Cable provider, Cablevision, recently introduced Voom, a new HDTV oriented satellite TV delivery system that will compete directly with DirecTV and Dish Networks
Voom isn’t available in Canada, Alaska or Hawaii.
Voom’s first priority is to HDTV programming and it comes out of the gates with 21 channels including some unique channels produced by Cablevision as part of their $39.90 per month plan. Their mostexpensive plan is closer to $100 per month is it has even more HDTV channels than the standard 21 offerings including Discovery HD Theater, HBO, Showtime, Stars and Encore. The traditional channelsfound on Voom are still sparse at this point and will leave TV enthusiasts wanting to keep their existing digital cable or satellite provider so that they can have a more robust choice of non-HDTVprogramming. A representative from Voom claims that Cablevision is feverishly negotiating to add more channels so that they compete better with the other satellite and cable providers – even theirown Cablevision cable TV product.
Equipment and installation requires an initial investment of at least $749 for a one receiver HDTV capable system that includes an 18 inch dish and a complete installation. This is pricey compared toan NTSC system from the competitors however in order to do HDTV on other systems, the price for hardware increases significantly to about the same level as Voom. Voom does not have an HDTV TiVoreceiver as many consumers have been demanding from the other satellite and cable providers. They use the Motorola 550 receiver for NTSC and HDTV control. Within months, a Voom representative tellsAudioRevolution.com, that they plan to start using the Motorola 580 which will have recording capability. Upgrades for early adopters is reportedly to be done at no cost. One advantage videophileswill find with Voom’s hardware is it reportedly has a DVI output. For those with high performance plasmas, digital projectors or HDTV big screens – this is big news because the all-digital DVIpicture for NTSC and HDTV picture is far superior to even the best analog connections.
For more information on Voom check out http://www.voom.com/index.jsp
