If AMC-14 launch was successful would VOOM still exist?

[PopcornNMore]

Do you believe if the AMC-14 launch was successful all the VOOM channels still would exist?

 

[wetz73]

I think the fact that VOOM is in the process of going away is 100% due to the folks at VOOM not doing anything to upgrade programming. People have been complaining for quite a while that everything is repeated ad nauseum on these channels yet nothing changed. E* bumps them to the Ultimate package because of it, VOOM files suit, E* dumps them for not investing the agreed-upon amount per the contract into new programming. It's all business, not bandwidth.

 

[M Sparks]

Considering I wouldn't be able to see AMC-14 anyway, I can't see how it mattered in this case. Unless they put Voom on 148...

...I totally get it now. THAT'S what this is all about. All this talk about wanting to put it on a different tier. They already did, really...they came up with an HD tier that didn't include it.

Voom cost extra when it was only available to certain people. Once they put it up in locations just about everyone could see, it became part of the general HD package.

Charlie wants Voom on Eastern/Western arc only...I bet that's it. He wants Eastern/Western to be a different service all together, maybe with different pricing. Maybe I'm way off base, but it makes perfect sense now.

 

[nlk10010]

I think it had to play a role.

It's all about cost-benefit. It's reasonable to conclude that Dish needs more of the "mainstream" HD channels; if AMC-14 had made it it's also reasonable to infer that they would have had the capacity to add them all without removing anthing else. That is, the opportunity cost of having VOOM would have been low. But since AMC-14 didn't make it VOOM is occupying space that needs to be used for more HD.

I don't doubt Charlie instituted the VOOM action before the fate of AMC-14 was known, I just believe that had AMC-14 made it Charlie would not have pursued this particular course of action, this quickly.

But, again, all just a guess.

 

[RandallA]

Do you believe if the AMC-14 launch was successful all the VOOM channels still would exist?

No. This has been in the works for a few months now. There's a PDF in one of the threads, look at the time line stated by Dish Network and it clearly shows you that the AMC-14 launch failure has nothing to do with removing the Voom channels.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

I was gonna say I was pretty sure all the legal action between Voom and Dish started a few months ago before AMC-14 was even launched. So no I dont see how it would have mattered.

 

[BobaBird]

The capacity increase AMC14 would have given is only incremental. E*3 has suffered so many failures of primary and backup systems that it can no longer trasmit on all the transponders it is authorized to. It has become the clunker that will get you to work and the store, but can no longer get up to highway speed. AMC14 would have restored only 2 transponders but a whole lot of reliability. Two other transponders recently gained from the demise of Sky Angel continue to come from E*3 but are now available for Dish programming. The new HD locals from 61.5° are possible due to using the spot beams on E*12 which started before the launch of AMC14.

Also note that on Monday the 17 new channels and VOOM were all being carried by the existing satellites. Nothing was removed to allow the new additions.

 

[Jim5506]

Wouldn't be too surprised to see Voom back on Dish. Charlie has played his cards, lets see if Voom has the proper response.

 

[digiblur]

Last time I checked the VOOM video streams were still kicking and there was a 100% empty TP on 129 and 61.5 transmitting.

 

[grodd]

Last time I checked the VOOM video streams were still kicking and there was a 100% empty TP on 129 and 61.5 transmitting.

This is likely a dumb question, but how do you check? Is this something any customer can check?

 

[jacmyoung]

I am not against the notion that Charlie is trying to force VOOM's hand, but for this to work, VOOM not only has to agree to allow maybe only 5 or even less total channels, but must consolidate all the content into that 5 new channels.

I just don't think VOOM can do so in a short time even if it agrees to do it.

 

[digiblur]

This is likely a dumb question, but how do you check? Is this something any customer can check?

With TSReader and a 8PSK tuner card.

 

[kvnfl]

I think it had to play a role.

It's all about cost-benefit. It's reasonable to conclude that Dish needs more of the "mainstream" HD channels; if AMC-14 had made it it's also reasonable to infer that they would have had the capacity to add them all without removing anthing else. That is, the opportunity cost of having VOOM would have been low. But since AMC-14 didn't make it VOOM is occupying space that needs to be used for more HD.

I don't doubt Charlie instituted the VOOM action before the fate of AMC-14 was known, I just believe that had AMC-14 made it Charlie would not have pursued this particular course of action, this quickly.

But, again, all just a guess.

Yep. D* is offering the same load of dung, without the golden WFN, for $5.

Translated: DirecTV offers Universal HD, MGM HD, Smithsonian HD, HDnet Movies, and MHD for $5 more a month. NHL and NBA Networks are on other tiers.

Dish offers the same plus NHL Network and NBA Network, and the much anticipated WFN HD, for $10 more a month. MHD is on a lower tier.

Another way to look at this is with Dish you're savings are $10 month. With DirecTV you save only $5 a month. So Dish offers an additional $5 a month savings over the competition just by dropping HD add ons.

 

[Stargazer]

Where Voom may have once been considered a premium due to lack of HD content is no longer considered a premium for a few reasons ...

(1) New HD content available from other sources making HD becoming more of a standard in the industry.

(2) Repeats of the HD content without much if any new HD content being made available.

I do not blame Dish Network for it's decision to drop the Voom channels. Perhaps Dish was still paying a premium to be able to receive the content. Dish only has so much room and would probably rather have different content than those Voom channels. Now if they could get a bit of a better deal then that might be a different story.

 

[kevink]

I hadn't even noticed them vanishing until I saw this thread. I go through cycles of watching Monster, but the last few weeks, when I watch TV, I've been making a big effort to watch shows recorded over the last year so I can free up DVR space.

They had a tendency to build up because of the time required to watch them, and of course they would get worse as new episodes built up.

BSG, for example, was especially bad because I had all but the first few episodes of season 3 waiting to be watched, but I had to wait on the DVDs to be released so I could watch the first episodes. Now, I'm about 1/3 of the way through season 3. My goal is to catch up before new episodes finish airing.

 

[FitzAusTex]

Where Voom may have once been considered a premium due to lack of HD content is no longer considered a premium for a few reasons ...

(1) New HD content available from other sources making HD becoming more of a standard in the industry.

(2) Repeats of the HD content without much if any new HD content being made available.

I do not blame Dish Network for it's decision to drop the Voom channels. Perhaps Dish was still paying a premium to be able to receive the content. Dish only has so much room and would probably rather have different content than those Voom channels. Now if they could get a bit of a better deal then that might be a different story.

Smithsonian needs to be dropped then. they have next to no programming (supposedly only 100 hours total). an USA could go next...havent we seen all the Law and Orders and Monks yet? surely they could just put Burn Notice of NBC...