How Will Voom Do It?

[JoeSp]

I have been reading and occasionally sharing ideas with some on the VOOM board. If Mr Dolan is going to be the 'White Knight' that saves VOOM he is going to need a Sir Lancelot to carry forward his light. Simply put he needs partners in order to go forward.

I also believe that in order for VOOM to make any headway with subscribers he is going to have to offer LIL-- either SD or HD. Right now the most new HD content is on the networks. The most HD sports and the best picture (OTA of course) is also networks. As soon as I see some LIL coming out of VOOM I will jump on the bandwagon.

No LIL and I do not see how you can greatly increase your customer base. And the reason is simple -- most new subscribers ( perhaps as much as 60% of all new subscribers to satellite providers is because of LIL. Where I live I can not get a consistant signal from any of the digital stations. I live about 50 miles away on the back side of a hill from the towers. I think that I am the norm in new sat subscribers.

Voom still beckons but I watch alot of HD on the networks when I can get them and whoever provides me with LIL-HD first without compression will get my business. I believe that there are alot of folks like me out there in the same posistion and if VOOM started offering LIL -- especially HD-LIL there would be an increase in VOOM subscriptions that would set back installs probably months. This is where the market for VOOM lies -- they must beat everyone else to LIL-HD. This is where the money is. Just ask Ergen -- he owns the only satellite tv business claiming a profit over the last two quarters. In case any of you did not know this-- E* offers more LIL than anyone else. You must go where the money is and right now HD-LIL is where the future dollar is going to be made.

Mr Dolan probably knows this and that is why he needs partners to poney up and allow him to expand the way D* is expanding this summer. Of course he could still package VOOM as a HD package for the other providers but I believe that Mr. Dolan wants to be number one. HD-LIL is how everyone else is going to get there -- Mr. Dolan has to figure out how to get there first!

 

[Vreesar]

In my oppinion and from what I have recently seen, you can forget about LiL from Voom for any concievable furture. Maybe 3 or 4 years from now but with the bandwidth required to provide HD LIL it just won't be possible and yes, HD LIL, why give SD LIL when all you need is an antenna for HD for locals.

 

[Minsk1]

I understand the suffering from people who can't get OTA. But I think that V* is not for them. They should look for something else. Maybe HD-Lite LIL from D* in 2007, SD LIL frow E*. Just do not start it over and over again.
If you can pull out OTA, then welcom to V*!

 

[richard_rd]

Why can't voom just offer National east cost locals and west coast locals like dish and Directv do. If you can't get an OTA signal you would gualify for either the east or west coast locals depending on which time zone you live in. Eastern and central would get east coast. Mountain and PAcific would get west coast.

This would solve the locals pblm with minimum bandwidth restraints on Voom. Just need to make sure installers are qualified for OTA signal testing. If your house is deemed unable to receive a local network with an outdoor amplified antenna by the qualified OTA installer then you should be eligable for the national feed of that network.

 

[jagouar]

Im with Richard here... Im really surpised D*/E* have only been able to work out deals from O&O stations when generally the people with O&O stations dont need HD locals anyways....

I think a perfect system would be something to the effect of if you only get CBS with your voom supplied antenna (or anybdoy elses antenna) you get OTA but any other station you would automatically be cleared to see a network feed.

 

[James Long]

Why can't voom just offer National east cost locals and west coast locals like dish and Directv do?

Voom can carry Analog distants if they want. Only qualified subscribers who cannot receive their locals OTA Grade B can get distants (federal law). But on a primarily HD service would subscribers want analog distants? The idea of V* installing good antennas is to get locals in HD (where available). Would enough people qualify and want analog distants to make it a worthwhile service? HD distants are even harder under the new rules - V* has missed that boat.

D* and E* can afford to do distants because they have a large number of subscribers who qualify.

Don't forget there are federal laws that need to be met to offer distants. It's not something that can be simply negotiated.

JL

 

[roachxp]

I noticed Voom carries the national NBC feed on 321, but signed off in timeslots for local programing.

 

[vurbano]

In my oppinion and from what I have recently seen, you can forget about LiL from Voom for any concievable furture. Maybe 3 or 4 years from now but with the bandwidth required to provide HD LIL it just won't be possible and yes, HD LIL, why give SD LIL when all you need is an antenna for HD for locals.

LMAO and just how long do you think its going to take Directv to bring everyone HDLIL??????????? 3 or 4 years

 

[Dvlos]

D* is giving commercials on TV now about how they are bringing HD LiLs to the WORLD! (Soon).

At least where I live (and I know it's not the case for everyone) I receive all my HD via OTA, but if Voom carried distant network feeds for those that cannot receive it OTA or just don't have an HD local network available that would be a good thing I believe. However I do not think Voom's route has to be provide everyone with all their locals via Sat.

Via MVDSS ? Maybe

I think what Voom needs to focus on right now is the best multiroom monthly/install package in town.

Make "Whole Home Solution" a household phrase.

 

[GadgetRick]

:::sigh:::

This is EXACTLY the attitude which has doomed Voom from the start. MOST people just don't CARE about HD! That's the problem! Most people just want to watch American Idol, or Survivor or whatever else is popular at the time and be done with it. They don't CARE what it looks like, just let me watch it! If you think I'm wrong, look at the pq from dtv, Dish and most cable companies. It's horrible. But guess what, MILLIONS, that's with an, "M," have signed up for those services. Voom has been GIVING away the installs and they've got significantly less than 100,000 subs after a year!

I LOVE HD and I really don't care about locals (SD OR HD) but I'm not the average customer. I don't know that there is an average customer who hangs out around here so we're just not a good sampling of what most of America is. In order for Voom to survive they must get the average customer to sign up and stay signed up. Without offering locals (compression is NOT an issue there) via satellite they just have very little hope. Sure there are many other issues but this is certainly right at the top of that list of issues for Voom. And the attitude of, "If you can't get OTA, tough noogies to you," isn't going to keep Voom afloat for long. MOST people in the US have a difficult time receiving OTA locals reliably. Why? Because cable and satellite have covered it so well the stations have no reason to improve their OTA broadcasts to outlying areas.

And I still want someone to tell me what Voom does to increase their sub numbers if (and that's a HUGE if) they can obtain enough funding to keep going and if (another huge if) they can transition over to the other satellite smootly enough not to lose the few subs they currently have. They've been giving the service away for the last year already and nobody's signing up. Can't get much cheaper than that.

Voom has many problems and, at this point, I just think Dolan Sr. is crazy for trying to keep it going. Time to drop back and punt buddy...

The Rickster

 

[Lobstah]

Rickster,
I "slightly" disagree with a few of your points.
Most people I know in the NorthEast get their locals (or could) from cable for about $10/mo. That includes small towns in Maine, NH, Vermont and Mass. So I don't think that carrying SD locals is a "must have" for VOOM. Why do you sign up for VOOM? for HD, period.

Also, while it's true that "most people" don't care about HD, there are a pantload of people out there that bought or are buying a widescreen HD tv. Those are the people that make up VOOM's potential customer base, and those are the people they need to go after.

So a few things they need to do to be succesful...1) Cut through all of the marketing cr@p that's out there and come up with a clearly understandable message that quickly and easily positions them against the other services. 2) Make the installs easier, self install as an option, with a follow on call available if you have problems. 3) Show that they are still moving forward and enhancing the service.

VOOM was a pain in the @ss for cablevision. But don't be surprised if you don't see cablevision doing all that well 6mos from now.

Lob

p.s. I think the Kool Aid is Orange today! ...dunno...I don't drink it.

 

[jbcheshire]

Since V* is going against two established and well known gorillas in the sat arena, they need to have a plan that distiinguishes them from the rest. That's why I think they need to keep pushing the "best and most HD channels available" message as well as some other feature like DVR/PVR that the others have. I think the LILs are important but not as important as the other two. The whole home solution is starting to become a buzz phrase in the industry now, so that might be another option to push.

I consider myself "an average consumer of satellite service" and like the other average consumers I do not have a lot of extra money to spend on my service, nor do I have the money to purchase my equipment. Why should I buy my stuff when the other companies will lease it to me??? We all see how electronic items are already "outdated" when we take them home, so why should I buy into that mentality with satellite service when the lease option is available to me???

When they offer the PVR, it had better be leasable with a price comparable to the others (like D*s $10 a month with no up front costs) or people will go somewhere else. IMO...

 

[JoeSp]

And I still want someone to tell me what Voom does to increase their sub numbers if (and that's a HUGE if) they can obtain enough funding to keep going and if (another huge if) they can transition over to the other satellite smootly enough not to lose the few subs they currently have. They've been giving the service away for the last year already and nobody's signing up. Can't get much cheaper than that.The Rickster

Your question about what VOOM can do to dramatically improve subscribtions is at the center of my post. LIL is what has dramatically increased subs for Dish. LIL is what has made Dish profitable. VOOM must at the very least provide National HD-LIL to dramatically increase their subscriptions. Anything less will only see the feeble growth rate that VOOM has been subject to over the last two years.

DirectTv is going to be bringing HD-LIL to the top 12 markets this summer and will continue to expand to the top 30 markets by the summer of 2006. If you do not think that will not dramatically increase their subscription rate you are smoking bananas! VOOM must move into the HD-LIL market in someway in order to grab those new HDTV owners who want more HD. Those of you who think that there is no good HD on the networks are only fooling yourself. There are plenty of good shows and comedys in HD on all of the main networks.

Bottom line is MPEG4 will remove the differance between VOOM's HD and everyone elses. MPEG4 will allow for full bandwith and more channels per transpoder then MPEG2. Both the picture and sound will be better. The only chance I see is for VOOM to be able to move into the HD-LIL market this summer. When VOOM moves to MPEG4 they should provide National HD-LIL and maybe the top 5 or 6 markets. That will give them a coverage of about 25% of the population and will provide them with the products to compete. But hey, that is just my opionion.

 

[Indy]

Maybe all the sat providers should pool their resources and have ALL customers pull LOL from one "Community" satellite. Really a waste of bandwidth with 3 providers trying to broadcast all the local stations into all the markets when the majority can pick up the stations OTA. Then the LOL could be a add on if you needed it due to reception problems. This could be a stand alone service like a seperate "cable" bill.

 

[jbcheshire]

That's a novel concept. but don't count on these guys to do anything that makes logical sense to the consumers... LOL.

 

[Tvlman]

After reading the above posts I noticed something in the phrasing which says it all.

DirecTV is GOING to do the following....(launch more satellites, do this, do that,solve world hunger, etc.)

VOOM has DONE the following..........(set up and running a 40 HD channels sat. network since 2003)


Lots of diffference between "going to" "Planning to" and ...."HAS DONE."

Who would you buy from? A "going to" or "has done?"

 

[JoeSp]

Tvlman, You want the truth?-- You can't handle the truth!! (I always wanted to say that

VOOM is the company that had its only satellite and uplink facility (that by the way will be MPEG4 compliant) sold. While the deal is not done yet (remember the hardware and freqs sold belong to Cablevision and since Mr. Dolan has made an offer to purchase the rest of VOOMs assets why would the FCC refuse Cablevision's sale to Dishnetwork? So lets really look at whats going on:

Dishnetwork has put up two satellites in the last three months and they have offered to purchase Rainbow1 and the new uplink facility from Cablevision. What are they going to be used for? 11 million subscribers

For DirectTv both Spaceway satellites are built and need to be placed in orbit. First one goes up in March/April and the second goes up June/July. Gee, I wonder what they are going to be used for. 12 million subscribers

For VOOM -- well the parent company has sold their only satellite and new uplink facility. Mr. Dolan has offered to buy the rest of VOOM's assets (programming only) and will continue it by -- leasing space on satellites? He has until Feb 28 to come up with funding or he must use his own money? 26,000 subscribers


Those are the facts -- they are not disputable -- only on a wing and a prayer will the FCC NOT allow the sell of Rainbow1 and the uplink facility to Dishnetwork. VOOM has alot of work to do to be a viable satellite provider in the future. For one I am hoping VOOM makes a real go of it as competition breeds better product.

 

[DobyMax]

After reading the above posts I noticed something in the phrasing which says it all.

DirecTV is GOING to do the following....(launch more satellites, do this, do that,solve world hunger, etc.)

VOOM has DONE the following..........(set up and running a 40 HD channels sat. network since 2003)


Lots of diffference between "going to" "Planning to" and ...."HAS DONE."

Who would you buy from? A "going to" or "has done?"

Hmmmmm............going by histoy i will ytake D* so you ask question and you get yoru anser i know you not like it but it take a while to roll out to millions of custmrs but not to long to get out to a cople thousands so quite crying

 

[voomster2]

When will DobyMax ever figure out that noone can see his posts (except him)?
He has been silently banned for how many months now?

 

[mcdeeee]

Tvlman,
For VOOM -- well the parent company has sold their only satellite and new uplink facility.

They didn't sell off the New Uplink Facility. They sold off the existing facility.