New True Visions Hd Box

[thaimate]

Dont know if anyone else as heard this ,i am in Pattaya and have true satelite tv ,i just had a call from the girl at true saying that they want to fit a new box ,when i said that i did not want it but was happy with the one i have she informed me that without it i could not recieve true any longer and would be cut off.

any one heard this?

Edited December 24, 2011 by thaimate

[astral]

As long as they don't want more money, then go with the flow

and let them install the new box.

[JohnC]

I would e mail them for confirmation so you have proof later when they try to charge you

[villagefarang]

They came around and installed ours recently. A big improvement and you get the HD channels free during this promotional period. Not everyone is out to get you.

[thaimate]

They came around and installed ours recently. A big improvement and you get the HD channels free during this promotional period. Not everyone is out to get you.

I realize that they are not just out to get me ,but with my old box you can see what programs are on a day in advance ,when it broke down about 18 months ago i got a new one which only showed the progs about 3 hours in advance so i got the old one fixed and they returned it ,does the new one still give programme information up to a day in advance?

[villagefarang]

They came around and installed ours recently. A big improvement and you get the HD channels free during this promotional period. Not everyone is out to get you.

I realize that they are not just out to get me ,but with my old box you can see what programs are on a day in advance ,when it broke down about 18 months ago i got a new one which only showed the progs about 3 hours in advance so i got the old one fixed and they returned it ,does the new one still give programme information up to a day in advance?

I am in Chiang Rai and the box they gave me is great with many more options than before and yes you can check what is on the next day. Of course I can't guarantee that you will get the same make and model. Good luck.

[thaimate]

They came around and installed ours recently. A big improvement and you get the HD channels free during this promotional period. Not everyone is out to get you.

I realize that they are not just out to get me ,but with my old box you can see what programs are on a day in advance ,when it broke down about 18 months ago i got a new one which only showed the progs about 3 hours in advance so i got the old one fixed and they returned it ,does the new one still give programme information up to a day in advance?

I am in Chiang Rai and the box they gave me is great with many more options than before and yes you can check what is on the next day. Of course I can't guarantee that you will get the same make and model. Good luck.

Thanks for that ,i suppose i will just have to bite the bullet and let them instal it ,although we have gold (went down from platinum) and it just seems to be constant repeats ,so we very rarely watch it ,i just download most stuff from the internet and the wife doesnt like Thai soaps but just watches history channel and nat geo. to be honest i wouldnt care if it wasnt there except for the news channels.

[Pib]

Although I don't have a True HD box, my understanding is after the promotional period then the extra charge per month for HD on top of basic plan cost (i.e, Platnium, Gold, etc) and box rental is approx 500 baht per month.

[thaimate]

Although I don't have a True HD box, my understanding is after the promotional period then the extra charge per month for HD on top of basic plan cost (i.e, Platnium, Gold, etc) and box rental is approx 500 baht per month.

Well i dont want hd and certainly will not pay another 500 baht a month for it ,so if they try it on i will just cancell ,as to be honest i think for what you get(constant repeats of American rubbish shows ,like kitchen musical) its a rip off ,i will just get something like banglamung cable

[nycboy57]

If I can risk sharing my experience with this topic.

I received my HD box it is a Samsung model,

the tech who brought it did not have much experience with it,

so he is learning as he goes along installing them in this Condo.

I was told I must get it since it is going to be the norm soon.

Since I have a good HD tv with HDMI cable options, it was easy to install.

The picture was great even on the non HD channels.

Now for the bad news.

I did not have the Svideo cable option for my computer mac eyetv connection.

I was able to use Composite cables, the yellow for picture, red and white for sound.

Since I have a tv in the bedroom with the old box I was able to get a IR300 infrared box with

remote that changed the channels in the living room box and gave me cable in the bedroom,

for no monthly fee.

Now with the HD box he said cannot, mai dai, but he did say I could get another box that can

connect and work in the bedroom tv, but, the remote does not come with it, so i must

use the remote from the main box, and the tv when shut off in the living room got an

error message that there was a problem with some error message.

He came back after doing an update of the software in the box, and he had us remove the

HDMI cable from the main box when we were not using it in the living room and the error message

went away, then he came up with an option of not using the HDMI at all but connecting our cables from the DVD player which are component cables, and using the component option on the tv and

the picture worked excellent in both rooms.

I know this is technical stuff, and probably belongs in some other section so I apologize, but maybe someone might want to do this stuff, and now the leg work has been handled for you.

Also aiming the remote is tricky in the bedroom, cannot aim it directly on the IR300 box, just play

around with it to get it to change.

The other question I think was about program guide.

I like the other box better for getting favorites, for moving channels around , like I was able to

locate my movie channels with my Platinum plus the ala Carte channels, together, and easier to get to than the way they have favorites now, I have to hit info button, and then while the info is

on the screen hit the blue button to get the favorites to move to the next favorite.

Now maybe someone will come up with a solution on that but as of now, they favorites just

go in order and i cannot choose a specific favorite channel.

If anyone has a solution to play the favorites in the order that you want them then please let me know.

I am just saying my experience, I am not a techie or an expert, just trying to watch tv, the other options of PVR, for recording is not yet available they say.

The connection of an external USB drive, not yet available to use.

The external sound speakers option, not yet available.

This is what they told me.

So things are coming in the new year and they will be a big bonus for us that want to

record shows when we are not home, My eyetv 3 setup with the macmini does that

already but they don't sell the 330e dongle anymore in Bkk, from what Elgato told

me and mine is getting worn out, getting error messages that i am using 1.1 usb and need 2.0 when i already have that. One of the reasons I wanted the new HD box, but TIT and must wait.

Sorry for going on this long and I hope and wish all a happy and healthy New Years.

Although I don't have a True HD box, my understanding is after the promotional period then the extra charge per month for HD on top of basic plan cost (i.e, Platnium, Gold, etc) and box rental is approx 500 baht per month.

Well i dont want hd and certainly will not pay another 500 baht a month for it ,so if they try it on i will just cancell ,as to be honest i think for what you get(constant repeats of American rubbish shows ,like kitchen musical) its a rip off ,i will just get something like banglamung cable

[Titoyohn]

I am in the same position, they came and changed the Box. Acc. to the manager I contacted, they have to do this: give all a HD box, limited time 3 months, and after you can go back to the old modem if you do not want the new one. the price after: nobody can say! Yes, the new HD is hardly getting anything better, there is only 1 or 2 channels with HD vision and NO extra channels -so all just for That!! Big lot of piffel!!

[thaimate]

Well looks like we must have the new box but i certainly do not intend paying any more ,the service we get now is not much good ,i will just cancell true if they want more money.

[Pib]

Although I don't have a True HD box, my understanding is after the promotional period then the extra charge per month for HD on top of basic plan cost (i.e, Platnium, Gold, etc) and box rental is approx 500 baht per month.

Update to my post above...found the associated HD additional cost on this True HD promotion. After the free part of the promotion period, if you are on the Plantium package the additional HD cost is B490/mo for the 1st box and no additional cost for additional boxes. If on the Gold package the additional cost is B490/mo for the 1st box, B190/mo for the 2nd box, B90/mo for 3rd box, and B90/mo for 4th box. I think 4 boxes per residential cable account is the max allowed. And of course add 7% VAT to above prices. I sure hope no one thinks going from Standard Definition to High Definition would have been free after the promotion period.

[Theo007]

I for one will not be paying an extra 490 baht. Shall cancel and just use Sophon.

[Camelot]

The new HD channels are on cable which is not available in my area so I've just got the basic three on satellite. Cable subscribers get an additional eight HD channels totalling 11.

How are they going to sort out the charging for that? Can't be a uniform "one size fits all" fee because those on DSTV (the majority) aren't getting the eight new HD channels which are the main selling point. Not sure what satellite subscribers are supposed to be assessing during their "four-month free trial" with most of the new channels missing and the PVR and Dolby external Toslink to a home theatre not operable.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Camelot

[delboy]

I was offered the new box, but I don't have a HD TV, so I declined. The lady said that the signal will be changed soon, they will switch to wide screen broadcasts, and the old box won't work. She also said that the rental will increase by 490 baht plus VAT at the end of the free promotion period. So I will have to pay more for HD channels that I can't receive and a widescreen picture that I will view on a 4:3 TV set.

Long live the Monopoly!

Edited December 25, 2011 by delboy

[astral]

Probably a move to tie the card to the box and squeeze out those who use the Dreambox?

[bkkjames]

Probably a move to shut out the millions of people here with the fake boxes.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm trying to sort out this topic...

Yes, True has their HD programming content, 11 or so channels of BS, for their cable subscribers....

And now they're switching to new HD cable boxes with PVR capability, and offering subscribers a free install and switch to the new boxes... and a several month free promo period of access to HD programming...

But, the HD programming is a separately priced add on to their regular programming packages like Silver, Gold and Platinum.

I'm assuming, just because you get a new HD capable cable box, that doesn't automatically require you to opt for paying extra to subscribe to their HD content package.

I guess the question would be, they have a certain monthly rental fee for their cable boxes and remotes now.... Are those monthly fees going to change with the new boxes and if so by how much.... apart from the optional HD programming content add-on.

BTW Pib, as I read it, those charges you referenced above in the image file seem to be True's programming monthly charges for their HD content...as add ons to any of their higher regular programming packages. That doesn't seem to address what the monthly rental cost would be for the new HD boxes and remotes.

Edited December 26, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

BTW, when I checked my past TrueVisions bills, they were charging me a "decoder service fee" of 155 baht+ per month for each of the two regular cable boxes in my house.... So more than 300 a month just for the boxes.... What will that same rate be for the HD boxes?

Meanwhile, here's True's current promotion regarding the swapping out of current boxes, both for cable and satellite users:

http://www.truevisio..._hd_box_en.html

As you might expect from True, nothing there about either the monthly programming charges for HD or the monthly rental cost for their HD boxes.

Separately, re one of the posters questions above, the web site above, via one of its linked pages, talks about the features of the new boxes and says they have programming schedule previews of up to 7 days.

Edited December 26, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[bkkjames]

We called early on the register for the new box, promised first late oct, then early november and now who knows when, I gave up worrying but laugh at all their self promo bs on the tube.

I won't pay a satang more for their new box to show me their programming that I have to pay for when and if we get a new box.

How many times can they the same movies over and over again by law- 1000? Lol

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

OK, here's some better info from a True pricing sheet dated December 2011 that reflects the various HD options... It looks like they're keeping the decoder box monthly fees the same...and the box deposit the same at the rate of 2000 baht per box...

But the programming fees for the HD content, if you opt for that add-on, certainly are higher, as you'd expect.

Found that info here:

http://www.truevisio...tion_1211en.jpg

PS - They lost my business after the ASN fiasco...and nothing they're doing here is anywhere close to getting it back.

Edited December 26, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[thaimate]

So if we get the new HD box after the trial period if you do not want hd can you opt out of recieving it ,because to be honest we do not watch sport and as most of what is on is repeated so often i know the script better than the participants ,really we only have true ,to just have it so to speak and it certainly would not be much of a loss to cancell altogether.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've seen nothing that would prevent a subscriber from getting the new HD decoder box and then NOT subscribing to True's HD content package add-on. But the best thing, of course, would be to verify that directly with True.

Of course, they're giving people free months of HD programming at the outset with the hope that you'll keep it and begin paying them a bunch extra money every month after the free HD content trial ends.

On that note...in another thread on this same topic....another member here claimed that True will automatically start charging customers for the HD content at the end of the free trial period....unless they specifically call to cancel the content package...

I don't know that that's true... But I certainly could imagine it would be....

Bottom line though...from what I'm reading and finding...there shouldn't be any extra monthly cost to a customer who gets the new HD box...but doesn't upgrade with an HD programming package. Monthly box rental the same. Deposit the same.

Another interesting question will be when they enable the PVR functionality for the new HD boxes, are they going to allow anyone with their own attached hard drive to use that function. Or, as I suspect, there also will be an additional monthly fee for those who want to use the PVR functionality of the new boxes.

True giving away PVR functionality for free??? I seriously doubt it.

[thaimate]

_{Well the box has just been delivered ,unfortunatly the wife ommited to call me ,they were in and out in 5 minutes it seems ,we now have a screen telling us to wait untill they broadcast to us ,all the questiones that i wanted to ask them are now unanswered ,my wonderfull wife like most Thais didnt ask anything but just let them set it up and p--s off as quick as they could ,all she was told was if you dont get a picture soon phone h.o . wonderfull}

_{PS ITS THE SAMSUNG BOX}

Edited December 26, 2011 by thaimate

[Pib]

I was offered the new box, but I don't have a HD TV, so I declined. The lady said that the signal will be changed soon, they will switch to wide screen broadcasts, and the old box won't work. She also said that the rental will increase by 490 baht plus VAT at the end of the free promotion period. So I will have to pay more for HD channels that I can't receive and a widescreen picture that I will view on a 4:3 TV set.

Long live the Monopoly!

I just have the Standard Definition boxes and when some shows/movies are broadcast in widescreen format (getting more common), the picture displays just fine in wide screen format on my TV. I think this salesperson was pitching you a line of BS.

[Pib]

BTW, when I checked my past TrueVisions bills, they were charging me a "decoder service fee" of 155 baht+ per month for each of the two regular cable boxes in my house.... So more than 300 a month just for the boxes.... What will that same rate be for the HD boxes?

From their various ads it appears the monthly rental/maintenance fee for the SD and HD boxes is Bt155.15/mo and the deposit fee for either is B2000/box. It's just the extra HD service fee/month of around Bt490 for the first box and possibly a lower fee for an additional HD box depending on your basic plan (ie.., Plantium, Gold, etc) that adds to the monthly cost.

Also, I would expect TrueVisions would only provide a HD box if signing-up for one of the HD plans since SD box should be cheaper for them to provide/maintain. Also, maybe some TrueVisions sales tactics or salesperson use an approach of implying that getting an HD box is your only choice which ends up signing up a person for the additional HD monthly service fee in the Bt490 ballpark. Then again, maybe they will give you a HD box without signing up for a HD plan. When I switched from DSTV (satellite) to CATV (cable) TV/internet in June they gave me two new cable Standard Definition boxes even though they did ask if I wanted to sign-up for HD also...I said no to HD...just give me the SD and cable internet.

[ETatBKK]

this is a very popular sales tactic of IT services and content providers, nothing new. when we get used to it, or even when we forget to say NO in time, it is on our bill :-(

that B155.15/month maintence, they came and replaced THEIR broken RGB cable, it was B200 paid on spot :-(

well, if deal to check all the monthly / yearly telecom bills, you will be scared. not about the number on the Thai baht, but about the value we received vs what we paid.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Also, I would expect TrueVisions would only provide a HD box if signing-up for one of the HD plans since SD box should be cheaper for them to provide/maintain. Also, maybe some TrueVisions sales tactics or salesperson use an approach of implying that getting an HD box is your only choice which ends up signing up a person for the additional HD monthly service fee in the Bt490 ballpark. Then again, maybe they will give you a HD box without signing up for a HD plan.

Pib, I think the exact issues you're mentioning here ought to be pretty much moot...

True may well require a customer getting the HD box to at least initially sign up for the HD programming service under the several months free trial period. Then, presumably, that customer would be free to call or go and cancel the HD programming content at any time during the free trial without incurring any commitment.

But I guess what this is getting at is the larger question:

Is True really phasing out the SD boxes and going to some kind of new signal delivery system that will only work with the HD boxes at some point in time?

Or is that notion -- which some posters have alluded to above -- just a line of B.S. being spread around by the True sales people as a way of getting the new boxes into people's homes and hopefully getting more money from them for True's crappy HD channels?

So for example, if someone signed up for the free HD content trial and got the new HD box, and then decided during the free trial not to continue the HD programming, would they just keep the HD box and use it for their regular ongoing SD package... Or True would come along and take back the HD box and give the customer back their old SD box?

I'm confused...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

From their various ads it appears the monthly rental/maintenance fee for the SD and HD boxes is Bt155.15/mo and the deposit fee for either is B2000/box. It's just the extra HD service fee/month of around Bt490 for the first box and possibly a lower fee for an additional HD box depending on your basic plan (ie.., Plantium, Gold, etc) that adds to the monthly cost.

Yup, I answered that above with copies of True's latest pricing sheets: