ALL VOOM TO GO MPEG4 AUGUST 15th

[Scott Greczkowski]

VOOM Migration

Effective June 11, 2007 DISH Network will be contacting customers that have the MPEG-2 VOOM programming package to inform them that starting August 15, 2007 they will no longer be able to view the VOOM programming package with their current MPEG-2 HD receivers and programming. If you get a call from a customer stating they have been told they are losing their VOOM programming package look for a VOOM account note that will be on their account. Within the account note it will state if the customer is in Phase I or II

I=Cust has MPEG2 HD Pak and VOOM, Need to upgrade to MPEG4 HD by 8/15/07 or will lose VOOM Programming.

II=Phase Two will start in late June/ early July.
We will be discontinuing the VOOM programming package on August 15, 2007. Unfortunately we do not have an upgrade solution for you at this time, but we will have a special upgrade solution for you by the middle of July. We will contact you once the solution is in place.
======================
Free HD receiver upgrade – like for like
• VOOM customers should be offered a like for like ViP receiver for all active MPEG-2 HD receivers
• through the DISH’n It Up leased promotion
Customer must agree to an 18-month commitment to basic programming.
The customer must swap their leased and purchased MPEG-2 HD receivers for a leased ViP receive
to be eligible for this offer
• Offer free leased ViP622 if customer has 921 or 942
•
• Offer free leased ViP211 if customer has 811 or 6000
•
• If the customer has a 811 or 6000 and wants to upgrade to a ViP622, , customer should pay normal DIU price. $99 after $50 mail-in DISH’n It Up Bonus, $149 upfront.
• Do not replace any receiver models on the account with a free like for like receiver except 811, 6000, 921 or 942 receivers
Instant $100 HD Bonus
• VOOM customers that upgrade to DishHD will receive an instant $100 HD Bonus ($10 off their bill for 10 months)
• Hassle free Bonus! Customer does not need to submit a redemption form
• Do not use deferred adjustment, credit will be applied automatically when DishHD is activated
• With instant $100 HD Bonus the customer’s programming charges for HD will actually go down $5 a month
Current customer costs for HD Programming
HD Pak $9.99
VOOM $5.00
Total cost for HD programming $14.99
•
Costs after upgrading to DishHD
DishHD $20.00
HD Bonus minus $10.00
Total cost for HD programming $10.00 for 10 months
•
• If the customer has a fee-based DVR and AT200 or AT250 and locals offer the customer DishDVR Advantage for additional savings.
• With DishDVR Advantage the customer will be paying just $1.02 more a month for their DishHD programming (after the HD Bonus ends) than what they pay today and will get 13 more HD channels and local networks in HD (if customer qualifies for HD locals).

HBO/Cinemax Offer
• Customers can add HBO and/or Cinemax for 3 months, if they do not currently subscribe to the programming.
FAQ”

What channels are going to be discontinued?
Your HD VOOM programming package that costs $5 a month will no longer be available after August 15, 2007. The channels in this package include:
• Animania HD
• Equator HD
• Film Fest HD
• Gallery HD
• HD News
• Kung Fu HD
• Monsters HD
• Rave HD
• Rush HD
• Ultra HD
All these channels will still be available in the DishHD package.

If I do not upgrade my equipment and programming what HD channels will I still have?
You will continue to be able to view all the channels in the HD Pak which costs $10 a month. The channels in this package include:
• Discovery HD Theater
• ESPN HD
• HDNet
• HDNet Movies
• TNT HD
• HBO HD (if subscribes to HBO)
• Showtime HD (if subscribes to Showtime)
• Pay Per View in HD
All these channels are also available in the DishHD package.

What new HD channels will I get if I upgrade to DishHD?
If you upgrade to DishHD you will enjoy all the HD channels you get today plus:
• A&E HD
• ESPN 2 HD
• Family Room HD
• Food Network HD
• GamePlay HD
• HGTV HD
• National Geographic HD (if has AT250 programming or higher)
• NFL Network HD
• Treasure HD
• Universal HD
• World Cinema HD
• WorldSport HD
• Starz HD (if subscribes to Starz)
• Cinemax HD (if subscribes to Cinemax)

 

[kstuart]

More bandwidth for more HD channels ! :up :

Less hard drive space needed for recording Voom HD channels, like Rave-HD !! :up :up : :

 

[DWS44]

VOOM Migration

Offer free leased ViP211 if customer has 811 or 6000

Isn't the 211 also subject to the $6/mo "lease" fee like the 622? That would also be an increase over the 811...funny how they seemed to have left that out.

But hey...good announcement anyways...I'm all for Voom wasting less space up there! :up

 

[elgato]

this is strange! about two weeks ago, I called Dish about me being a good customer for 10 years and wanted to know about the possibility of getting a second VIP622 receiver to replace a 921 in the bedroom. One CSR said no and I called again. This person said sure, you can just swap a 921 for a 622 and no additional lease. I would pay $149.00 up front on my credit card and would get $50.00 right a way and $10.00 per month credit on my bill. They knew wahat they were doing all along just to try and make me feel good. and I do!. by the way I also have the everything pkg. so a lot of fees are waved. thanks for the info Scott.

 

[navychop]

Well, it's started. How long before all HD is MPEG-2 (rhetorical question)? Then the hard part will begin- moving SD to MPEG-4.

 

[Sean Mota]

About time... More recording space more feeling...

 

[JAG72]

So when this happens how much more room will they have for HD?

 

[Sean Mota]

that is hard to say... but there will be space for more hd channels and more space in your hard disk of DVR. The way I think about it is that they are building the capacity now by converting all these mpeg2 channel and have it ready when another hd channel of interest becomes live... like when Directv starts adding their channel, dish will be ready to response... it will be an interested year....

 

[gadgtfreek]

This is great news, more capacity. People better get on cuz the mpeg4 train is starting to roll.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

This is good news. I wrote a post here a couple of months ago saying that E* should do this with VOOM and do it quickly. It makes a lot of sense. They have to start phasing out MPEG2 HD to free up more transponders.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Yepp, gotta be ready for those 100 national hd channels come september! :neener

 

[mdonnelly]

How long before DiscHD, HBO, HDNET, etc. move to MPEG-4?

 

[gadgtfreek]

Some people are gonna be po'd by not being able to get the voom channels without a new box, but more would be po'd if those channels went mpeg4.

IMHO, I think this move is just to be able to keep capacity open for the HD channels that WILL come online and keep most of us happy until the new sats are up.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Given that you can put roughly twice as many channels on a transponder using MPEG4, it goes that this move will give E* the capacity to add roughly another 15 HD channels on the same number of transponders they are using now for VOOM.

 

[gadgtfreek]

So that would theoretically cover the 6-8 nationals and maybe some RSN's or something. Maybe those guys will get the Big10 network after all.

 

[Smith P.]

Would be the VOOM channels in full HD ? 1920x1080 or will cut as other H.264 1440x1088 ?

 

[JAG72]

Would be the VOOM channels in full HD ? 1920x1080 or will cut as other H.264 1440x1088 ?

If I was a betting man I would put my money on 1440x1080

 

[gadgtfreek]

If I was a betting man I would put my money on 1440x1080

Id bet on the same horse as you.

 

[Foxbat]

It would be great if this is the first step in providing some of the announced (by DirecTV) National HD channels. Come on, Speed HD!

 

[JAG72]

It would be interesting if E* launches a few more HD channels prior to D*'s big September push.