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I tried this out in a practice run game with my pod Army against a Mech Sisters List, amazingly I managed to push out a solid victory against the Sisters and I think a lot of it had to do with the Dreads.  The only difference was that instead of being Venerable w/ Heavy Flamer the Dreads had a TL Lascannon and a Missile Launcher.  They work out to the same points, and while it seems kind of dumb to take instead of the assault cannon close combaty dread, these guys give me range that I'd never have outside of a pod army.  I get the ability to drop nice and far away, not worrying about the scatter too much, and I'm able to hide around the pod to limit return fire and I can use it to snipe tanks basically. 

I was wondering what the opinion on Dakka is on going with these options instead of the Assault Cannon packing Dread.

I don't think it's viable in a 3 dread army. You want the heavy flamers for horde control.

In a 6 venerable dread drop pod army I would say it could, depending on playstyle/etc be acceptable to have a couple longer range dreads (WITH TANKHUNTER), just remember, you will have 6+ drop pods on the table with other dreadnoughts and then your enemy's vehicles, and then terrain blocking line of sight. Taking advantage of a 48" range is going to be HARD, because most of the time you'll have to be closer to get any decent shots.

I think I'd rather have 6 heavy flamer toting dreads just on the off chance you run into Genestealer guy, Ork guy, Tau guy or Eldar guy.

I think it's actually a good complement to a power armor heavy pod army. You don't need the heavy flamers because you've got so many bolters to thin things out, and you need the range so much more.

One heavy flamer versus a squad of genestealers in cover: mostly dead squad of genestealers.

Squad of 10 bolter marines rapid firing genestealers - 3.33 dead carapace, 4.44 dead non-carapace in cover.

T4 guys in cover or with 4+ saves are a real problem for pods because you simply cannot kill enough fast enough. This covers genestealers, ravener squads, orks, and some other T3 4+ guys that can make your day go bad (howling banshees, fire dragons, fire warriors, et cetera). Eldar rangers, kroot, few other things I haven't mentioned.

It also screws with your enemy's movement/deployment knowing they have to worry about getting squad after squad vaporized by flamers if they aren't careful. You would not believe the screams when I dropped a dread with a heavy flamer on a big squad of dark reapers in a building

I could see taking a TL las, but not giving up the heavy flamer and DCCW. It's just too darned flexible for words.

Vyper hordes, dark eldar raiders, ork trukks, warwalkers, Piranhas. They all love heavy flamers too.

An additional element of flexibility you lose when you go with the TL missle launcher is close combat. A dread without a close combat weapon is absolutely ineffective against MEQs.

I know the board is crawing with hidden powerfists, but there are times when you might want the dread in combat. It might be safer there. It might be a suicide mission to tie up a key enemy unit for a turn.

A TL lascannon is a good vehicle killer. When you "upgrade" the CCW, you lose the flexibility that the CCW arm (and H flamer) provide in exchangel for a less effective vehicle killer that costs you more points!

you dont need to drop pod the dread(s), you can start him on the board behind cover. sure he has a bright read x on him as one of the only, if not THE only target on board, but his ability to move and shoot can mitigate his vulnerability and you will be able to shoot all 6 turns if you choose (and he is able to do so). Plus, his range will be more of a benefit in this capacity and he can hold your objectives.

I run a lascannon venerable dread in my pod list. He almost always makes back his points, however i still keep the ccw on him, just for points purposes. I run a tactical marine heavy list, no termies in my pod army at all, so I'm unconventional at alot of ways.

And yes I have beaten termie heavy assault cannon lists played by mauleed himself with it.