BREAKING VOOM DVR News from CES!!!

[Sean Mota]

Hair trigger, Bryan- I made the correction as fast as I could, within a minute of the post. Teach me to type and carry on a conversation with my wife at the same time.

Oops... that simplifies it. How was the DVR and the regular STB connected to make them network? So the regular stb was acting as client and the DVR was acting as the server?

 

[Sean Mota]

I also see that there are two USB connectors. Don, any report on the software functionality. Does it have a skip button besides the foward/rewind buttons? That diplexer (or combiner) should be useful as long as it works. I don't want more cables inside the house.

 

[Ilya]

Don, thanks for posting! Great picture! Answers a lot of questions!

 

[Indy]

Well Mr Landis... What would we pay for a Voom DVR? That is a very good question. If the features were on par with a Dish 921 or a Direct TV model, which I am not familiar with, I would expect to buy one with the present pricing structure of the competition for around $500. Now this does not take into affect MPEG 4 compatibility incase Voom goes that direction. For $500 I would expect the DVR to be MPEG 4 when the time comes for the switch over.

With a 2 year commitment on programing I think $199 would be appropriate on a purchase since their is no resale value. In either purchase example I would treat the receiver as they do the present STB's with the $5 per month extra STB charge.

For a lease how about $12.99 per month without a DVR fee tacked on like Dish does.

 

[Ronald_Jeremy]

I can see getting 2 ota signals and 1 satellite signal from one cable connection. But 2 satellite feeds from one cable. This has not been done yet in a production unit. How can they control the voltages for the different sides of the LNB through one cable??

Have they revolutionized the satellite industry with this???

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

Just in case someone over looked my question I'll ask it again

where on the FCC site can you look for the channels pending to be picked up by the cable and sat companies? A CSR at VOOM told me I could go to the FCC website and look this up. I can't find anything anywhere. Can someone help me? I'd really like to see what channels are out there pending to be picked up by someone

 

[BFG]

I have no clue what you're talking about.

They were probably telling you about where you can go to see what HD channelsyou can get over the air, and that is, http://antennaweb.org

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

no that's not what he was talking about. He told me you can go to the FCC site and look up the channels VOOM are going to be getting but don't have yet

 

[TheForce]

It's all public info but the trick is knowing the filing URL. You could start by searching on the FCC.org website. Be prepared for a project, however. When you say channels, you do mean transponders right? FCC does not require filing of programming before the fact. They do require after the fact logs but that won't do you any good. If it's the bandwidth in licensed TP's you were looking for, try lyngsat, I recall has some excellent TP/channel/networks assigned information charts. BTW- Channel numbers are mostly arbitrary with any dbs provider. They are not specific to a frequency that I am aware of.


As for the price that we will pay, I find it difficult to compare with what's state of the art since I believe it's all about programming. It doesn't matter what the price of the 921 is because those won't work on VOOM. If you want to time shift VOOM, you must recognize that their box, no matter how primitive, is what you will need. But if the cost is too high, then the business will fail as nobody will pay the price. The only way this box could be considered obsolete is if VOOM introduces another DVR that is superior. I do agree that the best deal for us would be for them to offer a lease plan.

I'm not going to comment on the network system they used as it's superfulous. What's important is what network they WILL use on the version that is released in March. If Scott wants to get into that topic, fine, but I really don't see the point in discussing anything that is still in transition. But if you insist, I will say that the connection point on the box for the network will be the USB port.

BTW: I had to move the video link to a more permanent web site with fatter bandwidth.

http://www.TV-Shopper.com/CES/VOOMDVR.wmv

 

[vurbano]

Well Mr Landis... What would we pay for a Voom DVR? That is a very good question. If the features were on par with a Dish 921 or a Direct TV model, which I am not familiar with, I would expect to buy one with the present pricing structure of the competition for around $500. Now this does not take into affect MPEG 4 compatibility incase Voom goes that direction. For $500 I would expect the DVR to be MPEG 4 when the time comes for the switch over.

With a 2 year commitment on programing I think $199 would be appropriate on a purchase since their is no resale value. In either purchase example I would treat the receiver as they do the present STB's with the $5 per month extra STB charge.

For a lease how about $12.99 per month without a DVR fee tacked on like Dish does.

The present pricing structure of a D* HDtivo is One Thousand Dollars. And thats their obsolete model, the new one will probably be $1500.00 IMO.

 

[Dog6869]

VOOM news from CES-2005

• Demonstration of a functional VOOM DVR
• DVR release target: March 2005!
• Small SD-only STB
• A smaller version of the HD STB
• All components are supposed to be networkable!

Photos, video and audio reports From CES by Scott Greczkowski are coming soon! Stay tuned...

OK If they have it out.. It is about time they said it was going to be out last JUNE 2004.. BUT they should show it to all us VOOMers on High Def on inside VOOM channlel 700 and 999.. If they really are going to release it!! Then they can tell all of us VOMMers the truth and show how it works!!!! even put a small info burb on that HD NEWS..Show.. But n ooooooooooooooo I bet they won't do it...

 

[Dog6869]

If it is real Put it on channels 700 and 999 SO we all can seit and learn if it does work and if we want it does it have a fire wire????

 

[Dog6869]

lets put the demo and the DVR from the CES on channel 700 or 999 or even a short burb on HDnews

 

[JimP]

o.k. Dog, you done?

 

[vurbano]

I really like the idea of a demo of the unit on one of their HD channels. That would be AWESOME! explain each connection on the back and how it could be used so that existing customers arent thrown into some nightmare when some flunkie installer shows up at the door with a box and is clueless. Im sure there will be a couple different ways to integrate all of this and we could have everything ready to simply plug in the box and avoid a NIGHTMARE!

 

[dnyce]

March is going to be Huge for Voom! They'll either quadruple their customer base or loose half of it. I just hope they realize this.

 

[gutter]

I thinka good point was made back one page. Why didn't VOOM carry a DVR feature at CES on HD NEWS? Seems like a good place. every other network had feature stories from CES. It does seem a bit odd. Also a good idea to do DVR demo on channel 700. That is such a good idea that perhaps they already have that planned?

Sean or Scott....Any comment or addition tease?

 

[Ilya]

I think they will start advertising it closer to the release date. Why tease everyone when the product is not available yet.

 

[Ilya]

Here are some more pictures of the DVR from CES-2005, courtesy of Jeff James:

VOOM DVR (front)
VOOM DVR (back with diplexer attached)
Other (non-VOOM) pictures form CES-2005 by Jeff

 

[Dog6869]

DVR on VOOM 999

Yes the VOOM DVR is REAL! I saw it with my own two eyes.

No word on the pricing of the VOOM DVR or if it will be leasable. The are determined to get it out the door in March.

Here are a few pics from TODAY, including a picture of the REAL 580's running the VOOM demo! (The wires coming out of them are for them to upgrade the software on the units, since the software is not on the satellites yet...

More photos to come!

Ok if this is real lets put a full demo from the CES on channel 999 or 700 inVoom..... All I have to say is put up or shut up.. I had heard all this last June 2004.. Blah Blah Blah..