New Ubc Services In 2008

[rixalex]

Refering to the letter at the front of next month's UBC magazine...

The mention of the new set-top box that records and offers lots of new functions got me a bit excited, but i wonder, how long before we see it and at what sort of premium? Anyone know more?

[sriracha john]

Will they be introducing the new "Double Blue Diamond" package at 3,999 baht/month for that?

[longball53098]

There is a full page spread if you look into the magazine about 5 pages. Also they show a web site for more info for current and prospective customers

http://pvr.truevisionstv.com/marketing/index_en.html

[Tywais]

They first announced that nearly a year ago. Hope the Beta testing is done and a real product will finally roll out.

[jayjayjayjay]

Will they be introducing the new "Double Blue Diamond" package at 3,999 baht/month for that?

plus a 10,000 baht installation fee........ UBC are still trying to charge me 5,000 baht for each of the three times I have moved my satellite system here in Chiangmai. For some reason, moving to a new locations but retaining the original subscriptions is not what they like. As a result I have maintained the same TV top box, same satellite dish and perfect contection by taking down and reinstalling the same set myself in four different houses over the space of 10 years... They still send magazines to the original address (the house has been bulldozed), and refuse to change the address in their computer system, so I just wonder in and pay over the counter every month..

This is the only company I have ever had any type of subscription with that gives NOTHING back in terms of long term subscibers, I had UBC in bkk for 5 years before the 10 yr subscription in CM. Has anyone with longterm subcription ever got anything from them??? Maybe I have missed something along the way.

[Rimmer]

Will they be introducing the new "Double Blue Diamond" package at 3,999 baht/month for that?

plus a 10,000 baht installation fee........ UBC are still trying to charge me 5,000 baht for each of the three times I have moved my satellite system here in Chiangmai. For some reason, moving to a new locations but retaining the original subscriptions is not what they like. As a result I have maintained the same TV top box, same satellite dish and perfect contection by taking down and reinstalling the same set myself in four different houses over the space of 10 years... They still send magazines to the original address (the house has been bulldozed), and refuse to change the address in their computer system, so I just wonder in and pay over the counter every month..

This is the only company I have ever had any type of subscription with that gives NOTHING back in terms of long term subscibers, I had UBC in bkk for 5 years before the 10 yr subscription in CM. Has anyone with longterm subcription ever got anything from them??? Maybe I have missed something along the way.

They moved my system from Pattaya to Baan Ampur FREE

Then they charged me 9000 baht just to bring along an extra box for the GF and simply plug it in, called it

'installation fee'

[jayjayjayjay]

Will they be introducing the new "Double Blue Diamond" package at 3,999 baht/month for that?

plus a 10,000 baht installation fee........ UBC are still trying to charge me 5,000 baht for each of the three times I have moved my satellite system here in Chiangmai. For some reason, moving to a new locations but retaining the original subscriptions is not what they like. As a result I have maintained the same TV top box, same satellite dish and perfect contection by taking down and reinstalling the same set myself in four different houses over the space of 10 years... They still send magazines to the original address (the house has been bulldozed), and refuse to change the address in their computer system, so I just wonder in and pay over the counter every month..

This is the only company I have ever had any type of subscription with that gives NOTHING back in terms of long term subscibers, I had UBC in bkk for 5 years before the 10 yr subscription in CM. Has anyone with longterm subcription ever got anything from them??? Maybe I have missed something along the way.

They moved my system from Pattaya to Baan Ampur FREE

Then they charged me 9000 baht just to bring along an extra box for the GF and simply plug it in, called it

'installation fee'

They get you any way they can!!!

[Teddy3943]

Will they be introducing the new "Double Blue Diamond" package at 3,999 baht/month for that?

plus a 10,000 baht installation fee........ UBC are still trying to charge me 5,000 baht for each of the three times I have moved my satellite system here in Chiangmai. For some reason, moving to a new locations but retaining the original subscriptions is not what they like. As a result I have maintained the same TV top box, same satellite dish and perfect contection by taking down and reinstalling the same set myself in four different houses over the space of 10 years... They still send magazines to the original address (the house has been bulldozed), and refuse to change the address in their computer system, so I just wonder in and pay over the counter every month..

This is the only company I have ever had any type of subscription with that gives NOTHING back in terms of long term subscibers, I had UBC in bkk for 5 years before the 10 yr subscription in CM. Has anyone with longterm subcription ever got anything from them??? Maybe I have missed something along the way.

They moved my system from Pattaya to Baan Ampur FREE

Then they charged me 9000 baht just to bring along an extra box for the GF and simply plug it in, called it

'installation fee'

They get you any way they can!!!

Hey mates, I'm sorry, but are you crazy to pay such crazy charges? This UBC company charges absolute crazy rates for their service. If you compare the prices of about the same services in Europe and consider that many costs here in Thailand are much lower than in the western countries and besides that the Thai channels 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11 and many more are loaded with commercials, than we must realize that UBC must make a huge usurious profit. Use your common sense and boycot this monopolistic company. You could buy a card from the Malysian Measat package or any other nice package in the range of satellites over Thailand. Or one of the receivers with an internet connection and an automatic subscription to several packages, without the high costs of a UBC-subscription.

[tavarich]

Hey mates, I'm sorry, but are you crazy to pay such crazy charges? This UBC company charges absolute crazy rates for their service. If you compare the prices of about the same services in Europe and consider that many costs here in Thailand are much lower than in the western countries and besides that the Thai channels 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11 and many more are loaded with commercials, than we must realize that UBC must make a huge usurious profit. Use your common sense and boycot this monopolistic company. You could buy a card from the Malysian Measat package or any other nice package in the range of satellites over Thailand. Or one of the receivers with an internet connection and an automatic subscription to several packages, without the high costs of a UBC-subscription.

Could you expand my knowledge of this system, It sounds pretty good.

[PattayaParent]

This is the only company I have ever had any type of subscription with that gives NOTHING back in terms of long term subscibers, I had UBC in bkk for 5 years before the 10 yr subscription in CM. Has anyone with longterm subcription ever got anything from them??? Maybe I have missed something along the way.

When I looked into getting UBC many moons ago the motnhly subscription that all existing customers paid was 900 Baht but they wanted to charge new subscribers like myself 1,200 Baht. So you got a discount of Baht 300 a month for a period of time.

[Wash]

Will they be introducing the new "Double Blue Diamond" package at 3,999 baht/month for that?

plus a 10,000 baht installation fee........ UBC are still trying to charge me 5,000 baht for each of the three times I have moved my satellite system here in Chiangmai. For some reason, moving to a new locations but retaining the original subscriptions is not what they like. As a result I have maintained the same TV top box, same satellite dish and perfect contection by taking down and reinstalling the same set myself in four different houses over the space of 10 years... They still send magazines to the original address (the house has been bulldozed), and refuse to change the address in their computer system, so I just wonder in and pay over the counter every month..

This is the only company I have ever had any type of subscription with that gives NOTHING back in terms of long term subscibers, I had UBC in bkk for 5 years before the 10 yr subscription in CM. Has anyone with longterm subcription ever got anything from them??? Maybe I have missed something along the way.

Suggest you go to the website for True and register your account. You will then be able to change the address that is used for magazine and billing. I also use it to find out the invoice number for each months bill, then go to online banking and pay that invoice from the bank. I need to do it that way because the bill quite often gets lost in the mail. But I have registered and now can change address myself.

Good Luck

Edited March 17, 2008 by Wash

[keycon]

Hey mates, I'm sorry, but are you crazy to pay such crazy charges? This UBC company charges absolute crazy rates for their service. If you compare the prices of about the same services in Europe and consider that many costs here in Thailand are much lower than in the western countries and besides that the Thai channels 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11 and many more are loaded with commercials, than we must realize that UBC must make a huge usurious profit. Use your common sense and boycot this monopolistic company. You could buy a card from the Malysian Measat package or any other nice package in the range of satellites over Thailand. Or one of the receivers with an internet connection and an automatic subscription to several packages, without the high costs of a UBC-subscription.

Could you expand my knowledge of this system, It sounds pretty good.

Yes me too please, can you give details of what channels you get, how to subscribe, recommend an installer for st dish etc. I have been looking at Astro, your comments very welcome as I have not been yet able to find anyone who has actually installed a sytem

[richard10365]

Card sharing.

[pampal]

UBC customer service is horrible

[jayjayjayjay]

UBC customer service is horrible

An update, you will see my extensive complaint above.

After the said complaint, I went to the True Vision website. They were in the early stages of initiating a competition to test BETA versions of the PTV system planned for release. To my surprise I actually got listed as one of the 100 winners. I recieve the new box at no charge earlier this month (had to pick it up in BKK, they couldn't send it to CM) There office for implementing this program was in complete disaray. Eventually they got everything setup. On return to Chiangmai it was as simple as plugging all the right cables in and up it came.

http://pvr.truevisionstv.com/marketing/pvr_demo/index.html

I have got to say it is rather impressive. The record fuction is excellent. I can now scan the program guide for days ahead (I have not checked to see how far this can go). I have requested to record individual programs and it has allowed me the option to record the entire series. Great for weekly shows with changing times, and just saves the hassles of repeating the task week-on-week

Playback is excellent, ff and rew work well. Starting, stopping and resume also works well. There is an instant playback which can replay what you just watched on TV, while watching it live. This is sort of weird, but I guess the football guys are going to love it...... Won't do me any good until they get Aussie Rules Footy on UBC!

The biggests benefit I have is they have yet to cancel my other set top box. So I've moved my normal box into my bedroom (did it again myself by spliting the cable directly after the satellite) giving me fully independant UBC programming in 2 locations in my house on the one account,,, bravo,,,, now I feel there is some value for money. One of my biggest b*tches has been only one TV being able to be set up in the house. That meant it was me or the kids or it was living room or bedroom, etc...... now I've got the choice, but this is not part of the UBC system, it's just coz they forgot to ask me to return my TV top box while this beta thing is going.

I guess True will find a way to cancel the whole lot soon. I see this box now advertised for 14,999 baht........ is it worth it? If you spend 5 hours at the TV every day....... maybe! If you have specific shows only that you wish to watch....maybe! If the 14,999 baht is insignificant money for you.....maybe! Is it usefull, you bet.

My finals summary is it a great improvement over what we have had for the last 10 years.... I for one will be recording all the F1 stuff I can. At the end of the year I'll have an F1 marithon with racing mates and play it direct from the 120 hours of recording memory.......

To be honest I don't know much about other systems available. My buddy uses the Malaysian system in Phuket, TV opteration is messy.

This True PVR all now housed in the one system suits me fine.

[happylarry]

Hey jayjayjayjay....It is advertised as having two tuners available so that you can record one channel while watching another...surely this means that you currently have three tuners available doesnt it???

Do you know if the extra remote control box will work with it so that you can change programs from another room. Of course I mean if you only have the one unit available.

These units have been out in UK for four or so years now and work well. I dont think you need to sit in front of the box for five hours a day, the convenience of being able to do whatever you want when you want surely makes the investment worthwhile. You forgot to say that for sports fans there are special pages to visit at any time for up to date sports reults and news. A bit like teletext I guess.

[astral]

This is what happens when a company gets a monopoly.

Here in the Middle East I have around free 30 channels, worth watching, from the NileSat and HotBird

satellites, That is out of a total of 1600. I add another 10 by paying $19 a month.

The setup cost was $200 for 2 dishes and the receiver.

No monthly magazine, but all the programme details are available on the net.

There is also some interesting late night viewing on Hotbird....

[jayjayjayjay]

Hey jayjayjayjay....It is advertised as having two tuners available so that you can record one channel while watching another...surely this means that you currently have three tuners available doesnt it???

Do you know if the extra remote control box will work with it so that you can change programs from another room. Of course I mean if you only have the one unit available.

These units have been out in UK for four or so years now and work well. I dont think you need to sit in front of the box for five hours a day, the convenience of being able to do whatever you want when you want surely makes the investment worthwhile. You forgot to say that for sports fans there are special pages to visit at any time for up to date sports reults and news. A bit like teletext I guess.

H_Larry, yes I must have three tuners, that's three tuners in two boxes. I guess they have two tuners IN the PVR box. You can channel surf by going to the TV Guide, information feeds down a little slow over the satellite with this format, maybe a 2 second delay, but at the same time whatever channel you are watching shrinks down to a smaller subscreen bottom left, maybe 7 x 10 on my 32inch screen, you can scan the menu for that channel or other channels for days ahead as mentioned my earlier post. At the same time you get pic and audio of the channel you where watching before opening the menu.

Do you know if the extra remote control box will work with it so that you can change programs from another room. Of course I mean if you only have the one unit available. I'm not really sure what your saying here. I have two boxes now, but I expect they will claim the original box back from most subsribers on installation! I use my old remote (the ones that break within 2 months of using) with the old box, and the new remote with the new box, as simple as that.

Your correct re the sports pages, being a Pom you would understand I need the sports information for when us Aussies are demorilizing you guys in the Ashes ... unfortunetly not a high priority for football mad programmers in Thailand. As for my team.......... Man City.......... I've given up on them for the rest of the season after being beaten 0-2 to Reading and going 0-0 to Wigan at home..........(&^%&(T(*^%*&........ 5555 Hope Taksin gets cleared so he can through a Billion Baht at Sven for this summers recruits!!!!!!!!! 5555

There's games for the kids and the ability to record one channel while the other gets to watch theres live.....

Basically your right. I am sure there are a lot of other things we can do with the box by connecting it up to a computer as well... good things to come I guess......... all I need now is 50 inch LCD and a new Lazyboy and life will improve!

[t.s]

why do i need to record programming that is repeated twice daily for a month?

Edited March 19, 2008 by t.s

[jayjayjayjay]

why do i need to record programming that is repeated twice daily for a month?

Guess you don't if you've got the time, unfortunately for me I work 12 hours a day, 6 days a wee, have a gf, two kids, an ex, dog and 2 cats to take care off............ I wanna watch what I wanna watch when I wanna watch it!

Edited March 20, 2008 by jayjayjayjay

[BigSnake]

Not NEW just SOS, Same ol SH##, no doubt about it, it'll be ok for a week or so than

[rixalex]

The dilemma for me now as i see it, is whether to take advantage of the current reduced rate (until end of month) of having the True boys come and install a second receiver (5,000 all up) and buy my own DVD recorder, or go for the PVR system. The monthly charges of either will be about the same. Having a second receiver is an idea i like as it means being able to watch in different rooms. PVR sounds good with the function to record an entire series and the program guide that isn't limited to what you are watching now and what's coming on next.

I'm still undecided.

[jayjayjayjay]

Not NEW just SOS, Same ol SH##, no doubt about it, it'll be ok for a week or so than

I'm still waiting for the bill for my "beta test" competition winning box!!

[Plus]

Hey mates, I'm sorry, but are you crazy to pay such crazy charges? This UBC company charges absolute crazy rates for their service. If you compare the prices of about the same services in Europe and consider that many costs here in Thailand are much lower than in the western countries and besides that the Thai channels 3, 5, 7 , 9, 11 and many more are loaded with commercials, than we must realize that UBC must make a huge usurious profit. Use your common sense and boycot this monopolistic company. You could buy a card from the Malysian Measat package or any other nice package in the range of satellites over Thailand. Or one of the receivers with an internet connection and an automatic subscription to several packages, without the high costs of a UBC-subscription.

Your rant has nothing to do with reality.

UBC recieves nothing from advertisers on free to air channels, and it also recieves nothing for allowing pass through commercials on the likes of ESPN, too. They've been allowed to air their own ads only last week.

Malaysian Astro is also a monopoly and the only choice in Malaysia, and their rates don't look any cheaper that UBC here.

The reality is that UBC is cheaper than "any other nice package in the range of sattelites over Thailand".

You can install a cheap Jsat's dish but you'll still have to pay to watch anything worth watching, and, if you study the rates, you'll probably find that UBC's card is the best option overall.

>>>

I don't see the point in recording their programs - they are at least a year behind the West, it makes more sense to download them off the Internet, in HiDef format comparing to UBC lower than VCD quality. Prison Break, for example, is still in season two on UBC, I believe, while the rest of the world has finished watching season three a month ago.

You can record live sports for later viewing, though, if you don't mind knowing the result before you watch the game.

[scousemouse]

I got the new PVR set top box a few days ago and I'm about to use it for the first time tonight to record the England game.

I will find it useful for the football or any other live sport event that is shown in the early hours of the morning.

I know we all enjoy slagging UBC and turdvisions off but for a football fan or any sports fan for the matter it really is not that bad. They show ALL the premiership and champions league games live and pretty much every other sporting event live aswell.

I have it in the living room and the bedroom ( all that cost was a one of payment of 2 grand to the guys who installed the UBC , I love corruption ) so the missus and son are kept happy as they can still watch thai tv and cartoons.

[rixalex]

I got the new PVR set top box a few days ago and I'm about to use it for the first time tonight to record the England game.

I will find it useful for the football or any other live sport event that is shown in the early hours of the morning.

I know we all enjoy slagging UBC and turdvisions off but for a football fan or any sports fan for the matter it really is not that bad. They show ALL the premiership and champions league games live and pretty much every other sporting event live aswell.

I have it in the living room and the bedroom ( all that cost was a one of payment of 2 grand to the guys who installed the UBC , I love corruption ) so the missus and son are kept happy as they can still watch thai tv and cartoons.

For that under the table payment did it include an extra receiver for the other room, or do both sets run off the same box?

[rixalex]

And another question - this one for all those who have had PVR fitted already. What are you getting charged extra per month for the service? I can't seem to find any mention of this on Turd Vision's website.

[astral]

These boxes are fine for delayed viewing, but they do not allow long term storage of the programmes to DVD for archive.

I would recommend purchase of a digital video recorder (DVR)

I have had one for 3 years now and it was one of the best purchases I ever made.

As easy to programme as a vcr.

When viewing I can fast forward through the ads.

I can edit programmes, removing all the annoying ads,

then archive programmes to dvd.