C T H Offering Satellite As Well As Cable-T V: Thailand

[webfact]

CTH offering satellite as well as cable-TV
WATCHIRANONT THONGTEP
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Facing difficulty in expanding its cable network upcountry in such a tight time frame, subscription-based TV operator CTH has opted to introduce satellite-TV receivers in a bid to attract more subscribers to watch live broadcasts of English Premier League (EPL) football matches during the coming season.

The company will launch a basic package to watch 120 CTH pay-TV channels, and extra packages to watch 380 live EPL matches over the next season, which begins in August.

CTH targets replacing 1 million analogue set-top boxes with digital ones by the end of the year, but only 300,000 digital boxes have been deployed in subscribers' households to date.

Kasem Inkaew, a member of CTH's executive committee, said yesterday that the company had rented transponders from VNA-Sat, the Vietnam-based satellite provider, to transmit its signal for 125 channels to subscribers in the Kingdom.

CTH will sell its own satellite-TV receivers, which include turquoise KU-band dishes, and set-top boxes.

Though Kasem declined to disclose either the investment cost of the satellite-TV receivers or the name of the manufacturer, he did say that CTH's more than 200 local cable operators would be distributors and sellers of the receivers.

The products are ready to be put on shelves next month at CTH's cable operators and other retail stores across the country, he added.

Customers will have to pay Bt999 for a satellite-TV receiver, while cable-TV viewers who are not CTH subscribers must pay a Bt1,800 deposit for a digital set-top box.

To watch the company's pay-TV channels, customers must subscribe to one of the following packages; Bt199 for 79 channels; Bt299 for 107 channels; Bt399 for 120 channels; and Bt899 for the basic 120 channels, including high-definition channels, plus five EPL channels in HD.

Kasem said that with the EPL content, the company was targeting 1 million subscribers from the satellite-TV platform, and another million from its cable-TV network.

Meanwhile, CTH yesterday announced its five main sponsors: Singha Corp, AP Honda, Toyota, Advanced Info Service and Thai Airways. Overall sponsorship revenue is about Bt3 billion, the company said.

Chief executive officer Kittsanan Ngampathipong said the firm was in negotiation with two other main sponsors, and deals would be sealed soon.


-- The Nation 2013-05-30

[NongKhaiKid]

Does anyone else feel a wheel is about to come off this venture ?

[worgeordie]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

[Bellweather]

Does anyone else feel a wheel is about to come off this venture ?

I've given up trying to find out about this, ask 4 people and get 5 different answers.

[bangkok blue]

Why are the wheels gonna fall off? They've addressed the issue of not reaching everyone via cable by introducing satellite, which everyone can get. Simple really.

[chooka]

We bought a package from Dynasat a couple of years ago, plenty of movie channels, sports, national geographic etc only to loose everything 6 weeks later 28K baht flushed down the toilet. Apparently they were pirating a Malaysian company's service and selling it on. The original company updated it's security and changed it's encryption. All we had left was the dish, the box and 3 free to air channels. The BBC, Australia Network and a religious channel.

We actually thought they were a legitamite company as they were selling in major shopping centres. Lesson learnt don't trust anyone.

[Thai at Heart]

Most up country cities have very large cable networks run by CTH already.

Odd problem.

[bangkok blue]

I think the issue is out in the sticks, where they struggle to even get decent Internet lines.

[ratcatcher]

Does anyone else feel a wheel is about to come off this venture ?

I've given up trying to find out about this, ask 4 people and get 5 different answers.

I have seen nothing on paper about this new TV Cable/Satellite company. No brochures in the mailbox, no booths at malls. How do you contact these people. I am a keen EPL viewer and the costs seem reasonable.

Has anyone managed to get clear information from any of their staff? Is that actually possible.

[jambodave]

We bought a package from Dynasat a couple of years ago, plenty of movie channels, sports, national geographic etc only to loose everything 6 weeks later 28K baht flushed down the toilet. Apparently they were pirating a Malaysian company's service and selling it on. The original company updated it's security and changed it's encryption. All we had left was the dish, the box and 3 free to air channels. The BBC, Australia Network and a religious channel.

We actually thought they were a legitamite company as they were selling in major shopping centres. Lesson learnt don't trust anyone.

[/quot +1

[A Member]

Why are the wheels gonna fall off? They've addressed the issue of not reaching everyone via cable by introducing satellite, which everyone can get. Simple really.

Simple to you but TIT. Do you really think such a major project will not be botched in one way or another?

[ignis]

Don't understand ??

C T H has been on the ABS 1 satellite for many months........ so what is new ?

Just the set-top boxes and paying ?

[Payboy]

To watch the company's pay-TV channels, customers must subscribe to one of the following packages; Bt199 for 79 channels; Bt299 for 107 channels; Bt399 for 120 channels; and Bt899 for the basic 120 channels, including high-definition channels, plus five EPL channels in HD.

Monthly?

[ratcatcher]

To watch the company's pay-TV channels, customers must subscribe to one of the following packages; Bt199 for 79 channels; Bt299 for 107 channels; Bt399 for 120 channels; and Bt899 for the basic 120 channels, including high-definition channels, plus five EPL channels in HD.

Monthly?

It's all very clear isn't it?

[sms747]

looked on the CTH website, cannot see any info on prices, packages or installation.

[gennisis]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

It sound too good to be true....sorry about the pun !

I watch the TV mainly for EPL games and the Discovery channels and pay True 2,100 baht a month for the platinum package...no complaints,in fact the football coverage is excellent...to have all the EPL games in UK I would need to subscribe to 3 broadcasters and pay more.

Now this recent news regarding CTH could...and I repeat could,give me the same programs for less than half the price I am currently paying.

Somewhere the wheels are going to come off!!!

And I can foresee a problem.....True will still have the Champions League games,so I will still need True to watch these games

Edited May 30, 2013 by gennisis

[uptheos]

Well, if this is a hit I wouldn't buy shares in True.

[ballpoint]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

Yes, remove TrueVisions' monopoly of the EPL and give it to another monopoly, while True still holds the monopoly (upcountry at least) on other channels, including Setanta for rugby. it will be interesting to see if this causes True to cut their prices for the sports package, otherwise it's like going from one shop, holding a monopoly on bread and butter, to two shops; one with a monopoly on bread, the other on butter, located at opposite ends of town, and still paying the same price that the old bread and butter monopoly charged for the bread and butter combined, just for the bread alone, while now having to pay extra for the butter. If you get what I mean. While I can live on bread alone, much easier than butter alone, the two combined are far more enjoyable. Do I really want to be paying more to get both though than when they were sold together by the bad old monopoly?

[JetsetBkk]

To watch the company's pay-TV channels, customers must subscribe to one of the following packages; Bt199 for 79 channels; Bt299 for 107 channels; Bt399 for 120 channels; and Bt899 for the basic 120 channels, including high-definition channels, plus five EPL channels in HD.

Monthly?

A bit hopeful if you think it could be yearly.

Might be daily.

[jbrain]

There goes True Visions chance on brokering a deal for the premier league broadcasing, straight out of the window.

[Thai at Heart]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

Yes, remove TrueVisions' monopoly of the EPL and give it to another monopoly, while True still holds the monopoly (upcountry at least) on other channels, including Setanta for rugby. it will be interesting to see if this causes True to cut their prices for the sports package, otherwise it's like going from one shop, holding a monopoly on bread and butter, to two shops; one with a monopoly on bread, the other on butter, located at opposite ends of town, and still paying the same price that the old bread and butter monopoly charged for the bread and butter combined, just for the bread alone, while now having to pay extra for the butter. If you get what I mean. While I can live on bread alone, much easier than butter alone, the two combined are far more enjoyable. Do I really want to be paying more to get both though than when they were sold together by the bad old monopoly?

I get Setanta and the IPL through cable up country from hijacked signals from Vietnam and Malaysia. I don't understand how it can be, because the cable company advertises itself as part of the CTH consortium. Is it going to be the case that these local cable networks are going to be forced to drop these signals by the main CTH company because I can't believe that they are going to allow local cable companies to continue this.

In which case I can well understand the local companies telling CTH in Bangkok to bog off if they think they are going to use their local cables to carry CTH content.

[TwentyBaht]

About two weeks ago, CTH started to broadcast program content from the Vinasat1 satellite. Some channels have been free to view during this time. The signal is ku-band (small dish).

[amore]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

It sound too good to be true....sorry about the pun !

I watch the TV mainly for EPL games and the Discovery channels and pay True 2,100 baht a month for the platinum package...no complaints,in fact the football coverage is excellent...to have all the EPL games in UK I would need to subscribe to 3 broadcasters and pay more.

Now this recent news regarding CTH could...and I repeat could,give me the same programs for less than half the price I am currently paying.

Somewhere the wheels are going to come off!!!

And I can foresee a problem.....True will still have the Champions League games,so I will still need True to watch these games

I'm sure I have watched Champions League games on the Thai TV Channels 3 and 7? Am I wrong?

[pattayadingo]

I'd love them to do it by sattellite.

As are many others, I'm waiting to see what the reality of all this is and the true real cost etc.

Patience.......

[Payboy]

To watch the company's pay-TV channels, customers must subscribe to one of the following packages; Bt199 for 79 channels; Bt299 for 107 channels; Bt399 for 120 channels; and Bt899 for the basic 120 channels, including high-definition channels, plus five EPL channels in HD.

Monthly?

A bit hopeful if you think it could be yearly.

Might be daily.

Hopeful, yes. I guess Turd Vision spoiled me.

[gennisis]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

It sound too good to be true....sorry about the pun !

I watch the TV mainly for EPL games and the Discovery channels and pay True 2,100 baht a month for the platinum package...no complaints,in fact the football coverage is excellent...to have all the EPL games in UK I would need to subscribe to 3 broadcasters and pay more.

Now this recent news regarding CTH could...and I repeat could,give me the same programs for less than half the price I am currently paying.

Somewhere the wheels are going to come off!!!

And I can foresee a problem.....True will still have the Champions League games,so I will still need True to watch these games

I'm sure I have watched Champions League games on the Thai TV Channels 3 and 7? Am I wrong?

No you are correct but only 2 games and this year True had shown all matches on the night

[PREM-R]

CTH website is only in Thai, they have been running a 'ticker tape' message along the bottom of all their channels on my cable service in Khon Kaen for the last few days, only in Thai, gives the information about the set top boxes. I have sent many messages to them (in English), since they got the EPL contract, from the contact page on their website but have never received a reply. Does not bode well.

Edited May 30, 2013 by PREM-R

[worgeordie]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

Yes, remove TrueVisions' monopoly of the EPL and give it to another monopoly, while True still holds the monopoly (upcountry at least) on other channels, including Setanta for rugby. it will be interesting to see if this causes True to cut their prices for the sports package, otherwise it's like going from one shop, holding a monopoly on bread and butter, to two shops; one with a monopoly on bread, the other on butter, located at opposite ends of town, and still paying the same price that the old bread and butter monopoly charged for the bread and butter combined, just for the bread alone, while now having to pay extra for the butter. If you get what I mean. While I can live on bread alone, much easier than butter alone, the two combined are far more enjoyable. Do I really want to be paying more to get both though than when they were sold together by the bad old monopoly?

Yes True are giving 100 bht discount for not having EPL, you happy with that? regards Worgeordie

[petedk]

Those of you who watch satellite tv from Vinasat should be able to receive CTH from the same satellite.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited May 30, 2013 by petedk

[ballpoint]

Not enough information,I wish them luck,anything that dents TrueVisions

monopoly has to be a good thing, just hope they have everything up and

running by August,fingers crossed.

regards Worgeordie

Yes, remove TrueVisions' monopoly of the EPL and give it to another monopoly, while True still holds the monopoly (upcountry at least) on other channels, including Setanta for rugby. it will be interesting to see if this causes True to cut their prices for the sports package, otherwise it's like going from one shop, holding a monopoly on bread and butter, to two shops; one with a monopoly on bread, the other on butter, located at opposite ends of town, and still paying the same price that the old bread and butter monopoly charged for the bread and butter combined, just for the bread alone, while now having to pay extra for the butter. If you get what I mean. While I can live on bread alone, much easier than butter alone, the two combined are far more enjoyable. Do I really want to be paying more to get both though than when they were sold together by the bad old monopoly?

Yes True are giving 100 bht discount for not having EPL, you happy with that? regards Worgeordie

No, I'm not happy with that, but like I said, I'll have to decide which option to take. I'd rather have the rugby than the EPL, so I'll have to keep paying True virtually the same amount, minus the 100 baht, to continue with that (no cable in my area, satellite only), and decide whether to pay the extra for the other dish and encoder to receive EPL, or live without it. I suspect I'll decide to take it, so will end up paying more to receive exactly the same sports I get now. I also suspect that CTH, having removed EPL from True, will want to be the only provider in the country, and will take steps to get it removed from its non affiliated local cable networks, or price it out of their range. The thing about breaking up a monopoly is that it only works when the services formerly restricted to that monopoly are made available from multiple providers, who freely compete for your custom. If True and CTH both offered rugby, champions league, a decent news channel, and EPL, with them both competing for my money accordingly, then I'd be celebrating the end of a monopoly.