VOOM after 24 hours

[barth2k]

Quick impressions after 24hrs with VOOM installed:

1) Install went smoothly. My house has whole house wiring so it's pretty painless. The installer managed to hook everything up, even to my stereo and tivo, and added and named the input on my Mits, w/ no prompting from me whatsoever. A man with a clue! I feel bad for not remembering to offer him a drink. D'oh.

2) I'm in Redondo Beach, way out on west coast Calif (I'm about 1 mile from the ocean). The dish is horizontal, virtually zero elevation. So if you're in SoCal, you better have a VERY clear line of sight to the east. I still get 96 signal quality (after s/w update).

3) Speaking of which, do NOT even bother using your VOOM box until after the update to 0.5.68. Turn it off, go to bed, and let it update the s/w. Out of the box, the thing is SO SLOOWW to tune channel you will be so frustrated you want to cancel right there. And the box would lock up if you press buttons too quickly. Horrible. After the update, channel changing is about as fast as my D* Hughes E86. Whew.

4) Right now, my biggest gripe with VOOM is the poor UI. For ex, when you pull up the prog guide, it always starts at the beginning instead of the channel you are watching! Staggeringly stupid. Lots of minor usability quirks, like there's no one button way to get to a specific guide (movies, sports) and there's no "use the last guide" button. I also miss the Turbo Tune feature on my E86 (two click access to 9 most frequently watched channels). But I'm relieved the tuning speed is improved, b/c I would've gone insane.

5) OTA tuner seems fine. I get all the channels I care about, plus one PBS station I couldn't get with the E86, a pleasant surprise since that station broadcasts from another location, not from Mt Wilson as most others in L.A. The E86 has a much nicer signal meter that lets you change to different channels while on the signal meter screen. But since I'm getting the channels fine, it's not a big deal for me personally.

6) HD quality seems about as good as D* (comparing DiscHD). SD looks fine (though admittedly my expectations for SD quality on my 65" Mits have been beaten into submission by watching D*). I do notice that SD on V* seems more consistent than on D*, where some channels like Food look good but others like some locals look like old VHS tapes.

7) Now for the programming: so far, I'm pleased with it. (I only have the Voom pkg, not VaVaVoom.) I like cinema 10, which so far have some movies I like, Epics (aka Masterpiece Theater , WrldSprts, Monster, and a bit of Rave. I really could do w/o Rush, and Auction? uggh. I admire Voom for trying to produce its own content like HDNews and Ultra, but frankly I just don't think they have the resources to do it right. I'd rather they concentrate their $$$ and efforts on getting INHD or HDnet.

Ironically, I think having so many channels can actually exacerbate the impression that they have nothing worth watching and this becomes self-defeating. They may be better off consolidating the channels to give the fewer channels the appearance of greater variety, and SIGN UP HDNET AND INHD AND EVERYTHING THERE IS OUT THERE. This will make them much more attractive than the "21 exclusive channels." You have to consider the psychology of the viewer. When he sees Auction, he's not thinking "well I guess SOMEBODY out there likes this stuff and what the heck they have bandwidth to burn apparently". He's thinking "I'm PAYING for THIS?"

My wishlist:

1) Improve the ird's UI

2) get Food and HGTV, so I do not need to fear for my life (yes there are women in da house

3) get some bikini babes in HD. I'm serious. Man does not live by high-brow PBS stuff or low-brow Monster alone. Man needs no-brow babes in bikinis or similarly minimal attire that he can watch w/o looking too much like a pervert (playboyhd).


I hope somebody from V* monitors these groups

 

[Sean Mota]

barth2k,

Welcome. Your evalution is very fair. There are people from Voom stopping here so be sure that your post will be read. Thanks.

 

[vurbano]

Babes in bikinis!!!!!!!!!! I been saying that since I signed up! Even Tanya on D* showed some cleveage.

 

[Indy]

Barth, Well said and I believe your sentiments echo most Voom subscribers with a wife to keep happy. IE: HGTV, Food and some fluff for us without looking perverted. I told my wife HG was on the way but she is beginning to wonder!

 

[Odys]

It's also been 24 hours since install for me. The only glitch was when the STB upgraded to 568 overnight I lost all the program guide info that had been working initially. I called Voom and the CSR had me unplug the box. I got the program info back about a half hour later. Everything has been great. While I was on the phone with the CSR I said go ahead and sign me up for PlayboyHD while we're at it. Now the wife wants to know why I can get Playboy, but she's still waiting for Food and HGTV.

 

[Ken F]

like there's no one button way to get to a specific guide (movies, sports) and there's no "use the last guide" button. I also miss the Turbo Tune feature on my E86 (two click access to 9 most frequently watched channels). But I'm relieved the tuning speed is improved, b/c I would've gone insane.

I do agree that the VOOM "menu" is a usability nightmare. More than a few on this forum have reported leaving VOOM, at least in part because of it.

The lack of a guide button is a major oversight, but at least the favorites can be used to provide acceptable usability. Configure your favorites, as they can be displayed using a single button on the remote. You can configure the guide button on your universal remote to use the favorites function.

If VOOM is not going to modify the existing remote to add a guide button, they should changing the behavior of the VOOM button on the existing remote. Pressing the VOOM button once could bring up the guide listing the channels last selected through that menu. Pressing the VOOM menu a second time (i.e. from the guide) could bring up the VOOM menu. That would be an acceptable solution, I think.

4) Right now, my biggest gripe with VOOM is the poor UI. For ex, when you pull up the prog guide, it always starts at the beginning instead of the channel you are watching! Staggeringly stupid.

Agreed. Customers have left VOOM because of this too. VOOM knows that this is a common complaint, so I expect they are working on it. I will be unpleasantly surprised if this is not addressed in the next software.

 

[rudolpht]

Except for the habit of not starting where one left off, I think the UI is very good, clean, and not an afterthought like the primarily SD 4:3 competitors. The video window comes up quick & is in the proper aspect ratio. I surf favorites and rarely use the larger guide options (but I also leave Titan & Zoom2it guides up on my tabbed browser too I absolutely HATE my TVguide, really ad based non-intuitive (always starts at first channel also, guide. It pained me to drop down to Marquee, but I couldn't justify keeping multiple sets of premiums on two systems, but I wanted the recordability of the 6200 STB.

As for bikinis, you should add the MaxHD pak....

 

[babyj]

Ironically, I think having so many channels can actually exacerbate the impression that they have nothing worth watching and this becomes self-defeating. They may be better off consolidating the channels to give the fewer channels the appearance of greater variety, and SIGN UP HDNET AND INHD AND EVERYTHING THERE IS OUT THERE. This will make them much more attractive than the "21 exclusive channels." You have to consider the psychology of the viewer. When he sees Auction, he's not thinking "well I guess SOMEBODY out there likes this stuff and what the heck they have bandwidth to burn apparently". He's thinking "I'm PAYING for THIS?"

I couldnt have said it better. I been trying to get that to people..its not bout the quantity..i mean you can have 20 channels of diff hd auctions..yes i know its 20 more HD Exclusive Channels..but who gives a dang. If i am going to pay 39.99 + IRD Rental fee a month i want to see more than auctions and "MOOV" Honestly how in the world can people waste their time watching that channel. Even if i was stranded on an island and i had access to nothing else i still wouldnt watch that. Instead of wasting money trying to produce your own content..pay for it. Don't spend thousands of dollars getting HD equipment to record 10 mins of news. Thats my 2 cents.

 

[LOBO2999]

I have to agree , I think The Auction and Moov channel should be only show in retail stores where Voom will be sold to be shown as a demo , I dont watch either of these channels.

 

[jwaltz666]

my wife is an Antiques Roadshow junky and even she doesn't like the V* Auction channel

 

[Karl City of Angels]

I have had Voom for about 2 weeks and have keep DirecTV so I can compare to see which I will keep.

Sorry to report DTV is winning in my book. I just can't justify Voom at $52 compared to DTV at $40 for twice the amount of SD channels. The HD exclusive have too many "B" movies, they even had a "Jan Michael Vincent" movie last week. Ugh. I Love World Sport but the same game over and over and over and over etc. etc.

Fox Sports world looks better on Voom but if it is a choice between slightly better picture and vastly superior choice; Choice wins every time eg: Beta V VHS.

Sorry Voom but I will cancel at the end of the month.

 

[Ken F]

Sorry to report DTV is winning in my book. I just can't justify Voom at $52 compared to DTV at $40 for twice the amount of SD channels.

Twice the number of SD channels? I count ~75 channels on DirecTV, when you exclude the shopping and foreign-language channels. That compares to ~54 on VOOM. DirecTV doesn't give you any HDTV for $40/mo, except CBS-HD if you qualify. DirecTV wants an additional $10.99/mo for package with ESPN-HD, Discovery HD, and the Hdnets (which offer similar content to that seen on the VOOM "exclusives," but with less selection)

DirecTV has a $10/mo off promotion, but that's only good for six months.

I do agree that there are some key channels that VOOM needs to add when MPEG-4 makes it possible -- SciFi, FOOD, HGTV, etc. I also agree that VOOM needs to significantly improve the quality on their SD channels. They are selling a service for HDTV viewers, yet SD channels are the same quality or less than other providers who optimize their SD for 25-27" televisions.

 

[Karl City of Angels]

Twice the number of SD channels? I count ~75 channels on DirecTV, when you exclude the shopping and foreign-language channels. That compares to ~54 on VOOM. QUOTE]

I Buy watches off of Shopnbc, Gold Coins off of ShopathomeTV, And in the past I have bought off of both HSN and QVC. I watch Soccer on the Mexican channels. Yes I do only get CBS in HD with DTV but with a local antenna I get all of my Locals in either digital or HD with DTV. Voom will not stay in business if all they cater to is the die hard HD crowd.

I want HD but I don't want Ed Wood grade Movies.

I hope this does not sound ultra negative, that's not how I feel, I am paying for there service and am giving my honest opinion.

 

[eschu97611]

Twice the number of SD channels? I count ~75 channels on DirecTV, when you exclude the shopping and foreign-language channels. That compares to ~54 on VOOM. QUOTE]

I Buy watches off of Shopnbc, Gold Coins off of ShopathomeTV, And in the past I have bought off of both HSN and QVC. I watch Soccer on the Mexican channels. Yes I do only get CBS in HD with DTV but with a local antenna I get all of my Locals in either digital or HD with DTV. Voom will not stay in business if all they cater to is the die hard HD crowd.

I want HD but I don't want Ed Wood grade Movies.

I hope this does not sound ultra negative, that's not how I feel, I am paying for there service and am giving my honest opinion.

Better watch out Karl-if your honest opinion contains ANY negativity towards Voom, some on this forum will label you a FLAMER and attempt to dismiss/refute any and all you post-(Freedom of Speech-as long as your comments align with the pro-Voom at any costs agenda some have on this forum) "See said the blind man-SEE"-LMAO

 

[Ken F]

I Buy watches off of Shopnbc, Gold Coins off of ShopathomeTV, And in the past I have bought off of both HSN and QVC. I watch Soccer on the Mexican channels.

If these channels are important to you, I can definitely see why DirecTV is a better alternative at this point in time. For many of us, VOOM's SD offering will be "just right" or "perfect" if they just add a few channels like SciFi, TechTV, FOOD, HGTV, and/or Discovery Science. It doesn't sound like that's true in your case.

Eschu- I think your comment is way off base. Many of us have multiple providers, or have tried all the providers, and settled on VOOM. VOOM is not "right" for everybody, and I don't think many on this forum would claim is much. There are tradeoffs with every provider.

 

[Sean Mota]

Better watch out Karl-if your honest opinion contains ANY negativity towards Voom, some on this forum will label you a FLAMER and attempt to dismiss/refute any and all you post-(Freedom of Speech-as long as your comments align with the pro-Voom at any costs agenda some have on this forum) "See said the blind man-SEE"-LMAO

I disagree with your statement. Maybe that's how it may look in a few threads and with few individuals as everyone has a right to express their opinion whether negative or positive. Go and read the archives of threads here in this forum and you will find that our attitude towards VOOM is not biased one way or the other. We call it as we see it.

I have been personally contacted by a lot of people through emails and phone calls and my attitude has not been go ahead and try VOOM but I have always said and maintained the negatives as well as the positives. There are glitches and problems with the stb, there has been PQ problems from time to time (and still in some SD & HD channels). Whenever there has been problems, we have tried to say "yes that is a problem that looks national" but other times it does not happen to everyone.

We have tried to keep a balance here. Sure there are negatives but rest assure that there are also positives. Positives that other forums have negated and have not even given a fair chance to VOOM. I hope that going forward we keep a balance and keep an objective opinion whether negative or positive about the product. Only this way, can VOOM make things right. There is no object in trying to conceal or negate problems and I believe all of them have been outlined in this forum and from what I know VOOM knows about a lot of them.

 

[eschu97611]

I disagree with your statement. Maybe that's how it may look in a few threads and with few individuals as everyone has a right to express their opinion whether negative or positive. Go and read the archives of threads here in this forum and you will find that our attitude towards VOOM is not biased one way or the other. We call it as we see it.

I have been personally contacted by a lot of people through emails and phone calls and my attitude has not been go ahead and try VOOM but I have always said and maintained the negatives as well as the positives. There are glitches and problems with the stb, there has been PQ problems from time to time (and still in some SD & HD channels). Whenever there has been problems, we have tried to say "yes that is a problem that looks national" but other times it does not happen to everyone.

We have tried to keep a balance here. Sure there are negatives but rest assure that there are also positives. Positives that other forums have negated and have not even given a fair chance to VOOM. I hope that going forward we keep a balance and keep an objective opinion whether negative or positive about the product. Only this way, can VOOM make things right. There is no object in trying to conceal or negate problems and I believe all of them have been outlined in this forum and from what I know VOOM knows about a lot of them.

Some on the forum, Sean, Some-Naming names would be childish and improper imo, but i have been called a "flamer" numerous times, as have others, for simply stating opinions which may or may not reflect negatively upon Voom-threads show this to be true-those who insist on resorting to ad homynym attacks will never assist Voom to become that which it is capable of-a service to enjoy for years and years to come.