimistic in my expectations for HD quality programming from VOOM. While I’m sure it will improve with time, I can’t justify spending the money on a second satellite system for the limited return that I’m currently receiving. The fact that I couldn’t get OTA HD is the deal breaker for me because I probably would have kept VOOM for that alone. Since I’m receiving better than average SD PQ, it makes a compelling argument for me to wait until better HD programming is available from either VOOM or E* before I venture into HD again. This by no means that others won’t find VOOM programing and PQ to be outstanding; it just doesn’t currently meet my needs
