Why voom is failing

Uplink

Satellite Guy
Original poster
Supporting Founder
Nov 3, 2004
177
0
the main reason I think that voom is failing so badly is since they dont offer standard def only packages, most people dont have hdtv. If voom offered sd they would do much better.
 
Uplink said:
the main reason I think that voom is failing so badly is since they dont offer standard def only packages, most people dont have hdtv. If voom offered sd they would do much better.
You can see every channel voom has on an analog TV. So all of vooms packages are "std" def as well. Nice try
 
I think customers are very reluctant to believe that HD is much better than SD. They've bought the HDTV, and have the DVD players hooked up, and are happy with it.

I've tried to convience some of my co-workers to come over and watch Lost in HD (We're all big Lost fans), but no takers. Nobody believes that HD is going to be any better than SD.

-John
 
Uplink said:
the main reason I think that voom is failing so badly is since they dont offer standard def only packages, most people dont have hdtv. If voom offered sd they would do much better.
thinkerg.gif
 
i mean exclusive sd packages -- not only selling themselves as stricly hd but as a regular satellite company that has excellent hd service as well
 
Uplink said:
i mean exclusive sd packages -- not only selling themselves as stricly hd but as a regular satellite company that has excellent hd service as well
WHY? you can get the voom package with any selection of premiums you want in SD or everything by getting vavavoom, and its all sd through the box. the only other combination I could think of would be a package without the 21 exclusives, but with the price structure comparable to other sat providers you are getting more for your money with them. Again everything is SD you just have to set up the box to the desired resolution. Maybe Voom just needs to make that clearer to prospective subscribers.
 
you are correct, it isnt funny or cute

and i hope he doesnt have kids

of course directv and fox viewers are conervative on the whole

and charlies people are michael (lard a##) liberals

that explains a lot
 
vurbano said:
WHY? you can get the voom package with any selection of premiums you want in SD or everything by getting vavavoom, and its all sd through the box. the only other combination I could think of would be a package without the 21 exclusives, but with the price structure comparable to other sat providers you are getting more for your money with them. Again everything is SD you just have to set up the box to the desired resolution. Maybe Voom just needs to make that clearer to prospective subscribers.

I must agree with you vurbano. Some people think that "HDTV delivered" means no SD channels. Others, as you pointed out, think that they can't watch Voom without an HD set.
 
andrzej, but if i do not have a HD set what's the point of paying $10 more than E* or D* to use V*?
 
VOOM has had a lot of missteps:

1. Initially a very expensive install, and no self installs...
2. Billing was very messed up
3. Rainfade on the west coast issues
4. Lack of channels

Only now VOOM seems to be on the right track with $1 install deal and a full selection of standard definition channels. With the second satellite they will finally have the capacity needed, and perhaps with the larger dish to get both satellites they could fix the west coast rain fade issues.

The only problem is that by the time they worked out these issues they have alienated a lot of potential customers to start with and have lost a vast amount of cash.
 
robert luzzi said:
you are correct, it isnt funny or cute

and i hope he doesnt have kids

What the h*ll does that mean ,"hope I don't have kids".
 
mike123abc said:
VOOM has had a lot of missteps:

1. Initially a very expensive install, and no self installs...
2. Billing was very messed up
3. Rainfade on the west coast issues
4. Lack of channels

Only now VOOM seems to be on the right track with $1 install deal and a full selection of standard definition channels. With the second satellite they will finally have the capacity needed, and perhaps with the larger dish to get both satellites they could fix the west coast rain fade issues.

The only problem is that by the time they worked out these issues they have alienated a lot of potential customers to start with and have lost a vast amount of cash.

I would have to agree on this partial list of missteps by Voom. I was very interested in adding Voom to my system, but after talking to a couple of CSR's and reading many of the posts on this forum I decided to add a second 4DTV system. I have had Dish and Direct for trial purposes and while they have the advantage of very little wait between channels ( as opposed to waiting for the dish to move to the new sat.) I find that is a minor convenience. I will admit that 4DTV doesn't have as many HD channels as I would like, the variety and reasonable cost of ala-carte programming make it a much better value. Not to mention that I can swap out systems and just go pick up the phone and have my set ID number changed and all my programming can be switched in a matter of minutes. When I spend time at my place at the lake I can just have my programming switched to my second system or just pull the module from one and put it in the other unit. I know without a doubt my PQ is better than almost any of the small dishes can provide, because the huge majority of programming for the small dish systems is a refeed of a C/KU feed.
 
jgantert said:
I think customers are very reluctant to believe that HD is much better than SD. They've bought the HDTV, and have the DVD players hooked up, and are happy with it.

I've tried to convience some of my co-workers to come over and watch Lost in HD (We're all big Lost fans), but no takers. Nobody believes that HD is going to be any better than SD.

-John

Great point here...and very true. I think I read somewhere that over 50 percent of people who own HDTV's dont have it hooked up so they could see HD. I know of 2 people that have HDTV's that just have their DVD players hooked up to them. It drives me crazy. Voom is about ten years too early in my opinion....people just dont care that they dont have HD.
Alot of times people dont see the difference either in HD or the difference in picture isnt enough to them to warrent the extra expense. Its sad that people are so uneducated about HD...Alot of people expect to see HD when they buy a hd ready tv.
 
Uplink said:
the main reason I think that voom is failing so badly is since they dont offer standard def only packages, most people dont have hdtv. If voom offered sd they would do much better.[/QUOTVoom does offer a fair amount of sd and the hd box will send an sd signal but has Voom ever made mention of that fact ? i think they would hav eadvertised as a sat service with loads of hd.

i dont know of many people that even know what voom is. They see the commercial on pax (of all places) and see a sd picture so the vast majority of people dont see an improvement. with directv and echostar at least you can see the high def in a circuit city or best buy. Voom has not done a very good marketing job. they should have marketed as a sat service with all of this hd and barring all of the other voom issues, installs, billing etc. If they would have marketed this way all of us here still would have tried voom and even some more
non early adopters might have been given a chance. Maybe just maybe voom would be in a little better shape than they are now. The bottom line is more subscribers is more revenue. But installers inc and Voom then the question becomes , could they have handled any extra subs ? my guess is no . the job they have done so far at best has been mediocre (terrible in my case but trying to be meutral) :)
 
Begin rant for the 1000th time:

I think the lack of subs is marketing failure IMO. Locked out of Best buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, even radio shack. Not in Walmart or even Kmart. confined to the dusty shelves of Sears where people go to buy craftsman tools and power tools and appliances. NOT electronics. The only other places are some high end electronics shops with no volume of customers to speak of.
 
mcsj said:
andrzej, but if i do not have a HD set what's the point of paying $10 more than E* or D* to use V*?
It's called Picture Quality, the HD on an Analog TV is beautiful. Do you watch DVD's on your TV? Do you like the way they look? If so, then that is what Voom will look like on YOUR TV and Voom's SD channels (for the most part) are much better than the overcompressed, mushy crap that Dish delivers. ;)

Is it worth $10? That's your decision. How much is PQ and a widescreen format worth to you?