Satellite Tv

[nonthaburial]

There have been postings after postings on the popularity (or lack of) with UBC and yet very few people have found a viable replacement option. Now i am far from an expert in this field, but my own dealings with UBC over 8 years in Thailand gives me the impression that they have a monopoly and as such dont care a dam_n about their customers or PR.

After moving to Kunming three months ago, I now suspect UBC are not the only satellite company that are able to offer a service. Let me explain.

The satellite/cable TV service in China is very much a grey area, but the general concensus is that if its being viewed by foreigners its sort of OK. hence a wondergul array of dishes on most rooftops!!!! In the three months I have been there, I have been quoted by at least five suppliers, I selected one that offered the Philippine Dream Package, but sadly, through no fault of the Chinese Supplier, the Philippines cut the channels I most wanted, such as BBC, ESPN and Star Sports. So I was forced to go hunting again.

I have just been quoted by another company who uses the Dreambox (not to be confused with Dream TV) which needs Internet Broadband to regularly change the required codings that I think change every 15 seconds. Their only stipulation is that I have access to an area where they can insert a small dish that can face South West (the current Dream Phils faces South East).

I am told that most of Thailand cannot receive the Dream TV package from the Phils or if they can, then they need a huge dish. BUT as BKK for Example is SOUTH WEST of Kunming and the new supplier in kunming needs a SW facing dish, then surely BKK could pick up this signal. It only needs the equipment and know how. OK UBC will selfishly claim that they are the sole supplier of many channels they show. But if you get your own equipment and set up then you are not stealing from them but using a readily available satellite.

For your information I copy the list of channels, requirements and charges offered in kunming.

FETV

2.mnet Action

3.Africa Magic

4.Arirang TV

5.BBC Entertainments

6.BBC Lifestyle

7.BBC world

9.Bloomberg

10.cinemax

11.celestial movies

12.Cannal+Horizon

13.CH O (O-Xpress)

14.Cartoon Network

15.CNN

16.CTS

17.DD Bharti

18.DD India

19.DD News

20.DD Sports

21.Discovery

22.DM Digital World

23.Disney Channel

24.ESPN

25.Fashion TV

26.Go Channel

27.HBO

28.Hallmark Movie

29.hillywood movies

30.History Channel

31.India TV

32.kaidy

33.Learn

34.MMI

35.MM2

36.Mnet Starts

37.Mnet West

38.Mnet East

39.MTV

40.National Geographic Channel

41.Noor TV

42.Rhema TV

43.rainbow movies

44.RTV

45! .MNet Serie

46.Sky News

47.Super sport 1

48.Super Sport 2(Cricket)

49.Super Sport 3(Fifa World Cup)

50.Super Sport 3Ni(Soccer Live)

51.Super Sport 5(golf and more )

52.Super Sport 6

53.Super Sport 7 (SS7 is the home of England Premier Soccer League and Italy Soccer League)

54.Travel

55.TV5 Monde Africa

56.UTV

57.Zone Reality

58.View Asia

59.YTN

60.Zoom

61.Al Zajeera

62.CNBC

63.AXN

64.hallmarkchannel

65.KBSworld

66.PGA tour

68.solar sports

Requirements:

1).South West Direction

2).your home have ADSL or Broadband

The Total Cost :RBM 2000,00 (including all Equipments and one year subscription charge)(approx 10,000 Baht_

expected you enjoy the satellite TV program !

best regards

[Phil Conners]

This sounds like South Africa DSTV. Apparently that package can be had in Thailand for around 300 baht/month so perhaps you need to shop around a bit...

[cpofc]

Yes, as i have said in another thread, my biggest priority when I went hunting for that 'perfect' sysyem, being Australian, was the ABC Network. Anything else was to be a bonus.

A few years ago Dynasat using a Dynasat F1 Box and 1.8 mtr Dish could get DREAM TV from the phillipines. Which is the UBC equivalent in the PI. Or Foxtel in Australia. DREAM TV carried the Australian Network, so you can imgaine what a bonbus this was! I signed up and got it installed immediately!

So, then only about 6 months later, the DREAM TV mob in the Philippines started upping their encryption and changing they keys more frequently. And the 'Auto Update' Feature in my F1 Box ceased operating.

I then went to a DREAMBOX 500S and changed the keys manually via FTP from my PC via the Network connectivity of the DREAMBOX. But then the rainfade with the Ku Band in the Monsoon Season was also a problem, that, with the low down position of the Satellite it was getting very unreliable. Until it was basically too frustrating to go on with.

So, I called in the troops, switched LNB to C Band and locked the bloody thing onto PAS or Intel Sat 8 FTA. Which I keep on the Australia Network permanently.

I don;t know whether they have sorted out the DREAM TV avaiability or not, but I can;t be bothered mucking around with it again.

You sit down to watch a finals game in the AFL or NRL and over comes the clouds and rain, or the bastards decide to change the keys again and you miss out. Bugger that. I need reliabilty.

In years to come when internet protocol TV really goes online in a big way, like True IPTV and Tivo etc we won't have to worry about all this.

We are only at the tip of the iceberg right now.

[nonthaburial]

No Sir this is not South African DSTV I assure you, If you look closely at the offered channels they are a world wide selection. Including BBC Entertainment. I agree the Supersport channels are included.

I was offered the South african DSTV system but I didnt think their offered channels were what I wanted.

If this SA package is Available in Thailand at 300 Baht a month, why are people not flocking to it instead of bitching about UBC ?

[cpofc]

If UBC carried the Australian Network I would hook up in a New York Minute! I wrote to both UBC and the ABC in Australia some years ago but noone could or would give me an answer.

Although now both DSTV and True IPTV carry the Aust Network.

Now I want to go one better and get onto the Optus C1 Sat if I can.

Sorry, I know my requirements are really more specific to Australian Expats.

For me the Sth African system is expensive and too much mucking about and still doen't give me all that I would like..

[Phil Conners]

^^ Because it's pirated. The only satellite-pay-tv you can legally watch in Thailand is from UBC.

Edited July 8, 2009 by Phil Conners

[cpofc]

isn't it actually illegal to beam a service into another country anyway?

But of course they are always going to overlap.

If you can pick up the signal, then it is not your fault and IMHO its pretty much unstoppable. There are plenty of FTA stations and there can be no law against that.

a major sat sys supplier in BKK, for instance offers many systems including the Sth African one, but you have to pay for the subscription card, in RAND, in Sth Africa. Yes? or not?

[geovalin]

^^ Because it's pirated. The only satellite-pay-tv you can legally watch in Thailand is from UBC.

Not fully exact.

Local cables are an alternative to TRUEvisions for 200 THB /month.

http://www.tcta.or.th/tcta/page_en/link.php

Also some Australian channel on Next Step which is a small satellite operator. Legal.

http://nextsteppages.googlepages.com/index.html

You can eve have some Australian TV directly from the satellite for free:

http://www.lyngsat.com/optusd1.html

http://www.lyngsat-maps.com/optusd1.html