No More Ubc - Any Satellite Solution?

[danone]

hi, I try to get rid of UBC, am loooking for an alternative satellite tv solution in bangkok.

any helpful addresses? yes, jsat.tv I tried already, unfortunately they couldnt help.

your help/hints are highly appreciated.

tks! -

[astral]

There are alternatives, but basically they only receive

the "free to air" signals that are around, in a variety of languages.

If you want good films, comedy or Sport on a reliable basis,

then UBC is the answer!!

They have the monoply, sad to say.

[bollox]

Buy a PSI sattelite which has become increasing popular as a viable alternative to UBC. The equipment cost + installation is about 17,000 baht. There are hundreds of channels worldwide. You can aslo watch the Premiership here.

Further details at PSI Website

Good luck.

[Neeranam]

Further details at PSI Website

Exactly what I am looking for <deleted>, ty.

[Ajarn]

Buy a PSI sattelite which has become increasing popular as a viable alternative to UBC. The equipment cost + installation is about 17,000 baht. There are hundreds of channels worldwide. You can aslo watch the Premiership here.

Further details at PSI Website

Good luck.

For that price, you'll only get a fixed dish...Figure 30,000 baht for a PSI moveable dish and receiver, in my experience

[danone]

tks - just called PSI - there may be solutions with subscription cards for channels like CNN - anyway, whatever it takes, since seven years I pay the yearly increases of UBC without a choice - this has to change - they're one of the most expensive cable operators worldwide with such a poor service.

keep you posted and remain interested in hints, helps and ideas? many thanks - d.

[Ajarn]

tks - just called PSI - there may be solutions with subscription cards for channels like CNN - anyway, whatever it takes, since seven years I pay the yearly increases of UBC without a choice - this has to change - they're one of the most expensive cable operators worldwide with such a poor service.

keep you posted and remain interested in hints, helps and ideas? many thanks - d.

Maybe another kind of subscription service from Malaysia or the Phillipines might work for you if you live in Bkk or further south. Star is already on UBC... In Chiang Mai, where I live, we are too far north of any of those footprints, I think....

I have both systems.....And I haven't turned on the sat receiver for months. Just nothing particularly interesting to me usually. I prefer UBC personally, but I mostly just use it for background noise and the National Geographic, History, and Discovery channels...

[Neeranam]

On the PSI wbsite click the 3rd from the left at the top to get a list of the sevice shops. ศูนย์บริการ.

Has the locations and phone numbers.

[astral]

Star will be an alternative for the southern half of the Kingdom, up to Bangkok at least.

The problem is subscribing and paying as they only legally cover Malaysia, NOT Thailand.

Is there any English info on the PSI site?

Edited October 26, 2004 by astral

[croftrobin]

You are correct For English Speaking Satellite Advice in Bangkok contact www.jsat.tv.

They have a good reputation for good support and honesty.

I live in buriram province and ditched UC a few moths ago.

Jsat could not help me but I used satthai.net and ordered my kit from them.

I bought an 8 foot PSI move dish -with motor, 2 LNB's (C band and KU band), Cable and a Topfield Satellite Receiver with built-in positioner.

Total kit was around 17,000 - then paid a local PSI installer a few thousand to set it up and the result I am happy with!!

[Ajarn]

Star will be an alternative for the southern half of the Kingdom, up to Bangkok at least.

If STAR is the only one available, then I think it's no alternative for UBC, since UBC has most, if not all, the STAR stuff. Cost-wise, it would take maybe 3 years to break even on a satellite vs UBC.

Some might say, " But then you own the equipment"... But, it never ceases to amaze me how accurate those 2-year warranties seem to be here. I can think of many electronic/electrical things I've bought here that went kaput shortly after the warranty expired. My motor for the sat dish and the (PSI) receiver/decoder itself are the most recent examples....

[Lourens]

Go to this website: http://www.satcodx3.com

It lists all the satellites that are available with all the information on how to set it up. All you need is a decoder, a dish and a couple of LNB's. Any technitian with a little skill can find you many many channels to choose from. I have used this information while I was in the Middle East and it worked just fine for hundreds of channels to choose from. The website even gives footprints for all those satellites so it should be easy to sellect the right ones.

I plan to do this when my UBC subscription runs out next month. I hope this helps.

[danone]

tks for all the helps - setting up the satellite does not seem to be a big problem, the problem is the channels that require a subscription, like

cnn

movie channels

cartoon network

and so on

satthai offers them for about 14'000 baht a year - adding up the installation fees for satellite dish and so on its cheaper even on the long run to stay with UBC

or am I missing something?

is there a "better" way to get the subscription cards?!

[astral]

If STAR is the only one available, then I think it's no alternative for UBC, since UBC has most, if not all, the STAR stuff. Cost-wise, it would take maybe 3 years to break even on a satellite vs UBC.

True, but STAR has the programmes anything up to a year before UBC,

and no silly blocking of people smoking etc.

[Lourens]

Again talking about my experiences in the Middle East but I don't see why it would not work in Thailand as well: I had a friend in South Africa mail me a subscription card at about half the price. Then I simply paid subscriptions with a phone call and a credit card number. It does not matter where in the world you are, if the satelite footprint covers your area, the card will work. I have tested that with my card from South Africa with no problems. Just to give you an idea - The satelite service in the Middle East cost about $80 p/m while in South Africa, the same service was available for $38 p/m. Adding the cost of the phone call and credit card charges comes to about $40 p/m. I would love to know what happens when someone in Thailand tries this!

[axl]

Darknight sent me a useful link on available satelites

[Ajarn]

If STAR is the only one available, then I think it's no alternative for UBC, since UBC has most, if not all, the STAR stuff. Cost-wise, it would take maybe 3 years to break even on a satellite vs UBC.

True, but STAR has the programmes anything up to a year before UBC,

and no silly blocking of people smoking etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean to say the the STAR on UBC is not the same STAR as other STAR subscribers see? I would never have thought that....Are you sure?

[madmitch]

Are Star and Astro one and the same? Astro is certainly obtainable in Thailand but I have no idea how you get it apart from the satellite dishes already mentioned. I'm moving to Phuket shortly so will investigate. Astro does have many of the same channels as UBC, though, as said before, Star World is more up to date than UBC Series (and you get The Simpsons most nights).

But, surely you will miss the lovely UBC music! (The current "score on screen" background has to be the most annoying music ever)

[Limbo]

Again and again I must say it: Go to Tsutaya or another good videotheque.

Sanitary stops, a litle snack, the filling of a glass? Just push on 'pauze' and the cookie is baked. You will never miss anything more, you can start and finish when you want. Have a little nap in between, yes also that is possible.

The News you will say. Let me burst out in horrible great laughter.

It's all done in the Nevada desert. Some times they change the uniforms of the extra's, or the carplates. Sometimes they ask for extra's with big moustaches, sometimes they have to be skinheads with tattoes. Clothes, the toppings of the buildings and some other minor details vary. Also the writings on the ambulances, but their sound is always the same. And you have this eternal stupid mother, raising her hands to heaven in sorrow about her extremely stupid child who always ends up with the part of the 'collateral damage'.

And then the studio-pictures with seriously looking empty brainbags, playing the role of the tuff soldiers who were so tuff that they became commanding officers.

In real movies the same roles are played by real actors. In the 'reality movie' the roles are played by amateurs, which sometimes is very annoying. Realty is lower of quality than fiction, at least to look at.

[ZOVOX]

Are Star and Astro one and the same? Astro is certainly obtainable in Thailand but I have no idea how you get it apart from the satellite dishes already mentioned. I'm moving to Phuket shortly so will investigate. Astro does have many of the same channels as UBC, though, as said before, Star World is more up to date than UBC Series (and you get The Simpsons most nights).

But, surely you will miss the lovely UBC music! (The current "score on screen" background has to be the most annoying music ever)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Star is a broadcasting company, which produces programming. Astro is a satelite company and they licence programming from star. That is why star is not the same throughout asia: just check out star sports from country to country - they have a completely different schedule and programming. Astro is meant for the Malaysia market, so unless you have an address in malaysia, you can only recieve it through a pirate decoder.

[Lourens]

Oooh, well put Limbo!

The card I got from South Africa was bought in South Africa with an address there. The Supersport channels comes from Mnet Multichoice and are licensed to UBC. So the bottom line is this: Get a card from the Broadcasting company and have your own private decoder. As far as I know, Star is an Indian institution so if you want a Star card, you must have an address in India to get one. But that will mean you will also get all the Indian programming. I got all the South African programming with my Mnet card.

[kenkannif]

I think while UBC shows Star Movies it doesn't show Star World which has some really good programs on, or at least it don't here in Bangkok?