CNN Now on AIS TV

[Pib]

Turning on the AIS Playbox last night (15 Feb) to watch some TV I saw CNN was in the AIS TV channel lineup.  Was not there on 14 Feb but was on 15 Feb.   Appears to be in HD....clear as a bell....sure beats some lower resolution video stream you find on Youtube, Maldro, etc.    I also notice that a couple of the other channels like FoxNews which use to appear in wide-screen mode "only" (i.e., with black bands above and below the picture) now appear full screen...that's a nice improvement...keeps you from having to manually change your TV screen format to force the video stream to full screen on those few channels.  Yeap, AIS TV must have done some upgrades on 15 Feb.

 

Couldn't find anything on the AIS or AIS Fibre website talking the new CNN channel....probably something on their websites...it's just I couldn't find it.    With the CNN add that now makes nine western news channels which broadcast in English depending on which AIS TV package you have.  Some of the nine are in their basic,  free TV package; others you only get if have one of their premium TV add-on packages.  I have their Platinum TV package which gets them all. 

 

I noticed in the upper right hand corner of the CNN channel AIS had some words in the Thai language only.  I asked the Thai wife what it said is in said something alone the lines of "Test On Air."  

 

I began to wonder if that meant it might be a temporary thing but after doing some googling I found below Thai webpage that had some info on the CNN channel add.  The webpage says it free to all AIS TV subscribers from 15-22 Feb 18 (i.e, for a week).....after that you can only get if if having one of the premium TV add-on packages.   For me, that explains the Test On Air note on the screen.

 

Now the webpage below is talking CNN on the AIS Play "App" TV packages; not the AIS Playbox TV packages.  In Thai it also states free from 15 to 22 Feb 18.  It didn't mention anything about the TV packages for the AIS Playbox which has different package names/pricing...didn't mention specifically which AIS Playbox TV package you needed to continue to receive CNN but I'm going to "guess" right now it will be on all their premium TV packages with the exception of the Sports package which is sports only.

 

I thought TrueVisions had exclusive rights to CNN in Thailand---guess not.    And with CNN and FoxNews being side-by-side on the AIS channel selection switching back and forth between the two in a split second when both channels are reporting on the same political subject can show the two universes each live in...CNN in the leaning left Democrat universe and FoxNews in the leaning right Republican universe.   

 

Anyway, nice to have CNN added to the AIS TV channel line-up.  As mentioned earlier this will make nine English language news channels for us news junkies...and as nice to know for those who don't have AIS TV the 9 news channels are:  HLN, CNN, FoxNews, SkyNews, Channel News Asia, EuroNews, NHK News, DW, and France 24.

 

Google Translate is your friend at this Thai language webpage

http://www.9tana.com/node/ais-play-cnn/

 

 

 

[userabcd]

Just for info, is the HLN channel the CNN one from the US and is the quality good in HD. I enjoy watching for a few hours in the evening on weekdays but the one I watch is streamed from a website and the quality is bad.

[Pib]

Yea, the HLN (Head Lines News) channel is a CNN-owned channel...of course it just hits on headline news versus the more detailed news reporting done on CNN.  CNN and HLN are separate channels.   

 

I hear you regarding streaming from some of the free TV sites (or even paid) because the streams can be lower resolution than than even Standard TV resolution...and the streaming may not be reliable. 

 

 

 

[lamyai3]

I've had CNN for free on the playbox for the past few weeks, but since the forced update today it's now subscription only. 

[phuketrichard]

its been on mine for free for 2+months, ( today included)

[Pib]

1 hour ago, phuketrichard said:

its been on mine for free for 2+months, ( today included)

What AIS TV "package" do you have?   If you have the Platinum package that's why you are still seeing it.

 

[phuketrichard]

NONE of them,   like i said, had the full package free for a month and didn't think it was worth paying for, so didn't sign up for anything paid  as i can get everything via kodi addons

Plus I get for free ; Channel news asia, Euronews, NHK,  a french an German news ( in english ) and many, many thai stations

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, phuketrichard said:

NONE of them,   like i said, had the full package free for a month and didn't think it was worth paying for, so didn't sign up for anything paid  as i can get everything via kodi addons

Plus I get for free ; Channel news asia, Euronews, NHK,  a french an German news ( in english ) and many, many thai stations

Yes, I still have these five English language channels. I remember last year too I had Warner TV entertainment channel for several months before they put it into one of the paid categories. 

[janclaes47]

8 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

Plus I get for free ; Channel news asia, Euronews,

I don't think you watch it often, because channel news asia has been removed from every addon and app I can think about, and I haven't found a reliable Euronews stream in Kodi for ages.

[lamyai3]

15 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

I don't think you watch it often, because channel news asia has been removed from every addon and app I can think about, and I haven't found a reliable Euronews stream in Kodi for ages.

These aren't in the kodi app or addons, they're included among the free channels AIS provides. In the new interface (under Live TV) they've been numbered:

550 NHK 

650 Channel News Asia

651 Euronews

652 DW

653 France 24

 

CNN is 603, but no longer free.

[phuketrichard]

just turned on my tv,  Cnn live with Anderson Cooper talking about Cohn's tapes,

No numbers

 

I dont pay anything

[mtls2005]

I have an AIS Paybox, and have just the free service (on top of my AIS Fiber service). I haven't used the Playbox in a few months, but did fire it up today.

 

I seem to be getting CNN (international version; same my TrueVisions cable TV) for free, along with Channel News Asia, France 24, Euro News, NHK World. These are found on the "News" tab (and not on the "Free TV" tab). I don't see any channel numbers, just icons.

[Pib]

49 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

I have an AIS Paybox, and have just the free service (on top of my AIS Fiber service). I haven't used the Playbox in a few months, but did fire it up today.

 

I seem to be getting CNN (international version; same my TrueVisions cable TV) for free, along with Channel News Asia, France 24, Euro News, NHK World. These are found on the "News" tab (and not on the "Free TV" tab). I don't see any channel numbers, just icons.

I expect AIS just extended the time it's allowing CNN to be seen in all its packages...even its free IPTV package that includes the other news channels you mentioned.   Before, the AIS announcement was CNN would be free in "all" packages "thru 22 Feb"...after that it was suppose to only be available in the Platinum TV package add-on.  I guess AIS changed their mind and extended the free period. 

 

Or some of your folks actually have the Platinum add-on package under a free period as various AIS Fibre internet packages included the Platinum TV package for free for either 1, 3, 6, or 12 months depending on the promotion in effect when you signed up.

 

Partial quote of earlier AIS announcement regarding CNN

Quote

All AIS and AIS Fiber customers are eligible to receive CNN and Cartoon Network free of charge via the AIS Play app and via the AIS Playbox from now until 22 February 2561

 

[zydeco]

AIS went offline in the village on Monday this week. When it came back online, the menu had changed and cnn was no longer free as it was last week. Now need Platinum. All I see are Thai language channels. Nothing on basic in English for free. I'm feeling resentful. Will not pay. There are other ways to get this stuff. All I need is the internet service. They can take their playbox and stick it.

[ELVIS123456]

Pay for CNN ?  ???

Why would anyone do that ??

Why does anyone watch it???

[lamyai3]

On 8/11/2018 at 1:59 PM, zydeco said:

AIS went offline in the village on Monday this week. When it came back online, the menu had changed and cnn was no longer free as it was last week. Now need Platinum. All I see are Thai language channels. Nothing on basic in English for free. I'm feeling resentful. Will not pay. There are other ways to get this stuff. All I need is the internet service. They can take their playbox and stick it.

You got neutered, and actually survived longer than most of us. There's still five English language news channels free, but not major stuff (NHK, Channel News Asia, France 24, DW etc). 

A set top box from Lazada is probably the best option now.