VOOM Receives Prestigious CNET Editors' Choice Award

[rudolpht]

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VOOM Receives Prestigious CNET Editors' Choice Award

JERICHO, N.Y., Jul 8, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- VOOM, the first comprehensive high- definition (HD) satellite service, announced today that it received a CNET Editors' Choice award, which recognizes outstanding personal technology and consumer electronic products. CNET's Editors' Choice seal has become the hallmark of exemplary product design, performance, quality and value. Consumers often seek out CNET advice before making purchase decisions.

CNET, the ultimate online resource for technology and consumer electronic product reviews, shopping guides and more, recognizes top products in their respective technology categories. A key selection requirement is the difference the product makes in the lives of its users, whether through innovative features, exceptional value for the price, remarkable ease-of-use, or a demonstrable boost to users' productivity.

"It is an honor to be recognized by such a reputable source as CNET, which consumers have come to know and trust when making purchase decisions," said Jeffrey Yapp, chief marketing officer for Rainbow DBS. "VOOM is committed to being a complete source for HD programming and will continue making HDTV more accessible to consumers."

VOOM offers three times more HD programming than any other cable or satellite provider. Subscribers have access to over 35 HD channels -- including 21 exclusive VOOM HD Originals -- as well as more than 80 standard- definition channels. According to CNET editors, "For HDTV Programming, the VOOM satellite service is head and shoulders above cable, the Dish Network, and DirecTV ... there's still no question that VOOM is the ultimate source for HDTV."

For information on VOOM and the CNET Editors' Choice award, please visit http://editorschoice.cnet.com or http://www.voom.com.

About VOOM and Rainbow DBS

VOOM, provided by Rainbow DBS, Cablevision System Corporation's satellite division, is the first television service to provide a comprehensive array of high-definition (HD) programming for the rapidly growing but underserved HDTV audience. With a lineup of more than 35 HD channels, VOOM delivers more HD programming than any other satellite or cable service provider. VOOM's HD lineup includes STARZ! HD, Encore HD, Showtime HD, Playboy Hot HD, ESPN HD, HBO HDTV and Cinemax HDTV, as well as an exclusive package of brand-new, commercial-free VOOM HD Originals such as WorldSport, Epics and Animania. The service also includes more than 80 of the most popular cable channels in standard-definition (SD), 18 digital music channels, and over-the-air digital broadcast channels in HD, where available. VOOM is offered across the continental United States through local Sears retailers; at BrandsMart USA stores; through leading online retailer, Crutchfield Corporation and through O'Rourke Sales Company's independent electronics retailers with approximately 10,000 locations in all 50 states. Customers can also purchase the service by calling 1-800-GET-VOOM or by visiting http://www.voom.com.

Contact: Bo Park /Rainbow DBS

516-803-6068

Sarah Winterhalder/CNET Networks, Inc.

415-344-2218

Matthew Girgenti/Weber Shandwick

212-445-8388

 

[vurbano]

Obviously CNET didnt run any HD PQ comparisons with D* or E*

 

[madpoet]

Unless of course you happen to disagree Vurbano, and believe Voom's is better... like me. I don't know why, but we always seem to be on opposite sides of an issue.

 

[andrzej]

Obviously CNET didnt run any HD PQ comparisons with D* or E*

vurbano, are you suggesting that the award should go to D* and/or E*? If not than what's your point?

 

[Dvlos]

Obviously they felt Voom's PQ to be comparable to D* and E*, in most cases, and the sheer amount of HD available was enough to give Voom the award. Hopefully by this time next year Voom will be the first to have WM9, more HD, and better PQ so that Voom can receive the prestigious Vurbano award all companies strive to get.

 

[DarrellP]

I don't see how they got an award since it's based on

CNET's Editors' Choice seal has become the hallmark of exemplary product design, performance, quality and value.

Exemplary product design is definitely not in the running here, we all know the Moto box sucks. Performance is a no-brainer with the state of Voom's PQ and stb issues. Ditto with quality: PQ and number of repeat shows. Value I would give them an award for, Voom is a good value for the money. I would also give them an A+ for effort, I think they are trying very hard to succeed and I wish them the best, after all, I do want the most HD available but I also want the HD quality to go along with it.

 

[madpoet]

Perhaps they, like me, have no STB issues and think the PQ is great....

 

[vurbano]

vurbano, are you suggesting that the award should go to D* and/or E*? If not than what's your point?

If its HD PQ based, yes E* is the winner. IF its SD PQ based V* or D*. IF its merely HD quantity based then I guess yes V* similar to a macdonalds beating out a good steak restaurant in beef sales. OF course none of the Voom "exclusives" have any real beef in them so I dont know.

 

[Dvlos]

I saw some cows on the Elsewhere: Namibia show, so you lose!

 

[slffl]

Prestigious? Since when did the meaning of 'prestigious' become "Someone who gives glowing reviews to the highest bidder"?

CNET is about as corrupt as they come.

 

[DarrellP]

OF course none of the Voom "exclusives" have any real beef in them so I dont know.

The only one around here with any beef is vurbano.

Perhaps they, like me, have no STB issues and think the PQ is great....

Or perhaps they never even turned on the stb.

 

[subdude212]

Some people just have to go against conventional wisdom, popular opinion, expert opinions, etc. Some have to invent terms like "mosquito noise" or "micro-stutters" to describe problems that they see - real or imagined. Some randomly pick a culprit as an easy target and blame them such as found in "it cannot be my equipment it must be VOOM's fault" when overscan issues, "sparklies" or signal strength issues arise. The hell it is my RCA box, my ungrounded dish, my cheesy DVI cable or the huge forest of swaying trees in front of my dish! Some think they are doing a public service by posting these issues repeatedly when in fact they are doing exactly the opposite as often as not a problem for one person is not a problem for all.

It is hard to be objective and it is hard to believe that a problem might be one's own fault or due to a factor within one's control or a conflict with one's existing equipment. Its hard to admit one's expensive equipment might actually be faulty or inferior to lower cost new gear. So, I fully expect to hear more whining, more blame being spewed, more attempts at convincing the masses that they are wrong - anything to shift blame to VOOM or at least to the idiot who installed it.

I also expect to get several flamed responses by people who think I'm talking about them - so be it. I'll sit back and enjoy VOOM with fine PQ with my not so troublesome moto box waiting for that software upgrade that should be here in about 2 weeks or so I hear.

 

[DarrellP]

Well, Subdude, as one of those who "imagine" mosquito noise, micro stutters and sparklies, why do I NOT see them on Dish or OTA? Why do I not see these things on my Dish 6000? Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[andrzej]

Well, Subdude, as one of those who "imagine" mosquito noise, micro stutters and sparklies, why do I NOT see them on Dish or OTA? Why do I not see these things on my Dish 6000? Enquiring minds want to know.

DarrellP, how are we supposed to know what you see or don't see?

 

[DarrellP]

DarrellP, how are we supposed to know what you see or don't see?

OK, here's the deal: I'm going to have a Virtual Home Theater party and y'all are invited, so put on your VR helmets and login to my VHT so we can all imagine this stuff together.

 

[andrzej]

OK, here's the deal: I'm going to have a Virtual Home Theater party and y'all are invited, so put on your VR helmets and login to my VHT so we can all imagine this stuff together.

But that's exactly where the problem is. I believe you that virtual mosquite noise, virtual stutter etc exist. Maybe you should take your helmet off?

 

[DarrellP]

But that's exactly where the problem is. I believe you that virtual mosquite noise, virtual stutter etc exist. Maybe you should take your helmet off?

It's not MY problem, It's Voom's problem. I'm sorry some of you don't have displays big enough to see mosquito noise, but it is there on Voom and not there on Dish. Nough said? What is the issue here? I think most of you are in denial or just don't know what a good picture is. Right Vurbano?

 

[Dvlos]

I see mosquito noise on my 60" RPTV CRT, look for it on darker areas of your screen. If you relax your eyes you will notice microstutter, word of caution, once you SPOT the imperfections you will never take your eyes off them... like ever. You will constantly reach for a roll of newspaper and try and stamp out the white mosquitos on the screen, or glance away everytime the image micro-freezes...

Now it's not... "Hey guys whats goin.............


..................g on?"

THe image is like "Hey guys whats goin.g on?" DON'T LOOK FOR IT AVERT YOUR EYES.

 

[rtt2]

Have any of you bothered to read the review? Well here it is:

As cable and satellite providers promise to ramp up their high-definition offerings with more channels and programming, Cablevision's Voom satellite service has stepped in to fill the void for the increasingly HD-hungry public. Though Voom costs a bundle--$79.90 per month for the full programming package, plus hardware (see below)--the simple fact is that Voom currently delivers far more HD channels (over 35) than any other cable or satellite service provider, plus a healthy selection of more than 80 standard-definition (SD) channels. True, the actual programming on some of the HD channels is still rather slim, and Voom needs to add HDNet, as well as local sports channels, USA, and the Sci-Fi Channel. But there's still no question that Voom is the ultimate source for HDTV.

Design
Installation and setup for Voom is similar to that of DirecTV or Dish Network, except that the Voom 18-inch satellite dish is pointed at the southwestern instead of the southeastern sky. A second antenna--included in the installation--is needed to receive local terrestrial HD channels. In our tests in mid-Manhattan, two large skyscrapers block our view of the Empire State Building, from which local HD signals emanate. As a result, we received only the local CBS feed via terrestrial antenna. This is unlikely to be a problem in any other locale, however.

The slim, silver Voom box, a Motorola DSR-550, receives satellite SD and HD signals, as well as over-the-air HD signals. There's no display, but a single green LED indicates live service, while a red light means no reception. A series of orange lights flash to indicate the box is booting up. In case you're wondering, Voom announced that a HD DVR option, similar to the Dish DVR-921, will be available by the end of 2004.

We found operation to be exceptionally straightforward. The simple remote, which can be programmed to operate your TV, resembles a typical cable remote but with fewer and larger keys. Pressing the large Voom button brings up the main program guide on the bottom half of the screen. Programming can be delineated into 10 preset groups, including All Channels, All HD, Sports, Movies, and Family & Kids. There is also a Favorites choice, which lists channels you've selected as such. A window in the guide's upper-right corner continuously displays (in high resolution) whatever channel you're watching, while the program description appears in the upper-left corner.

Features
As noted, Voom offers a cornucopia of HD channels, with more planned. For example, in May, ESPN HD and TNT HD were added, and in June, Equator, an exclusive travel channel, came onboard. Two tiers of programming are available: the Voom Standard Package and Va Va Voom, which costs twice as much. Va Va Voom offers both SD and HD versions of the premium movie channels HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Starz, and Encore, but otherwise, the two have the same lineup. We liked that Voom carried both east- and west-coast feeds of many of these premium channels--handy for either a Sunday afternoon viewing of The Sopranos on the west coast or a late Sunday night screening on the east.

Currently, Voom has more than 20 exclusive HD channels, such as the museum Gallery HD channel; MOOV HD, which shows abstract and avant-garde ambient HD music videos; the concert and HD music video Rave HD channel; the extreme sports Rush HD channel; the style and fashion Ultra HD channel; and the self-explanatory WorldSport HD.

Voom's major problem is a lack of extensive HD programming to fill these channels. There's a great deal of repetition, and during our test, we quickly got sick of Beyonce and Counting Crows concerts on Rave HD and that Real Madrid vs. Barcelona soccer game on WorldSport. The exclusive movie channels draw from a library of about 500 films. Each channel alternates between playing two films, and each has a theme, such as Monsters HD for horror movies, Gunslingers HD for Westerns, and Divine HD for gay-oriented titles. Programmers are in the process of doubling the size of the library over the next 18 months to cut down on repeats.

Some high-profile channels are missing, such as INHD and HDNet in HD, as well as the Sci-Fi Channel and USA from the SD lineup. Worse, there are no local sports channels. Voom programmers are in constant negotiations to fill in these holes, including the possible addition of some regional Fox Sports Net channels. In the meantime, sports junkies will likely want to maintain a cable subscription.

Performance
We tested Voom using a Panasonic TH-42PHD6, a 42-inch, high-resolution plasma set. Video quality, especially on Voom's exclusive specialty channels, was stunning. Like those of any cable or satellite provider, all of Voom's HD channels look much, much better than any shows broadcast in standard definition. We compared its HBO HD channel to the one from Time Warner Cable New York, and Voom's looked somewhat sharper, delivering a bit more detail on extreme close-ups of faces and fine fabric textures, for example. However, the difference wasn't extreme. Keep in mind that HDTV image quality will vary slightly between different cable and satellite providers.

The quality on Voom's HD movie channels is more hit-or-miss than on its specialty channels. Some films look grainier than others, which may be more the fault of the original masters than Voom's HD conversion process.

Our biggest problem was that Voom's exclusive movie channels showed most films in full-frame 16:9, even if they were not originally shot at that aspect ratio. For example, the original Night of the Living Dead was filmed in the Academy ratio of 1.33:1, which should result in black bars on the left and right of the image on a wide-screen HDTV. On Voom, however, there are no bars. Dead's images are zoomed so that they fills the screen, with the top and bottom of the image cut off. To Voom's credit, some films shot in wider aspect ratios, such as the original Russian version of Solaris, shot in Sovscope (2.35:1), are shown letterboxed within the 16:9 frame, with thin black bars above and below the image to preserve the director's intent. The company is currently wrestling with how it will show older 4:3 films on its new Classics HD channel; we're hoping Voom opts not to zoom and crop to fill the screen.

Like most satellite systems, Voom is susceptible to weather vagaries. Severe thunderstorms knocked Voom off the air, due primarily to high levels of static electricity. Instead of the expected "acquiring signal" message, you get a black screen and a red light on the box. In one instance, service was disrupted for about 30 minutes, and we needed to reboot the box. Heavy rain caused minimal dropouts or delays of a couple of seconds.

Note: Voom's hardware lease offer costs $199 for the installation and activation fee and $9.50 per month, although currently Voom waives the activation fee. A separate offer, beginning July 6, allows you to skip the lease and purchase the hardware outright for $399. The basic programming package starts at $39.90 per month.

 

[gonzalez6653]

I am not a "professional engineer" but I do know a thing or two about audio/visual/computer equipment, component compatibility and that GIGO also applies with digital monitors and what is "acceptable quality" for me to enjoy viewing & listening to "entertainment".If I was too jump on this site everytime a mosquito noise, micro stutters or sparklies "may" appear it simply would mean I am more entertained by an obsesive compultion to bitch rather than enjoying my "entertainment" unless bitching is my entertainment.Perhap some people may have a legitimate grip with VOOM, many people don't like Fords either , but as has been mentioned already, perhaps you should look at your equipment or setup, thats "usually" where the problem is, same as with a computer glich, its usually something small & stupid that was overlooked or misentered, human error...

I would not have bought a HDTV at this time if it wern't for VOOM due to the lack of HD programming offered by "any" other delivery service. I guess I'm lucky here in the Ft.Lauderdale area as both Broward & Palm Beach County OTA network comes in clear,
crisp & w/great audio ( better than Adelphia Cable & D* which I also still have as backup, just in case) I always have a choice of about 12 HD broadcasts to choose from and am watching stuff I never use to watch cause it looks & sounds so good on HD VOOM... I got on board with Tivo when it first came out and had my share of problems with Tivo in its infancy, I now can't live without Tivo... I feel the same about VOOM, bitch & grip all we want, but there is nowhere else to enjoy this much HD programming with any other provider and thats why, I assume we have HDTVs... I believe VOOM will be the leader in HDTV Satellite Broadcast Market and I'm willing to put up with what mounts up to be "a hill of beans" in the overall benefits VOOM offers HDTV owners.

Then again thats my opinion, I could be wrong...!!!