Current Issues with VOOM's PQ

[vurbano]

Go to AVS and read the complaints about PQ on D* HD channels as well. Do you think D* has better PQ?

I would be shocked if thats a permanent situation. It may just be the affect of moving HD channels around or the way things will look on Sundays during ST. I doubt the D* users will tolerate it. Cuban has already responded that he is monitoring the situation. It would be a sad commentary on the state of our PQ if Voom took 1st place not because they improved but because the other providers ruined thier PQ. That would be bad for Voomers not good. SO I dont think its a very constructive thing to gloat about our poor bitrate being superior to even worse bitrates.

Just as a joke it might be a good time to shoot off an email to Cuban asking him to put his channel on Voom though. LMAO

 

[Sean Mota]

I was not even talking about this current situation. Search for the Bravo HD+ thread and the HBO and Show time threads as well.

 

[Dvlos]

Sean look at Cinemax's showing of Matrix Reloaded, mainly the scene where Keanu Reeves fights all the ex-agents in the french guy's mansion. Well light, fast action, and pretty damn good PQ. Now watch Underworld and notice how dark scenes that start flashing brightly get pixelated. Watch it on the biggest screen in your house. You can't tell me variable bitrate isn't a handicap on Voom's part. Maybe it's not 3 HD per transponder and de-rezzing like D*'s doing, they are raping HD, but it's distracting.

 

[Sean Mota]

Which one East/West channel?

 

[Dvlos]

matrix reloaded was playing on Cinemax East so it should be due on the West, also HBOW i think is showing Underworld tonight.

 

[vurbano]

I am pretty stunned at the D* situation right now. They have been dragging their feet on HD in favor of LIL channels. Now they have destroyed HD PQ in favor of everything else. The problem is it opens the door for Voom to do the same thing. Steadily OTA affialiates, cable and sat are destroying HD. playing follow the leader and saying well look how bad it is over there. This is just disgusting.

 

[Dvlos]

Actually vurbano, if Voom is smart they can improve their PQ, and get their foot in the door at retail outlets. Side by side HD comparisons with D* and E* right now would do wonders for sales. I would love to see 3 identical TVs calibrated and showing Showtime or something to compare PQ.

 

[gutter]

I think I see VOOM doing a lot of tinkering with the bitrate after 2AM EDT. I was up and picture on most channels looked soft. This morning they looked good again.

 

[ram1220]

Gutter,

I'm also up late at night and I've seen this too. Do you also notice the video dropouts of about 1 to 2 seconds?Usually when the picture comes back it has changed a little. Sometimes worse and sometimes better. They are messing with something and I hope it's for the better and PQ improves soon. I'm still seeing a lot of pixelization on 261, 262, and 271. And I have a 94-95 signal and the weather is sunny. Signal never drops below that unless it rains. Am I the only one that sees this on these channels?

 

[riffjim4069]

I think I see VOOM doing a lot of tinkering with the bitrate after 2AM EDT. I was up and picture on most channels looked soft. This morning they looked good again.

Gutter, your observations are correct. I noticed this happening several times over the summer. http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=138609&postcount=58

 

[vurbano]

Actually vurbano, if Voom is smart they can improve their PQ, and get their foot in the door at retail outlets. Side by side HD comparisons with D* and E* right now would do wonders for sales. I would love to see 3 identical TVs calibrated and showing Showtime or something to compare PQ.

Not gonna happen. Voom cannot get into Best buy, Circuit city or CompUSA. The ball has been dropped bigtime in that department. Dolan thinks he is gonna get 1.5 million subs by word of mouth now.

 

[barth2k]

vurbano the eternal pessimist why can't voom get into BB etc. Of course they probably DON'T want to seeing how well their promotion with Sears worked out.

 

[vurbano]

vurbano the eternal pessimist why can't voom get into BB etc. Of course they probably DON'T want to seeing how well their promotion with Sears worked out.

Because D* and E* have negotiated contracts with the big retailers locking Voom out of the stores. Not pessimism just facts. Im not sure but I would bet that Dish even has them locked out of Radio Shack!

 

[Dvlos]

There maybe other ways to advertise I see D* on TV commercials and flyers in the mail, its big huge "4 ROOMS $39.99" or some crap that let's you "see" them better.

 

[DarrellP]

Yeah, but 4 rooms with Voom is going to cost you a first born child. The minimum programming is $39.90, throw 4 receivers and mirroring fees on top of that and magically that $39 turns into........(drumroll please)........ $93.60 (OUCH!).

 

[Dvlos]

Yeah I know, that's another downside that Voom uses, I guess they only have 1 option, to use HD Motoboxes in every room to do all the downconverting for SD TVs (or multiple HD rooms) if they had a cheap SD only box they could lease them out to people for $4 or something, in any case I think D* and E* have mirroring fees also, but they all include the FIRST TV for free. They also make you have a 1-2 year commitment and those cheasy SD boxes of theirs are yours.

Voom needs to change their pricing plans, granted the Moto boxes probably aren't cheap, they have no resale value, so it make little sense for people to buy them...however I'm willing to bet that moto can make a stripped down STB that only does HD downconvert, and only has RCA and COAX connections (maybe SVideo?) and some sound, that they can produce cheaper (or maybe a different vendor) and have people use that.. charge $10 lease fee only on the HD moto boxes, $0 for the SD boxes, and $5 mirror fee like everyone else...

If Voom copied the other DBS companies like that I'd have a 4 room Voom system as well, 1 HD box, and 3 SD boxes.

 

[vurbano]

IS voom broadcasting 1920x1080 or downrezzing to 1280x1080? Ive read where D* is doing some downrezzing. Is voom also doing this?

 

[Dvlos]

Well that would shoot their "Promo" guy who appears between Cinema10 movies, he lists the resolution of HD and says that Voom broadcasts everything in that resolution for their Exclusives.

Also on their September issue they talk about "true" HD, would be a major case for false advertising if they list 720p and 1080i resolutions, say they transmit at that resolution and do not.

 

[DarrellP]

Have you guys seen the hot new blonde they have on the Cinema channels now? I just caught her for the first time last night, she's probably been around awhile, I just haven't heard you guys drooling about her like the Jess thread.

 

[hihostevo]

Hi...........

I am moving to a new area where the local CableCo does not offer either HD or DVR service.

So my question to you Voom folks is.... if you had it to do all over again would you still choose Voom over Dish or Direct and WHY?

I have a BenQ front projector that is native 720p, but the rest of the TV's in the house are SD.

Thanks,

Steve