If you had a sneaking suspicion that somewhat just wasn't right when all 15 of the VOOM HD networks
suddenly vanished from DISH Network's lineup, um, you were right. Apparently EchoStar (now DISH Network) and VOOM Networks had inked a 15-year deal in 2005 that would give the latter "a license fee of $3.25 a month per HD subscriber receiving VOOM." Now, VOOM has "filed an amended complaint against EchoStar, claiming it will suffer more than $1 billion in damages." More specifically, it notes that "EchoStar had no right to terminate the affiliation agreement on the basis of a trumped-up and pretextual claim of breach simply because it no longer liked the deal it struck." As expected, EchoStar is remaining mum on the subject, but its ex-partner is seeking "substantial damages in an amount to be determined at trial." This one could get real ugly, and fast.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Keith Benedict @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:21PM
This won't go anywhere fast. It's in Dish's best interest to go a slow as possible in the hopes that Voom will go belly up before they have a chance to pursue their claims in court.
J.Goodwin @ Jun 3rd 2008 6:45PM
Dish certainly has learned this trick from the best. They're lucky to still exist.
Boz @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:36PM
Good job, Voom. Here's hoping you use the cash (if you ever get it) to make a network that doesn't suck.
Here's a thought: Freesat HD, the U.S. version.
H Friedman @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:37PM
And what about us customers?
WFT happened to my channels I loved to watch and signed a contract to receive?
Andy @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:43PM
If its in the contract, then this may be a substantial change and you may be able to get out of it.
Andy @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:42PM
3.25 per user per month!!!! Thats huge.
Big Wizz @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:44PM
15 year deal?!?!?
What drunk Dish executive signed that contract?
Able-X @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:07PM
As a dish network HD subscriber, I'm always bummed to lose HD channels, but I can't actually recall watching any Voom channels...when were they taken off the air?
DougC @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:24PM
I was watching the Monster HD channel and my show just Stopped! I called Dish and they said "From time to time we update our channel line up to provide excellent service" or something like that. I would like to have them back!
Peter @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:29PM
Maybe DirecTV will pick up VOOM for a much better rate once D11 comes on line and DirecTV will have total HD domination of the world.!!!!!
msusig @ Jun 3rd 2008 5:27PM
Do you honestly think D* would take on VoOm when they obviously weren't keeping thier end of the contract by spending a X amount of dollars for new programming. Don't get me wrong I loved watching Mosters HD and a couple of others, but it was the same thing every other day. Nothing new..EVER. Although it was nice to show some of the channels off to family and friends since it was in HD 24/7. D* would add this trash when it's such a niche network anyways. They should just combine all the VoOm channels into like 3-5 channels then it would be worth watching. SOrry for the rant, but don't expect to see VoOm anytime soon. I believe they dug their own grave on this one.
Miggity @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:50PM
aw jeez not this shit again
upthewazzu @ Jun 3rd 2008 6:40PM
Darn, when I had Dish for about 15 months I hated Voom. They played the same crap over and over, and when yuou checked the info on a program most all of them were from 2004-2006, hardly anything new. Now that I left Dish (unfortunately my new place has some badly placed trees) they ditch that garbage and add some real channel to there HD lineup.
Good for Dish, I hope this allows them to free up some more bandwidth for more deserving channels.
servo_fan @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:22PM
I thought I might miss watching Monsters or Kung Fu when they went off the air, but until I read this article, I forgot Dish had dumped them. I guess it's not that big of a deal after all.
Paolo @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:35PM
when I used to be a Dish costumer the only new programming from Voom that I can remember was a few live soccer matches from the Spanish Liga, and other then the occasional good indy flick those 15 channels were a total waste of bandwidth.
It's a shame because some of those channels with a little bit of care and good managment could have been valuable.....to make an example Gameplay HD even had a partnership with GameSpot but it was only old content......Gamespot adds every day new Video Reviews and Previews in HD!!! Was it so hard to get all that stuff broadcasted daily?? It would have kicked G4 butt big time!!!.....I cannot belive there was anybody running that company. No wonder it got dropped.
Able-X @ Jun 3rd 2008 8:57PM
oh yeah, the kung fu and monster channels, now I remember those. I thought something was missing from my lineup, but just couldn't place it. Guess I didn't miss it that much.
mntwister @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:38PM
Nothing new ever on voom? Gee, the last month I taped Exodus, Man of La Mancha and Gentlemen prefer Brunettes, 3 classics on Film Fest that were never aIRed before, and never aired on any other HD channel, on Monsters HD I watched all 5 of the Planet of the Apes movies in HD plus The Day the Earth Stood Still, never shown before there or anywhere else in HD either...while there were alot of repeats, I still enjoyed the 15 channels of 24 hour a day TRUE high def programming that was commercial free. Now, the channels they replaced Voom with, such as CNN hd, Cartoon Network HD, ABC Family HD and many of the others are either 90% black bars on each side or stretched standard def. Doesn't seem like a good trade-off for me. I am missing FilmFest, Monsters HD and Voom Movies very much, also News HD had all high def news, even foreign reports were high def, almost nothing on CNN is high def.
If you people feel that's a fair trade-off, good for you. I'll take true HD anytime. I am not against Dish adding national HD channels, they need to add those and keep up with the competition, but they had 15 channels of all high def material commercial free, something their competition did not, and being in business for many years, I would never easily let go of an advantage like that. I think many subscribers would have paid a little extra for the Voom channels, I would have. Because I want true high def tv, not stretch-o-vision and 4:3 with the black bar sides. I admit I only watched about 5 of the Voom channels, but those I watched quite a bit. Adding MGM hd was at least adding one channel that is high def all the time, but the Fishing Network in HD? I've not seen one hd show on it yet, as if I am interested in people sitting in a boat for hours in HD anyway.
Josh @ Jun 4th 2008 12:09AM
You are right on the money!
Josh @ Jun 4th 2008 12:07AM
A lot of people say the Voom channels were weak because of the content and I don't disagree. However, the quality was very good and there was some great content on a few of the channels. Either way you look at this, a loss in quality HD is sad. All they need to do is get better content.
The bottom line:
Whatever service you have, cable, dish, FIOS, the HD channels are compressed and or in stretch-o-vision 80-90% of the time. If its not really HD, it sucks!
Iscariote @ Jun 4th 2008 10:09AM
It doesn't matter how pretty the footage is if the content sucks. I don't care if a channel is HD 24/7/365 if nothing they show in HD is worth watching.
Christopher Wilson @ Jun 4th 2008 6:37AM
They should merge a bunch of the channels down to a few and try and get on directv. Ravehd is the only one I actually enjoy, but all of the channels repeat too much, especially their crappy news channel.
The Aggie CEO @ Jun 4th 2008 7:42AM
Sucks to be Voom..........lol..........
I have Time Warner.........
but I seen a few Voom channels and they suck ass as far as content goes............
they need to step their game up plain and simple...........
su2lly @ Jun 4th 2008 10:00AM
Equater was the best. I miss it. As soon as Fios comes to my area I'll be dropping Dish.
DangDan @ Jun 4th 2008 10:53AM
I wish people who blindly say VOOM networks don't show anything new would relent on that argument. Each VOOM channel showed at least 7 hours of new programming weekly. It was part of the contract. Yes, they repeated a lot but so does HBO and any other major subscription network. Dish is talking it up as adding more HD content with broader appeal, but as several have already said, replacing true HD content with stretch-o-vision standard def material that few will watch negates that argument. What's next - Quilting HD?
I've already downgraded my service as Monsters HD and Rave were primary reasons for switching to Dish when I moved. A week after getting the service, they were yanked. I've not had great luck with customer service either, so I may end up paying the fee for breaking the contract. I will gladly do so if I need to.
Cesar @ Jun 11th 2008 4:18AM
I was a loyal Voom HD Network watcher. Having Such a great TV to View all of these 15 channels was the main reason i joined Dish.
Monster, Rave, Rush, Equator, Kung Fu, Film Fest, Treasure Are all the channels i watched most of the time i was home. Now that those channels are gone i have fewer True HD constent.
HD Theater, Animal Planet HD, Bio HD, Discovery HD, HDnet, Nat Geo HD are all the channels i watch now. Everything else is marked HD but looks like crap.
Sure shows were repeated, but with fewer Selection of True HD Channels I am Pretty sure i will be watching more reruns than before.
Now for those haters of VOOM saying they never watched it and saying the content sucked anyways. That is OK because not everyone watched the same content i can agree.
But it Really sucks for those that did. I mean pulling the plug on channels from one day to the next sucks, No warning , No Advance notice to there customers? What kind of Business does that? Not even a notice of the change on there web-site.
That Just Not Cool. Basterds...
Alan @ Jun 16th 2008 4:49PM
I hope Voom wins the lawsuit! especially when dish clearly manipulates the truth. They claim to be the leaders in HD, they claim to have added 22 new HD bringing their total to 80 HD. That is all false marketing hype twisting the truth. Here is the truth they only have about 40 HD as many channels are duplicated on 2-4 channels. There are only 7 new channels as they fail to mention they removed the 15 Voom HD. Most of their HD lineup is up converted and not true HD. Their picture quality has gone down. Here are a couple examples of the new channels, the weather channel and the cartoon network; come on dish whom even cares about those and there is no real difference in seeing those in HD? I'm going to cancel dish next month!
White Tiger @ Jul 6th 2008 6:49PM
VOOM is the reason I purchased Dish
I would not of ordered Dish without these channels. Hell I already had Directv. Now I am under a contract for 11 more month's
If I had known then what I know now, I would of stayed with Directv or would of moved my video/phone/internet services to cable. In my eyes the only thing that set Dish apart from Directv and Cable was there Voom channels.
And if a cable company offers to pay off the remain er of my Dish contract then I will be switching sooner. Will be looking into it...
Cable company in my area is offering a Bundle for $100.00 a month + $15.00 for Hi-Def Dvr
Don't have to worry about rain fade so much.
Paying about $175.00 for all services now
Not about the money, it's about getting what I want for my money. Willing to pay more for what I want.
I hope Voom wins