All Uk Tv Channels

[nivram4491]

Not sure I see the point at the moment. Most decent programmes are on when most of us are sleeping over here in Thailand, for that reason my current solution to watching UK TV is to download the shows overnight via torrents from a members only site dealing with UK TV and then watch them the next day.

Cost = 0

I will however give it a trial and see if I'm wrong.

Totster

With their presentation and format (the scheduler and the click-on synopsis) there is nothing to touch this product when it comes to portability, (no)buffering and picture quality - plus the built-in 5-days-past viewing option

R

I agree. I hope it is the future of TV on the internet. Totally professional package but the content does not warrant a 1,000 Baht per month fee, particularly if you are not a Brit.

[russ1]

Just looked at the uktvasia site no bbc1 channel ?

[taninthai]

So after 6 months of free trials it's now time to start paying for this service I've just payed 2 months up and will see how it goes they reckon sky channels will be added soon at extra cost obviously.

Gotta say can't really knock the service but is a bit expensive for the channels you currently get.

[SamuiRes]

So after 6 months of free trials it's now time to start paying for this service I've just payed 2 months up and will see how it goes they reckon sky channels will be added soon at extra cost obviously.

Gotta say can't really knock the service but is a bit expensive for the channels you currently get.

Baht 963 a month. I only watched two or three programmes a week that I really wanted to see - the rest I just watched because they were there. Not sure, for what I want, it is worth the money although I have enjoyed it and will wait and see if I miss not having it before paying that amount.

[daveb1]

I think its a great service and great value for money its very easy to use and I am 100% happy with it and would recomend it to anyone who wants a UK tv service. No buffering and the ability to download shows on to you hard drive to watch whenever you want or to stream direct from the programme guide. I love it!

[samui543]

I agree SamuiRes, am in the same boat. the monthly fee is yes very expensive for what you get and will be even more when Sky sports are added. Yes you can get exactly the same using the various Iplayers using ukproxy however this service is so user friendly and even with my crap 4mb TOT (cant upgrade apparently??) no buffering or anything.

Where is my 50p coin to flip for heads or tails

[taninthai]

anyone else having problems with this sysytem for the last 2 days now seems there is no bbc3 and itv4 could be other problems these are just the 2 ive noticed not great for 1000 bht a month in fact the more i think about it it is not that good a deal for channels that are actually free to view in europe have emailed peter waiting for reply..........

[samui543]

My mind is made up. Use a free UK proxy for the bbc iplayer etc etc. Also now have sky tv from parents account back in uk (skygo) again this only works through a UK proxy.

900 thb/month is to be honest a joke

[daveb1]

Really don’t agree the fact that its free in the UK is not the point, Heinz beans are half the price in the UK and don’t forget your parents are paying a lot for Sky back in the UK at least 3 times what UKTV is charging plus the BBC licence fee!

I used a TV proxy before OK for BBC iplayer but forget ITV. CH 4 CH 5 and all the other non BBC channels they just won’t work to much buffering. At least with UKTV no buffering, a great TV guide and really easy to use plus not much more expensive than a TV proxy service (I paid £90 a year for mine before switching too UKTV)

[taninthai]

Really don’t agree the fact that its free in the UK is not the point, Heinz beans are half the price in the UK and don’t forget your parents are paying a lot for Sky back in the UK at least 3 times what UKTV is charging plus the BBC licence fee!

I used a TV proxy before OK for BBC iplayer but forget ITV. CH 4 CH 5 and all the other non BBC channels they just won’t work to much buffering. At least with UKTV no buffering, a great TV guide and really easy to use plus not much more expensive than a TV proxy service (I paid £90 a year for mine before switching too UKTV)

Dave your missing the point the system has problems and certain channels are not working it is definitely expensive therefor people are going to complain if not all channels are working , now if it was a good cheap price and there was a few problems people may not complain as much,if your proxy was costing you £90 a year uktv works out at near to £250 year so quite a big difference really although I admit uktv beats any proxy hands down but they do need to make sure it's a reliable service and it definitely needs more channels without to much of a price increase.

I have had a reply from them and they are refunding my money until the problems are fixed.

[daveb1]

Taninthai, I agree with you re the problems, although I must admit since they started charging for the service I have not had any problems with not being able to watch or record programmes. (Although it did happen a fee times during the trial period) I am guessing that they are recording the programs here in Thailand via a very fast internet link and then making them available on a local server which is why there is no buffering. I guess sometimes there server may fail (knowing what TOT and the other internet providers are like here) which may be why the system fails now and again. Considering I could only ever watch BBC i player stuff with TV proxy personally I think it’s worth the money to get all the channels but I guess it’s down to personal preference in the end. Hope your problem is fixed soon mine all seems to be working OK

[sweeneytodds]

i,ve just tried to renew, and i was told its stopped now,as not enough people would pay for it.

It was by far the best service if you wanted english tv

[taninthai]

i,ve just tried to renew, and i was told its stopped now,as not enough people would pay for it.

It was by far the best service if you wanted english tv

yes they are suspending service from april 30th they seem to have a few transmission problems aswell this is why i thought they were suspending it i think there is 3 main problems

1 overpriced for actual channels recieved

2 poor promotion and marketing i actually think not many people know the service exists

3 still have teething problems some channels do not work

[Crossy]

Such a shame, it could have been big with decent marketing as it is by far the best live viewing system for those of us on poor connections.

I'm very surprised that they are pulling the service so soon if it really is just lack of subscribers.

[samui543]

Such a shame, it could have been big with decent marketing as it is by far the best live viewing system for those of us on poor connections.

I'm very surprised that they are pulling the service so soon if it really is just lack of subscribers.

I reckon we all need a new trial period again

[samui543]

I think we all need another trial period with extensions again to retest the service.

[samui543]

I think we all need a new trial period obviously with extensions.

[daveb1]

Dont think its got anything to do with lack of subscribers. I hope Peter manages to sort it out as all my freinds use it and all think its an amazing service. Good luck Peter!

[robsamui]

i,ve just tried to renew, and i was told its stopped now,as not enough people would pay for it.

It was by far the best service if you wanted english tv

yes they are suspending service from april 30th they seem to have a few transmission problems aswell this is why i thought they were suspending it i think there is 3 main problems

1 overpriced for actual channels recieved

2 poor promotion and marketing i actually think not many people know the service exists

3 still have teething problems some channels do not work

The story behind this lies in the difference between the quality of German TV and UK TV. For some years now there has been a successful service directed at Germans. The material on the free TV channels in Germany is excellent - lots of arts, culture, documentaries, sport and movie content.

But I rather feel that neither Peter in Pattaya or Gunter on Samui has actually ever bothered to sit and watch the UKTV offerings. If they did then perhaps they might wonder why there really was nothing being broadcast apart from chat shows, news and soaps . . .

They certainly weren't aware that in the UK all up-to-date content, sports, drama, etc has gone to subscription channels like Sky - as this isn't the case in Germany.

I started this topic when I discovered UKTV and was delighted at the idea and the promise of more channels to follow. But when it turned out that this wasn't going to happen and the price was pitched to be equal to the German package (with their hundreds of interesting programs) then I really wasn't interested.

I've written to Peter Pataya about this on numerous occasions but he has never replied or made any comment about the content; I think he was a bit embarrassed.

If this was reasonably priced to begin with, then fine. Four or five hundred baht would make it a good alternative to Cable TV (although without current movies!) But to pay more than 1,000 baht for all the rubbish that nobody in England is prepared to pay for - no thanks!

Maybe with a range of Sky channels for this price I'd be inclined to pay this amount . . .

Sigh. Never mind. Badly researched and way over-priced - but maybe it's set the stage more a more shrewd operator to step in . . .

R

[daveb1]

I am guessing by your comments that you have not watched any UK TV recently or checked on the price of other systems.

There are a lot of very good shows on British TV at the moment from fantastic documentaries on Channel four to great comedy, drama and entertainment on all the other channels. Having thoroughly researched the alternatives, nothing comes close to the ease of use or value for money that the UKTV system offers. It’s also my understanding that it’s got nothing to do with not enough people subscribing from what Peter has told me.

So I and I know a number of my friends hope that Peter finds a way to keep it going.

Compared to the absolute rubbish that some local suppliers offer at more than double the price its great value

[chewang]

Im also sorry to hear UKTV will soon be discontinued,compared to the offerings on Samui cable and UBC this is a great service.The five day playback option also allows you to pick the best bits and skip the rubbish.Im disappointed its going as i am happy to pay,come on Peter keep it going !!!

[samui543]

Agreed- Keep it going but for the Uk TV licience fee- year fee 146 pounds= 580 thb give or take a shilling. Thats a more sensible price in my opinion.

[taninthai]

I am guessing by your comments that you have not watched any UK TV recently or checked on the price of other systems.

There are a lot of very good shows on British TV at the moment from fantastic documentaries on Channel four to great comedy, drama and entertainment on all the other channels. Having thoroughly researched the alternatives, nothing comes close to the ease of use or value for money that the UKTV system offers. It’s also my understanding that it’s got nothing to do with not enough people subscribing from what Peter has told me.

So I and I know a number of my friends hope that Peter finds a way to keep it going.

Compared to the absolute rubbish that some local suppliers offer at more than double the price its great value

So what is the reason for suspended service then and is it temporary or permanent.

[robsamui]

I am guessing by your comments that you have not watched any UK TV recently or checked on the price of other systems.

There are a lot of very good shows on British TV at the moment from fantastic documentaries on Channel four to great comedy, drama and entertainment on all the other channels. Having thoroughly researched the alternatives, nothing comes close to the ease of use or value for money that the UKTV system offers. It’s also my understanding that it’s got nothing to do with not enough people subscribing from what Peter has told me.

So I and I know a number of my friends hope that Peter finds a way to keep it going.

Compared to the absolute rubbish that some local suppliers offer at more than double the price its great value

You very obviously haven't read the comments in this thread through from the start!

Erm . . . yes, "not enough people subscribing". But why!

If all the people who had trials (hundreds) though the quality of the land-based TV programs in the UK was as wonderful as you appear to do then there would be enough subscriptions.

Read what the general opinion is here; whatever you might think you're in the minority!

R

[daveb1]

British expats on this website always moan about the price of everything. I dont think I am in the minority as everyone i have spoken to thinks its great value and a great service. You will always find cheap Charlies who dont want to pay the going rate. I know Peter is trying to keep the system going. I hope he finds a way.

Edited March 31, 2012 by daveb1

[yorkie100]

British expats on this website always moan about the price of everything. I dont think I am in the minority as everyone i have spoken to thinks its great value and a great service. You will always find cheap Charlies who dont want to pay the going rate. I know Peter is trying to keep the system going. I hope he finds a way.

Wrong!!! I'm a 'British expat' and I have never moaned about the price of anything on this website for one!!!

If someone thinks something is not good value they have a right to say so.

The service, whilst a good idea was intermittent at best and unreliable.

[taninthai]

British expats on this website always moan about the price of everything. I dont think I am in the minority as everyone i have spoken to thinks its great value and a great service. You will always find cheap Charlies who dont want to pay the going rate. I know Peter is trying to keep the system going. I hope he finds a way.

Dave I know you think it's a great system and I tend to agree with you however not all the channels are working and it just seems to be the channels I watch most, in one of your other posts you claim to not have any problems with it check bbc3 and itv4 they do not work ,if you are paying for full service you need to have access to gull service this is the readon I thought they were shutting it down do ypu know of any other reason.

[robsamui]

British expats on this website always moan about the price of everything. I dont think I am in the minority as everyone i have spoken to thinks its great value and a great service. You will always find cheap Charlies who dont want to pay the going rate. I know Peter is trying to keep the system going. I hope he finds a way.

I'm not moaning about the price - that's another thing you've misunderstood!

I'm moaning about the content.

I had this on free trial for 3 months - I was the second person in Thailand to get this - and when I discovered what was being broadcast today in the UK I just stopped watching it. In the last month I never even checked the program schedule. If you like antique serials (good as some used to be), 'B' movies nobody's ever heard of, reality shows, soaps, Yes - once in a blue moon there's a documentary in there somewhere. But I can download any of the serials at any time off the 'net - never mind 5 days 'in the bank', I can get the whole series at once. And like "Game of Thrones" most of these seem to be on Sky anyway.

I suppose if you have become accustomed to this sort of thing and grown up with it then it's a trace of nostalgia and a little touch of home. But not having watched UK TV since 1998 I was appalled by what crap is being aired today. And that's not moaning about the price of it at all!

Horses for courses - you like it and would pay 1,000 baht for it. I don't, and wouldn't bother watching it if it was free, as has been proved already.

I only took it on for the Rugby World Cup in the first place.

But then there's the Olympics - so I might have a rethink for a month. I can take the German package for the same cost as UKTV and watch the Olympics on French, Italian, German and French channels . . . that's what I call value!

R

Edited March 31, 2012 by robsamui

[robsamui]

And that almost seems to be the end of it.

EXCEPT . . .

. . . that I have now plugged in to a system of high-speed server UK-based VPN (ie no buffering) which will do everything that UKTV used to do, speedwise. This, combined with a set of links to HD channels within the UK . . .

Still messing with this, but the quality on a 50-inch screen is very good and it is watchable. As in - 5 mins no buffering then 5 seconds buffering, 2 mins fine then 2 seconds buffering etc. Quality good, buffering un-noticable.

So far the cost seems to be only the £6 a month fee for the fast VPN. But I'm still playing with this. The big problem is not the connection speed I have here. (My friend is watching un-buffered TV from the UK on his 3 Mbit connection.) It's the bottleneck of the speed of the VPN server in the UK.

I played with a similarly-priced VPN this week and speed-checked rates with and without a VPN connection. The best download rate I got was around 500 Kbits with the VPN. Using the VPN on the Thai Visa speedtest was equally dismal. So I deduce the weak link is the VPN server speed in the UK.

This is just a conclusion born of ignorance and formed via trial and error. If anyone actually KNOWS what the trick is then please do tell.

But the fast VPN server I am currently using gives me a speed (Thai Visa) of around 3 Mbits . . . so there's hope!

Might have to start a new topic now . . . as this has no connection with my original post!

Cheers

R

[robsamui]

ps -

and before anyone tells me that I've spent the last 20 pages moaning about rubbish content from the UK let me expand the point . . .

If all the UKTV offerings were free then I'd take it - even tho the content in my humble opinion is not too appealing.

If I had to pay for the same content (with the speed and quality of UKTV) then, considering the nature of the beast, I'd go 300 baht a month. I'd think twice about 500 baht. (But then you have the program guide and the 5-day displacement - so I'd be happy to pay more for the convenience.)

So take away the in-built program guide (excellent) and the 5-day bounce (nice) and what's left? Speed and buffering.

I'd pay a fiver for UK TV land-based content if it was watchable - a personal stance, I know this. "Watchable" means next-to-no buffering and good enough quality for a big screen (ie not computer).

I'd even pay £10 a month for this. But no more than a tenner. (I just downloaded (free) all the first series of Game of Thrones overnight (HD) - and that was aired on SKY.)

That's what it's worth to me. £10 a month max. Others will have different yardsticks.

But sometime in the next few months/later this year there will be a package (we are right on the edge of this now) that provides all UK TV clean, fast and HQ, and at a "fair" price.

Even UK TV is worth it if it's not much more expensive than "free"!

R