Will you stay when Voom raises rates?

[DarrellP]

I voted to leave but that may not happen. I finally got my roommate to agree to contribute $30/month toward the TV bill. I had been footing the entire bill myself and when he moved in he said he rarely watched TV. Well guess what? His ass is camped in front of the tube all the time so I had a talk with him and he agreed to pay some of the bill.

I still don't think Voom is worth the extra $10/month though. I get more viewing time from my $16/month Dish HD Pack than I do from my $64/month Voom. The main reason I want to keep Voom is so I can record while watching another show, that alone is almost worth the cost of the service and when they add a PVR & WM9, I'll stop complaining (assuming the PQ goes up).

Anyone know if Voom is holding off on improving the Program Planner options since the PVR is supposedly coming soon? I really need some regular programming options in there, it sucks having to set a timer EVERY DAY for the same shows.

 

[Ilya]

If VOOM raises its price by $10/month, I will still be paying less than what I was paying to my cable company just several months ago, for a similar SD channel line-up with just 3 HD channels.
And since I really enjoy the 21 exclusive channels on VOOM, the choice for me is easy!

 

[shelly]

Vavavoom is going up $10.

Isn't Playboy/Hot also going up $5?

I'll keep Vavavoom but drop Playboy, and may see my bill drop by $5/month.

Shelly

 

[DarrellP]

Besides pricing, several key questions need to be answered in order to evaluate VOOM for 2005 and beyond:

1. Is the first release of the DVR going to be a stand-alone version or will it be capable of Whole Home Networking (WHN)?

http://www.voom.com/see_it/future.jsp

 

[vurbano]

OMG they must be about to release!

You just keep thinking that Sparky.

 

[riffjim4069]

DarrellP,

I guess a better question would be will the DVR software be Whole Home Networking enabled and will thin-clients be available when released or will the software feature and thin-clients follow at some point in the future? Ilya?

 

[DarrellP]

It looks like the website answers your question:

With the introduction of our HD-DVR, you'll be able to watch and record any channel, whenever you want, in both standard and high definition. Every recording is a perfect digital version of the original. The VOOM DVR has multiple tuners, enabling you to record two shows while you’re watching a third! And you can expand the DVR’s usefulness even further with our Whole House Solution.

Our upcoming Whole House Solution extends the power of our DVR throughout your home. With a single click, you can pause live TV and HDTV, then go to another room and pick up where you left off. It also connects your TV and PC entertainment like never before. You can access your PC and enjoy digital music and photos on any TV in the house. That's VOOMing!

I read this to be that the PVR will be first, followed by the WHS, but by how long?

 

[riffjim4069]

I read this to be that the PVR will be first, followed by the WHS, but by how long?

That's what I was thinking, however VOOM appears to be sending mixed signals or else my antenna is in need of serious adjustment. Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the UCentric home entertainment server and thin-clients featured at both CEDIA in January and at CES in September?

Wouldn't it be much easier to release a working DVR when ready and then work on fine-tuning client/server software components for a later release? Yes! So why in blue-blazes did they feature the Ucentric client/server stuff last month at CES and not feature a working DVR prototype (aka Motorola DSR-580)? I don't know and not a lot people jumped on this when Scott and Ilya sent their reports back from CES. I can only conclude that VOOM is going to release the entire ball of wax or they have encountered significant manufacturing delays with the DSR-580.

Also, if they are currently in production you would have thought something would have leaked by now. Are we certain the DVR/Server is even going to be made by Motorola?

 

[vinnyv07]

Im a Directv sub also with the free HD pack for 6 mths....Im a VOOM sub for their basic pack. I really dotn like the idea of paying more than I am currently. The DVR means nothing to me because with the paying of 2 bills for 2 providers is kind of tuff to begin with. I'll Stay....IF VOOM has something other than their exclusives that Directv doesnt. After the football season ends I expect Directv to add a ton of HD....maybe they will ...maybe they wont. If Directv gets StarzHD...and TNTHD....that would mean that Im paying 60 bucks a mth for MONSTERSHD and Rave...which are really the only 2 ch's I watch along with TNTHD. Im not paying 60 bucks a mth for 2 ch's no matter what they are. So I voted that if StarzHD is added and TNTHD is added ...Im gone.

 

[riffjim4069]

If Directv gets StarzHD...and TNTHD....that would mean that Im paying 60 bucks a mth for MONSTERSHD and Rave...which are really the only 2 ch's I watch along with TNTHD. Im not paying 60 bucks a mth for 2 ch's no matter what they are. So I voted that if StarzHD is added and TNTHD is added ...Im gone.

Those are all great points! In my case, I will be paying anywhere from $36-$68 more, depending on VOOM's 2005 pricing model, for the VOOM Exclusives over the local Cable Co. who is doing a pretty good job of HD and HD DVR.

IMO, VOOM needs to fill-in the holes in their Cable Favorites line, add HD RSNs, support PPV to include ESPN GamePlan etc., introduce additional HD channels as they become available, introduce a state of the art multi-room DVR, provide the absolute best PQ, and offer a competitive pricing model and product solution in which other provider subscriptions can be terminated. I would be willing to pay the extra $30-40 ($360-$480 per year), but they had better be prepared to offer me something special for that kind of money.

 

[gunn55]

WM9 is overdue. The new channels are almost a month late. Leases began in October. Where are they? I dont see how a company on the verge of being sold can talk about rate increases and future channels. The news has been almost nonexistant. This company has been to how many tech shows without even a prototype DVR? All theyve shown us is an empty box run by a computer. Im sorry but its getting time to sh$t or get off the pot.

Amen.
If V* charges an extra 10 bucks, I better be able to turn on my TV and say WOW! to all the new changes.
If not this charter member is gone.
It is hard for me to hold on now with all the silence and no new channel's witch should be a given like HGTV,FOOD just to mention a couple.