How to help VOOM

[Sean Mota]

I do not think they can give you a free stb. That's not a good business model. It costs to make the stb and the $5 feed pays for them.

The "HD Package ONLY" will be difficult as well. They have control over their own 21 HD exclusive channels but have no control of other HD Channels.

For example the premium movie channels like HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Starz-HD, Encore-HD, TMC-HD will be an automatic "no" because the providers of those channels want their other channels to be offered as a package.

ESPN-HD will be a "nope" as well since ESPN will require to offer the SD espns channels as well.

That leaves, TNT-HD, BRAVO-HD+ and Discovery-HD Theater which also have SD channels attached to their HD channels and will be in the same position as the other. As good as an "HD Pack" sounds, sometimes it may not be good business even if you can do it because the provider (E*, D*, V*, C*) is paying for the whole package and it's not paying a-la-carte. Therefore in order to make financial sense, they require customers to pay for the entire service.

 

[DarrellP]

Dish offers an HD only Pack and for $9.95/month I get ESPNHD, HDNET, HDNET Movies, TNTHD and DiscoveryHD, so they could break out ESPNHD if they wanted to. I suppose they could probably do the same with the movie packages.

 

[Kentstater72]

Word of Mouth works

One way V* can increase subs w/o investing a lot is to take care of the ones you have first.
Educate the CSR's, fix the billing problems, make sure we get the DVR first.

I have yet to recommend Voom to anyone. There are literally a dozen Friends, neighbors and fellow workers waiting for the go ahead.
I am not bad mouthing V* I just will not endorse it until these issues are addressed.
I say enough good things about V* to keep people untested, but with the Holidays, and our cable company also dangling the HD-DVR over their heads, time is running out in NW Ohio and SE Michigan.

 

[PhilipF]

Good point about the HD channels. Just wishfull thinking.
I don't mind the rental fee for the STB. It's the charge for hooking up additional TV's. I OWN an old receiver from E* that sits in a closet because they want to charge 5$ for additional TVs. If I own the equipment or pay a rental fee for it, why charge another 5$/month to activate it.
This is something VOOM could do that would set them apart from the other guys and make them a more friendly service company.

 

[riffjim4069]

From what I am hearing....VOOM should drop the SD channels and concentrate their efforts in providing the most and best HD? Ok, I agree to an extent...however, since most of us subscribe to Cable, D* or E* for our SD programming, adding their low-cost HD package (which will eventually consist of INHD, INHD2, HDNET, HDN Movies, TNTHD, ESPNHD, BRAVOHD, DISCOVERY-HD, ABC-HD, CBS-HD, FOX-HD, NBC-HD) will only cost a few bucks extra each month. The currently pricing model just doesn't make sense.

Options as I see them:

1. VOOM needs to offer the most HD in addition to all the SD and PPV the other providers offer. VOOMs current programming line-up resembles Swiss Cheese (too many holes) and, to be honest with you, that's what J6P cares about the most...and I want my ESPN GameDay and NHL Center Ice and Walter wants his NBA-TV.

2. VOOM needs to drop all SD and provide only HD channel. In this case, I probably wouldn't be willing to pay more than $19.98 per month for their 21 Exclusives and the Cable HD channels listed above ($9.99 for VOOM HD and $9.99 for Cable HD...D* and E* charge around $10 and Cable charges only $5 plus $7.95 for HD DVR rental). The premium HD packages (HBO, SHO, etc.) would then be charged separately. Of course, VOOM is charging way more for their premium packages than the competitors ($19.90 vice 14.95 or $11.95)...and having East/West coast HD feeds is largely unneeded with the release of the DVR. IMO new HD channels aren't coming quickly enough in order for VOOM to be an HD only network. Plus, licensing agreements will probably force VOOM to provide a number of SD channels.

3. VOOM will start selling their Exclusive HD programming to Cable, D* and E*, and sell its DBS assets or use them to support a niche market. Cablevision will eventually want access to Monsters-HD, Rave, etc. and they will probably be forced to sell their programming regardless.

If VOOM can't offer a more complete, competitively priced HD/SD offering with all the bells and whistles (Option 1), then they seriously need to consider other options. IMO, very few people will be willing to pay more than $19.99 for VOOM and the Cable HD Favorites as an add-on service (Option 2) and they will probably subscribe to HD Premiums via their primary provider (E*, D* or Cable). I base my opinion largely on my thrifty nature and VOOMs ability to attract only 30k subs.

 

[Kentstater72]

Guys, Guys, Guys,

As much as I appreciate Strategic thinking, you folks are talking at too high a level.
Voom doesn't need help in developing a new Marketing strategy.
They need tactical input on the steps to accomplish and the priorities.

 

[PhilipF]

Maybe so, but are they listening at all?
It looks like all this talk is just venting frustration over the possibility of losing VOOM and being stuck with E*/D* forever.
I'm just hoping they survive to provide some sort of alternative to what's currently available so we have a choice.

 

[riffjim4069]

The ideas were great - business model was fair - execution and operation are horrible. What ever happened to the gain in subscribers, added channels and VOOM's momentum gained over the spring and early summer? Merriam-Webster defines Initeria as, "a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force." Right now VOOM is an object at rest, which will require a greal deal of explosive enegy to place it back into motion. Hmmm. Perhaps it was Dolan who absconded with that hoard of Iraqi explosives.

This Spin-Off can't come soon enough!!!