GMM-Z Pay TV: package termination/ service ending message?

[partington]

I'm in Bangkok and have the GMM-Z Pay TV HD lite box with Platinum package. paid up until 29th March 2016. It's not bad, especially for HD Nat Geo Wild and some US channels that I always seem to find something of interest to watch while channel surfing. In short I like(d) it.

In the last few days a scrolling message has appeared sporadically at the bottom of the screen saying something like " Z Pay TV value customers please be informed that all top up packages will end on 18th January 2016 and the services will finish on 6th February 2016 (?-forget exact date). Special compensation offer if you phone 1629 or 1619..."

Does anyone know what this means? Surely the whole Z pay TV service isn't being turned off in February? I'm a bit miffed that they are apparently ending my package two months early, but really want to know what this means in the long term?

Before the usual "why don't you phone the helpline and find out " helpful suggestions (1) I am going to, but want to know if anyone here has any insight and (2) I found it difficult to find anyone to speak english last time I called, being met with a long gap then a disconnection, plus their website has no english on it.

Anyone know anything about this?

[lopburi3]

Family was just on phone to activate a one year Gold service today and basically told the same as got current unit registered and activated - current box subscriptions will expire and new box will be required it seems. They said they would send a new box and would have to activate that after it arrives. So indeed do call them - but expect a long wait as they are overwhelmed.

I suspect this is a combination of the CTH/GMM systems to avoid having to pay for two sets of satellite transponders for there pay channels and the current box hardware could not be used for new pay service. But that is just best guess so could be wrong. But indeed something is changing.

[partington]

Bloody Hell. More hassle than I thought...Did you have a CTH box (if such a thing exists?) I thought the amalgamation meant they would be using the GMM boxes by default, but of course this would be too easy...Thanks for info though!

[lopburi3]

My box is a GMMZ HD model bought last month with 365 day Gold included.

[Bredbury Blue]

Same as the OP, I've wondering what it means. Looks like I'll have to get the wife fired up to call them and find out

[straycat911]

I heard cth id cutting off all service with gmmz. I think it only means all cth channels will go off the air at that date

[Bredbury Blue]

^That will be bad news for me if that's true as I got GMMZ after falling out with CTH so I could watch CTH's Premier football (we also like HITS).

[partington]

I heard cth id cutting off all service with gmmz. I think it only means all cth channels will go off the air at that date

Read Lopburi's post above, where he was told he would need a new Z pay TV box to get GMMZ programming The on-screen message refers to GMM Z packages as well.

[Rimmer]

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[ianf]

Any news about Eurosport?

[Linesy]

I assumed that they were terminating! If anyone gets a response it would be greatly appreciated if they could update us, Thanks.

[straycat911]

The scrolling words on screen only show on my cth channels. Not any other which still makes me believe its only cth thats effected

[Bredbury Blue]

The scrolling words on screen only show on my cth channels. Not any other which still makes me believe its only cth thats effected

I had CTH. I now have GMMZ. I'm not sure which channels are GMMZ exclusive channels; what's an example?

[straycat911]

The cth channels have the words cth at the top of the screen. I cant name them all. Watch your favorite channel and if you see the cth at the top of screen. Then its cth channel

[Linesy]

Update: Finally got through on the phone, they are going to send a New box, I will update again when/if I receive the box. Expect a long wait on the phone but you should get through eventually zzzzzzzz

[partington]

Update: Finally got through on the phone, they are going to send a New box, I will update again when/if I receive the box. Expect a long wait on the phone but you should get through eventually zzzzzzzz

Did you find an english speaker easily? I wasn't able to the one time I called previously (admittedly more than a year ago and for a minor billing query that wasn't urgent).

[Linesy]

Update: Finally got through on the phone, they are going to send a New box, I will update again when/if I receive the box. Expect a long wait on the phone but you should get through eventually zzzzzzzz

Did you find an english speaker easily? I wasn't able to the one time I called previously (admittedly more than a year ago and for a minor billing query that wasn't urgent).

No, I got the Mrs to call.

[OJAS]

I strongly suspect that the proof of the pudding as regards GMMZ's fate after 6th February will lie in whether the replacement set-top boxes that are sent to their existing subscribers are GMMZ or CTH ones.

If I were a betting man, though, I would be inclined to plump for GMMZ being no more as a separate entity after this date. After all, why go to the trouble and expense of a wholesale replacement of existing set-top boxes otherwise - for which it strikes me that GMMZ in isolation are unlikely to be sufficiently resourced in any case?

Edited January 11, 2016 by OJAS

[lopburi3]

GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMM_Grammy

[stoneyboy]

GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMM_Grammy

Looks like they will focus their Pay TV services on the CTH platform as reported some time back.

GMM Grammy will make a share swap with CTH via its wholly owned subsidiary Z Trading in a Bt1-billion transaction as Grammy tries to focus solely on digital television and exit pay TV, while CTH strives to expand its viewership and content.

A GMM source said that after the deal, the company would concentrate on its two digital TV channels and its entertainment-content business, not on pay TV, while CTH would have more content for its pay-TV platform.

After the transaction, if successful, GMM Grammy via Z Trading Co will hold a will hold a 15.6 per-cent stake of CTH's Bt1.925 billion paid-up capital , which is majority-owned by Wichai Tongtaeng, and CTH will hold 100 per cent of Grammy's pay-TV operator GMM B.

According to GMM's filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Z Trading has entered a memorandum of understanding regarding the acquisition of 30 million common shares of CTH totalling Bt1.03 billion (Bt34.33 per share). In this regard, the company will settle the acquisition of those shares by the selling of the common shares of GMM B Co to CTH's subsidiary CTH LCO Co, with the total amount of 38,659,700 common shares (Bt26.64 per share), representing 100 per cent of GMM B's paid-up registered capital. Thus GMM B will cease to be a subsidiary of Grammy.

This transaction is expected to be completed by July 31.

The filing to the SET said that yesterday, the Grammy board of directors passed a resolution approving Z Trading's acquisition of the common shares of CTH.

The board ratified the MoU to acquire the common shares of CTH on July 14, and the settlement will be made by the sale of the common shares of the company's subsidiary to a subsidiary of CTH.

GMM B operates around 2.5 million set-top boxes and has 180,000 subscribers.

CTH says it has around 500,000 pay-TV subscribers.

The source added that this deal could create a strong competitor for the pay-TV market leader TrueVisions, which has around 2 million set-top boxes with 1 million active subscribers.

CTH is an exclusive broadcaster of English Premier League soccer while GMM has Uefa and Bundesliga football. GMM spends about Bt2 billion on its pay-TV business per year. It incurred loss of around Bt1.3 billion last year.

[RichCor]

I'm still confused as to why they need to swap out the boxes.

GMMz should be able to remotely upload the necessary configuration to change to reprogram current boxes -- unless it's a content contractual thing.

It's not like they're changing their subscription encryption encoding type that would require an entirely different chipset (ala TrueVision circa Jul 2012)

[lopburi3]

Believe there was a lot of duplication with each system having there own channel on bird for same content and believe this is an attempt to standardize and not have to pay rental for extra transponders (and/or allow new stations to be broadcast). Not sure but encoding may have been different and not available on current box model (believe this was the case with PSI/CTH previously and an adapter was required for some units).

[duan]

As a CTH cable customer I was informed that the cable would be switched off on 12 November so I called them on 26 October to request the satellite box which they promised to send out to me. I have still not received that box and out of desperation I bought the Grammy Z box and package for 6 months in mid November. Having read the posts above I called the 1629 Grammy number today only to discover that it goes through to the same CTH call centre. Having held on for over 90 minutes I hung up.

There is clearly no chance whatsoever that all CTH cable and Grammy customers will receive the new box by the cut off date in February which is going to leave a lot of unimpressed premier league fans to say the very least!

[lopburi3]

To make matters worse the CTH web site appears to have been totally hacked and Google warns not to load it (and if you do all you get is partial pages making no sense in any language). Believe GMMZ is also providing service on 1619 and there normal help desk number of 02-841-8888.

[partington]

As a follow up, I live near the GMM building in Bangkok, and knowing that they used to have a small customer service kiosk for Z Pay TV, went along there to ask about the changes. Luckily it was still there and the guy manning it spoke english and was very helpful.

He told me that you need a new box, and that it will have the closest to your current package included ( either for the time remaining on your current package, or possibly a whole year, I didn't completely understand). On receipt of box you must activate via calling the helpline on 1619, using LINE, or e-mail.

You need to get the new box sent by calling 1629 or 1619, and when I asked him if I would be able to find an english speaker he promised to call them and get someone to call me back. I indeed did get a call , an hour or so later , gave them my address, and they told me that they would be sending boxes at the end of January and beginning of February.

The phone rep did say don't be worried if the box is late, which I took to mean there is no chance at all that the boxes will be sent to most customers before all the services end in February. With 2.5 million boxes to replace, and them having given themselves and us about two weeks notice, it sounds like it is going to be an absolute disaster.

I don't understand why a six month roll out wasn't planned to give an adequate time to replace the boxes before ending the services that everyone has already paid for, but TIT.

It would be interesting to hear when anyone reading this receives a new box...

Edited January 12, 2016 by partington

[lopburi3]

GMM B operates around 2.5 million set-top boxes and has 180,000 subscribers.

Believe it will only be the subscribers who get new box and that the old box will probably continue to receive non-pay channels - but 180k is a huge number.

[scooterboy]

Update: Finally got through on the phone, they are going to send a New box, I will update again when/if I receive the box. Expect a long wait on the phone but you should get through eventually zzzzzzzz

The wife finally got through to the call center - at around 5am (!) and talked to a rep. Apparently, there's a better chance of getting through in the middle of the night - as opposed to the daytime hours.

After having her original registration verified, she was offered a new box (as for Linesy) which would be sent "around" the end of the month. However, after the phone call was finished, the wife complained about the lackluster voice of the rep, as though the rep was only going through the motions, so to speak.

The wife felt there was a good chance that the new box would possibly never arrive......

It also looks like NBTC is now involved with the closure, after receiving many complaints from Thais - so maybe there will be further news in the coming days......

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/NBTC-panel-gets-complaints-over-Z-Pay-TV-channels--30276801.html

Cheers

[Timbob]

I got a GMM box in August for the sole purpose of getting the CTH channels and watching the Premier League games. I don't watch any other channels.

Does anyone know if this new box will show the Premier League games? Or should I explore switching to CTH directly?

This is all a bit confusing.

[lopburi3]

From a previous post of being told that channels will be as close to those as now subscribed would have to believe it will be CTH equipment and payment in future. So if you do not have prepayment made and not adverse to buying a new box perhaps dealing direct would get you higher in queue. But we are still in a cloud as to what is what.

[Timbob]

I got the GMM box in August and paid for 4 months (3 months + 1 free), then paid for another 3 months early last month.... so I'm pre-paid up until early March. I'm in the UK for most of February so I can't grumble too much (I feel bad for those who pre-paid for a year!), but it's a bit of a pain if we need a new provider and pay for installation, etc.

Hopefully all will become clear soon enough and I can start making plans so I don't miss the end of the season.