What's up with closing the VOOM threads?

[Tom Bombadil]

As of 2 minutes ago, I am now E* free.

They did make a half-hearted attempt to keep me. Which I didn't ask for, as I had decided to switch to D* and had already done that before calling E*. They offered me $10/mon off for 12 months after I told them I was leaving because they dropped VOOM.

The CSR told me that they had replaced "the VOOM movie channel" with the "IFC movie channel." She did make an effort to persuade me to stay, she knew that I had been with E* for 10 years and 11 months and was an HD AEP customer for the past 3 years.

So while I wasn't trying to pit E* vs D*, their two respective offers were:

E* offered $120 discount

D* offered $23/mon * 12 months discount
plus $10/mon * 24 for AAA discount
$50 referral discount
3 months free HBO/Starz
12 months free Showtime
upgrade of my 2nd receiver (from E* 4700) to SD DVR for free
Had to pay $99 for a new HR21-200 HD DVR.

So even if I had planned to go with the better offer, D* blew E* completely away. Over two years, I'm going to save about $600 by going with D* and have a happier family with that extra DVR on the 2nd TV.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I did write the E* CEO office twice to lobby for the return of VOOM. I wrote to R* to lobby for resolving the dispute. And I waited over 30 days to see if there was any movement toward a positive resolution.

If 100,000 other E* customers had done the same, I think we would see VOOM back on E*. Unfortunately I suspect that number was closer to 1,000.

 

[whatchel1]

Their plans

I doubt it. VOOM does not even want to be back on Dish. That there alone says a lot my friend.

Did they tell you what their plans are?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The best case scenario, at least for me, would be for VOOM to cut a deal with D* after D11 lights up and D* has more HD capacity there will be HD channels. Although I'm not sure D* would want to sign a deal with a company that is 20% owned by E*.

 

[vampz26]

The best case scenario, at least for me, would be for VOOM to cut a deal with D* after D11 lights up and D* has more HD capacity there will be HD channels. Although I'm not sure D* would want to sign a deal with a company that is 20% owned by E*.

+1

D* certainly do it if there either money to be made or something that can be marketed positively in their favor.

I'm sure there are a enough disgrunted ex-voomers out there who would make it worth their while.

Does D* have any stake at all in Voom? The Liberty Media deal and all? I don't rightly remember how that worked out...just call it a senior moment.

 

[Peter Parker]

+1

D* certainly do it if there either money to be made or something that can be marketed positively in their favor.

I'm sure there are a enough disgrunted ex-voomers out there who would make it worth their while.

Does D* have any stake at all in Voom? The Liberty Media deal and all? I don't rightly remember how that worked out...just call it a senior moment.

VOOM owned 80% by Rainbow Media---part of cablevisn
205 by Echostar

I am not sure how amny disgruntled ex VOOmers there are. Whn it was its own service it had 48,000 subs. There were certainly more when it was caried by DISH but it is unclear how amny are upset abot thsi. After all what we have seen here would be a small fraction of total DISH subs and it is believed that there are fewer people than it seems as some are using multiple handles to post.

 

[whatchel1]

2 %

VOOM owned 80% by Rainbow Media---part of cablevisn
205 by Echostar

I am not sure how amny disgruntled ex VOOmers there are. Whn it was its own service it had 48,000 subs. There were certainly more when it was caried by DISH but it is unclear how amny are upset abot thsi. After all what we have seen here would be a small fraction of total DISH subs and it is believed that there are fewer people than it seems as some are using multiple handles to post.

If just 2% of E* customers were to move over to To D* that would be over 26,000 people. That is all customers not just HD couldn't find a break down of exactly how many HD customers only that E* has.

 

[Peter Parker]

If just 2% of E* customers were to move over to To D* that would be over 26,000 people. That is all customers not just HD couldn't find a break down of exactly how many HD customers only that E* has.

Agreed but would 2% do that? ther is no evidence to suggest that they would. none to suggest that they won't either but why just suppose that they will?

 

[lern4483]

Agreed but would 2% do that? ther is no evidence to suggest that they would. none to suggest that they won't either but why just suppose that they will?

Their is no way to find out. I think dish would mask any truth behind this. I do feel if the number of people were to terminate over this reached a certain level maybe dish would blink.

Unfortuneatly Voom catered to a unique crowd, me being one of them. It did not have large mass apeal.
Voom was special to the HD hungry crowd.

Plus dish putting them so high up in the 9000 did not help.

Will they return? Could go either way. I hear Scott, Dish. But the truth behind all this is money-Thats it.

No crying no whinning but I would like to see true 24hr HD-non commercial stations back on dish or even direc tv.

Its all about choice.. If you like WFN, Movies, Kung foo movies-Its all there for you to choose!Everyone is entitled to have that choice.

The two sat companies are mirror images..I like to see diversity!
Right now is very boring.

 

[Bradp56]

I agree, there is no unique stuff anymore. I hope Dish atleast works out a deal where they will bring a few of the channels back, just like how other companies have a couple of the Voom channels even though they are Canadian providers.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We just finished the podcast and I really went out and explained what's going on and why I did what I did (and honestly I didn't handle it the best way) but it gives you an insight of what's going on and how we are going to try making things better for all.

The podcast should be online for listening and downloading in about an hour or so. I do hope you check it out as it also contains some other SatelliteGuys news as well.

 

[Bradp56]

Scott, I love how you run your site the information we get is amazing. I understood that the Voom stuff was getting out of hand but I just wanted atleast one merged one rather than closing them all. I was never one of the people bashing others and I respected others opinions, but I feel the others who complained about the forum got their way when they could have just looked at another topic.

 

[mperdue]

Scott, I love how you run your site the information we get is amazing. I understood that the Voom stuff was getting out of hand but I just wanted atleast one merged one rather than closing them all. I was never one of the people bashing others and I respected others opinions, but I feel the others who complained about the forum got their way when they could have just looked at another topic.

My sentiments exactly. The topics could have been merged and/or moved to the forum where the mods felt they were appropriate - there was no need to close them all.

Mario

 

[Hall]

Presuming 13 million Dish customers, 2% is 260,000, not 26,000. Dish reportedly has around 1.5 million HD subs and I'll bet that only a few thousand care enough to leave (and still not have VOOM).

 

[mperdue]

Presuming 13 million Dish customers, 2% is 260,000, not 26,000. Dish reportedly has around 1.5 million HD subs and I'll bet that only a few thousand care enough to leave (and still not have VOOM).

That's really the problem. If DirecTv offered VOOM I'd already be gone but I don't see a lot of reason the spend money on an early termination of my contract to move to a company that really isn't that much better. I'll certainly give them a good look when my contract runs out though.

 

[psychicmind]

People are tired of hearing about Voom. They basicaly want us to shut up!

I love this forum but to be honest Im very dissapointed at the person or
people who closed the voom threads.

The moderators are biased against Voom. This should not be the case. They are here to safeguard everyones right to post/vent.

That is the beauty of a forum! If people dont like a thread-They should not read it.
But it should stay put for those who need to comunicate to each other.

Im am a recent pub member\suporter. I love this site, however I feel betrayed and taken advantaged of. I really question the objectivity of this site?

We have been told in not so many words to be silent!

Im am a very dissapointed member.

I thought Sat guys were better than this.

I feel the same way. First I was screwed by Dish over Voom, now I'm screwed by SatelliteGuys over Voom. I've seen hundreds of Sci-Fi HD whining, complaints about WFN HD, bla, bla, bla. Tons of discussion on channels that do not exist on Dish Network. Voom is just flat out hated here, fine.

There were not hundreds of Voom threads - about 5 to 7 per dish forum.

One bad member who registered 10 account should have been banned via his IP. Scott mentioned this and acted as if all pro-voom posts were done by one person. Not true Scott and you mislead people to believe one person was complaining; aiding your agenda to lock and ban voom threads.

Closing and locking all Voom threads was overkill and straight up censorship.

Voom is in litigation with E* - E* still owns 20% of Voom - VOOM IS STILL A PART OF DISH NETWORK.

 

[psychicmind]

I believe Scott closed the threads because the conduct of a few people was stooping to all time lows. Bad taste, insults, bickering...it was getting out of hand. This is Scott's site and he can do what he feels appropriate.

There was one person who clearly crossed the line.

He should have had his IP banned and his posts and threads deleted.

That would have been a good first step solution, verses throwing the babies out with the bath water and locking/banning everything.

 

[psychicmind]

maybe the mods keep closing it because voom is no longer part of dish and it won't be again. because of that reason the voom threads don't belong in a dish network forum. it belongs some where else. Mods keep up the good work and feel free to close up this thread that is going to turn into another voom bitchin discussion.

Again -

1) Voom is in litigation with E* (this affects E* subs)
2) 20% of Voom is owned by E*

Voom is a part of E* whether you like it or not. They may not be broadcasting, but the 2 are connected. Silly to say the two are not related or affecting each other.

 

[psychicmind]

Another aggrivating thing we have seen is the folks who miss VOOM go into most of the HD discussions and try turning into Voom gripe fests. Some even call Charlie the Devil and one person even went so far to put a death threat up about Charlie because of the demise of VOOM.

Thats not cool.

I know folks are not happy with some of the things Charlie does, but ultimately he is doing his job as CEO. Hes doing whats best for his shareholders and while we might not always agree with what he does if you step back and take a look you can understand why he did what he did.

Scott, you said that was one person. Why were they not banned? Do you realizes your wording makes it sound like MOST voomers were calling Charlie the Devil. You're making it sound like all voomers are a problem. That is feeding the voom-haters and feeding their attacks; making them think they have a right to attack. I take that a little personal since none of that relates to me.

You can check, I only have one account and I did not hijack threads (maybe one in the beginning, but I don't recall).

 

[psychicmind]

But very few of the proVOOMers actually take actions that might help. Ther eis alot of venting here and talk about a class action lawsuit that many wee convinced would work but no one seems to have followed through on but little real action.

If folsk do write to VOOM---or even R* I can respect that but just endlessly posting here just weakens the cause by making it all seem silly. Calling thisa Large organized lobby is ridiculous. It si justa few people whining on the net. it is not large or organized and does not qaulifyasa lobby.

I have complained to dish in writing twice and weekly by telephone. They know I am "shopping" for another service provider due to the loss of Voom, lack of HD capacity and content, etc. They know I'm not switching today because I'm moving in four months and will switch then if Dish does not become the leaders in HD before then.

Almost every CSR admits the voom fiasco has brought tons and tons of complaints that are still coming in this week. Apparently, Dish subs are taking more than 10 days to grieve.