Decoding Ubc's Decoder.

[melus]

Here's the problem. I tuned in to ESPN on UBC to watch the NFL Conference Playoff between the Patriots and the Steelers this morning and it was in Thai. The apartment I live in offers its residents ESPN and a few other UBC channels for free, but the catch is that they set the primary language to Thai. This means that everyone in the apartment has to watch the Discovery Channel, and at times, a sporting event as big as the Super Bowl in Thai. Without having to ask the management of my apartment (I've tried already, and they refused) to change the default language to English for these two channels, what are my options? Is there a decoder that can decode UBC's decoder? Thanks in advance for your sympathies, support, comments, and suggestions.

[Bluffer]

I have a similar problem. I get BBC World in Japanese for about 12 hours a day. They did switch ESPN to English but now "cannot" for the BBC.

[paulfr]

Here is a 4000B solution. I bought a combo DVD player/VCR recorder so I could record programs and play DVDs. Turns out if I switch the TV/Video switch to Video the language changes to English. The VCR has settings for language choice of course.

The setup is Cable -> UBC Decoder -> DVD/VCR -> TV.

Our TV is pretty old so no language choice is there. But the UBC signal obviosly has both Thai and English tracks.

[sniffdog]

I think Paulfr and melus talk about two different things.

While Paulfr talks about a local solution (he has access to his own decoder, which usually solves the problem if you have a Stereo TV), Melus has a centralized solution and gets the UBC signal through the normal apartment TV connection and has no control over the decoder.

I guess Melus is out of luck, if so. The signal to the apartment decoder is dual (EN and TH) but is being sent as a single signal (TH) to the rooms.

Your only way, I guess, is to get your own subscribtion, instead of your (often leeched) apartment connection.

[paulfr]

Sniffdog is probably right.

But it still may be possible that a TV with language controls could pick up the English.

Video is 1000x more bandwidth than audio, so it is very possible that the English track is there and just needs a receiver that can choose. Lots of older TVs cannot.

So melus, check if your TV can choose a language.

If not, you may still be able to get what you want with a new TV.

I would not give up hope yet.

Edited January 24, 2005 by paulfr

[melus]

Well, my TV can't change the language, but I think using the video out route might pick up the English half of the signal. Only a 4,000 baht gamble? I wish I could be certain.

[astral]

It depends on where you live and how your block is connected to UBC.

If you are on Cable the English may retrievable by the TV,

but it sounds like your block is on Satellite.

Each channel has it's own decoder and you are at the mercy of the block management.

The only option is to get UBC installed for yourself, then you choose what you want, and the language.

[melus]

Yes, my block is on satellite and every channel has its own box. And, yes, I'm at the mercy . . . Thanks for this insight.

[stumonster]

go buy a universal remote controller - then go to a bar which has the same decoder box as your appartment office and use their remote control to program the correct keystrokes into your universal - then point it through the window of the office and do as you desire.

just a thought -

[melus]

Great idea except that their decoders are all locked up behind a solid steel door. I could break in, however there's a security camera trained on the door to the decoders. Maybe I could bribe them with next month's rent to change the default language for Super Bowl Monday morning.