New channels coming soon?

[Sean Mota]

I will take the other approach and this is from my customer point of view. I take 39 HD channels with repeats than 6-7 with the same repeats (there's a lot of repeats on those as well). Why? -- Choice.

Here's where E* missed me: why would I pay E* a subscription to Starz Premium channels when they do not include Starz-HD. Believe me I understand that Starz-HD does not has a huge selection of HD films, but that is not the point. The point is that if I am paying E* for the Starz package and Starz-HD is available, I feel cheated that I do not get it with E*. The same with TMC-HD. But you may say well there's nothing on TMCHD that it is not on ShowtimeHD. That is true. But lots of times I missed movies in ShowtimeHD because of my schedule and then I watch them on TMCHD.

The bottomline is that if E* had the Starz, TMC, Cinemax, Encore (going dark soon, so it does not matter), I would have picked up those packages with them and stay with VOOM only basic package.

Personally, my entertaining budget is there. It is up to the provider to get it. E* has not made an effort to do so and therefore I downgraded my subscription with them for this very reason. I am waiting for V* to add a few SD channels and if can get over 3/31/05, I will downgrade my subscription with E* further.

P.S. The fact that they do not pick Universal HD also pisses me of. Do I watch it? Yes. Is it available? Yes.

 

[kelljc]

Well, certainly people new to HD programming and also people who have "HD lite" (D* and E*) who have not been emersed in HD the way Voomers have. Don't you recall all the Voom forum posts saying "I don't watch SD anymore"? That surprised me a year ago. Then I got Voom and soon felt the same way. Whenever I try to watch something in SD, the fuzziness bothers me so much I have to go back to HD. The content in SD better be really, really compelling, or why bother?

Maybe they WANT and they ask for an extra 200 SD channels. But how many SD channels do they actually watch when they have 40+ HD channels? Yes, effectively they are paying 80 to 120 a month for mainly the HD channels.

GO CHUCK!
GO VOOM!

Thank YOu you're a VOOMER

 

[vurbano]

I will take the other approach and this is from my customer point of view. I take 39 HD channels with repeats than 6-7 with the same repeats (there's a lot of repeats on those as well). Why? -- Choice.

Here's where E* missed me: why would I pay E* a subscription to Starz Premium channels when they do not include Starz-HD. Believe me I understand that Starz-HD does not has a huge selection of HD films, but that is not the point. The point is that if I am paying E* for the Starz package and Starz-HD is available, I feel cheated that I do not get it with E*. The same with TMC-HD. But you may say well there's nothing on TMCHD that it is not on ShowtimeHD. That is true. But lots of times I missed movies in ShowtimeHD because of my schedule and then I watch them on TMCHD.

The bottomline is that if E* had the Starz, TMC, Cinemax, Encore (going dark soon, so it does not matter), I would have picked up those packages with them and stay with VOOM only basic package.

Personally, my entertaining budget is there. It is up to the provider to get it. E* has not made an effort to do so and therefore I downgraded my subscription with them for this very reason. I am waiting for V* to add a few SD channels and if can get over 3/31/05, I will downgrade my subscription with E* further.

P.S. The fact that they do not pick Universal HD also pisses me of. Do I watch it? Yes. Is it available? Yes.

I agree with you. My problem with D* and E* is that there is no value for HD subs in the movie packs for starz and cinemax etc. And either tnthd or universal HD missing from either service. Then the east/west feeds keep me from having to buy a DVR really. IF E* had them I wouldnt be with V*

 

[James Long]

I'll be in trouble for this: What point are you trying to make: 1. Voom is not good?. 2. someone else has better:, or none of the above

The points:
1) Everyone wants more
2) There isn't too much more out there
3) EVERY provider has to decide what they want to carry

The entire world doesn't rotate around Voom Good/Voom Bad.
The entire world doesn't rotate around V* > D* > E* > V* > E* > D* > V*
Sometimes a post is made relating to what is there and what is out there.
Especially in a "new channels" thread.

JL

 

[kelljc]

The points:
1) Everyone wants more
2) There isn't too much more out there
3) EVERY provider has to decide what they want to carry

The entire world doesn't rotate around Voom Good/Voom Bad.
The entire world doesn't rotate around V* > D* > E* > V* > E* > D* > V*
Sometimes a post is made relating to what is there and what is out there.
Especially in a "new channels" thread. :

JL

Very Good but what is the answer 1? 2 or 3, can't be any other. that's our choices as of this date> don't you agree.

 

[elocs]

Well, certainly people new to HD programming and also people who have "HD lite" (D* and E*) who have not been emersed in HD the way Voomers have. Don't you recall all the Voom forum posts saying "I don't watch SD anymore"? That surprised me a year ago. Then I got Voom and soon felt the same way. Whenever I try to watch something in SD, the fuzziness bothers me so much I have to go back to HD. The content in SD better be really, really compelling, or why bother?

Maybe they WANT and they ask for an extra 200 SD channels. But how many SD channels do they actually watch when they have 40+ HD channels? Yes, effectively they are paying 80 to 120 a month for mainly the HD channels.

GO CHUCK!
GO VOOM!

I did not get Voom last May exclusively for the HD channels.
I got it because for just a little more than my cable (nondigital) I could get most of the SD channels I watched as well as many HD channels. I never had any HD channels previously. Before I ordered VaVaVoom about a month ago I only watched about maybe 8 HD channels regularly, including my locals. I consider the Voom movie channels as being like one channel much like a multiplex theater, although I do not often watch them. I will be happy to see the day come when everything is in HD because I am not going to watch a channel simply because it is HD if I do not like the content. For me it is about content. My teenager will not watch b&w because she considers it to be inferior, regardless of the content. I, on the other hand, will watch a b&w program in crappy SD if I like the content. I was happy to see color take over, but I am certainly not going to abandon enjoying any old b&w programs I want to watch again. Likewise, I am not going to only watch HD, regardless of the content, if there is something in SD that I want to watch. I still do not get my NBC local in HD, yet there are many NBC programs that I want to watch. Am I simply to forget about them because they are not in HD?
I don't think so.

I love HD. Go Voom! Rah! Rah! But I will watch SD for the content when it is not available in HD and that is still a lot of programming. There are millions of people out there like me and Voom would do good to snag us. Voom was my first satellite experience after 40 years of various types of cable tv. Ironically, one of the first cable systems in my community in the early 1960s was Cablevision.

 

[duckydan]

I don't post often but to me I would still prefer certain SD channels coming over to voom (as long as they can be of good quality... spike tv is terrible on voom in comparison to my D* in SD) before Wealth TV HD or some other channel that would be absolutely useless to me... As for the voom hd movie channels (cinema 10) some of those movies are ok, but I still find myself watching an sd movie on hbo because of title selection... being in HD is a great thing, but why settle for watching something I could care less about in HD when something I really wanna see is available in SD... but if they ever could get Spike TV, FSN, or USA in hd (wrestling ) I would appreciate it

 

[djjsin]

Back in january, Voom released this list of channels saying these are going to be added. Is this list still accurate? Most seem to be what everyone is saying, but alot aren't. I still wonder why they are focusing on some of these channels that no one cares about, instead of giving us things like techtv, mtv2, vh1 classics, ppv, or all the regional sports networks. I just want my FSW damnit!

* BBC America
* CMT
* CNN International
* Discovery Home
* Discovery Kids
* Discovery Times
* DIY - Do It Yourself Network
* FINE LIVING
* Fox Movie Channel
* FSN Bay Area
* FSN New England
* FSN New York
* FSN Ohio
* GAC - Great American Country
* History International
* Military Channel
* MSG Network
* National Geographic Channel
* Reality 24-7
* Sunshine Network
* Superstation WGN
* The Science Channel
* Turner South

 

[TheTimm]

As for the voom hd movie channels (cinema 10) some of those movies are ok, but I still find myself watching an sd movie on hbo because of title selection...

When comparing HDCinema 10 to HBO keep in mind that HBO is a premium channel for which you pay extra. HDCinema 10 channels are part of every Voomer's basic subscription. A premium channel should have more recent (some may even say better) titles. Of course, IMO if they're on HBO-HD they should be in HD but I'm getting tired of beating that particular horse.

 

[thxdan]

There is one other 24/7 HD source: The PBS HD channel. True, it's available OTA in many places, but not everywhere. And, unlike the commercial networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, UPN, WB), PBS HD is 24/7. Always widescreen, a mix of upconvert and native HD stuff. I wonder if PBS would agree to nationwide distribution more easily than the others would?

-Dan

 

[d151b]

It is tough being patient for the new channels and to see if voom will actually make it. I can wait, but they absolutely need to put a date on the information section of the guide. This is a must to determine if it's a rerun or not, and if so when it originally ran, etc. I don't ask for much, but this is tops on our list.

 

[DucTape]

Well, certainly people new to HD programming and also people who have "HD lite" (D* and E*) who have not been emersed in HD the way Voomers have. Don't you recall all the Voom forum posts saying "I don't watch SD anymore"? That surprised me a year ago. Then I got Voom and soon felt the same way. Whenever I try to watch something in SD, the fuzziness bothers me so much I have to go back to HD. The content in SD better be really, really compelling, or why bother?

Maybe they WANT and they ask for an extra 200 SD channels. But how many SD channels do they actually watch when they have 40+ HD channels? Yes, effectively they are paying 80 to 120 a month for mainly the HD channels.

GO CHUCK!
GO VOOM!

Well , I'm not going to argue picture quality with you or anyone else as it's all semantics and particulars, but I will say that my P.Q. on E* HD and SD channels is just as nice as Voom's or Cable or C-band or D*. So to say any of Voom's competitors is HD lite is in my opinion just that, an opinion.

 

[djjsin]

ya thats honestly one thing i hope voom does not do, is add HD channels that are available over the OTA. Sucks for people who can't get them in, but I don't want voom to waste the bandwidth on that.

 

[ROLLZROYCE]

ya thats honestly one thing i hope voom does not do, is add HD channels that are available over the OTA. Sucks for people who can't get them in, but I don't want voom to waste the bandwidth on that.

I do not get even one OTA channel in HD or SD, really sucks(I have to get basic cable for locals) I wish Voom would offer at least SD locals, and possibly HD nationals. That would rock so people like me could drop cable!

 

[elocs]

I do not get even one OTA channel in HD or SD, really sucks(I have to get basic cable for locals) I wish Voom would offer at least SD locals, and possibly HD nationals. That would rock so people like me could drop cable!

Amen to that. I'm in the same boat--I have the most basic cable in order to get NBC. It does give me something else to watch if I am recording on Voom, but it's not worth $13 a month. Although I wish I could get NBC HD with my antenna. My city has the rest of the major networks, but I am about 60 miles away from the two cities with NBC stations.

 

[vinnyv07]

I do not get even one OTA channel in HD or SD, really sucks(I have to get basic cable for locals) I wish Voom would offer at least SD locals, and possibly HD nationals. That would rock so people like me could drop cable!

You touch on a subject that VOOM really should pay attention to. No matter how many HD ch's you have, if you cant get your locals through the service or OTA...you are in a bind. Voom has to provide local ch's.

 

[ROLLZROYCE]

That may be the ticket to their success. I live in a relatively small area of about 100,000 people. I talked to the installer last year and he said about 75 percent of his installs in the area cancelled within a month because they could not receive locals. This is just my area think of all across the country!

 

[yanks2402]

You touch on a subject that VOOM really should pay attention to. No matter how many HD ch's you have, if you cant get your locals through the service or OTA...you are in a bind. Voom has to provide local ch's.

That may be the ticket to their success. I live in a relatively small area of about 100,000 people. I talked to the installer last year and he said about 75 percent of his installs in the area cancelled within a month because they could not receive locals. This is just my area think of all across the country!

And what capacity do you guys think they are going to put local channels on? Yes locals are important but Voom is not and will not be in that position for several years.

 

[freezetime]

I am not very impressed with the VOOM's 21 Original's because most of them play the same 2 to 3 things all day long. I would rather them get rid of some of those channels that repeat the same thing over and over again and add some channels that show different things. As for the person who told me to stop complaining about wanting FSW, if you were a sports fan, you would realize how important of a channel that is. I only complain because Fox Sports Regionals are a TOP request and I don't understand why VOOM keeps ignoring the fact that people want these channels first rather than channels like Military and NG. To me it doesn't make sense. I will not mention FSW anymore, I didn't realize people are so touchy on these boards. I can have an opinion and mine is to replace channels people don't care about or that show the same 2 to 3 things all day long with ones they WANT and DO care about.

 

[ROLLZROYCE]

Voom needs to realize how important they are. They already start with a limited market by specializing in HDTV, which up until this past year not many people had even heard of. Thanks to demos at Best Buy and other television retailers, consumers finally get a glimpse at what their TV should look like. Most common reaction I have heard "Wow, I thought my TV looked great until I saw this." Ask the common person walking down the street what they think about Voom possibly going under, you will probably get the response "What the hell is Voom?"

In order for Voom to succeed it is a MUST to have locals in either SD or HD, that is a fact. I do not even know if D* or E* would still be around if they didn't offer locals other than OTA. Wake up Voom, locals(including FSN and other regional sports channels) are the key to your success!