3BB GIGA TV

[bonneville]

Is anyone using 3bb giga tv and is it any good? Are the English channels actually spoken in English or is there a voice over in Thai?

[Salerno]

 

[KannikaP]

I have just this week got 3BB Giga TV, only Bht 107 extra to my internet. It is basically an Android box with pre-programmed apps in it. HBO, YouTube etc etc. It also has Google Play Store, but I have found no way yet of installing say Chrome or any other Android app. Has anyone with this box been able to do that ?

There are a limited number of English channels, CNN, BBC Nature Smithsonian etc, but not many. I went through the HBO movies and found about two that I would want to watch. There is the option to have English or Thai speaking on some movies, or subtitles.

The remote control is the usual useless number pad and cursor, but a standard USB keyboard/mouse does work making navigation much easier. The 3BB techies set it up on the 5GHz channel of my router but then I could not control it via my phone which will only connect to 2.4GHz channel. I changed the box to that channel and Google Assistant sort of works. 

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Edited January 24, 2021 by KannikaP

[ivor bigun]

we got it as well ,only 107 baht extra on our wi fi ,great value for the money ,neither the wife or i watch much tv ,i just download what i want ,but it has bloomberg and cnn ,and as said BBC nature which the wife really likes , true has gone down so much ,we left once bloomberg was ditched

[KannikaP]

13 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

we got it as well ,only 107 baht extra on our wi fi ,great value for the money ,neither the wife or i watch much tv ,i just download what i want ,but it has bloomberg and cnn ,and as said BBC nature which the wife really likes , true has gone down so much ,we left once bloomberg was ditched

I know that ivor, I got mine because of your recommendation. But the three channels you mention are not the most exciting viewing for me, which is why I use a VPN and can watch any UK channel. You can get CNN & Bloomberg on ustvgo.tv for free. I want to install other apps on this 3BB Android box.

[ivor bigun]

59 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I know that ivor, I got mine because of your recommendation. But the three channels you mention are not the most exciting viewing for me, which is why I use a VPN and can watch any UK channel. You can get CNN & Bloomberg on ustvgo.tv for free. I want to install other apps on this 3BB Android box.

well if you manage it ,please let me know how ,i will get my son to do it for me????

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

well if you manage it ,please let me know how ,i will get my son to do it for me????

I am pretty tech savvy but cannot install Chrome, or any other app from the Google Playstore.

I reckon 3BB have blocked that facility. Unfortunately my (grand)son is only 6 months old!   LOL

Edited January 24, 2021 by KannikaP

[weaver93]

On 1/24/2021 at 5:36 PM, KannikaP said:

I am pretty tech savvy but cannot install Chrome, or any other app from the Google Playstore.

I reckon 3BB have blocked that facility. Unfortunately my (grand)son is only 6 months old!   LOL

@KannikaP

@ivor bigun

I have just installed 'other apps' onto the GigaTV box..

Basically their is no browser installed, as Android TV has blocked it..

However.. there is a solution..

1. Open Google Play Store.

2. Search for app 'Downloader'

3.Install Downloader.

4.When prompted Click 'Allow access'

5. Open Downloader..

6. Scroll to 'Browser'

7. Type ' browser.aftvnews.com'

8. Click Go.

9. Done.

 

Downloader can now be used to search the web, to install other apps..

The attached link.. is a video tutorial to implement the above instructions.

Click to 5:21 on the video to see the process..

Good luck guys..

 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by weaver93

[KannikaP]

5 minutes ago, weaver93 said:

@KannikaP

@ivor bigun

I have just installed 'other apps' onto the GigaTV box..

Basically their is no browser installed, as Android TV has blocked it..

However.. there is a solution..

1. Open Google Play Store.

2. Search for app 'Downloader'

3.Install Downloader.

4.When prompted Click 'Allow access'

5. Open Downloader..

6. Scroll to 'Browser'

7. Type ' browser.aftvnews.com'

8. Click Go.

9. Done.

 

Downloader can now be used to search the web, to install other apps..

The attached link.. is a video tutorial to implement the above instructions.

Click to 5:59 on the video to see the process..

Good luck guys..

 

 

Thanks for that and the PM. (Messgae not Boris or Prayut!)

I simply thought that the 3BB box would offer something different than I can get on my PC/VPN. I doesn't. Just have to pay the Bht 100 a month til contract runs out.

[stament]

Do you have to take their box if you want to watch their channels or is it possible to use your own android box?

[KannikaP]

18 minutes ago, stament said:

Do you have to take their box if you want to watch their channels or is it possible to use your own android box?

You can put what you want on an Android box, direct from Playstore. But 3BBs unique channels will not be available, but you are missing nothing.

[Susco]

3 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

You can put what you want on an Android box, direct from Playstore. But 3BBs unique channels will not be available, but you are missing nothing.

 

You can download the 3BB gigatv from Playstore, as well as the 3BB Cloudtv

 

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

You can download the 3BB gigatv from Playstore, as well as the 3BB Cloudtv

 

I'm certain that you can, but it's the actual content I am not happy with. I'll stick with my VPN and torrents. 

[stament]

3 hours ago, Susco said:

 

You can download the 3BB gigatv from Playstore, as well as the 3BB Cloudtv

 

And it will be the same quality as the 3BB Box for watching their channels?

[Susco]

27 minutes ago, stament said:

And it will be the same quality as the 3BB Box for watching their channels?

 

Quality depends on your internet connection and the quality of your box.

 

This is the same app as everyone else, so 3bb sends the same signal as they send to their own boxes.

 

I read on here that the 3bb box is poor quality, but since I don't have such a box, I can also not comment on that

[Susco]

On 1/24/2021 at 5:36 PM, KannikaP said:

I am pretty tech savvy but cannot install Chrome, or any other app from the Google Playstore.

I reckon 3BB have blocked that facility. Unfortunately my (grand)son is only 6 months old!   LOL

 

Pretty tech savvy but never heard about side loading apps? lol

 

Of course you can install Chrome on Android TV, but you have to be just a little tech savvy, and know how to use google

Edited April 8, 2021 by Susco

[KannikaP]

30 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

Pretty tech savvy but never heard about side loading apps? lol

 

Of course you can install Chrome on Android TV, but you have to be just a little tech savvy, and know how to use google

I thought I was on ignore.

I suggested that 3BB had blocked that facility on their GigaTV box.

You say that I need to know how to use Google. That is something I have not yet learnt in my Tech Savvy Classes. Please explain to me what it is and how I use it. Thanks.

Edited April 8, 2021 by KannikaP

[tigerbeer]

i really would like to subsrcibe HBO Go which is only available through 3BB. I already have internet with AIS and dont want to change internet providers. is there no other way to get HBO Go? 

[Henryford]

I just got the Giga TV from 3BB. I was quite pleased with the extra channels for only an extra 100 baht a month. Actually one of the main reasons for getting it was for a new WiFi6 router.

[smedly]

anyone got a good free app to use on android box

[catturd]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

anyone got a good free app to use on android box

see attached lists for media players, browsers. I have 1000's more, paid, premium, all categories. What do u want, let me know and I'll send the apk to you.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 5/12/2021 at 9:38 AM, tigerbeer said:

i really would like to subsrcibe HBO Go which is only available through 3BB. I already have internet with AIS and dont want to change internet providers. is there no other way to get HBO Go? 

 

In looking last night, the HBO GO website for Thailand says you can subscribe directly to them, without going thru or needing 3BB, for 149b per month.  But you do have to connect via a Thai IP address. It won't work with a non-Thai IP address.

 

https://www.hbogo.co.th/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 4/8/2021 at 4:18 PM, KannikaP said:

I thought I was on ignore.

I suggested that 3BB had blocked that facility on their GigaTV box.

You say that I need to know how to use Google. That is something I have not yet learnt in my Tech Savvy Classes. Please explain to me what it is and how I use it. Thanks.

 

Couple of things:

 

--it's not uncommon for Android TV devices to NOT support the most popular Android browsers via their Google Play Store connections (ie. the browsers simply aren't listed in the Google Play Store for those devices). None of my various ATVs do. However, as explained above, it's pretty easy to install and use the "Downloader" app from the Play Store,  [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esaba.downloader ] and then use that to access other alternate Android app stores via their websites such as APKPure or Aptoide that allow you to install/sideload regular Android apps, including browsers like Firefox and Chrome. (The Downloader app includes a basic web browser functionality that can be controlled with the regular ATV remote control).

 

In contrast, the reason ATVs don't generally support the main Android browser apps is they're designed for touch screen devices like mobile phones and tablets, whereas the ATV OS is not touch screen but instead remote control-clicker operated, and the remote clicks won't control the Android browser apps. Thus, to use Android Chrome or Firefox on an ATV, you'll need to use something like a Bluetooth mouse or some Android mouse app that will allow you to use and control the Android browser apps.

 

--from everything I've seen and found, there should be THREE different ways to access the 3BB GigaTV content.

 

1. use the Android TV box from 3BB that has all their content built-in. The box will connect to your 3BB router either by LAN or dual band wifi.

 

2. use your own Android TV box, and then install the 3BB GigaTV Android app on your own Android box (access the app in the Play Store requires a Thai IP).

 

3. streaming the GigaTV content in a web browser by logging into the GigaTV website using your 3BB/GigaTV log-in ID and password.

 

https://3bbgigatv.com/login

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Well, some weeks after tipping my research toes in the 3BB GigaTV waters, I finally took the plunge and had 3BB install their GigaTV Android streaming box in my home yesterday, connected via wifi to my 3BB router.

 

Everything seems to be pretty much as advertised, but I do need to spend some more time with it. I just finished setting it all up after the tech left and personalizing the settings and adding some of my own apps via the included Google Play Store app on the device.

 

But I did encounter a few quirks:

 

1. When I did the signup at the local 3BB shop two days before, the staff there told me they're no longer offering the same promotions as before, and instead, are now offering only one-year promotional pricing packages, and have eliminated the slightly lower priced two-year promotional packages they previously had offered. Thus for my existing 1 GB down / 500 Mbps fiber internet connection, the only GigaTV add-on choice was a one-year promo deal for 800 baht per month plus VAT, making the total about 850b per month. Thus the TV package is costing an extra 100 baht per month, beyond the original 750 baht or so fiber internet only package I had.

 

2. Then when I started playing with the box, which mainly will be used by my Thai wife for watching Thai TV, one of the first things I looked for was whether it has a Favorite Channels functionality.  The good news is, it does. The bad news is, as best as I can figure it, even after you select your favorite channels and then click the channel guide option to just show you the favorited channels only... AFTER that, anytime you go elsewhere and then come back to the channel guide, the box seems to revert to the "all channels" version instead of sticking with the "favorite channels only" choice you previously made. Unless I'm missing something, that kind of defeats the purpose and minimizes the usefulness of setting favorites on the device.

 

3. And then, in the mini channel guide itself, where thumbnails of each channel run down the left hand edge of the screen while the bulk of the screen is showing the selected channel, the channels are ordered oddly in reverse order. So instead of starting with the lowest channel number at the top of the screen and then clicking downward to progress thru the channels, in the GigaTV box's display, the lowest number channel shown on the left edge of the screen is always at the bottom of the screen, and then to progress thru the channels, you're clicking upward from the bottom of the screen. Just the opposite of what you'd normally expect -- except perhaps for a box made in China.

 

If anyone has a different experience with points 2 and 3 as I've explained them above, including how to get the Favorites Channels only selection to actually stick and remain, please give me a head's up here. Because thus far, I'm not seeing it.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[JustThisOnePostOnly]

I have one of these. As mentioned, for the money extra you pay it is a good deal. Mostly Thai channels but that's fine given we're in Thailand. I also think the Thai shopping channels are hilarious.

 

However, I bought the JVC Deep Bass Bluetooth headphones from IT City hoping for a better audio experience for movies/music (the TV that comes with the condo is actually pretty good but the speakers suck) and it just can't achieve a stable connection.

 

Granted, I am in a nest of condos here in Jomtien with like 100 wifi routers all showing up on the list and Bluetooth uses 2.4Ghz too, however, I can achieve stable connection between the headphones and my Android phone and my Linux laptop. So I blame the Android TV.

 

So I want another option.

 

The Android TV has a jack titled AV that seems to let me plug in my earbuds, but no sound comes through. Googling for AV here is next to useless, it is such an overused term that the results are meaningless. So that's a bummer.

 

The unit also has an SPDIF output. Has anyone had any luck using that? Was at Tukcom today and one store did have a DAC that accepted Toslink but only RCA out, no 3.5mm jack.

 

Ideally I'd find a pair of expensive surround headphones that connected directly to the SPDIF with maybe a 3M cable but such things don't really even exist back home. But the Android TV would seem to support that, showing options for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS and AAC output.

 

I see on Lazada that there are boxes that accept SPDIF and provide headphone jacks, and then use a 3.5mm extension cord to let me listen from the couch, but wanted to check here first in case there's a better solution.

 

Sound bar is out as I like to keep my door open for the good breeze and want to be a good neighbor; it always seems like with movies you have to crank it all the way up to understand the dialogue.

 

TV has no headphone jack either, only another Toslink jack.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.