Promises promises

[barth2k]

Voom have a pattern of making promises and pre-announcements they can't follow through.

1) they put InHD on their website though no deal had been finalized yet. InHD balked b/c Voom promised X number of subs, which it couldn't deliver.

2) DVR was supposed to arrive late summer, then October, then November, now ???

3) big dish/wm9/mpeg4: late summer, then 4Q, then 1Q '05, now 4Q '05.

4) Wither NFL HD?

5) I won't count Food and HGTV, since they never gave any time frame, just "soon".

6) It's a distant memory now, but there was the whole s/w update snafu ("in 2 weeks").

7) FU-HD. Bad PG, or just another case of them promising something they can't yet deliver?

The only promise I'm reasonably sure they'll keep is the higher rates.

 

[Sean Mota]

1) they put InHD on their website though no deal had been finalized yet. InHD balked b/c Voom promised X number of subs, which it couldn't deliver.

(subject to negotiations was printed in small letters in the one publication where it was published. Just as every other channel was subject to negotiation. I do not blame this one on VOOM but INHD. INHD only will be seeing on DBS when they are forced to do it. Otherwise it will be a Cable exclusive to entice subs to Cable)

2) DVR was supposed to arrive late summer, then October, then November, now ???

(November is not over yet. It was also said that the big push was for the holidays. If they miss this holiday, they will be in trouble but I give them the benefit of the doubt that the DVR is still in the works and could show up as a christmas present)

3) big dish/wm9/mpeg4: late summer, then 4Q, then 1Q '05, now 4Q '05.

(Yes, dissapointed on this one. Yet they are the first to push for MPEG-4 and do not know what kind of technical problems they encounter on this one. I give them a pass on this because there could be technical issues that we do not know. More dissapointed on the big dish since this is one that they could have implemented without problems while working on the MPEG-4.)

4) Wither NFL HD?

(Actuall blame the NFL. The NFL HD feed was not available as a separate channel on any bird. It was just done this month. Now it is available as an HD separate channel. The NFL jumped the gun on this one. I do blame VOOM for not carrying the Game of the Week like last year. But maybe just maybe knowing how the NFL likes to milk everyone for $$$, I would not be surprised if the NFL was asking major money to carry the Game of the Week and VOOM decided not to carry the two games one hour game).

5) I won't count Food and HGTV, since they never gave any time frame, just "soon".

(I couldn't careless about this and this is just me. Never promised to carry these others just what others heard or made a rumor. Any channel is always subject to negotiation with the carrier and that is understood)

6) It's a distant memory now, but there was the whole s/w update snafu ("in 2 weeks").

(Actually that release it took longer than two weeks and more like two months but it has been their most stable released. We were all desperate bu they made good improvement and a more stable box on that release)

7) FU-HD. Bad PG, or just another case of them promising something they can't yet deliver?

(There has been Kung Fu movies on channel 106 whether to catch them at the right time is the problem. As I mentioned before the provider deliver the movies late and so it started in November. The PG is the one that has been wrong since Halloween. I have been quite outspoken about it and really do not know at this point whether it is VOOM providing the incorrect information, playing the wrong movie or it is zap2it putting the wrong information. Quite a mystery to something that should be simple.)

Let me add that more than promises I think they should resolve the problems with:

1 - Billing
2 - Inventory
3 - Software
4 - PG

The other problem that have made an impact on a lot of us who paid our subscrition is the people that never paid for their programming. In a way these people made it impossible for a lot of us, who are paying the bill, to get breaks and so on. It is always bad when you have these people taking advantage of the system. They are worse than hackers. I am not saying that anyone here fits that category because they would not come here and post but surely there were a few of them not just a few hundreds.

 

[txcruiser]

2) DVR was supposed to arrive late summer, then October, then November, now ???

(November is not over yet. It was also said that the big push was for the holidays. If they miss this holiday, they will be in trouble but I give them the benefit of the doubt that the DVR is still in the works and could show up as a christmas present)


6) It's a distant memory now, but there was the whole s/w update snafu ("in 2 weeks").

(Actually that release it took longer than two weeks and more like two months but it has been their most stable released. We were all desperate bu they made good improvement and a more stable box on that release)

DVR as a Christmas present??? Based on what??? Forever the optimist.

6.20 might have been the most stable release for some. I had just as many lockups with it. Didn't 6.20 come out back out late July or Early Aug?
And now it's mid Nov and all they had since was a recall of the last release?

Makes one wonder just how many employees (minus sales/csrs) work at VOOM?

 

[Sean Mota]

DVR as a Christmas present??? Based on what??? Forever the optimist.

6.20 might have been the most stable release for some. I had just as many lockups with it. Didn't 6.20 come out back out late July or Early Aug?
And now it's mid Nov and all they had since was a recall of the last release?

Makes one wonder just how many employees (minus sales/csrs) work at VOOM?

6.20 was released in August. 6.10 was in July and this is the one that fixed a lot of the problems including the constant lockups. Then in August there was a maintenance release 6.20 that made the stb more stable. Now, you may say that you still had lock ups and I believe you. I still have lock ups with E* stb as well. The point is that before this it was quite an unstable stb and it was made quite stable. You question my optimism but I have to laugh at this since you do not question anybody else in the D* or E* forum about future HD channels. So what if there has not been other releases. The maintenance release was no more than a maintenance release withou any feature added to take care of PPV and security. Yes, it was recalled and aren't we glad they did. Other providers for which I have don't even recall them, they just leave you with the same software until they fix it.

Optimist -- Yes. I have a whole lot. Not only for VOOM but for HD and life in general. Would you rather be a pessimist? Be my guest but I won't. I always try to look positive at life even if means that there is no hope.

 

[voomvoom]

1) they put InHD on their website though no deal had been finalized yet. InHD balked b/c Voom promised X number of subs, which it couldn't deliver.

(subject to negotiations was printed in small letters in the one publication where it was published. Just as every other channel was subject to negotiation. I do not blame this one on VOOM but INHD. INHD only will be seeing on DBS when they are forced to do it. Otherwise it will be a Cable exclusive to entice subs to Cable).

I beg to differ on this Sean... I have the original brochure and I must need glasses, cause I sure don't see any small fine print that says anything about negotiations or subject to... INHD and INHD2 were listed and helped influence me into purchasing Voom...

5) I won't count Food and HGTV, since they never gave any time frame, just "soon".

(I couldn't careless about this and this is just me. Never promised to carry these others just what others heard or made a rumor. Any channel is always subject to negotiation with the carrier and that is understood)
.

I beg to differ on this also.... the HGTV logo is on the brochure under cable favorites, it doesn't say anything about "soon", but I agree on "I couldn't careless about this and this is just me"... If it ain't HD, it ain't TV.... not anymore...... but, that's just me...

 

[Ilya]

Not sure if the brochure mentioned negotiations, but it definitely stated "programming subject to change"... I checked!

C'mon! They mentioned what they really expected at that time. Give them a break! They were not able to bring INHD, but they delivered most of what they mentioned, and a lot of other channels, that were not even mentioned in that brochure, like BravoHD+, ESPN-HD, TNT-HD and Playboy-HD.

 

[voomvoom]

Not sure if the brochure mentioned negotiations, but it definitely stated "programming subject to change"... I checked! .

Quite right, but how can you change what you don't have? They claimed they had it. Don't get me wrong Ilya, I love my Voom. I was just disagreeing with Sean's statement. I understand about the negotiations. I just don't understand about claiming to have what you don't. I'm sure their intentions were good and I'm sorry their negotiations fell through. Who knows, maybe they'll come through at a later date.

 

[Eric_C]

And if Voom was its own company, with its own stock, and making those kind of promises to shareholder they would be knocking down the SEC's door by now.

I really did want to see Voom work out, but I can see after reading the CC its just going down hill.

My hope and goal however is that the manager who jacked me on the promises they made to me, keeps his job if E* buys them, I'll very much enjoy that phone call looking for him.

 

[FredOh]

Positives: Miramax deal guarantees good martial arts and foreign flicks
TNTHD is nice to have. The change from Bravo to Universal HD will be cool. The movies on Monster are cool. The Cinema 10 has shown some great flicks lately. We got more HD then any other provider, and I lease so if they go belly up, i haven't lost a dime.

 

[Sean Mota]

Ah all the "naysayers" VOOM is doomed... still enjoying HD... with no problems... ... Give me someone who can give me Starz-HD, Encore-HD, TMC-HD, and 10 Channels of Classic Movies among others. Seriously, if Voom goes down, most VOOMER invested very little but the programming that they paid for.

I am more dissapointed with E* news today than with VOOM. No capacity on E* now and no HD channels. D* has the same problem but claim to have capacity in the future but time will tell. Time will tell whether the press release becomes reality or is it vaporware like the E* superdish with the 50 HD channels. In the meantime, HD enjoyment here until the naysayers are proven right.

 

[txcruiser]

I am more dissapointed with E* news today than with VOOM.

Ah the voice of the most infamous VOOM moderator ... what else would you expect at the home of the internet's largest VOOM forum.
(even though VOOM announces a DECREASE OF ALMOST 28% in subs just since June!!!)

 

[Sean Mota]

Ah the voice of the most infamous VOOM moderator ... what else would you expect at the home of the internet's largest VOOM forum.
(even though VOOM announces at DECREASE OF ALMOST 28% in subs just since June!!!)

What is your point? I am an E* subscriber who had invested more $$ on E* equipment than V*. I was told today that all my equipment will be absolete if E* changes to MPEG-4 which they are planning in a year or so. With V* I invested $0 and yet I am still enjoying all the HD!

I am getting tired of your childish behavior and disrepeact at my posts. YOu are walking that fine line. Wonder why you still keep coming back although you have no interest in VOOM anymore. And yes I have more than V* to enjoy my entertainment which it is HD. It does not matter whether I am here in the VOOM forum moderating or not. Again if you have a problem with that let me know. I have not made any investment in VOOM except that I have enjoy a ton of HD. Yet on E* my investment has been more and no HD!

 

[wase4711]

I too am sick of all the negativity, whining, complaining, and childish behaviour that many of the posters here exhibit..Not kissing Seans' butt, by any means, but he is one of a handful of folks here that likes to point out the POSITIVE things that VOOM has brought into our lives...we ALL know its not perfect, but what is?????

IF you dont like the way the VOOM service is provided to you, then either do what you can in a positive manner to make it better, make positive suggestions, or CANCELL THE SERVICE!!!!
And to those that have cancelled, and didnt like their service, do your selves and us a favor, and stop coming here and posting your negativity...

All this whining, complaining, and negativity is sickening...

 

[txcruiser]

So exactly what is the policy of ex VOOMERs when it comes to posting here?
If not allowed, then just update your Posting Rules and Guidelines.

Maybe the reason for "all the whining" by SO MANY is because the negativity far outweighs the positivity??????

 

[Sean Mota]

So exactly what is the policy of ex VOOMERs when it comes to posting here?
If not allowed, then just update your Posting Rules and Guidelines.

Maybe the reason for "all the whining" by SO MANY is because the negativity far outweighs the positivity??????

txcruiser,

I really hope that we don't have to Post Rules and Guidelines on Satelliteguys. I believe that 99% of posters at Satelliteguys.us are people who don't need "rules and guidelines" to understand what type of behavior we expect in every forum at Satelliteguys.us. This applies to every member and every staff member. The ones that cross the line usually get banned without notice because they have gone beyond the limit of moderation.

As a moderator of this forum I have given you the benefit of the doubt in every post you have made so far and I could have made the decision to put you in moderation or ban you from the forum but I opted not to.

In a lot of your posts, you have questioned the integrity of this forum and its moderators. We may be the largest VOOM forum in the internet but VOOM has not editing power nor dictates to us in any way whatsoever how we run the forum. The same applies to every single forum in Satelliteguys.us Most of the staff (including myself) do not work for any of the entities represented in the forum and none of us get paid a dime for our time. We do this because we love either satellite, TV, HD or other reason. We have tried (and boy how we tried) to give a balance point of view of VOOM. Whether is negative or positive. There are other forums in the internet that wants to weight on the negative only but we have tried, from the beginning, to give to our members both side of the equation.

I do not think that there has been anyone here who has come later and said but you guys mislead me. No that's not how we operate Satelliteguys. We try to give you the good and the bad and it does not matter how bad is the bad.

Besides the time we dedicate to the forum, we do not appreciate when threads/post need to be moderated because one person is acting as a "troll" or just adding unecessary comments that otherwise are deemed unnecessary to the discussion.

Here is your particular case:

Before you deinstalled VOOM (8/13/04), you made 34 posts in the VOOM forum, 3 in the DishNetwork forum, and 1 in the YahooGroup list. After your deinstallation (almost 3 months after), you have made 168 posts in the VOOM forum, 3 in the DishNetwork forum, 2 in the YahooGroup list, 3 in the DirecTv forum and 1 in the Technical Support forum.

These 168 posts you have made have very little to contribute in anyway to the threads where you posted them (after all you don't have VOOM anymore). As a matter of fact I do not believe that in the 168 posts made after 8/13/04 you had more than 2 or 3 started by yourself but were either questioning or making remarks that were unnecessary. Let me remind you that a lot of your posts had to be edited or deleted during these three months because either you were "trolling" or making a mock of others posts or taking someone's quote and using it yourself to make a mockery out of it.

In conclusion, you are walking a very fine line at Satelliteguys.us. Here are some examples of your past posts after your deinstallation:


Ah the voice of the most infamous VOOM moderator...

DVR as a Christmas present??? Based on what??? ...

I kinda hope the EPG is never fixed so this...

1080i, Your credibility is on the line.... 1...

Maybe the VOOM main page can be updated daily to...

VOOM commericals are now popping up just about...

Funny how one is always immediately deemed to...

Anybody else wonder why Sean thinks so highly of...

Now comes the really fun part.... Closing your...

The monkey in charge of their PG must also be in...

Maybe VOOM just forgot? Let's give them the...

Saying Something That Questions The Greatness Of...

I didn't realize this was "personal"...

He doesn't need to qualify anything. That was...

I Know NO COMPANY IS PERFECT... But yet another...

Today was not a good day for VOOMERS. The...

Not to be a pessimistic but I don't see this...

Keep in mind that after today your grace period...

There is more, of course, and I won't post them all.

 

[wase4711]

geez, Sean, I didnt know that he had THAT many negative posts...

Don't get me wrong; the great thing about this country is that ANYONE can voice their opinion about ANYTHING with out fear of reprisals, its just that after awhile, seeing the same stuff get rehashed over and over and over again, just gets to be too much..
We all know VOOMS good points and bad, and if so many bad things have happenned to you , then just cancel, say goodbye, and get on with life!!

Anyone who continues to post so many negative rants, AFTER they have de-installed VOOM, should really have some sort of ban/restriction put on further postings...
Nothing against txcruiser, or anyone else who felt the service wasn't worth keeping and cancelled, but I think the supporters who stay with Voom, or those lurkers who are considering signing up, deserve a break from all the negative posts, especially from folks who have already dropped the service...

Just my $.02...

 

[Rick214]

geez, Sean, I didnt know that he had THAT many negative posts...

I agree... txcruiser, you have added NOTHING to this forum for me other than negativity and sarcasm. Please go away. You are obsessed with bashing VOOM. Get a life.

 

[FredOh]

I've had D*. I've had Adelphia. I currently only have VOOM. If it disappears tomorrow it will be a letdown to go to any other service. Nothing comes close to the amount of programming they provide. I have watched HD almost exclusively for the past six months. Try doing that with any other Sat service. In every forum of every interest there are people who thrive on the failure of everything. Even if you didn't personally want V, you should hope for it's success since competiiton brings all the services up.
Many of us wonder why anyone would subscribe to the HD package with D when you get a handful of channels and you have to shell out at least several hundred dollars for the receiver. But we don't bash them. If V folds, I'll go back to cable or D, but I won't be happy about it unless they deliver on their promises as well.

 

[vinnyv07]

1) they put InHD on their website though no deal had been finalized yet. InHD balked b/c Voom promised X number of subs, which it couldn't deliver.

(subject to negotiations was printed in small letters in the one publication where it was published. Just as every other channel was subject to negotiation. I do not blame this one on VOOM but INHD. INHD only will be seeing on DBS when they are forced to do it. Otherwise it will be a Cable exclusive to entice subs to Cable)

2) DVR was supposed to arrive late summer, then October, then November, now ???

(November is not over yet. It was also said that the big push was for the holidays. If they miss this holiday, they will be in trouble but I give them the benefit of the doubt that the DVR is still in the works and could show up as a christmas present)
.

Im very disappointed in not having INHD...but I think its the cable companies that own INHD that are being stubborn about making their ch available to sat providers. Of course the cusumers are the ones who suffer. The DVR is not out yet and I dont think its going to be out any time soon. Delays are a part of this game.....but my feeling is that VOOM will be in DEEP trouble if Jan rolls around with no new ch's and no DVR for those who want it. I dont care about the DVR only about the new HD ch's. They could drop all the STD ch's and I woundnt care one bit. INHD is the only ch Im missing....and it bothers me.

 

[VMI]

I love that people (TXCRUISER THIS MEANS YOU) have no idea what goes into getting a satellite company, in the HD arena none the less, off the ground. Bottom line is the Dolan family has succeeded when many said they couldn't and they have made more money than perhaps everyone on this board right now and yet some people wish to stand by and do nothing but bash VOOM. E* and D* have there own shortcomings yet all those are somehow overlooked. I promise, this game has only just started.