Astro Satellite

[fisherman]

I have been offered an Astro satellite system by a dodgy looking Indian woman who advertised in Phuket Gazette.

I have seen a couple of her setups working and it looks a good alternative to UBC, it has HBO and str movies plus a lot of the normal UBC channels, the thing is I just don't believe her when she says there is a 2000 baht 1 yearly paynment for the smart card.

I checked out Astro malaysia online and they show a monthly payment scheme similar to UBC.

I am just wondering if anyone else has this sytem, how do they pay, and is there anything better around which might show Ozzy TV or some english channels

thanks

Fisherman

[boran]

Hi, fisherman

This Astro set ( dish,decoder,smartcard) is not the officail one, especaily smartcard is duplicated ( copied) from orginal subscriber's smartcard so no need to pay for monthly fees as long as the original card still valid or it's encryption system does not change.

Astro ( Malaysia) use mediagaurd encryption platform and it's hacked for many years ago so most of it's smartcard in Thailand are copied one.

If Astro upgrade their system all the copied smartcards will be die.!!!

You should ask them about this point before make a decission.

cheers

boran

[monty]

Risky,

A couple of years there were plenty duplicated cards from UBC around (highly illegal and you run the risk ending up in Bangkok Hilton) but since then they updated from irdeto to irdeto2, which still is not hacked... A lot of people ended up having useless smartcards which supposedly were going to work a year...

Som nam na thet say over here

[Thetyim]

I know which advert you mean.

She insists that it will work in the north of Thailand.

My local satellite shop insists it will not.

The Astro website says it doesn't reach here.

Up to you who you believe

[johng]

If the satellite "footprint" does not reach northern Thailand

then you won't get a signal, no matter how big a dish you get.

Have a look here http://www.lyngsat.com/mea1.html this is the Astro your talking about right ??

Now have a look at the Ku band coverage http://www.measat.com/footprint1.html

Does not look to promising to me

monty the good old days of Irderto 1

[croftrobin]

I have seen the Astro service working in Prakonchai - Lower North East Issan

A local guy is installing them.

18k for fixed - 28k for moveable dish that will also pick up other sats - like PSI

Smartcard not reqd as the receiver has its own decrypter

[konangrit]

I know which advert you mean.

She insists that it will work in the north of Thailand.

My local satellite shop insists it will not.

The Astro website says it doesn't reach here.

Up to you who you believe

With a big enough dish you will be able to recieve Astro in Northern Thailand. The women is technically correct, however this size of dish may be prohibitive. I will try to calulate the dish size for you, but it's been a long time (pre-digital) since I've had to do that. Digital really does require the correct dish size as a drop in signal (from bad weather etc) will result in a loss of signal, whereas with analogue it just degrades the quality.

[jingjog]

As I know, there is no legal way to receive Astro TV in LOS.

If there is an encryption change, you will have a black screen.

[monty]

Hi croftrobin,

Astro is encrypted in Mediaguard, which needs a smartcard with the decryption keys on it to tell the built in decoder how to decrypt the signal...

It is possible that they specifically make decoders with a smartcard emulator built in.

It still would mean that when Astro upgrades it's encryption system you'll end up with a completely useless system. You cannot even use the box to tune into anything!

This will happen sometime since the mediaguard system is already widely hacked!

Anyway, decoding encrypted channels is higly illegal without paying for them (by using pirated cards/decoders)

Friend of mine was jailed for using a pirated UBC card in his open bar (pretty stupid) and was deported only after telling the police where who got the card from!

Otherwise he would have been sentenced to 10 years Bangkok Hilton!!!!

Maybe astro is less dangerous since they're not Thai but I still wouldn't bet on it...

[astral]

I know which advert you mean.

She insists that it will work in the north of Thailand.

My local satellite shop insists it will not.

The Astro website says it doesn't reach here.

Up to you who you believe

They want you to think that.

The signal reaches Bangkok as my local cable carries several Astro channels.

The further north you go you will need a bigger dish.

[croftrobin]

If you go for the option with the decoder with the built in emulator - and there appears to be 2 models available. And opt for the moveable dish which picks up all the other sats as well as the astro - then even if the encyrption is changed and you are locked out, you can still watch another 400 odd channels.

You takes your chances - !!

At 28,000 its a pretty small gamble!

[jingjog]

o.k., if you have space enough for such a kolossal 10 feet dish and 180° to south no trees, houses mountains..., maybe you can receive 400 FTA (free to air) channels.

But there are less than 10 important (interesting) Channels!

The most are chinese, hindi, arabic...

[RDN]

Astro is encrypted in Mediaguard, which needs a smartcard with the decryption keys on it to tell the built in decoder how to decrypt the signal...

It is possible that they specifically make decoders with a smartcard emulator built in. It still would mean that when Astro upgrades it's encryption system you'll end up with a completely useless system. You cannot even use the box to tune into anything!

The Italian guy next door has a satellite system with a big dish and the installer came round yesterday to fix it after the wind blew it out of alignment. I asked the installer about what to do if the broadcaster changes the encryption and he said he gets very busy going around to many of his customers and updating their systems. He does this for free because - as he put it - "Bad service, no customers". He also said that some customers could do it themselves and that he SMS'd to them the new codes.

So there's still a risk your system would be useless if the installer gets sick / goes AWOL / gets arrested / etc.

[Phil Conners]

Anyone know a satellite dealer in Pattaya who knows how to setup Astro?

[mrpager2000]

You kids are like a soap opra gone wrong,

I use ASTRO i bought it in Malaysia when i made a free visa run, or you can fly there with www.AirAsia.com for 900 baht each way. I bought the astro for 2000 baht (200RM) and the service is less than 800 baht with HBO, Star movie, Cinemax and many more (ALL in ENGLISH) Malaysian watch TV mostly in english (Even Local channels) You can pay your astro bill online with a credit card, and I use it in BKK and I also live in KL and use it there.

Anyways Astro is much better than UBC and much cheaper (NO PM Tachsin in Malaysia) Like ADSL in Malaysia is only 600 baht for 384K (No PM Taksin -Taxin)

Its designed to be installed yourself, In America MOST people install their own dish, its not too hard

If you need help contact me maybe i can help you. im in Malaysia now

[RDN]

You kids are like a soap opra gone wrong,

I use ASTRO i bought it in Malaysia when i made a free visa run, or you can fly there with www.AirAsia.com for 900 baht each way. I bought the astro for 2000 baht (200RM) and the service is less than 800 baht with HBO, Star movie, Cinemax and many more (ALL in ENGLISH) Malaysian watch TV mostly in english (Even Local channels) You can pay your astro bill online with a credit card, and I use it in BKK and I also live in KL and use it there.

Anyways Astro is much better than UBC and much cheaper (NO PM Tachsin in Malaysia) Like ADSL in Malaysia is only 600 baht for 384K (No PM Taksin -Taxin)

Its designed to be installed yourself, In America MOST people install their own dish, its not too hard

If you need help contact me maybe i can help you. im in Malaysia now

Thanks for your expert advice. We kids will now fly out to Malaysia, buy an Astro thingy, come back, buy a step ladder, various tools and sun hat, and plan where to put our shiny new dish just like those clever Americans. Don't you just love 'em?

[johng]

buy a step ladder, various tools and sun hat, and plan where to put our shiny new dish

RDN don't forgot about hiring the local Thai to actually do the work !!! you know what happens if they catch a farlung "working" without a work permit

[Phil Conners]

I think you should be able to put a dish up for yourself without a work permit ... or did I get that all wrong?

Sorry not time or interest in going to KL for this, but if there was a local shop selling the merchandise I'd be interested!

[johng]

madsere :

There is a "satellite dealer" very near to the south Pattaya Big C store

it's not in the Big C but in one of the the shops around the perimeter where

Duck Plaza used to be. (if you have been there you'll know what I mean)

I don't know for sure as I havn't asked about Astro but maybe thay could help you.

I was only half joking about the work permit.

[RDN]

... if there was a local shop selling the merchandise I'd be interested!

What is "local" for you? (Thailand is a big place )

[Phil Conners]

Local = Pattaya.

Johng, Yes I know the place. Don't recall seeing any satellite shops there but then again, I only saw some of it. Will have a look next time I'm over there, thanks!

Ot: Have anybody noticed they demolished the row of shophouses built just north of same Big C? Wonder what the story was about that (and what happend to entrepreneurs who already had moved into the new premises. One particular place had been made into a very nice looking restaurant (closed, aircon, loads of wood and plush)

[johng]

The satellite shop used to be in that row of shops that was demolished !!

if you stand and look at that row of (demolished) shops with big C behind you, then look left you will se the satellite shop it has dishes on the roof.

there is the car accessory shop, satellite shop , model making shop and then the picture framing shop

I was told (by the ink jet refill shop) that the owner of those shops wanted to make one big shop I think they must have gone bust as there is no new building going on there now :-(

[fox]

What is " Astro " ?

As far as I know, ' Astro ' is the local pay-TV segment for the Malaysian market.

I am in Malaysia, and I am subscribing to Astro with the minumun fee of

RM 50/- (Bt about 500/-) per month.

I had to purchase a small satellite disc and a decorder, plus a smart card from

an Astro dealer..... and they installed everything up for me. Everything costs about RM 400/-.

On top of all that I had to sign up an agreement with Astro...... the usual contract and so on.

Most of the programs are in English....... eg. CNN, BBC, Discovery,Hallmark, National Geographic,

and much more. The more you pay, you will get more, like Chinese programs from Hong Kong

and China, and etc. For my case, the minimun is good enough. I don't have the time even to watch

my minimun package.

The question whether you could use Astro in Los, I would'nt know. I am also keen to find out.

As I have said, you need a ' smart ' card and a sign up contract with them. You can always

upgrade your programs by paying more. To downgrade, you have to give them one years' notice.

[Phil Conners]

To make a long story short:

1) You can watch Astro in Pattaya with a 10ft dish and the picture is great

2) The channels are great, everything UBC should have been at half the price.

3) Astro is only for sale in Malaysia. You cannot legally buy a subscription in Malaysia and use it in Thailand. UBC has monopoly of beaming down programs from the sky and for this reason the public discussion ends here afaic.

[Jimbo]

Hi all,

I really need to find some for of satelite as UBC sucks. I answered an ad in the Gazette and this is what I got for a reply. It this the ASTRO everyone is talking about?

Dear Sir,

The digital receiver comes with a smart card,the dish is small like

ubc.you get about 50 channels all in english ie.STAR MOVIES,HBO

ASIA,STAR WORLD,CINEMAX,HALLMARK,CARTOON NETWORK,BBC,CNN,CNBC

ASIA,CHANNEL V,ANIMAL PLANET,DISCOVERY,NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND MANY

>>MORE AND PLUS ITS GOT 16 RADIO CHANNELS.

>its a brand new complete set and you dont pay any monthly fee like ubc infact you dont pay anything and 1 year free maintenance.the

recieiver has never been used. i bought it for 25000 baht and its still in the box.

Will give it for just 16000 baht and if you want installation to be done +2500

[Tornado]

Hi all,

I really need to find some for of satelite as UBC sucks. I answered an ad in the Gazette and this is what I got for a reply. It this the ASTRO everyone is talking about?

Dear Sir,

The digital receiver comes with a smart card,the dish is small like

ubc.you get about 50 channels all in english ie.STAR MOVIES,HBO

ASIA,STAR WORLD,CINEMAX,HALLMARK,CARTOON NETWORK,BBC,CNN,CNBC

ASIA,CHANNEL V,ANIMAL PLANET,DISCOVERY,NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND MANY

>>MORE AND PLUS ITS GOT 16 RADIO CHANNELS.

>its a brand new complete set and you dont pay any monthly fee like ubc infact you dont pay anything and 1 year free maintenance.the

recieiver has never been used. i bought it for 25000 baht and its still in the box.

Will give it for just 16000 baht and if you want installation to be done +2500

Hi Jimbo

The Indian lady that posted that advertisement is a "broker".

I went and met with her and some things didnt add up, so I left it.

I wouldn't trust her on this.

[Phil Conners]

I went to the shop in Naklua Road and he quoted me 28,000 for a 10 ft dish, LNB (head), receiver, bits and installation. I then had my wife call Dynasat in Bangkok who quoted me 13,500 for the same. Told this to the Naklua guy whose only reply was "go buy it in Bangkok then". TIT.

Update: Dynasat quotes 6000 for the receiver + 300 shipping it to Pattaya. Psisat (in Pattaya) quoted me "around 6000" for a 10 ft dish, LNB and installation. Total 12,300 vs. the 28.000 quoted by the Naklua shop. Caveat emptor.

[okey kokey]

As A new commer to the world of satellites, ive been surfing the web, to try and learn more about the subject especially any thing related to here in Thailand, I came across this web site......www.satthai.net

if you click the CARD logo, then click MEMBER CARD it shows a range of cards including ...ASTRO .. can any one tell me just what this is all about...? ( my Thai is not so good ) ...Many Thanks .........

[lopburi3]

if you click the CARD logo, then click MEMBER CARD it shows a range of cards including ...ASTRO .. can any one tell me just what this is all about...? ( my Thai is not so good ) ...Many Thanks .........

If you click on that flag at the top of page you will get English.

Looks like a good site. Thanks

The below link is direct:

LINK

[Phil Conners]

Here's an alternative list of the Astro channels from lyngsat