Ex-VOOMer...will I be disappointed?

[kjaslow]

As it happened, I sold my house, and moved just around the time VOOM bit the dust...but timed well enough that I was able to keep my VOOM equipment.

I've been renting for the last year or so while the new house was being constructed, and now need to sign up for service again. I have two areas where I'm looking for some input...service provider, and movie channel.

As far as service provider goes, my choices are limited. This will be in Alameda, CA, and as far as I know, the choices are Comcast (dont remember the abbreviation), D* and E*. I'm leaning towards E*, as my understanding is that D* and E* are more or less equal as far as pq, price, and reliability, but D* favors sports, and E* favors other programming. I also liked some of the VOOM channels -- my little one loves Animania...and there are a few others that I like as well. Anyone have a strong opinion the other way?

After long hours reading up, I'm convinced that the signals are showing me that there the requisite "grass is greener" contingent, the disgruntled "unhappy with CS" contingent, and also the devotees on both sides. So, if there is a good solid reason why one is better than the other, I'm all ears, but I suspect that this one is a toss-up and has more to do with programming preference (sports vs. non-sports programming) than anything else.

If anyone is familiar with Alameda, and knows of another service provider that I haven't considered, please let me know. I think Comcast is a rip-off, but have no strong opinion about cable vs. satellite.

The other consideration is the movie channel. I can't stomach paying for more than one. As it is, if we go with E*, we'll choose the Silver HD package which is about $60 + HD DVR + whatever else they can think of. After adding one movie channel, we'll be looking at another $12-15, which will put the monthly bill right around $80-90/mo. So, buying multiple is just too much. So, if you had to pick just one, would it be HBO or SHO? (I don't think E* offers any other movie channels in HD...)

Thanks for your thoughts!

(One last Q... I had the upgraded VOOM OTA antenna - the one that looks like a fence. It was awesome at picking up OTA locals. Anyone in the Alameda area comment on how good the reception is likely to be with this for my OTA's? Do I need to pay the extra $5, or can I count on my antenna to do the job?)

 

[motorcycle_rider]

Kjaslow

I was also a former Voomer but I left Voom before the end. I had switched to E* at the time. In my opinion the SD picture quality is better on E* than it was on V*. The HD quality was slightly better on V* about the time I left.

I have not experianced some of the issues others have... so I really cannot comment on that at all.

As for D* well last time I had service from them well hell I remember the USSB and Direct days and it was about a year or two after that when I dropped D* so I can not offer a honest opinion there since it was so long ago.

As for Animania my 11 year old tunes it in on occasion. She gets a kick out of the old toons every now n then.

 

[vurbano]

As it happened, I sold my house, and moved just around the time VOOM bit the dust...but timed well enough that I was able to keep my VOOM equipment.

I've been renting for the last year or so while the new house was being constructed, and now need to sign up for service again. I have two areas where I'm looking for some input...service provider, and movie channel.

As far as service provider goes, my choices are limited. This will be in Alameda, CA, and as far as I know, the choices are Comcast (dont remember the abbreviation), D* and E*. I'm leaning towards E*, as my understanding is that D* and E* are more or less equal as far as pq, price, and reliability, but D* favors sports, and E* favors other programming. I also liked some of the VOOM channels -- my little one loves Animania...and there are a few others that I like as well. Anyone have a strong opinion the other way?

After long hours reading up, I'm convinced that the signals are showing me that there the requisite "grass is greener" contingent, the disgruntled "unhappy with CS" contingent, and also the devotees on both sides. So, if there is a good solid reason why one is better than the other, I'm all ears, but I suspect that this one is a toss-up and has more to do with programming preference (sports vs. non-sports programming) than anything else.

If anyone is familiar with Alameda, and knows of another service provider that I haven't considered, please let me know. I think Comcast is a rip-off, but have no strong opinion about cable vs. satellite.

The other consideration is the movie channel. I can't stomach paying for more than one. As it is, if we go with E*, we'll choose the Silver HD package which is about $60 + HD DVR + whatever else they can think of. After adding one movie channel, we'll be looking at another $12-15, which will put the monthly bill right around $80-90/mo. So, buying multiple is just too much. So, if you had to pick just one, would it be HBO or SHO? (I don't think E* offers any other movie channels in HD...)

Thanks for your thoughts!

(One last Q... I had the upgraded VOOM OTA antenna - the one that looks like a fence. It was awesome at picking up OTA locals. Anyone in the Alameda area comment on how good the reception is likely to be with this for my OTA's? Do I need to pay the extra $5, or can I count on my antenna to do the job?)

I am currently a D* hostage. Also an Ex voomer. At 1280 x 1080i there is no such thing as PQ on D* and we can expect only a bone thrown at us until 2007 as far as HD national channel additions. IF I didnt have so much money invested in equipment with D* and a contract id be gone. Sign up for DISH. Infact RUN!. as fast and as hard as you can. Just be sure to get their new mpeg4 equipment. I would get the VIP 622 Mpeg4 DVR (something thats only vaporware in the D* world).

 

[Sean Mota]

Not to tell you go in either direction but here are the facts as far as my opinion is concerned. I also was a V* customer. Now I have both D* and E*. Here's what you get with both D* and E* as far as Picture Quality.

E*
All Voom HD channels are at 1280x1080i with somewhat decent bitrates. There is potential for improvement but who knows when that is going to happen. How does it compare to V*? I can tell you that IMO it is either similar or V* had a little better PQ.

All other HD channels on E* are at either 1920x1080i or 1280x720p which are the standard Resolutions for channels like Discovery HD Theater, Universal HD, HBO HD, Showtime HD, ESPN HD, ESPN HD2, TNT HD, HDnet, HDnet Movies, etc.

As far as SD PQ, all I can tell you that the battle for SD was lost a long time ago wherever you go.

D*

All 1920x1080i channels are downgraded to 1280x1080i with some of them like Showtime HD and HDnet Movies suffering from very low bitrates. Sometimes almost the same as DVD quality. So that can tell you right there that you will get better PQ on E* on all the channels whose native resolution is 1920x1080i because E* does not downgrade the resolution and is providing decent bitrates. DirecTv 1920x1080i channels are starving of decent bitrates and at the same time they are downgraded to 1280x1080i. Will this be changed? I do not know but it may but no one knows.

 

[kjaslow]

Wow! That's pretty definitive! Thanks guys. Looks like E* is the only option. I'll sign up immediately.

Anyone have any thoughts about HBO vs. SHO? I'm wondering if I might be able to negotiate a trial period for both. I think they already have a promotion to get SHO for free for a few months. Hoping I can get them to throw in HBO, too for a short while...

 

[rickaren]

I feel the same as Sean, having both DirecTV & DISH and also was a past Voomer. Staying with DirecTV only because of past TiVo receiver purchases and maybe future changes and up-grades, promised. I took on both HBO & Showtime (canceled all Movie Channels on DirecTV) due to a $50 rebate offer by DISH, and find them both worth the expense due to their HD channels. Good Luck and enjoy!

 

[robo5280]

However D* bitrate is slightly higher than E*. D* action scenes are a little better.

 

[kjaslow]

Rats!! I thought I had this all figured out. But this week was mortgage loan-funding week, and I just didn't get around to dealing with subscribing to anybody.

This evening, I figured I'd do my due diligence, even though I was leaning pretty heavily towards E*. I assumed they were the least expensive, but decided to compare against D* and Comcast (what's their abbreviation?)

Since all three have promotions that expire at different times, I decided to look at total cost over the 1st year, and then look at the 2nd year cost.

Who would have thought that all 3 were within about $10 of each other after all the promotions expire?! If that was where this ended, I'd still say I can choose E* without hesitation. But I decided to go beyond just looking over the website, and called each one...

E* would not budge on price, even when presented with compelling offers from a competitor. The claim was that they have so much more HD content but are roughly on par with the others' prices that they don't need to make deals.

D*...I guess I didn't really give them a fair shot to make an offer. To be fair, their first-year promotions put them around $30 below E*'s first year promotion. After the promotions expire, and both got back to regular prices, D* is about $35 less than E*'s normal price for the total second year.

C* (?) really surprised me. Their promotions for the first year were right in line with the other two, and and they are within $10 of both for normal monthly pricing. But when I got on the phone with the C* rep, they made me an incredible offer! 1 HD DVR, HBO, SHO, and STZ for $55 for 12 months! Then, after that the price would go up to 79 per month! The total price for the first 12 months is more than $700 less than the next competitor!! After that, they remain about $150 less than the other two per year.

So, C* has pretty limited HD, but having had V*, I know that the Voom channels are nice, but not worth paying a lot extra. And without the Voom channels, what's left over doesn't seem that different between the three companies. Anyone have any comments about why C* is not worth it even at such an extreme price difference?!

Thanks for your comments...

 

[Sean Mota]

However D* bitrate is slightly higher than E*. D* action scenes are a little better.

Not on HDnet Movies and Showtime HD

 

[philssatellite]

well, I have had both and IMHO E* has better picture quality on standard def. in high def E* has DTV beat hands down.