Moving out to the burbs and thinking about Sat TV. Some Q's:

1. Big big price difference between guys like JSat and BKK Cable. What am I missing? Yes I know that Thais NEVER disclose the full cost when selling something (another topic entirely) but can the add ons possibly add up to more than the JSat cost??

2. Astro a must for Sports. If I get an 'Astro Package' and decoder/card etc can I get a separate box and get other services off the same dish? eg Setanta/Thai TV

Thx!

I am also interested in finding out as much as I can about installing an independant satellite service and am thinking a moveable dish with some form of satellite finder and decoder with multiple slots for a few cards.

Is there a special forum in TV for this subject as I am certain it would have been discussed previously.

Astro a must for Sports. If I get an 'Astro Package' and decoder/card etc can I get a separate box and get other services off the same dish? eg Setanta/Thai TV

You do not say where you are living, but the Astro signal is not good once you get north of Bangkok.

To recieve the Thai stations you will almost certainly need a second dish, as they are on a different satellite.

The installer will put in a small box (DiSeqC)that joins the two cables and allows the receiver to switch between the two seamlessly.

Astro a must for Sports. If I get an 'Astro Package' and decoder/card etc can I get a separate box and get other services off the same dish? eg Setanta/Thai TV

You do not say where you are living, but the Astro signal is not good once you get north of Bangkok.

To recieve the Thai stations you will almost certainly need a second dish, as they are on a different satellite.

The installer will put in a small box (DiSeqC)that joins the two cables and allows the receiver to switch between the two seamlessly.

There are odd threads on the forum if you search.

I think the above is right re Astro. Some people are saying that Sky Nindo on Palapa D C band might be a more viable substitute in the north and NE.

If, for argument sake, you were getting Astro it would be Ku band on a bigger than normal ku dish (I think JSAT sell a 6 footer - which is big for ku). In that case the simplest solution would probably be a second moveable C band dish (say a 2.5 meter dish). If you really want one dish the options are (a) a large moveable dish with a combined C and ku LNB (you could also use a separate ku LNB in a bracket on a C band dish). A large fixed dish with the normal central C band LNB, but one or more ku band LNBs beld by brackets and positioned at angles to receive satellites other than the one the dish is pointing at (via DiSeqc). The best option for moving a motorised dish is probably a V Box 2 or 3, which will pick up channel changes from the receiver.

We have to be careful not to upset a sponsor and it seems to me that JSAT is good but at a premium price. Compare the prices with 9sat in Bangkok, or for that matter the regular Dynasat or PSI list prices. In any event JSAT won't install in the sticks. I'd say get the equipment at a competitive price and then either self-install or use a local installer.

I can't say the options are that great in rural areas without a broadband internet link. I no longer subscribe to True because I am not in Thailand enough, and currently am making do with reasonable news channels (Al Jazeera or Euronews), Lotus or Filmax for movies, Setanta Sports, and Nick for the kids. I want the Australian channel but have tree problems near the eastern horizon and find my old free Ir2 card from PAS 8 does not work on Intel 7/10. I'm trying to get a new card.