Which Voom Channels Would You Get Rid Of?

[riffjim4069]

Where's Bravo HD? It's only point was to show the Olympics. And now it won't happen.

Who said it won't happen?

Personally, I can hardly wait to see the 2004 Summer Olympics on Bravo HD ...of course, it won't be broadcast until Winter 2005! Talk about tape delay. :yikes

 

[vurbano]

I voted "Other". I do not see a need to get rid of anything! Neither now, nor down the road:

1. VOOM is not using its maximum capacity yet.

2. The second satellite will be available in 3-4 months.

3. MPEG4/WM9 can be rolled out if the bandwidth becomes an issue.

Just keep adding new channels. No need to sacrifice anything!

the problem with your maximum capacity arguement is that the number of channels is based on an average bandwidth of 12mbps. Can we get past that capacity bologna? and the voom has everything full bullsh$t. It changes depending on the bitrate. Please dont insult me with "bitrate doesnt equal quality" either.

 

[bryan27]

You are dreaming about Voom dropping sd channels. no one else has. And I doubt voom will ever have 12 million subs like d*. I shudder to think what the cable number is. LMAO

You missed the point the HD and the SD dupplicates are part of the basic package on VOOM. On D* and cable they are part of a higher tier package. D* & Cable can't drop the SD channels because not everyone can receive the HD channel.

Since everyone with VOOM can view the HD channels there is no reason to have the SD channels. Once VOOM has several million subscribers they will have the weight of the subs behind them to demand the SDs be removed. I think the service will peak at about 3 million afew years from now. They don't have that now and can't make that demand on the channels

I wouldn't doubt that if D* or Cable put ESPN-HD in the basic package and all subs could view it the SD version would go away very quickly because they have the subscriber base to threaten removal of ESPN all together. But since they charge extra for it they aren't going to ask that the SD be removed.

 

[DarrellP]

If the SD channels got dropped, then you'd have people bitching about burn in on their 4:3 analog sets (which won't happen, BTW, if properly calibrated, I can attest to this over the last 4 years), you just can't win.

 

[vurbano]

Who said it won't happen?

Personally, I can hardly wait to see the 2004 Summer Olympics on Bravo HD ...of course, it won't be broadcast until Winter 2005! Talk about tape delay. :yikes

NBC was afraid they would be upstaged by their own station. I.e. compelling bravohd olympic coverage would compete against NBC analog content during primetime. SO instead of seeing HD olympics on BravoHD in real time, you are going to have to tune into NBC a day after to see chopped up versions of the best events. The extent of the content on BravoHD will be drastically reduced thanks to the jerks at NBC.

go here for a discussion of the issue http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=410990&highlight=olympics

 

[DarrellP]

Where's Bravo HD? It's only point was to show the Olympics. And now it won't happen. I would dump all in poll. Just keep about 3-4 Cinema channels including Monsters and AMC-HD when active. I know I'm in the minority, but I just can't watch bad programming, even if it's in HD.

This is a copy/paste from the BravoHD website:

Bravo HD+ will turn any hi-tech home theater into an entertainment powerhouse with breathtaking high-caliber performance arts, exclusive high-stakes sports coverage including the Olympics and the Triple Crown, plus The West Wing like you've never experienced it before.

 

[vurbano]

You missed the point the HD and the SD dupplicates are part of the basic package on VOOM. On D* and cable they are part of a higher tier package. D* & Cable can't drop the SD channels because not everyone can receive the HD channel.

Since everyone with VOOM can view the HD channels there is no reason to have the SD channels. Once VOOM has several million subscribers they will have the weight of the subs behind them to demand the SDs be removed. I think the service will peak at about 3 million afew years from now. They don't have that now and can't make that demand on the channels

I wouldn't doubt that if D* or Cable put ESPN-HD in the basic package and all subs could view it the SD version would go away very quickly because they have the subscriber base to threaten removal of ESPN all together. But since they charge extra for it they aren't going to ask that the SD be removed.

when do you think voom is going to have millions of subscribers? 2010? By that time the HD channels may not even be a mirror of sd content and bandwidth may not even be an issue. Voom needs to concentrate on surviving day to day at this point. They dont even have a big enough sub base to fund a spinoff yet.

 

[Dvlos]

I think about a week after joining these forums I was talking about making the Cinema10 channels genre specific, I e-mailed that suggestion to Voom as well.

 

[riffjim4069]

NBC was afraid they would be upstaged by their own station. I.e. compelling bravohd olympic coverage would compete against NBC analog content during primetime. SO instead of seeing HD olympics on BravoHD in real time, you are going to have to tune into NBC a day after to see chopped up versions of the best events. The extent of the content on BravoHD will be drastically reduced thanks to the jerks at NBC.

This is why I almost removed it from my list of favorites. I would have, but the mother in-law naps for hours on end in front of Bravo HD during her uninvited weekend visits. Ok, never mind...it is actually my favorite channel of them all.

...still not happy with NBC's coverage of HD Sports!!! El Stinko!!!

 

[bryan27]

If the SD channels got dropped, then you'd have people bitching about burn in on their 4:3 analog sets (which won't happen, BTW, if properly calibrated, I can attest to this over the last 4 years), you just can't win.

How? A 4:3 analog set will only do 480i. There isn't anything to burn in as all the channels fill the screen. The HD channels are all squeezed, there are no black bars on any of the channels unless you have a local sending black bars.

 

[DarrellP]

NOT! The HD channels are in 16:9 and there will be black bars top and bottom, I watched HD & DVD's like this for years before getting my pj.

 

[squicken]

This is a copy/paste from the BravoHD website:

Bravo HD+ will turn any hi-tech home theater into an entertainment powerhouse with breathtaking high-caliber performance arts, exclusive high-stakes sports coverage including the Olympics and the Triple Crown, plus The West Wing like you've never experienced it before.

Someone else posted the link to this discussion on avsforum. NBC has a press release saying no Olympics on Bravo-HD. Of course, last month I saw a repeat of '02 Olympics, and I'm sure Bravo-HD will air summer Olympics this fall. NBC lied to get people to buy Bravo-HD, and Voom was stupid enough to beleive them.

 

[TechCop]

Not completely...

The SD duplicates are useless.

I have a Sony 4:3 screen RP. If I'm watching SD programming on HD channel, I have a solid black box around the pic. If I go to the SD feed (and my STB is in native), I get a full screen. I appreciate that option.

 

[DarrellP]

Here's a link to the HD & SD coverage but it doesn't say what channel carries the HD.


HDTV:
24 hours a day

For the first time by a U.S. broadcaster at a Summer Olympics, NBC will provide high definition coverage. NBC's separate, unique HDTV coverage on NBC's digital affiliates, presented by Sony Electronics Inc., will provide HDTV coverage on delay of six sports from the only main Olympic venues provided in high definition by the Olympic host broadcaster. Those sports include swimming, diving, gymnastics, track and field, medal rounds of basketball and the men's soccer gold medal final. The HDTV coverage will total 399 hours and is a completely different production from the standard definition broadcast on the network. NBC has 124 HDTV affiliates with the potential to cover 86 percent of the country.

Looks like we'll probably get simulcast digital transmissions from the locals?

 

[bryan27]

NOT! The HD channels are in 16:9 and there will be black bars top and bottom, I watched HD & DVD's like this for years before getting my pj.

My Sony Trinitron 4:3 doesn't have black bars at the top and bottom of the HD 16:9 channels. The HD channels fill the entire screen and are squished to fit. I tried the RF Ch.3, S-Video, and Y-Pb-Pr video outputs and there isn't any top and bottom black bars.

I've had the STB connected to a 1996 Aptiva 13" 4:3 computer monitor and there still isn't black bars on the HD channels.

Even changing the Picture Format in the menu doesn't create top and bottom black bars on those outputs.

 

[566]

standard answer...

get the Food Network.

keep MOOV!

bag the duplicats

keep up the good work. glad to have ya.

 

[voomvoom]

I vote OTHER.... which means absolutely NONE... I prefer options and if you delete it, it's no longer an option...

 

[DarrellP]

My Sony Trinitron 4:3 doesn't have black bars at the top and bottom of the HD 16:9 channels. The HD channels fill the entire screen and are squished to fit. I tried the RF Ch.3, S-Video, and Y-Pb-Pr video outputs and there isn't any top and bottom black bars.

I've had the STB connected to a 1996 Aptiva 13" 4:3 computer monitor and there still isn't black bars on the HD channels.

Even changing the Picture Format in the menu doesn't create top and bottom black bars on those outputs.

Try putting your stb in Auto mode, I had to do that to make the picture format work properly.

 

[Tvlman]

Keep them all......and add more HD! Like....INHD1,INHD2, HDNET, HDNET MOVIES, FOXHD (if it ever happens)

I like all the channels at one time or another. Don't like all of them all of the time. Can't understand why someone would spend an hour watching MOOV and then complain. Turn the channel, dummy!

 

[bryan27]

Try putting your stb in Auto mode, I had to do that to make the picture format work properly.

If I put the STB in auto mode the HD channels won't display. I really don't see a reason why I would want to watch the HD channels in letter box when I can watch them full screen, its very easy to get used to