Thanks To TrueVisions And Grammy, Shrimp Whiskers Are Our Future

[webfact]

SOOPSIP

Shrimp whiskers are our future

The Nation

A hanging bird decoration augments the rabbit ears.

BANGKOK: -- Four days into the UEFA football's Euro 2012 and something like 1.8 million Thais haven't been able to watch a single match at home.

Presumably these subscribers to TrueVisions, the country's biggest cable-TV operator, are finding other places to keep up with the scoring, but it's got to be frustrating.

What happened, in case you've been ignoring the calamity, is that GMM Grammy won the exclusive rights to broadcast the feed from Europe - which it's doing on the free channels in return for shared revenues - while TrueVisions failed in last-minute talks to secure some of the action.

Despite reassurances to the contrary, True's subscribers suddenly had to plop down Bt1,590 for a GMM-Z router for their TV sets that could pull in the games - or else become a regular at a nice bar someplace where everybody knows their name.

Many, though, opted for the third option, gaining access to the matches by installing a shrimp's moustache. Nuad goong are the old-fashioned, strictly low-tech antennas. Having these mementoes from the 1950s perched near your wide-screen wall TV with the crystal-clear LED imagery and HD signal must be hilarious.

Collectors of vintage electrical apparatuses suddenly found themselves in demand when the enforced nostalgia boom required young people to seek out their elders' wisdom about how the hell you might otherwise receive (or improve) the signal. Hair clips, clothes hangers and various bits of stationery are among the folksy suggestions for doing so.

Meanwhile one genius discovered that his old Nokia charger could double as an antenna - take a look at "6aJcK_DTk1U" on YouTube, as 78,000 people already have.

One of the viewers commented, "Scarcity instigates innovation." In such dire circumstances as missing out on the football, creativity blossoms. At this rate, Thailand will be a developed country in no time.

-- The Nation 2012-06-12

[Reasonableman]

While I do sincerely empathize with those who need their footie [sports] fix, I am personally not devastated by this contretemps en soucoupe. However, while I never watch sports channels, I do get to pay for others to watch them, since as far as I know no package is offered that excludes sports, game shows, and soaps. Nice to get access to the Platinum package for a while, all the same.

[Kilgore Trout]

Unbelievable that true dropped the ball on this one. Way to make your customers happy. Have they even come out and apologized?

But they are probably figuring; we have a monopoly, no ones going to do a thing about it so, screw em.

Do people in other countries put up with this crap?

[khunjake]

Still have no regrets about canceling our True service over a year ago now. We have great cable service from the local provider at a tenth the cost per year, never goes out when it rains and have had all the EURO matches on from the Astro channels as well.

[ThomasBird67]

I'm an American football fan, not a soccer fan but I can empathize with you all. Those jerks at TrueVisions pulled the rug out from under our feet when they yanked ASN which carried not only American football, but UFC, hockey and college basketball. Grammy is a nightmare to sign up for (not to mention expensive) so I finallly threw in the towel with cable. There are TONS of torrent sites you can download the games in XVID format and then plug right into your t.v. to watch afterwards. You make have to wait a day to see the game but for me its worth it not having to deal with cable companies anymore.

[bigbamboo]

Or you can just watch it on terrestial Thai TV with Thai commentary. No big deal really.

As for TrueVisions they have never cared about their customers anyway so why start now?

[BuddhistVirus]

Or you can just watch it on terrestial Thai TV with Thai commentary. No big deal really.

As for TrueVisions they have never cared about their customers anyway so why start now?

Did you read the OP?

[MEL1]

Happily watched England vs France last night on Thai channel 3. Just unplugged my Sky/TrueMove mix of Satellite-dish wires, and plugged in the normal TV arial, and it was perfectly clear on Thai Tv Channel 3. What's the issue???

mel.

[hansgruber]

A wire coat hanger got ok reception last night. Just hoping these companies can sort it out before England's next match

[OnTheRun]

I'm an American football fan, not a soccer fan but I can empathize with you all. Those jerks at TrueVisions pulled the rug out from under our feet when they yanked ASN which carried not only American football, but UFC, hockey and college basketball. Grammy is a nightmare to sign up for (not to mention expensive) so I finallly threw in the towel with cable. There are TONS of torrent sites you can download the games in XVID format and then plug right into your t.v. to watch afterwards. You make have to wait a day to see the game but for me its worth it not having to deal with cable companies anymore.

You've changed your tune from 'don't care' yesterday Thomas.

American sports are not worth purchasing as despite such grandious titles as 'world series' it's basically only yanks, with a few exceptions, that watch them. Fottball on the other hand is a global sport with a huge fanbase especially here in Thailand. True Vision may have made a big error with their handling of this, I for one have cancelled my subscription. As for the minority sports screened via ASN, I dont really care.

[MEL1]

A wire coat hanger got ok reception last night. Just hoping these companies can sort it out before England's next match

Mate, please. They will not sort out your coat hanger, unless a back hand 100Bht.

-mel.

[TinoThailand]

u can always use oldfasion stuff and watch it on channel 3.. I don't wanto see my country anymore. The Netherlands suck now thanks to "van Marwijk".

[GentlemanJim]

dare I ask if anyone knows what is going to happen with Olympic games coverage? it's next month isn't it.

[bigbamboo]

Or you can just watch it on terrestial Thai TV with Thai commentary. No big deal really.

As for TrueVisions they have never cared about their customers anyway so why start now?

Did you read the OP?

Or you can just watch it on terrestial Thai TV with Thai commentary. No big deal really.

As for TrueVisions they have never cared about their customers anyway so why start now?

Did you read the OP?

Silly me... thinking anyone who could afford to subscribe to TrueVisions could afford to plug in another TV.

That's what I do.

[TinoThailand]

Happily watched England vs France last night on Thai channel 3. Just unplugged my Sky/TrueMove mix of Satellite-dish wires, and plugged in the normal TV arial, and it was perfectly clear on Thai Tv Channel 3. What's the issue??? mel.

Yea I agree, all these luxure problems

[NanLaew]

Or you can just watch it on terrestial Thai TV with Thai commentary. No big deal really. ...

Turn down the volume on the TV and go bbc.co.uk/sport on the computer or laptop and select the live commentary options.

Or even get yourself a totally legal VPN account, go to bbc.co.uk/sport on the computer or laptop and watch the game live either on BBC's streaming link or the ITV streaming link (they are both posted on BBC since they are sharing the coverage). Use either the PC or HDMI outlet from your computer or laptop to watch it on the TV.

I fell asleep during France v England.

[SuperZozo]

So happy to be upgraded to Platinium...

Now, each time I switch on HBO, I can see, see, resee Gladiator...

(First times, on HBO HD, then HBO normal and finally, right now, on Platinium package)

No wonder there is no more time for football (soccer)

[theajarn]

"What happened, in case you've been ignoring the calamity"

Oh God.... the humanity! No foooooozball! It's the end of the world.

[theajarn]

Unbelievable that true dropped the ball on this one. Way to make your customers happy. Have they even come out and apologized?

But they are probably figuring; we have a monopoly, no ones going to do a thing about it so, screw em.

Do people in other countries put up with this crap?

No they absolutely don't! They form REAL mobs (not paid ones) and go out in the streets and start trashing the <deleted>> out of the place -- burning cars, bashing in shop windows, stabbing people, setting fires to homes.

What's WITH these Thais??

[uptheos]

dare I ask if anyone knows what is going to happen with Olympic games coverage? it's next month isn't it.

True never buy the rights to the Olympics.

[captspectre]

Still have no regrets about canceling our True service over a year ago now. We have great cable service from the local provider at a tenth the cost per year, never goes out when it rains and have had all the EURO matches on from the Astro channels as well.

where are you located? northeast? if so I'd like to know the name of the cable provider!

[chuenyongman]

Still have no regrets about canceling our True service over a year ago now. We have great cable service from the local provider at a tenth the cost per year, never goes out when it rains and have had all the EURO matches on from the Astro channels as well.

where are you located? northeast? if so I'd like to know the name of the cable provider!

So would I.

[robertson468]

Time there are more Licences for TV Operators to shake up the complacency of this near monopoly of True Vision. Mind you the article brought a smile to my face, so all is not bad, well not too bad

[Ned]

Olympics are on ESPN/Star.

[johnjoensen]

I have 2 true vision boxes, and I mised the match between Holland and Denmark. But I have also 2 of theese PSI boxes, I wonder if we can see football on ch3 with the PSI box plug in to the TV, otherwise I have to get me an oldfasion antenna, but now all the shops are closed, and the match between Denmark and Portugal starts in 4 hours time. I anybody know if it is possible to see EM Football through a PSI box please let me know.

[volk666]

No, you can't watch football with any satellite dish, True, Psi, whatever. You need Grammy box for satellites. Otherwise it's only aerial.

With aerial I can switch commentary to English in "NICAM stereo" option on my TV but I'm not sure every TV set has this.

Cable companies showing Astro are pirates, they sell us stolen programming, that's why they are so cheap.

RS, the company that got the rights for World Cup 2014 and Spanish La Liga, is about to sell it's own "Sunbox" very soon, start saving up on that already.

There's no way True can outbid any of these companies for the rights to major tournaments like this, traditionally they recoup their investments by getting a share of prime time advertising on free TV channels and this time Grammy doesn't really need True's money either, they've never counted on it anyway, they just want to steal some of disgruntled True customers.

Once you are on Grammy, however, there's nothing there to watch. Japanese football and old CSI series. Good stuff costs money and customers need to pay for it, you can't get it for 300 baht a month, that's just economics.