Direct Is Starting To Fight Back

[SpringsGuy]

Well its really not looking very good for Voom now, Everyday when i get home from work i like to watch CNN or MSNBC either or. Well anyways i had it on CNN yesterday afternoon and sure enough dure a news broadcast there was a add that came across on the bottom of the screen about DIRECT TV. The lastest news is that Direct just bought 4 high tech satellites for a measly 1 billion dollars, and Direct says it is planing on giving its subscribers 1500 local HD channels and 150 HD national channels with its new high tech satellites in 2005. Kinda scary seeing that on CNN, gets all the subscribers whether your with dish, voom, cable. Who ever you are with definetely makes you start keeping a eye on direct waiting to see what happens next.

 

[Dvlos]

The problem is this is all misled, I'd be surprised if D* has 150 national HD channels by 2005, but if they can actually do this with good quality then D* won't just crush V*, it will crush E* and cable in the future as more HDTV sets are sold.

 

[riffjim4069]

What fight? VOOM has been nothing more than a Mosquito (or Mosquito Noise ) on the rear of the Behemoth's behind. Unless VOOM can rapidly acquire subs and quickly carve out a profitable niche market, then one swat from D* and it's blood and guts time for VOOM. Personally, I didn't think D* would move so quickly and aggressively toward HD and HD locals, but the Behemoth is rolling and E* and V* should be very afraid. Of course, V* does have some options should their Business Model (or lack of Leadership) fail:

1. Form a close relationship with Cable TV and negotiate favorable terms for programming (AMC-HD, WE-HD, IFC-HD, Monsters-HD, etc.) for INHDs and other soon to be Cable HD favorites.

2. Hope that Microsoft purchases VOOM and takes Home Networking to the next level: WM9, PG services, Windows CE enabled TV, new sats, professional customer service, $$$, etc. The new line of HDTVs will have Ethernet, Firewire, ATSC/QAM tuners and Windows CE/Browsers integrated into the set. This is a huge, largely untapped, market for Bill Gates.

3. Sell VOOM DSB to E* and retain Rainbow Media and the rest of Rainbow Enterprises.

Who knows what's going to happen in the future? Competition is good!

 

[barth2k]

the spaceway satellite has been in the works for a while now. they're not "fighting back". this is their long term plan.

I don't really care if voom has a long term plan (pump and sell?). I just want them to give me a dvr, like NOW!

 

[ROLLZROYCE]

DirecTV is too expensive! I am not about to shell out $100+ a month for over 150 channels of SD crap I don't watch. I love the VaVaVoom package that gives you all the premium channels that DTV does including HD and costs less! However with Direct making an HD push, maybe Voom should concentrate on HD only, drop SD altogether and make it very affordable for those who want to add HD to their local cable/satellite for a reasonable price.

If Voom could offer just as much HD plus Voom originals without the SD crap for half the cost of DirecTV/Dishnet, they will survive.

I am telling you SD will be the death of Voom!

 

[DobyMax]

I think the death of Voom will be lack of customers, plain and simple. DTV doesn't need to worry about Voom. For what, 30,000 subs? Not enough to worry or be concerned about.

 

[slacker9876]

The problem is this is all misled, I'd be surprised if D* has 150 national HD channels by 2005, but if they can actually do this with good quality then D* won't just crush V*, it will crush E* and cable in the future as more HDTV sets are sold.

If D* had 40 National HD channels by June 2005 they would crush Voom.

DirecTV is too expensive! I am not about to shell out $100+ a month for over 150 channels of SD crap ...

I have D* and I "shell out 103.85 /mo and I have 140+ channels of SD crap, 11 HD channels (including OTA) and Playboy which stinks even in HD on Voom.

 

[Dvlos]

If D* had 40 National HD channels by June 2005 they would crush Voom.

Assuming Voom stays put and doesn't add the 29 imaginary non-network HD channels you are talking about that D* does.

For example, if D* adds ESPN2, TNTHD, StarzHD, EncoreHD, TMCHD, WealthHD, INHD 1/2, Fox Sports Florida HD, and Voom does not yes. (I know most of these channels are already ON my Voom but I'm just saying real live channels with good content)

I don't care if their new 40+ HD promo is CBS-HD East and west WOOHOO!! Sorry that doesn't count in my househould either.

I also don't care if D* has 40+ HD channels but they are 3 PPV, 2 NBA ticket HD channels, 2 more NFL Ticket channels, and 1 special events channel that isn't always on. This doesn't count either as they would not factor into a $100-$120 a month entertainment package.

I have D* and I "shell out 103.85 /mo and I have 140+ channels of SD crap, 11 HD channels (including OTA) and Playboy which stinks even in HD on Voom.

So you pay as much as I do for Voom with 1/3 of the HD channels? Huge waste of money in my household, no one likes "SD crap" anymore here.

 

[randym431]

Voom wont die, neither will Dish or cable companies. They'll just have different cuts of the share. This sat tv business is here to stay and you cant say one guy will win and all the others will die. Some will like vooms offerings, some more sports so they'll do D*, and then some will even do Dish or Cable
If you break it down to the "smarts" war, Voom is way ahead for us HD tv owners. I doubt Voom dumbs down now. They have plans too, and I'll bet their HD pvr outdoes D* HD pvr with its abilities.

 

[Dvlos]

Voom wont die, neither will Dish or cable companies. They'll just have different cuts of the share.

Right now Voom needs 1.5 million cuts and people who say "this is my share".

 

[Operator7]

So you pay as much as I do for Voom with 1/3 of the HD channels? Huge waste of money in my household, no one likes "SD crap" anymore here.

You have got to be kidding me, really. The Voom exclusives cater to such a diverse crowd, it will always be a minority in society any way you look at it. ie. rave, auction, equator, divine, moov and cinema 10 ( to name a few ).

 

[Dvlos]

What are you getting at that? That having more HD in your home doesn't matter? Voom beams in 30 to your house and you'd delete 20? I don't understand.. when I say that in my household they don't like "SD crap" I mean they, us, we, find something to watch on Voom, yes Cinema 10, Rave, Rush, WorldSport, Monsters, Animania, Equator, Gunslingers, HDNews, DHT, ESPNHD, Fox Sports FL HD, BravoHD, TNTHD, HBOHD, CINEMAXHD, ShowtimeHD, TMCHD, StarzHD, EncoreHD have all been watched in my house monthly. Tonight's hurricane game, and last night i watched some Twilight Zone on SciFi and some local weather for hurricane updates have been all the SD I've watched in the last 5 weeks.

 

[Neutron]

Unfortunately 2 of my wife's favorite channels are still in SD, Lifetime and LMN.

We both really weren't impressed with the V* Exclusive channels. The mosquito noise really bothered me.

I like that D* is taking this initiative but like I keep saying I will believe it when I see it.

 

[Dvlos]

Man D* must really be pissing you off today then. I thought Voom's PQ issues were an annoyance, but D* is taking HD owner patience to a new level this week.

 

[Neutron]

D* hasn't pissed me off. All I'm saying is that yes it's very nice that D* will be doing this next year, but I won't believe it until I actually see it happen. It's just like Voom and their DVR announcement.

D* has actually made me happy since I'm getting their HD Pak free for 6 months and I got their HD box free back in July.

 

[Dvlos]

10 HD channels and 3 HD channels on a transponder and de-rezzed, I'd give it away free too.

 

[ROLLZROYCE]

I still can't beleive that one guy on the other post bragging about E* HD. He says that the $999 STB was well worth it...maybe if it were plated with gold. Voom offers the most HD at a very affordable price. Most local cable companies and Dishnet/DirecTV have an "HD pack" that consists of 4-6 HD channels for $10-$12/month, at that rate you'd be paying another $50+/month on top of your regular programming to get even close to the same number of channels that Voom offers.

 

[branchbouncer]

If D* had 40 National HD channels by June 2005 they would crush Voom.


I have D* and I "shell out 103.85 /mo and I have 140+ channels of SD crap, 11 HD channels (including OTA) and Playboy which stinks even in HD on Voom.

I am missing something here(maybe to my favor)We have Total Choice Plus.the HD pak,HBO(we switch prems every month)and 4 stb's and our bill is 74.95 per month seems more than enough grap to have on a TV,specially with the new national channel fall line ups ,shows for idiots and retards

 

[Stargazer]

I wonder what Voom will be doing now that they know that DirecTv is going to be adding all of those HD channels.

Also there is not enough HD content out there to have 150 HD stations yet (unless they plan on upconverting them until they do become available which would not be a bad idea which would be better than having no HD option at at all).

 

[Dvlos]

I wonder what Voom will be doing now that they know that DirecTv is going to be adding all of those HD channels.

I think that if Voom had enough users to make a profit that they would reinvest it immediately to keep up with D*.. You are right there aren't 150 HD channels now, but by 2007 there should be more HD channels out there.