May 1st where will you be? Dish, Cable or DirecTV?

[bookwalk]

Trade in my Sony 42" for a smaller HD TV and go back to my C-band satellite and forget about HD all together for now.

 

[Radicalman]

So, what are they going to do with the Voom satellite? Just turn the bitch off and let it hang?

 

[dnyce]

Comcast all the way !!!

I would agree that Comcast has the best deal by far for HD. You can rent a HD DVR and you get all locals plus InHD and a few other good HD channels.
BUT if you ever see what Comcast SD looks like on a big screen you'll loose your lunch. Not pretty. When they go all digital it will be a great option.

 

[ChrisDuncan]

I will just go back to Directv. I have everything still installed because I get NFL Ticket every year and just stopped my service after the last NFL season. Right now my service is suspensed until ticket starts again but I was told I could re-start service at anytime and I will be able to keep my earlybird discount for the ticket. I hate to do it because since getting VOOM I purchased another HDTV for my bedroom and I only have one Directv HD receiver so I would have to pay $349.00 for another HD Receiver and commit to their small very limited HD package for 6 months or a year.

That's what I hate about DirecTV. I have one of their HD receivers (Samsung) and it cost me $299. So for me to have HD in 3 rooms like I currently do with Voom I'd have to shell out another $600. No way can I justify doing that for just handful of HD channels.

If I could get a couple more D* HD receivers for $49 like I did with Voom then sure, I'd do it right away, but that's not an option.

I'm just really hoping Voom lets us hang onto our old receivers. I want to use them for OTA HD. It's better than nothing.

If somehow Dish was able to offer the Voom21 I'd consider going with them too if I didn't have to buy the equipment. It's just a bad time for HD right now. Since I still have D* installed it won't be much of hassle for me like it will a lot of people, but still, this is a huge step back for the future of HD programming. Maybe D* will really start making a commitment to HD, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[rad]

Please forgive me for asking, but are there any options for D* or E* that don't require a year contract???

My understanding on the D* commitment is that if you cancel the sevice before the end of the commitment you either pay a $150 charge or just return all the hardware. You might want to call D*, or even www.valueelectronics.com, and see what they say the story is.

 

[tvrobert]

Hey, if you guys haven't seen this yet (and I apologize if you have) check out http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-04-05-speed-usat_x.htm

If one were to draw an inference or three, bandwidth limitations would cease to be an issue if HD programming was available on-demand. You'd only be clogging the "pipe" so-to-speak with one program at a time, rather than trying to cram the whole works through at once. If they were to agree, networks and other content providers could offer completely non-linear versions of their programming. Increased narrow-casting could give anyone what they're looking for, all in spectacular, full-bandwidth HD.

Sweeeet

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

Bad link on that previous post.

I am going back to my local independent cinema on a regular basis. Forget TV until somebody comes out again with quality, commercial-free HD.

 

[TheForce]

"Pal: UPGRADE TO VA-VA NOW! What's the best time if not this???"

Huh? I did at the beginning of the month! The CSR surprised me with informing me that I get it at the original price point. As a veteran subscriber, I was grandfathered in with last years prices. Considering the adjustment to my bottom line it cost me a dollar more per month. My only mistake was not doing it sooner!

 

[tvrobert]

Bad link on that previous post.

See if it's better now. It had worked and the source folks modified it.

 

[bookwalk]

I wonder if the repercussions of this action will really be understood.

My decision to get out of HD all together is probably irreversible. If VOOM has no more encouraging information by next Tuesday, which is when I will be exchanging my large-screen HD tv for a smaller HD compatible TV that will look better (CRT rather than LCD) with SD channels.

Recent purchases of HD tv's may go as this--returned or exchanged.

Also, any future business with ANY HD provider may suffer. I realize many of you will go to Cable (not available to me) or D* or Direct*, but I won't--not now or not ever.

VOOM will probably suffer irreparable damage for those who view this forum--noone will want to renew something that keeps shutting down every 30 days.

I have the option of C-band, but it is good only, really for SD--not a lot of HD and I don't want to invest in any more equipment.

So, after next week, even if some other form of Satellite VOOM emerges, I will NOT re-subscribe--I'll have already traded in the HD tv and weaned myself off of HD for a L O N G time.

Sad, but true. I think/hope there will be a poll emerging from this thread that would get the hard facts and numbers of what the 50,000 subscribers plan to do about:

1) HD tv ownership
2) Dish sub
3) Direct Sub
4) C-band Sub
5) Cable
6) OTA only
7) Nothing

THose numbers would be interesting--but how many of the 50,000 subscribers see this forum? How many of the 50,000 subscribers visit the VOOM website and will react to that? VOOM will never get them back.

Even if VOOm re-emerged in some other form, this has done a lot of irreparable damage, in my opinion. I hope I am wrong.

If they don't, then they won't be reacting as I am--not until April 30, at least, so, unless someone in VOOM decides to do a phone survey of all those customers, noone is really going to know the impact until May 1- May Day, May Day!

I am glad I never had my Voom Party inviting neighbors, friends and co-workers over to help them subscribe to VOOM--what a joke that would have been.

I think the steady decrease in PQ was just a weaning strategy--we won't miss it as much--ha, ha!
No laughing matter, but. . . .

 

[kennyboy3]

This is truly sad. What a huge step backwards.

I have dealt with Comcast, D* and E* in the past and I absolutely REFUSE to give them one red cent.

I will be going to OTA and perhaps take Blockbuster up on their $29.99 a month MOVIE PASS. You can keep three DVDs at a time and swap them as many times as you want in a month, even on the same day! Once the HD-DVDs hit, then it will really be worth it. Summertime's here anyway, need to be out on the lake.

 

[T2k]

"Pal: UPGRADE TO VA-VA NOW! What's the best time if not this???"

Huh? I did at the beginning of the month! The CSR surprised me with informing me that I get it at the original price point. As a veteran subscriber, I was grandfathered in with last years prices. Considering the adjustment to my bottom line it cost me a dollar more per month. My only mistake was not doing it sooner!

Oh, I should have misunderstood something then - your deal sounds cool.

 

[Walter L.]

COMCAST. With the rumored addition of TNT-HD before NBA playoffs, it is a no-brainer for me.

 

[rad]

I have dealt with Comcast, D* and E* in the past and I absolutely REFUSE to give them one red cent.

First of all, I'm not a Comcast fan boy. But if it's been a few years since you've had Comcast you might just want to give them a try. That way you could get a HD PVR for a monthly charge of $9.95 or a HD STB for $5 (at least on my system). Low up front cost and you can use them as either a solution if they're service has improved since you last had them and wait to see what happens with D* with new HD and their MPEG4 migration.

 

[djjsin]

ya all my options sucks. Dish/directtv of Adelphia. All adelphia offers is showtime, hbo, and locals i can get over my OTA, and for an extra $10 a month, I can get ESPN HD. Whoa.

Dish and directtv are sooo expensive, and i cant justify $300 for a HD reciever with no dvr.. If i'm going to buy a reciever, its going to be the HD tivo thing, but thats $1000 a bit more then i would like to pay, and then i'm stuck with directtv which i don't like the idea of.

god what should i do. that Cband thing, is that a viable option?

 

[dnyce]

I think if D* or E* is smart enuoght to create a special deal for all Voom customers to switch over they will get majority of the people on the fence.


Sorry quick side note.
Just figured out how to add a Poll so everyone please vote.

 

[Voom4Me]

VaVaVoomin' til the end…

Pal: UPGRADE TO VA-VA NOW! What's the best time if not this???

I just did… And now I'm VaVaVoomin'… And all locked in at the grandfathered rate, as stated by the CSR.

The funny thing is that the CSR mentioned the six-month commitment and early termination charge. And when I asked about the Web Sit and the "shutdown notice" they continue to say, "business as usual" and that they are going through a transitional period…

Oh well, at least I'm VaVaVoomin now…

 

[DarrellP]

I have Dish HD, Voom, OTA, DVHS & DVD.

 

[chaos]

Alternatives? DirecTV, Dish?

I love VOOM and want to keep it but barring a miracle that'll get VOOM resurrected, what are our alternatives?

DirecTV seems to be closest to VOOM with what they're offering (local HD programming w/OTA). On the other hand Dish is purchasing VOOM's satellite... I suppose it's pure speculation right now as to what Dish's plans are.

As it stands now DirecTV looks like the better option. Any thoughts? I want my HDTV. I can't go back to watching LOST in SD.

 

[Aldous]

Well, I kept my Dish just in case, and I guess that was not a bad idea. I do have a question about their HD service though. I know it won't compare to Voom's, but I can't go from Voom to nothing. Even if it is closer to EDTV, it would be better that SD. So my question is this: Do I need a second dish to recieve Dish's HD feeds, and if so, could I use the Voom dish when it goes dark? I know that this sounds like sacrilege, but if they don't collect the dish, I'd rather save the $ than buy another one from Dish.

I just wish I would wake up to find this all a bad dream. Voom, we loved you well and far too briefly.