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So, for example, if they had a new HD channel entirely devoted to gaming with tournament coverage, strategy from game designers, etc... coming out Feb. 1st?

Of course, you need Dishnetwork and a new MPEG4 receiver (VIP622 is nice) to get the Voom channels right now, but over time that barrier to entry will ease.

http://voom.com/ It was like that yesterday.

No, there isn't:

Voom's website says they're shutting down.

And the board of Cablevision voted 15-0 to shut it down, including Chuck Dolan.

I'm a long time subscriber. This sucks!

In other related news. Cablevision, who own Voom, said yesterday that Voom would be shutdown at the end of this month. Good timing.

Alienware slips by one quarter and they get on the list, but Voom has been promising me the uber DVR for almost a year with no follow through and there is no mention at all?

I demand a recount!

I LOVE the Voom service, as any real geek would, but that DVR needs to roll out already!

Voom! recently began offering Playboy Hot HD.
Let the revolution begin!

If you want HDTV there is really only one extant choice. Get Voom.

It's got many more HD channels than any competitor, good content, and the system is designed from the ground up to accomodate HD.

I had some installation problems (which are really the fault of the subcontractor who did the install) but once installed, I can now say that I wholeheartedly recommend them for anyone looking to have HDTV right now.

I love the Voom-specific channels. They basically get thier own HD content and make there own stations for content. You'd think it would suck, but they do stuff like broadcast good concerts in 5.1 HD, tour galleries in HD, play old (good!) movies in HD and stuff like that. It's great, dude.

Damn, I sound like a friggin' commercial. lol! Well, that's what a satisfied customer is supposed to sound like, I guess.

• Cuban founded MicroSolutions, a computer consulting firm, in 1983, which went on to become a leading National Systems Integrator. By 1990, his company was grossing $30 million per year, but the real payoff came when he sold his company to CompuServe and bagged millions of dollars.

Dozens of HDTV channels over satellite? Not if you are on one of the big 2 satellite providers (DirecTV or DishNet). You'll get at most -1- dozen today (actually, with DirecTV I think it's more like a 1/2 dozen right now with plans to double that this year).

The only way to get -dozens- of HDTV channels over satellite is via VOOM and from all reviews I've seen their channels are almost worthless except for the few that are also on DirecTV. Voom has such a small subscriber base today that I don't have much faith in them making it (plus their satellites are so far down in the southern sky that often people can point their dishes at them).

I don't have direct experience with Dish other than to know that I dislike their STB hardware so I avoid it. I don't have experience with HDTV over cable because I can't get digital cable where I live (and the analog signal goes over a couple of hundred of miles of repeaters and ghosts worse than OTA NTSC).

I completely agree with you that we need satellite and cable HDTV cards but there are 2 things that are going to stop you:

1) The satellite providers have to cooperate with you and they are NOT interested in this. Yes, I know all the arguments we would make to them to allow this but they don't buy them. Hell, go read the TiVo community forums for DirecTV users and pay attention to the Organize an HMO request thread for an example of DirecTV not paying attention to customer demand for PC convergence ... and HMO is now -free- on standalone TiVo's.

2) The Cable companies do not have a unified standard (yet), hence the reason why the HDTiVo only supports satellite or OTA (for now). Until they have a standard not only agreed on but implemented it is way too fractionalized for an HDTV PC option to make sense to companies like ATI.

That 2nd point is being addressed and once you see the cable manufacturers adopt (I believe it is FCC mandated) an interoperable and compatible standard you probably will see PC options as well as an HDTiVo that handles them.

You will probably also see a large number of DirecTV/Dish subcribers moving and then see the satellite providers start dumping crap channels for HDTV channels. However I doubt you'll see a general purpose PC option for satellite HDTV viewing. MAYBE an OEMed one that includes the card reader and such but I don't think that the satellite providers are savvy enough to figure out how to make that work in a way that PC adopters would buy in to (it would probably be so crippled and expensive that we'd simply forget about it).

On the surface this sounds great! I imagine this will be a ligit subscription service with parties lined up to play content provider in order to avoid them being the next Napster.

But how feasible is this?
Licensing media for internet is a complete pyrhia as far as the MPAA/RIAA is concerned -- though they have seemed to be a little less rabid towards those who try to play along and pay up as of late.

Also -- what quality can we be expecting.
People like me are all about HD content and with new services like Voom who focus on HD and are providing their own integerated tuner/DVR hardware (not yet released should be out within the next 2-3 months, how many devices are we expected to purchase?

Sure, if net-ready TiVo comes out, I'll be one of the first to buy -- but what's to keep the others from bullying them out? If DirecTV does kick TiVo to the curb, what's to prevent them from cross-licensing to the content providers themselves? I mean if BlockBuster or others start streaming, why would they limit themselves to TiVo owners only when any DSL/Cable/Satelite carrier can offer up a clone of the hardware/firmware and offer it to their hundreds of thousands of subscribers?

So while this sounds like a great move for TiVo in the short run, I'm not too optimistic about them not getting swallowed up/beaten to death by the big hitters who'll wait to see how it does in the market and then swoop down for hardball when/if it takes off.

Suprised no ones mentioned this yet, but theres a new satelite provider, Voom, offering over 40 channels of hi-def programming. It seems to run about the same as standard services, $40 or so a month up to around $80 with all the premiums.

Geezuz. No mention on slashdot anywhere where people would WANT HDTV. http://www.voom.com Satellite company, new startup, provides more HD channels than anyone. Can't find any reveiws, has anyone looked at this or signed up?

I don't know about you, but I'd rather get Voom service. Over 30 channels in full HDTV, plus all of the standard SD channels, plus they install a Channelmaster local antenna so you can get the HD locals as well. What's the cost? $0 up front for installation and only $9.50 a month to lease the box (which is a very nice Motorola set top box with DVI-HDCP output to drive your HDTV or Plasma screen).

DirecTV has been recompressing their HDTV channels recently to cram more bandwidth onto their already overcrowded satellites and in the process making HD-HBO look like crap. Dish has major problems of their own. I think Voom is looking more and more like the best option. They offer not only HD-HBO and HD-SHOtime, but also HD-Cinemax and HD-Starz, which none of the other satellite or cable companies currently offer, and only $80 a month for all the channels, or $40 a month for a basic package. As far as I'm concerned, both DirecTV (with their money-grubbing RIAA style extortion tactics) and Dish Network (with their terrible customer service and contract problems) can stick it where the sun don't shine.

Disclaimer: I presently draw a paycheck from Echosphere, parent company of Echostar, parent company of Dish Network.

I'll lay this down for you all. There are definite advantages to both Satellite and Cable. The experience you have with either service will differ depending on what you choose as far as your service contract goes.

First, though, a few myths to dispel or clarify as the case may be.

Weather Related Signal Loss: Signal Strength is generally rated on a 125 point scale with Dish Network (100 points with DirecTV if memory serves). During a heavy rain storm you should expect to see a signal loss of about 20 points. At about 50 points of total signal you'll see pixilation occurring due to the MPEG2 compression. At 40 points you'll loose signal altogether unless it's a massively redundant broadcast. Your typical install with four receivers will get you 98 - 120 signal on each receiver.

During snow you will experience signal loss, especially if your dish is at a higher angle of elevation. This is because snow will collect on the reflecting surface, blocking the signal.

Hidden Charges There is no such thing as a hidden charge.... provided you read the contract. I'm familiar with Dish's contracts and they're written in fairly tame legal speak, if I can understand it you can to. Yes, you will be charged for additional receivers. Yes, the equipment is up to you to maintain after the first year unless you arrange otherwise. Yes your installation is probably not under warranty beyond 90 days. Dish offers a number of fairly good warranty plans including the Digital Home Advantage plan, which for the most part covers all of your equipment and charges nominal fees for things like restringing all the cable in your house in the event of a catastrophic failure of some kind. I'm sure DirecTV has a similar offer; I don't know what it is.

HD TV - If you must have HD and you've already set with the equipment your best bet is going to be Voom. If you're still looking into getting the equipment, Dish runs a close 2nd with the 811 (standard HD receiver) being a pretty standard part of most installs (at customer request). Dish also offers a promotion called HD In a Box, wherein you get an 811 plus a 34 or 40 inch HD set to go with it for about $999.

Now, as far as drawback to satellite v cable go, it breaks like this.

Cable
-- Bigger rate increases
-- Crappy customer service (getting better)
-- Higher rates overall

Satellite
-- Equipment is your problem for the most part
-- Local channels are extra (5.99 typically) and may not be offered in your area
-- Extra charges per additional receiver.

And finally, a tidbit of wisdom for those of you considering signing up for a satellite dish right now. The Dish Network DVR 522 is offered as part of Digital Home Advantage. Presently it allows DVR service in two rooms more or less for the price of one room. Future software will allow you to use this receiver as a dual tuner DVR in one location if you so choose (and it will toggle between the two). That feature isn't ready yet, so it's not being advertised... but when we see it it's gonna be sweet!