Why do people bash Voom? It's great.

[ScottChez]

Sorry but we are in the modern day of the DVR!!!!!! We are missing the DVR factor. When Voom first started there was NO DVR for Voom.

We all DVR our shows, there is no need for all those Voom channels anymore.

Why?

I bet if you limited Voom down to just few repeats per week, it would all fit on just 6 Channels.
We can DVR the Shows we want day or night. Its not like the old days of HBO where you wanted things repeating all the time in prime time and neede HBO 1 2 and 3.

This is why we do not like voom as much. At first it was great, then we all got DVRs. Now the repeats are waisted bandwidth.

I DVR (record) all my shows that I watch on Voom. I bet its only 1 channel worth of bandwidth. I Figure 6 would be enought to cover everyones needs.

When CNN HD and MTV HD come on, I bet the Voom Music and News channel will have to change to something else.

I love voom, just not the repeats (waisted bandwidth).


I propose that we cut Voom down to just 6 channels and limit them to few repeat for the week. They will need to combine many channels into one.
That will free up Bandwidth for all the other HD channels out there like, MTV HD, Cinimax HD, The Movie channel HD, Regional Sports and on and on.

 

[AlaJoe]

As someone who does not yet have his locals in HD over the satelite I can say without question I would trade all the Voom channels, all the music only channels, and about 30-40 SD channels for my locals in HD

 

[navychop]

Not everyone has or wants a DVR.

 

[BobMurdoch]

(40 year old doing his old man imitation....)

You think YOU got it rough? In my early days we had black and white TVs. We were lucky in NJ. We got channels 2,4,5,7,9,11 & 13. IF you held the antenna. On a clear day you could pull in 29 or 48 out of Philly.

Then Cable came. Wow, that was great. We got HBO, which started broadcasting at 6pm until 4am. Tons of stand up comedy. Tons of reruns. We had a channel called the Home Theater Network, I think it was, that aired one movie a night at 8pm, and then that was it. It was the Starz of its day though..... Got some good movies that HBO didn't.

Then we got MTV in 1981 and everything changed. Music videos 24/7. Nothing else was ever on. Guys with more makeup and hair gel then women were "cool". We didn't call it hair metal back then. Pat Benatar was a hottie. OK, this is one case where we had it better..... And no rap in sight. The english pop and new wave techno ruled the day....

I remember when HBO went 24/7. It sounded good, but they never showed any of the good R Rated stuff before 9pm. Tons of lame pg movies to fill the time....

OK, rant over, you spoiled 500 channels and there's nothing on folks..... I couldn't watch a Giants game on CBS in college without tin foil, a prayer, and my left foot touching a metal window frame while my right hand grabbed the antenna..... And this was in 1986 when the Giants were actually WORTH watching!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled kvetching.

 

[3G-GT]

I am happy to have the Voom channels

I also had Voom DBS service, it was a huge improvement over the local Cox Cable HD situation. I liked the Voom HD channels then and I like them now. As someone pointed out, they are specialty channels and not every channel is going to have appealing content to everyone. They repeat but so do most other HD channels (though not to the same extent). Since I do not currently have a DVR, I do not mind the repeating, if I miss something I want to see, then I will have a chance to catch it later. I frequently watch Monsters, Equator and Animania but I do watch content from all of the other stations at times, just depending what Me or my wife or daughter are into at the time.

 

[AdamGott]

Not everyone has or wants a DVR.

Well those that say they don't want one have never used one.....

(obviously not true but most people who say they don't want one need to sit down and use one for a month, they are not just fancy VCR's)

 

[shanewalker]

Personally, I like the themed channels. I also think that despite the repeat showings, we may see more content avail itself--I've noticed some new films/concerts/shows have shown up in the new year and am pleased to see it.

Its a benefit to have them for two reasons: A) your know where to go for certain flavors of content (rather than hunting through the guide/searches), whether you're watching live or looking to record a show; and B) it more readily avails itself of 'whim viewing' when you're in the mood for a certain type of content.

 

[navychop]

Adamgott:

Sadly, it's more complicated than just changing a channel. My in-laws, for example. They'd stick with OTA only if they had any where they live. They have cable. Around 40 channels, all analog. They prefer it that way. Channel surf by going up or down a channel. They don't like digital because the channel changes are too slow to channel surf this way. They don't like looking thru EPGs. They just want to press a power button, a channel up/down button, and volume. They'll gladly watch something I've DVR'd but they don't want to learn to do it themselves. Just too complicated. And they're not alone.

 

[ElectricSlim]

Sure, Voom is great. Over and over and over again. Sure they add new programming. Maybe as much as one new episode a month.

The complaint is it's rudundant. Seems that they could put the same programs on fewer channels instead of sucking up so much bandwidth. Meanwhile we pay for this repeat programming each and every month. I think I have Ski P.I.G. memorized.

You'll see! Over and over and over again!

Dude, you could not be more wrong. Every Voom original channel premieres more than 20 hours every Quarter! Do the math. Plus you complain of repetition, maybe you would prefer if they played 12 hours a day of standard def with bars on each side? Or how about upcoverting SD (which looks like s..t) like just about every other so called HD channel with a few exceptions. VOOM HAS 24 HOURS OF REAL HIGH DEF PROGRAMMING. It's a new format, of course you are going to see repeats, but do you see 24 hrs on ESPN, NBC? MHD plays SD music videos, they're all pixilated and grainy. Do you need HD to see that kind of programming? Get your facts straight - roll eyes...

 

[TulsaCoker]

Dude, you could not be more wrong. VOOM HAS 24 HOURS OF REAL HIGH DEF PROGRAMMING.

Apparently you don't understand what HD is. Ever heard of HD Lite? All voom channels are not HD

 

[Peter Parker]

Dude, you could not be more wrong. Every Voom original channel premieres more than 20 hours every Quarter! Do the math. Plus you complain of repetition, maybe you would prefer if they played 12 hours a day of standard def with bars on each side? Or how about upcoverting SD (which looks like s..t) like just about every other so called HD channel with a few exceptions. VOOM HAS 24 HOURS OF REAL HIGH DEF PROGRAMMING. It's a new format, of course you are going to see repeats, but do you see 24 hrs on ESPN, NBC? MHD plays SD music videos, they're all pixilated and grainy. Do you need HD to see that kind of programming? Get your facts straight - roll eyes...

20 hours a quarter is not much. It is about 1% of the total programming. You are right that it is HD though. Even what is called HD Lite is still HD. And I believe that it is DISH not VOOM that turns it into HD Lite so blaming VOOM may be inappropriate IMO.

 

[Sean Mota]

That estimate of 20hrs/quarter is not quite correct. I just looked at the press release without counting and looking for all the programming. Just looking on the surface for Feb 2007

WorldSport games 1.5 x 4 = 6 hrs
Ultra: Sole Mates: A Valentines Day Celebration of Shoesfeatures 2 hrs
Treasure: 4 hours
Gallery 4 hours
Rush 4 hours
Gameplay hd 2 hrs
Animania 2 hrs
Monsters 1.5 + 2 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 2 =
Total hours =32.5 hrs


The above does not count everything on Feb but only the series on each channel. Missing are most of the movies and other programming in equator which I did not even include in this estimate. So I have to say that 20hrs/quarter couldn't be near what they are sending every month.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

That estimate of 20hrs/quarter is not quite correct. I just looked at the press release without counting and looking for all the programming. Just looking on the surface for Feb 2007

WorldSport games 1.5 x 4 = 6 hrs
Ultra: Sole Mates: A Valentines Day Celebration of Shoesfeatures 2 hrs
Treasure: 4 hours
Gallery 4 hours
Rush 4 hours
Gameplay hd 2 hrs
Animania 2 hrs
Monsters 1.5 + 2 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 2 =
Total hours =32.5 hrs


The above does not count everything on Feb but only the series on each channel. Missing are most of the movies and other programming in equator which I did not even include in this estimate. So I have to say that 20hrs/quarter couldn't be near what they are sending every month.

Reread the original - he said 20 Hour a Quarter PER CHANNEL.

That's 7 hours per month per channel.

720 hours a month/7 hours of new programming = 1%

Whoopie!!!!!

Voom still sucks and is a waste of bandwidth of what should be no more than 3 or 4 FULL REZ HD Channels at the MOST.

 

[Sean Mota]

Reread the original - he said 20 Hour a Quarter PER CHANNEL.

That's 7 hours per month per channel.

720 hours a month/7 hours of new programming = 1%

Whoopie!!!!!

Voom still sucks and is a waste of bandwidth of what should be no more than 3 or 4 FULL REZ HD Channels at the MOST.

Ok I see where he says more than 20 hrs per month per channel now....

Now should we say that HDnet Movies also suck because there is only 12-14 hrs new every month 1.6%

UHD I do not even want to think about how this one could be.

TNT HD has to be in less than 2%

ESPN is the less than 2%.

Which HD channel is in the 10-20% of new programming per month based on 720 hours. Can we find such a channel?

 

[TulsaCoker]

Ok I see where he says more than 20 hrs per month per channel now....

Now should we say that HDnet Movies also suck because there is only 12-14 hrs new every month 1.6%

UHD I do not even want to think about how this one could be.

TNT HD has to be in less than 2%

ESPN is the less than 2%.

Which HD channel is in the 10-20% of new programming per month based on 720 hours. Can we find such a channel?

ESPN shows at least 10-12 hours of new HD programming per week. You need to check your numbers

 

[mdonnelly]

...
Which HD channel is in the 10-20% of new programming per month based on 720 hours. Can we find such a channel?

Heck, which SD channel is 10-20% new per month?

 

[navychop]

I keep finding more than I have time to watch, so I can't complain.

 

[Sean Mota]

ESPN shows at least 10-12 hours of new HD programming per week. You need to check your numbers

Really! Count them per month and please do not count sportcenter as new programming...

p.s. even if that was to be true it is only 5% of new programming per month out of 720 hours. Which proofs exactly the point that to judge a channel new programming hours based on 720 hours per month is quite useless.

 

[Sean Mota]

Heck, which SD channel is 10-20% new per month?

Exactly my point...

 

[socalpanman]

HDnews still my favorite daily source for headlines and weather information.
The family spends about 75% our viewing time on some Voom channel. Still! Even having been original Voom DBS subs.
I find about the time I'm over one channel I discover something new for me on another.
In fact lately I've been missing, Epic movies and even Lab. I've been wanting to see some of the first stuff on Gallery too.

I'm certain I am the only Voomer who never really got into Monster but even here and there I catch a movie on Monster that is new to me.

Bottom line I'm not ashamed to say I like the content and pq on Voom.