Voom promises of 50 channels, price reduction, etc

[riffjim4069]

If you guys think that vOOM PQ looks as good as other providers, there is something wrong!. If you want to call me a complainer, fine, I will cry and complain till they fix it. And dont give me the same old line to go to another provider if i dont like voom, I love Voom, I just want to have comparable PQ with other providers, thats it!!

You'll hear no argument about from me about the PQ...however I'm going to be the voice of reason and state that nobody offers the 40+ HD channels like VOOM at present so, to me, there really are no acceptable alternatives:

Cable (Adelphia): 12-13Mb which looks identical to VOOM HD.
DirecTV: HD Lite and so few HD channels
Dish Network: looks great on their...what...6-7 channels.

If VOOM can survive, break away from Cablevision, and start broadcasting on Rainbow-2, then I'm sure we'll see full bitrate HD once again and not the bitrate starved overstuffing we have been fed since at least the Thanksgiving timeframe. We shall see...

Again, VOOM HD looks pretty good...but it is currently not the jaw dropping experience so many of us expect to see.

 

[negreenfield]

mod. edit

Anyway, I'm tempted to do the upgrade but I currently have a house for sale, I think my best option is to cancel while I live in an apartment for a couple months, then move to the new house and sign up again. Can someone clear up what the actual cost is if you change pricing plans? Is each box $5, or do you get 1 box included in the $49.99 or $89.99?

 

[inkpump]

Upgrade if possible

I took the upgrade last week and added 3 rooms to support VOOM. I know one person seems insignificant but I could afford it and wanted my voice to count.

Technical question ? Why are some of my channels out of synch between the voice and picture - is it my equipment or their signal?

 

[DarrellP]

Sorry Jones, it's about QUALITY, something many people here do not see, though in some instances, SIZE does matter ;-) It helps to have the size to see what you don't viewing on a smaller screen.

As for Voom fighting for it's life, if this is the best PQ they ever deliver, they can die and I would not miss them. RIP Voom. I'd rather have 7 HD channels from Dish that look spectacular than 40 HD channels that suck.

Inkpump, welcome to the world of digital, this will happen periodically with any digital broadcast, it's the nature of digital.

 

[inkpump]

Synch Problem

Thanks Darrel
Is it the same for all digital broadcasters? Sometimes its so bad it's like bad dubbing!
For all the technical advances do I really have to live with it?

 

[cohiba]

DarrellP,

I'll admit to being a newbie, and I'll admit to having a tendency to cut Voom some slack while things are ironed out. But I am watching Voom on my Panasonic AE700U on the same size screen as you, and I think it looks awesome. Watching WorldSport has made me a soccer fan. And I can sit and watch those stupid travel-type shows on Equator all day--just because it looks so incredible. If the PQ can really be improved as much as your comments imply, I'm in big trouble--cause I don't think I'll ever leave my couch!

Having said that, I actually think it's vital that subs like you continue to voice your concern regarding PQ, lest Voom forget what really makes them different. But I also would like to come here and read just a few threads that don't get wrapped up in the same issues over and over (e.g RSNs, PQ).

I like Vicki's idea of starting a particular PQ thread on a particular show that we can all watch, and then comment on. I for one would find it enlightening...

 

[Voom4Me]

Good Idea...

Can a few of us (preferably including the major picture critics, who I hesitate to name...(well maybe not much)...VURBANO AND DARRYLLP...)! get together and agree on a single program to watch at the same time, then report our "findings"? It would help us newbies to learn to evaluate what we see, and might just highlight any abnormalities in what we "expect" to see...

Hey Vicki, I tried to address some of the misunderstandings between those early day members that witnessed Voom’s True HD and those members that have only been exposed to the HD that Voom is delivering today.

I did not what to re-post it here, as this thread was not originally about PQ, but you can read the post by following this link.

P.S. I think comparing apples to apples is a good idea, but in finding volunteers for your experiment, you would have to select members that have similar setups, (type of screen, size, and how it’s connected.) for the test to be effective.

 

[inkpump]

hey Cohiba
I agree! I sometimes watch something just because the picture is so good. I feel a real sense of dissappointment when I switch to SD. I have a 32" Toshiba HD Tube which always looks fantastic and a 42" panasonic Plasma which is not quite so good

 

[Ilya]

Off-topic posts deleted.

 

[diver90]

Well I just got a side benefit from all this activity. I re-examined my bill and found they were overcharging me by $14 / month (box / mirror fees were too high). Spoke to CS and am getting that fixed now.

 

[compurocker]

So is there a difference between leasing and buying when it comes to additional receivers? Looking at their website if you lease it is $14.50 per month per additional receiver and if you buy it is $5 per month per additional receiver. If leasing goes down to $5 per month, is buying going to stay at $5 per month?

I wish they didn't have to send an installer and charge me $50. My second room is already wired (used to have VOOM in there) and I could plug the box in myself. If it really is only $5 a month and VOOM looks like it's going to stick around, i'll probably pay the $50. Though I might wait to see what happens with the DVR. Wouldn't want them to have to come out again to get that setup.

 

[vurbano]

Actually richard_rd, it’s only a $5 increase, because the cost of the STB would go down by $5.
Personally I’m not going to cry over $5, but I don’t think that rate was for a specific period of time. When I originally got Voom, they had recently lowered the pricing to $39.90 and that was how it was being promoted at the time. It was not a “deal” for a period of time, but the actual “lower” rate being quoted for service, at least when I came aboard. But… If it goes up, it’s still worth it in my book for the amount of HD Voom offers.

Now let me open another can of worms…

My decision to upgrade to VaVa Voom is more a consideration of Value than of cost. I picked Voom for its HD content, so I have to determine if it’s worth increasing my monthly subscription by more than double what I pay today (39.90 vs. 89.90) for ONLY 6 more HD channels? (not including Encore, or the 4 duplicates (east vs. west) and without the HD-DVR I can’t even record them.

I’m all about the HD, so even at the higher rate of $49.90 for Basic, do I think Voom is worth it for 39 HD Channels? ABSOLUTELY!
Do I think going to the $89.90 rate for a net 6 more HD Channels is worth it? Still thinking about it… Voom, can you sweeten the deal???

I count 11. And east and west coast feeds are essential without a DVR. Twice as much chance that something you will enjoy is playing during your viewing time.

1.StarzHDeast
2.StarsHDwest
3.TMCHD
4.ENCOREHD
5.CinemaxHD east
6.Cinemaxhd west
7.showtimehd east
8.showtimehd west
9.HBOHD east
10.HBOHD west
11. WealthHD

 

[CAsuarez]

voom April Fools Day

What's the deal?
Is Voom going to around April Fools Day?

 

[Plasmata]

Technical question ? Why are some of my channels out of synch between the voice and picture - is it my equipment or their signal?

Most likely its your TV. It takes time for it to process the HD picture. I have a receiver that lets me delay the audio to get it in synch.

 

[Voom4Me]

Although useful, still duplicates in my book…

I count 11. And east and west coast feeds are essential without a DVR. Twice as much chance that something you will enjoy is playing during your viewing time.

vurbano, I agree that having both the east and west versions of these channels does give you more flexibility, but personally I would trade them for other HD channels that would increase the amount of HD programming overall, especially when the DVR is released. I’m sure we could come up with four HD channels that we would rather have in place of these duplicates.
I also did not include Encore, which is slated to be removed from our lineup soon. Hence, that is how I arrived at the six-channel figure…

 

[djjsin]

ya the recievers are $5 a month if you lease more then one. I was grandfathered into a $10 lease, with a 79.99 a month vavavoom service, but when i saw the reciever deal, i called them up, turns out they no longer have the mirroring fee, i would have to pay $50 to get the second reciever, and since i'm leasing 2 now, then the price drops for $10 for one, to $5 each. The only problem to it was that i lost my 79.99 vavavoom service, it went up to 89.99, but i'm not paying for the service for the next couple of months, and by the time i would have to pay for the service, i would lose my grandfathered price anyways, cause i got it in may of 2004 so i said f**k it. Cost me $50 to install it, and i'm not paying a penny more on my bill (for the next couple of months)

 

[ocgrant]

Just talked to a CSR about this upgrade...what a joke..the deal is only good for six months..then they stick you back with the old price on each reciever you have at that time. I told the CSR it doesn't say that in my letter....He said a lot of people are complaining but that is the deal...I hung up and was pissed off here I am trying to support a dying company that I like their service and this is the deal they try to stick it to their valued customers....That bites...I was going to cancel cable tomorrow and add 3 voom recievers tonight thinking it was going to only be $15.00 more a month for the life of my contract.....I think Voom it desperate to screw its exsisting customers...I want an e-mail address of this Dave Smith guy on my letter from Voom so I can give him a piece of advice since he is their Chief Marketing Officer...Bottom line is I don't see any fine print on my letter that says in 6 months we get to screw you with the old price....I think I will e-mail a copy of this letter to the FCC and the FTC to see what they say....
Bye bye Voom and Hello DTV you just lost a good customer

 

[mudpup2003]

I understand what your saying, however, before you jump ship, just remember to get D* with HD.. it will cost you alot more, including the cost of the reciever, NOT FREE. Just food for thought.

 

[itsdavetime]

All sounds great, but where is the DVR????

 

[riffjim4069]

Current Promotion Offer and STB Rental Pricing...

Just talked to a CSR about this upgrade...what a joke..the deal is only good for six months..then they stick you back with the old price on each reciever you have at that time. I told the CSR it doesn't say that in my letter....He said a lot of people are complaining but that is the deal...I hung up and was pissed off here I am trying to support a dying company that I like their service and this is the deal they try to stick it to their valued customers....That bites...I was going to cancel cable tomorrow and add 3 voom recievers tonight thinking it was going to only be $15.00 more a month for the life of my contract.....I think Voom it desperate to screw its exsisting customers...I want an e-mail address of this Dave Smith guy on my letter from Voom so I can give him a piece of advice since he is their Chief Marketing Officer...Bottom line is I don't see any fine print on my letter that says in 6 months we get to screw you with the old price....I think I will e-mail a copy of this letter to the FCC and the FTC to see what they say....
Bye bye Voom and Hello DTV you just lost a good customer

I cancelled and reinstalled in December in order to get 2 additional receivers under the current promotion offer - $5 STB rental. I lost my grandfathered pricing...however the offer sounded great, but details of the offer weren't clear so I called VOOM since I didn't want to get stuck with old pricing after 6 months. I called VOOM and had a CSR and her supervisor verify the $5 rental w/no mirror fees would remain in effect for the life of the contract. Although all calls are supposedly recorded, I noted the names of the CSR and Supervisor and well as details of the conversation. I also asked that my account be noted with the fact I was promised this deal for life...and not just 6 months.

Anyway, I have the $5 STB rental for life and it is my understanding that everyone is supposed to receive the same offer. Are there any VOOM Reps lurking who wish to shed more light on this situation.

Q: Will customers under the current promotion offer, who are paying $5 rental per receiver, be subject to paying $14.50 rental/mirror per receiver after 6 months?