VOOM HD Satelite

[rcmckissick]

Has anyone out there switched over to this system/service? Their HD channel lineup seem to be the best that I have seen...and actually would be much better than Directv if you go with their total package. The only downfall...would have to give up my Football ticket.

www.voomhd.com

[Dknow]

Check out the Voom section of this forum. There is a bunch of info there. As far as what I've heard...lots of upconverting and crappy content and soon to be bought out by Dish Network.

[LonghornXP]

I had Voom and I just cancelled it and am getting soon both BHN and DirecTV. I'm sick of waiting for DirecTV to add more than 3 cinemax channels so I'm going to get premiums from BHN with their on demand services and I will be getting BHN HD Package after my 6 free months of DirecTVs HD package ends. I know that DirecTVs package is overpriced now when BHN has for a max of 7 bucks a month HDNet, HDNet Movies, InHD 1 & 2, ESPN HD, Discovery HD and TNT HD. So I would gain three HD channels for less money that have good content while losing Bravo HD+ that has crap. I'm not sure but I may be back with BHN for most video services but DirecTV still for ST package. I'm going to try out BHN SD and HD DVRs and I might keep them. DirecTV had a chance to put BHN away in my book but if DirecTV keeps doing nothing while BHN has a decent working DVR both SD and HD and in the future allows multroom DVR viewing I may have to really consider switching back with BHN. I never thought I'd ever say this but BHN is looking better and better by the day and I might just have to switch back to cable even with an analog lineup. I never dreamed I would ever be considering going back with BHN but I have to give credit where credit is due. Right now BHN is doing more than DirecTV today.

[CANDY76MAN]

the hd dvr alone is enough to keep me with BHN...I wouldn't want to be without one now that I'm used to it and getting hddvr capability with directv is just way to expensive.

I may be dropping roadrunner soon though, unless bhn plans to offer comparable bandwidth and pricing in the near future to what Verizon's fios is supposed to be.

[bdraw]

the hd dvr alone is enough to keep me with BHN...I wouldn't want to be without one now that I'm used to it and getting hddvr capability with directv is just way to expensive.

I may be dropping roadrunner soon though, unless bhn plans to offer comparable bandwidth and pricing in the near future to what Verizon's fios is supposed to be.

That is kinda funny to me, since the main reason I went to D* was to get away from the BHN HD DVR, and be able to use a HDTivo.

I hope to get the Fios soon too, but not holding my breath.

[CANDY76MAN]

the hd dvr alone is enough to keep me with BHN...I wouldn't want to be without one now that I'm used to it and getting hddvr capability with directv is just way to expensive.

I may be dropping roadrunner soon though, unless bhn plans to offer comparable bandwidth and pricing in the near future to what Verizon's fios is supposed to be.

That is kinda funny to me, since the main reason I went to D* was to get away from the BHN HD DVR, and be able to use a HDTivo.

I hope to get the Fios soon too, but not holding my breath.

If I had a spare two grand laying around I would prefer a couple of hdtivo's too but I'm not that fortunate :?

[jaymer]

after a few months of sparse use, i had my Voom removed last friday. i took advantage of the free install before the Olympics, and then there wasn't much on there to watch. The BHN PVR makes all the difference.
and they don't seem to be improving anything, and with a continuing loss of subscribers, its heading for death.

jaymer...

[chupacabra]

Here is what keeps me from Voom: it's only good for my hdtv... what do i do for my other 2 standard tv's? get BHN? It's too expensive to have parrallel service providers.

Jaymer,
Please let us know what the picture quality is like on BHN and what the monthy recurring cost is for the package with PVR.
Is NBC the only broadcast channel not available in HD with BHN?

Thanks!

[rcmckissick]

I will do some checking out in the Voom forum...actually jumped before looking at the other forums. I am confused...looking at their site...seems to me that they have ton's of HD...and SD for the same channels and more...even local channels. I am tired of Directv...price is crazy with all the options added and not much HD for the money. Once NFL season is over...need to change to something. A DVR would be nice with whichever system I end up with...

Thanks again...

[jaymer]

goat boy - where ya been man? nice to hear from you again.
you are exactly correct about the additional boxes... i signed up under free installation, and took 3 boxes total. i was paying a "mirror" charge, plus the box rental for each one.
I never dropped BHN, as thats what gets analog signal (ie. no cable box required) to all the misc. tvs around the house, patio, etc. Since Voom only had the expensive HD versions of the box to offer, as opposed to the really cheap D* boxes where they now give you 4 free per install, then its not econmically feasible to have 6 of those if Voom was the only source of signal. Its a hole in their marketing if you ask me. Perfect for a couple who has 1 HD and maybe 1 other tv in the bedroom, but move beyond that scenario to a big house & family and Voom doesn't work. My installer told me he's taking out tons of them.

As we've said in the past (and you'd know this if you came around more :) ) - BHN still doesn't have NBC or UPN. And add WB if you consider them HD now. Thats a big bummer if you're already on Satellite with a receiver that includes OTA - because you're gonna lose that OTA going to BHN and need a $200 minimum OTA tuner box if you "have to" see NBC or UPN.

PQ is fine - I have no problems with that. And if you'll read the BHN forum about the PVR issues you'll find its not perfect, but its better than investing in a $900 HDTivo which is only available for D*.

[jaymer]

rcmckissick
well, you're right, after the end of football, the 'exclusive'ness of nfl sunday ticket is gone and all the providers might be similar.
Voom appears to have all you see, thats why I got it to check it out.

1) we complain a lot about the BHN guide on the PVR (actually, not so much the guide but the PVR capabilities) and the guide system on Voom stinks... to ME. It was even worse when Voom first came out... crazy things like when you brought up the guide, it was always on the first channel, regardless of where you were currently tunes. Its got better, but crappy to me for this reason. Once you sit down to see whats on, you turn to the western channel, for example and see "oh, i'm in the middle of the movie - not going to watch this" so while its playing you can peek ahead at the channels above/below you. So, you basically go channel by channel one at a time searching for something else to watch. OK, so you go down 20 channels and find something and all you see is the title until you hit info... and while you are searching for the info button on the remote (i had this for 3 months) it times out and closes the peek window and you're back at the western - now you need to go through all the 20 channels again to try and hit the info this time before it times out on you again. if this was 5-10 seconds longer it would be no problem, but its not and i don't think they have the money to make changes, so you're screwed. so, surfing is a pain.
2) the guide on my wife's box never worked - it would usually say 'no program info available' when you'd first use the box. they 'say' it needed a firmware download but it never got fixed
3) does the term "preaching to the choir" mean anything to you. Voom has these 20 exclusive content channels... and every subscriber gets them. so why in hell would i want to watch one of these channels and have advertisements telling me about all of Voom's exclusive content? Basically, they cross-sell the same crap you already have... remember, these guys are "Cablevision Inc", so they've been in the cable business and use this old outdated marketing method.
4) You think the 24-hr HD news channel will be nice - its crap. full of soft news that repeats if you watch it more than 1-2 hours... and of course LOADED with commercials for the other Voom channels --- aaarrrggghhhh
5) since movies aren't staggered (i mean like on sat you'll have the same movie on 4 diff. channels all starting at varying times) then when you sit down, invariably there's nothing on unless you want to come in in the middle of a movie... sorry, i don't.
6) there promise of a PVR hasn't materialized, so without that, its worthless for scheduling reasons.
7) plan on VaVaVoom for $80/month, or else you're not getting enough channels. What good are 7 Showtimes when only 1 is HD (ok 2, the east and west feed, but i still count that as 1)? Yes the price for that ONE showtime HD is $15. and the one HBO is $15. Oh, want Cinemax HD, same thing. So, by the time you want 3 of these, you're at the top tier for $80/mo
8) HD MarqueePack - Discovery (which us BHN people have had for over a year) is good... but even on BHN its old and has a ton of repeated stuff you won't watch. TNT HD is upconverted crap. Bravo HD is crap. so this fee is again for 1 channel.

so, there's my take - its crap

jaymer...

[chupacabra]

Thanks Jaymer, good info. I've been good hope you have been good too.

Right now, I really want UPN and NBC... so I guess it's either OTA and basic BHN or D* with OTA (and purchase that 1000.00 HDTIVO). These are the most flexible solutions for combo standard and HDTV needs IMO.

Thanks.

[jaymer]

chupa... well, i gotta have my NBC and UPN also, for Vegas and StarTrek.
but let me tell you about an alternative.

assume you go with BHN and get the digital PVR - i just spoke with a nice lady named "Ally" over at the Regency office.
There a competitve deal for switching from DirecTV/DISH...
Standard Digital
$56/month for 12 months - $84 normal
150 channels
music
icontrol
guide
plus the PVR service (usually $12.95 per month)
this includes the SA8300HD PVR also

if you want INHD, INHD2, HDNet, HDNetMovie, ESPN-HD, its +$6

ok, so that WOULD NOT BE upn or nbc.
check out www.tvtorrents.net
from there, you can get any TV show you want, burn it to DVD (or just play the AVI file on your PC) and play on your progressive scan DVD player and it looks great.
I regularly watch Everwood, The Mountain and Smallville this way because the local WB affiliate sucks. And these already have the commercials removed.

So, if you have high speed internet, you can get these and still not hassle with the antenna OR the out of pocket HDTIVO.

jaymer...

[chupacabra]

Thanks Jaymer, that is an interesting alternative. However, I am not a D* customer so I will have to get creative with that.

I'll check out that link I never heard of that, sounds really cool.

I'll update when I decide what direction I will go.

Take care,
Chupacabra