Truevisions / U B C Incompetence

[JetsetBkk]

Saw an advert during the week that "Gladiator" with Russell Crowe was on today, again. And tonight, while channel-hopping, I noticed it was on at 5:30 so I set the alarm.

I then decided to look at the info for the program, and it showed this:

A Chicago teenager gets involved in the world of bare-knuckle boxing..."

"Bugger!", I thought, "it's that other Gladiator film about boring boxing."

So 5:30 comes along and it was indeed the Russell Crowe film. "He was a soldier of Rome, honour him."

I guess I should be glad it wasn't the other way round - info about the Russell Crowe film and showing the boxing.

[Cal]

The program-menu on tv. For some reason they decided to change it to make it better 12 months ago. It has been useless since.

Payment is a nightmare, but wife covers that

NBA Finals. Only showed a few of the games I believe. But cut out the game on saturday morning (Bk time). Fantastic.

Premier League coverage.

Other than that? It is a monopoly so they get all the sports rights very cheap I assume. Most is covered. From Ryder Cup, masters, Forumla 1, Premier league, etc.

Rain and no coverage. But we have to blame that on the other monopoly, satellites. Now who owns that and who used to own that?

[LivinLOS]

The Rugby coverage (or lack of it) is enough to make me weep...

I cant get cable here so need to go multi dish or moving dish to get the multichoice south African system setup.

[tigerbeer]

i've saved a lot of money not subscribing to them

[phazey]

After getting UBC about a year ago, i found myself watching just BBC News, Discovery and some sport - stuff easily streamed off the net. Kicked the sub into touch about 5 months ago and quite frankly, never looked back..

[TopDogger]

Why they've launched them Tivo type boxes doesn't make much sense either, its all repeats anywayz...

[JustAnotherFarang]

I got rid of UBC about 8 months ago and haven't regretted it too.......... I quite enjoy choosing my own programme schedule each day from the torrent sites....... UBC is just a expensive dumb box

JAF

ps Took 5 months to get my deposit back too........ every time I enquired when they would take their box and dish and refund my money they would offer to switch back on their service in lieu of the money they owed me........ TIT

[TopDogger]

ps Took 5 months to get my deposit back too........ every time I enquired when they would take their box and dish and refund my money they would offer to switch back on their service in lieu of the money they owed me........ TIT

The trick is to stop paying you bill about 3 months before you want to discontinue the service, they'll cut it off after 3 months so your about square once the deposit has been taken into account. They'll soon have someone round to pick the box up.

[longball53098]

Sorry guys------------I won't join the chorus and sing about how bad Truevisions is.

I will give them a vote for good service to me whenever I needed something from a simple question to a service issue. I am going on year 3 of service and I am satisfied with the picture quality and variety of programs on the gold pack.

Could they offer more,,,,,,,,sure they could. But what they do supply is Ok with me.

I know this post will generate more critics from all over,----------but too bad. I enjoy what they deliver. You folks that were unhappy have made it clear time and time again and like many things here on TV it gets old hearing it all the time. So I for one will compliment True

[retiree]

Truevisions/UBC incompetence? Don't get me started!

How about the habit of broadcasting (esp. on their movie channel) in 16x9 rather than 4x3 format. No, the adjustment in the settop box does not fix this. And no, it's not the signal they receive (the usual excuse) because they're playing these DVDs themselves (and have frequently shown them in the past in 4x3). My guess is that it looks fine on their widescreen monitors, so they just don't bother thinking about 99% of their subscribers.

And in sports -- esp. American basketball or football -- games will often run long. But even though they know this on the next day rebroadcast (and have to shorten something to fit their time slot), as likely as not they show the full pre-game and halftime shows -- but cut out the third quarter!

Sigh...

Retiree

[LivinLOS]

I have never seen 16:9 content broadcast and I look closely for such a setting (it would be superb)..

I assume you mean they are broadcasting letterboxed widescreen content within the 4:3 panel ?? AS such you get to see the OAR or closer to it for movies.. Again great news.

[Old Man River]

I know this post will generate more critics from all over,

Not from me. I fully agree and I have one of their TIVO like boxes. Maybe some of the people just coming to Thailand want to compare it to home, but I have lived here a number of years, and know how much better it is now than before. It is all relative.

[retiree]

I assume you mean they are broadcasting letterboxed widescreen content within the 4:3 panel ?? AS such you get to see the OAR or closer to it for movies.. Again great news.

You assume wrong. They are not broadcasting the letterbox. Rather, they're broadcasting the full 16x9 picture but squeezing it into 4x3. If you've ever seen a Cinemascope picture without the Cinemascope lens you get the idea: lots of tall, thin folks. Works pretty well for the Botero flicks, but that's about it.

Retiree

[LivinLOS]

I assume you mean they are broadcasting letterboxed widescreen content within the 4:3 panel ?? AS such you get to see the OAR or closer to it for movies.. Again great news.

You assume wrong. They are not broadcasting the letterbox. Rather, they're broadcasting the full 16x9 picture but squeezing it into 4x3. If you've ever seen a Cinemascope picture without the Cinemascope lens you get the idea: lots of tall, thin folks. Works pretty well for the Botero flicks, but that's about it.

Retiree

I dont get any stretched content.. I use 3 dreamboxes and 1 PC based reception system and closely monitor the technical elements because I am a PC / home theater geek.

I wish they did use the 16:9 content and flagging systems.

They do sometimes have stretched content (not 16:9 flagged) when trying to compress the text of a widescreen titles page of a movie.. Very brief and only for the titling stages to not show the cropping from OAR.

[JetsetBkk]

... they're broadcasting the full 16x9 picture but squeezing it into 4x3. If you've ever seen a Cinemascope picture without the Cinemascope lens you get the idea: lots of tall, thin folks. Works pretty well for the Botero flicks, but that's about it.

Retiree

Yes, I often see that - usually on the "Movie Hits" channel. Makes everything tall and thin. Ridiculous that they should broadcast that without the subscriber being able to "straighten it out". Maybe the new decoders can, but the one I've got - 5 year old? - can't: DStv model ABS-8976.

By the way, "Gladiator" is on again, right now! The info says: "A Chicago teenager gets involved in the world of bare-knuckle boxing...", but it's not that one, it's about Rome with Russell Crowe.

[girlx]

The number one reason I get irritated by UBC is their programming lineup just sucks. I was in South America last year and they had great cable- with the latest sitcoms from the US and UK, great movies (cult films and classics in addition to Hollywood stuff), and excellent travel, music, and nature channels. UBC (True Visions) on the other hand, seems to get bottom of the barrel crap and puts it on repeat!!! It is overpriced for what they play.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

I like UBC

[JustAnotherFarang]

Hi

I like UBC

Can you make a sentence with these words ?

fool - parted - a - money - with

UBC can, they do it every month but if you are happy, I guess they are too

JAF

[HDRIDER]

Hi

I like UBC

Can you make a sentence with these words ?

fool - parted - a - money - with

UBC can, they do it every month but if you are happy, I guess they are too

JAF

Up to you

i like UBC a lot better than cable for sure ( the cable i have)

[longball53098]

Hi

I like UBC

Can you make a sentence with these words ?

fool - parted - a - money - with

UBC can, they do it every month but if you are happy, I guess they are too

JAF

Up to you

i like UBC a lot better than cable for sure ( the cable i have)

I too like Truevisions (UBC). Where I am the cable is very poor. I only wish I could get my daily Fox News updates from my favorites like Bill OReilly and the group. I have not seen Fox for over 2 months now and I went cold turkey and my withdrawals are rough.

My True signal is always "picture"perfect except in the heaviest of rain storms and I loose it for a few minutes.

No complaints with any broadcast quality whether its movies or sports. The Open that's on now is great

[TopDogger]

No complaints with any broadcast quality whether its movies or sports. The Open that's on now is great

Hmmz.. Yeah its nice of them to show the golf isn't it, the self named "UBC/True Visions King Of Soccer" was it? Shame about the worlds 2 largest footballing events..

[JetsetBkk]

BBC Entertainment channel is showing "Footballer's Wives" now, according to the info. Except it isn't of course - that program finished at 0:40 this morning and UBC/True haven't added any more info.

Same goes for Movie Hits channel, which is showing "Along Came A Spider" according to the info - but that finished at midnight last night.

So it's guess-work what's on those two channels tonight.

Well done True -and so you should be.

[ukrules]

BBC Entertainment channel is showing "Footballer's Wives" now, according to the info. Except it isn't of course - that program finished at 0:40 this morning and UBC/True haven't added any more info.

Same goes for Movie Hits channel, which is showing "Along Came A Spider" according to the info - but that finished at midnight last night.

So it's guess-work what's on those two channels tonight.

Well done True -and so you should be.

I noticed this as well - maybe they type them in manually as the programs change and the person called in sick

[ironhut]

Picture is very poor, the cost for what is delivered is extremely high, and the staff has no idea what is happening.

Case in point...when the DVR (or PVR as they call it) was pictured on the front of their magazine a few months ago (and again on a 2-page spread in the magazine), I decided to inquire. Not only did the 4 branches I visited not know what it was (nor had ever seen it), but the people they referenced on the phone knew nothing either.

I have also had my service cutoff twice even though my bill was paid up and in good standing. When I proved I had paid, they verified and turned the service back on (nothing else was said). The accounting seems to be a nightmare for some reason with UBC/True.

The only people I know of that defend True and its increasing monopoly are people who work at the company...and even some of them realize it's loaded with incompetence, misinformation, and a general lack of proper business etiquette.

[marcusmarsh]

Hi Everyone,

I am thinking of getting U.B.C. platinum package for the sports and the sports alone.

What I want to know is is there a LOT of live sport ?

And if it rains , Im based in Chiang Mai, will it affect my pics ?

Does the rain stop the pics clompetely and is there a way around this ?

Thanks...

[sweetchariot]

Hi Everyone,

I am thinking of getting U.B.C. platinum package for the sports and the sports alone.

What I want to know is is there a LOT of live sport ?

And if it rains , Im based in Chiang Mai, will it affect my pics ?

Does the rain stop the pics clompetely and is there a way around this ?

Thanks...

If it's only sports that you want, then the gold package will deliver at a slightly discounted price. To be fair to UBC, the one thing they do have alot of is sport, and you will find plenty of live sporting events.

You will lose reception in heavy storms if you are on sattelite (don't think they have CaTV in CM), but it's generally only for a few minutes - longest I have had is about 30 mins.

As for the OP, as mentioned before the lack of rugby p1sses me off, and yesterday, the final round of the British Open, they decide not to start coverage until 5pm, when the golf started at 1pm, and they have been showing all the other rounds from 3 pm.

Also the Thai commentators on the football - what's that all about?

On screen menus are laughable - the magazine is usually more reliable.

As for the tall skinny people on movies (I usually only get that on True exyte/ explore), try changing the settings on your TV - works for me.

UBC is far better than cable, but is really a woeful service for the money.

[JetsetBkk]

...Also the Thai commentators on the football - what's that all about?...

Awww - hawww, khrap!

[longball53098]

Hi Everyone,

I am thinking of getting U.B.C. platinum package for the sports and the sports alone.

What I want to know is is there a LOT of live sport ?

And if it rains , Im based in Chiang Mai, will it affect my pics ?

Does the rain stop the pics clompetely and is there a way around this ?

Thanks...

If it's only sports that you want, then the gold package will deliver at a slightly discounted price. To be fair to UBC, the one thing they do have alot of is sport, and you will find plenty of live sporting events.

You will lose reception in heavy storms if you are on sattelite (don't think they have CaTV in CM), but it's generally only for a few minutes - longest I have had is about 30 mins.

I only lose the signal in the heaviest black rain clouds and the longest I have lost the signal is for maybe 15 minutes

As for the OP, as mentioned before the lack of rugby p1sses me off, and yesterday, the final round of the British Open, they decide not to start coverage until 5pm, when the golf started at 1pm, and they have been showing all the other rounds from 3 pm.

Also the Thai commentators on the football - what's that all about?

Did you forget to change the language to ENG? But also this is Thailand and Thai TV and their market is predominately Thai speaking people so I think they have a right to broadcast in Thai if they choose.

On screen menus are laughable - the magazine is usually more reliable.

I agree the program menus are really sad. They could do better on this.

As for the tall skinny people on movies (I usually only get that on True exyte/ explore), try changing the settings on your TV - works for me.

UBC is far better than cable, but is really a woeful service for the money.

The system works pretty good and its the only legal show around so you can subscribe and like it, subscribe and hate it and complain on TV or not subscribe. Many choices and your the boss.

For my baht it's worth it. Is it the best no----------but you can't possibly make all the complainers here happy. You have to choose and if it''s not for you just cancel and forget about it.

[Lotusbluete]

Hallo,

does anyone kow what happend to my favourite UFC = Ultimate Fighting Championships on UBC/TRUE? They seem to have stopped it 2 - 3 months ago. Could not find it anymore.

[JetsetBkk]

"Torchwood" season 1 episode 5 - the ending didn't make sense to me, so I checked with my recently downloaded .avi files... it was censored.

So UBC thinks Torchwood is too violent? Jesus wept.