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

[taotoo]

Actually I thought all the CTH subscribers wanted CTH and not the superior Truevisions simply because CTH has the Premier and Truevisions lost the Premier. If that's not correct, why would anybody want CTH over Truevisions?

Personally I want Formula 1, a bit of tennis, and an English news channel. Won't watch it much, so CTH makes more sense for me than True.

[Rigsby]

As I posted a while ago, a friend of mine spent hours (and even more baht) trying to contact CTH on 1619 to get the box activated with no avail. Two days ago around 2pm he emailed them at [email protected] and got a call this morning at 9.30 from a very pleasant Thai man with good english who spent about 45 mins helping him get the box working incl. all the CTH channels.

So anyone still in this predicament, an email is worth a shot.

[scooterboy]

Can't rely on anybody, these days, can you !

The satellite installer guy came today to see if we were home - we were. He'd otherwise said that he'd be here in a further couple of days, but he'd already bought the necessary and so returned a bit later and installed the KU-Band dish.

We'd previously chatted about a "Y" adaptor (if that's what it's called), so that the cables from the C-Band dish and KU-Band dish join up and use the same cable that ends up in the box near the TV. This so that we can EITHER use C or KU - but not together.

It took him one and a half hours to get it all set up - and registered on the CTH website (yes, he succeeded after the very first attempt). So, now the wife has an array of progs she can watch. If the weather's bad or there are any problems with the KU-Band dish, then we can always quickly change to the old GMM box again (minus the fancy channels), just by transferring the cable from CTH to GMM box.

Peace (maybe) for the next 8 months.......

Still don't hear NBTC doing anything about CTH.......

[partington]

So my box arrived this morning. It came with an RCA lead but not its own HDMI lead, although I have a lot of these so it didn't matter to me. The box also has a USB socket and an ethernet socket (though I'm not sure what this is for).

It's been three weeks since the GMM-Z channels were switched off, and on the box it says 'Beyond CTH 240', so I'm getting an 8 month package. Not sure how they decide who gets 8 months and who gets 4, but in any case this seems OK to me, as I only had until the end of March left on my GMM-Z Platinum package, so I'm effectively getting five months free.

My major concern was whether the box would work at all for the pay channels, since I'm not sure what dishes are installed in my condo building. The GMM-Z box, although using Thaicom C, used to detect some channels if I switched to searching Thaicom Ku, so I thought there was at least a chance that there was a Ku dish on the roof, and the CTH box might work.

When I plugged the CTH box in to do a check and a search it came up with three satellite choices: Thaicom 5 (C ) 78.5E, Thaicom 5(Ku) 78.5E and Vinasat 2 131.8E.

But on the search only the Thaicom 5 (C ) gave any signal at all: the Ku and Vinasat were blank. This almost convinced me this was a waste of time, except that the Thaicom C search brought up the expected list of channels, Fox Premium, Nat Geo Wild and so on together with a load of Stadium channels that are part of the CTH package, with a blank screen and a message "not included in your current package - contact CTH at 1619".

So I went onto https://online.cth.co.th to attempt to register the box. The box was on and tuned to a blank Stadium channel. The registration process wasn't that difficult with an online Thai dictionary page open to look up words. Once you enter the serial number of your box, it asks you to enter it again if it's a first registration, then asks you to confirm, make sure your box is installed and turned on, and enter contact details. As soon as I clicked the 'enter' button on this last page, it popped up a 'registration confirmed' notice, and that second the Stadium channel suddenly came on, as did the other premium channels, including my beloved Nat Geo Wild. It seems like the Ku band isn't necessary(?)

Anyhow I'm pretty satisfied, although the picture resolution doesn't seem as good as with the GMM-Z box- it just doesn't look as HD-, and there are fewer HD channels in total.

[Bredbury Blue]

The USB port should prove useful for recording programmes.

Not sure how they work out who's given what package but we only had a 120 day GMMZ package which just 14 days left before expiry, but we received the CTH365 box/package as per the picture I posted above - it sat on the table for a day unopened and now has been stored in an upstairs wardrobe.

[partington]

The USB port should prove useful for recording programmes.

Not sure how they work out who's given what package but we only had a 120 day GMMZ package which just 14 days left before expiry, but we received the CTH365 box/package as per the picture I posted above - it sat on the table for a day unopened and now has been stored in an upstairs wardrobe.

Actually I meant the ethernet port when I said I didn't know what it was for...

[lopburi3]

Before I packed it up remember the manual was dual language so maybe they say something. Hope you still have the pay channels next week - but if really C-band expect they my go and they kept C-band alive this month to provide service to PSI/RS paid subscriptions but they are ending.

One could hope there was enough feedback to convince them to keep C-band alive - but there does not seem to be any open information if that is the case.

[partington]

If that's the case then it HAS all been a waste.

I suppose I don't care that much as I have since found that there is almost no english audio on any of the premium channels in any case so it is beginning to look a bit useless.

Even when you press the audio button and dual audio is listed changing to the "english" one gives silence on all of them including Nat Geo Wild. Every possible combination of audio settings doesn't help: trying left or right channels only, stereo, or mixture, or "all" or "single" audio tracks, just a deafening silence.

O well it was worth a try...

[lopburi3]

I really hope I am wrong and all will work out - maybe the audio is a temporary issue while they make the transition to Ku band operation for everyone?

[partington]

Well if you're correct about the Ku band, and somehow I think you are, I will lose all these premium channels in three days when they turn off the C band, so the audio problem will vanish with the channels....

[CoreanoOzzie]

A really informative thread. Good work guys!

[partington]

Just as a follow up, if there's anyone out there who might be considering signing up with CTH.

On my activated box I have no English audio on Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo People, Nat Geo Channel, Da Vinci Learning, Fox Movies Premium, Fox Family Movies, Fx HD, Fox Crime, with a mix on Fox Action Movies, but mostly Thai.

The Stadium channels (that I never watch) seem nearly all Thai, or a weird mixture of Thai and English that you can't separate by using the left or right channel. Only Stadium 6 seemed to be English.

However in ALL cases when you click the "audio" button and there are two channels, English and Thai listed it is ALWAYS only the one marked Thai that works-the other is silent. On very few channels, the one marked Thai that works is actually in English.

It's clear there's only a single audio feed for each channel, and they may not even intend to supply more than one audio feed for each channel. This is supported by a TV thread from last July that I just saw while searching on Google for CTH English audio: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841317-cth-cutting-back-service/

"I have been told by CTH that they are introducing a new package next month - if they manage to fix an unspecified problem - which it appears will considerably reduce its appeal to us foreigners. On a personal level, apart from the Premier League I mostly watch Sky News as I find it better now than the BBC and CNN.

That is going, and the ONLY news service in English will be Fox News, which isn't really news at all. I was told that there will otherwise be NO channels in English,... "

Obviously this may not be applicable to today's situation: Sky News is not gone for example. My audio problems may be occurring because I am receiving the channels on the C band satellite (which I expect will be turned off sometime today) and there may be dual channels on Ku band signals.

It does at least imply that CTH last year considered it completely feasible to try to sell their channels with no English soundtrack.

Be warned!

[nahkit]

Just as a follow up, if there's anyone out there who might be considering signing up with CTH.

On my activated box I have no English audio on Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo People, Nat Geo Channel, Da Vinci Learning, Fox Movies Premium, Fox Family Movies, Fx HD, Fox Crime, with a mix on Fox Action Movies, but mostly Thai.

The Stadium channels (that I never watch) seem nearly all Thai, or a weird mixture of Thai and English that you can't separate by using the left or right channel. Only Stadium 6 seemed to be English.

However in ALL cases when you click the "audio" button and there are two channels, English and Thai listed it is ALWAYS only the one marked Thai that works-the other is silent. On very few channels, the one marked Thai that works is actually in English.

It's clear there's only a single audio feed for each channel, and they may not even intend to supply more than one audio feed for each channel. This is supported by a TV thread from last July that I just saw while searching on Google for CTH English audio: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841317-cth-cutting-back-service/

"I have been told by CTH that they are introducing a new package next month - if they manage to fix an unspecified problem - which it appears will considerably reduce its appeal to us foreigners. On a personal level, apart from the Premier League I mostly watch Sky News as I find it better now than the BBC and CNN.

That is going, and the ONLY news service in English will be Fox News, which isn't really news at all. I was told that there will otherwise be NO channels in English,... "

Obviously this may not be applicable to today's situation: Sky News is not gone for example. My audio problems may be occurring because I am receiving the channels on the C band satellite (which I expect will be turned off sometime today) and there may be dual channels on Ku band signals.

It does at least imply that CTH last year considered it completely feasible to try to sell their channels with no English soundtrack.

Be warned!

I'm using the KU band and I get dual audio no problem with English on the Stadium channels, all Fox channels and all Nat Geo channels (that's all I've checked). The dish, lnb and installation cost me around 1,500 baht a few months back which is about what I used to pay per month to CTH before I fell out with them over un-specified extra charges .

For the poster who wrote that the HD channels didn't seem so clear, I have two sets of Stadium channels, one running from 101 - 106 and the other from 151 - 156 and the HD quality is definitely better on the 101-106 channels.

Thanks to the poster who mentioned the Thai link for online registering, after several weeks of unanswered calls to 1619 and 1629 I was finally able to get registered and get the packages working. I had tried using the English version for registering but the link didn't work and my email from 10 days ago is still unanswered so it was nice to finally get it sorted.

One other thing, really nice change to browse a topic where people are trying to help each other.

[partington]

Just as a follow up, if there's anyone out there who might be considering signing up with CTH.

On my activated box I have no English audio on Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo People, Nat Geo Channel, Da Vinci Learning, Fox Movies Premium, Fox Family Movies, Fx HD, Fox Crime, with a mix on Fox Action Movies, but mostly Thai.

The Stadium channels (that I never watch) seem nearly all Thai, or a weird mixture of Thai and English that you can't separate by using the left or right channel. Only Stadium 6 seemed to be English.

However in ALL cases when you click the "audio" button and there are two channels, English and Thai listed it is ALWAYS only the one marked Thai that works-the other is silent. On very few channels, the one marked Thai that works is actually in English.

It's clear there's only a single audio feed for each channel, and they may not even intend to supply more than one audio feed for each channel. This is supported by a TV thread from last July that I just saw while searching on Google for CTH English audio: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841317-cth-cutting-back-service/

"I have been told by CTH that they are introducing a new package next month - if they manage to fix an unspecified problem - which it appears will considerably reduce its appeal to us foreigners. On a personal level, apart from the Premier League I mostly watch Sky News as I find it better now than the BBC and CNN.

That is going, and the ONLY news service in English will be Fox News, which isn't really news at all. I was told that there will otherwise be NO channels in English,... "

Obviously this may not be applicable to today's situation: Sky News is not gone for example. My audio problems may be occurring because I am receiving the channels on the C band satellite (which I expect will be turned off sometime today) and there may be dual channels on Ku band signals.

It does at least imply that CTH last year considered it completely feasible to try to sell their channels with no English soundtrack.

Be warned!

I'm using the KU band and I get dual audio no problem with English on the Stadium channels, all Fox channels and all Nat Geo channels (that's all I've checked). The dish, lnb and installation cost me around 1,500 baht a few months back which is about what I used to pay per month to CTH before I fell out with them over un-specified extra charges .

For the poster who wrote that the HD channels didn't seem so clear, I have two sets of Stadium channels, one running from 101 - 106 and the other from 151 - 156 and the HD quality is definitely better on the 101-106 channels.

Thanks to the poster who mentioned the Thai link for online registering, after several weeks of unanswered calls to 1619 and 1629 I was finally able to get registered and get the packages working. I had tried using the English version for registering but the link didn't work and my email from 10 days ago is still unanswered so it was nice to finally get it sorted.

One other thing, really nice change to browse a topic where people are trying to help each other.

Thanks for posting this, it's very informative. I can't believe there's some setting on my box that I've somehow missed, so it's almost 100% certain my audio problems come from being on the wrong band, C rather than Ku.

Good to know, although there is nothing I can do about it , as I'm in a condo building and any dish installation would have to be a condo decision. The C band premium channels haven't been turned off yet, surprisingly, as I thought the cut off date was the 1st of March, but without English audio it doesn't really matter.

I've tried IlikeHD TV , and it's fine, although the picture quality on most channels labelled as 720p is definitely more like 576p SD, with Nat Geo Wild being an especially mushy "720p".

I'm also a bit worried about the character/legality of this company, as it seems to be run by a single dodgy shady individual who I have seen posting in other forums about being the "biggest pirate in the world" and "never been busted or in jail"...

Doesn't inspire confidence and I can imagine someone with this kind of lack of moral centre crowing about how many subscribers' money he has got away with if it all goes belly up (but you could look at that as karma for people like me who know it's dodgy and subscribe anyway.) It's only pay a month at a time, but this guy I think runs the IPTV service too, which you can pay for a year up front, so anyone with that be wary ...!

[partington]

Add to above post (too late to edit) . The scrolling information on CTH in Thai that I can't read that refers to RSI and Sunboxes and C Band in English script is currently on Sky News. The date on it which I copied down and looked up is the 1st of April 2559 NOT the 1st of March, so I imagine that's when the pay channels on the C band will finally be turned off.

(Incidentally on Sky News they were having an item on regulating advertising on plastic surgery, and discussing how often it can go wrong. I don't watch Sky News much but was tickled to see one of the newsreaders involved in this discussion was a weirdly frozen faced woman who looks like a poster for unconvincing plastic surgery, and I wondered how they were able to discuss the whole topic with her sitting there without their eyes involuntarily darting to her face every five seconds...)

[partington]

At the risk of seeming to be talking to myself - about half an hour ago all the English audio tracks on all my premium channels started working!

This coincided with, but wasn't caused by, me changing my 'HDMI' setting from 'PCM' to 'RAW' under the 'AV Setting' menu, after fiddling about with every possible setting on every menu. I can't restore the silence on the English audio by turning from 'RAW' back to 'PCM', nor by changing any other setting. It seems to have just been switched on somehow.

Which is good: I now have the TV service that I wanted all along!

Until the 1st of April, when they'll turn it off...

[Bredbury Blue]

^"I've tried IlikeHD TV , and it's fine, although the picture quality on most channels labelled as 720p is definitely more like 576p SD, with Nat Geo Wild being an especially mushy "720p". I'm also a bit worried about the character/legality of this company, as it seems to be run by a single dodgy shady individual who I have seen posting in other forums about being the "biggest pirate in the world" and "never been busted or in jail"... Doesn't inspire confidence and I can imagine someone with this kind of lack of moral centre crowing about how many subscribers' money he has got away with if it all goes belly up (but you could look at that as karma for people like me who know it's dodgy and subscribe anyway.) It's only pay a month at a time, but this guy I think runs the IPTV service too, which you can pay for a year up front, so anyone with that be wary ...!"

I find the picture quality of ilikeHD good; better on my Samsung phone than on my computer.

IlikeHD packages are pay as you go, so you can buy a 2 or 3 or hour package (for 20, 30 and 50 baht I think) or you can buy an individual package for a month like the sports package or uk package for around 200 or 250 baht. It's therefore cheap and convenient.

The owner/management of IlikeHD leave very little'footprint' so you don't know who you're dealing with. When you pay by ATM to ATM it's in to a thai female name account.

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

I find the picture quality of ilikeHD good; better on my Samsung phone than on my computer.

<snip>

Surely, that's because the phone's screen is so much smaller? (- so you don't notice the imperfections?)

[partington]

^"I've tried IlikeHD TV , and it's fine, although the picture quality on most channels labelled as 720p is definitely more like 576p SD, with Nat Geo Wild being an especially mushy "720p". I'm also a bit worried about the character/legality of this company, as it seems to be run by a single dodgy shady individual who I have seen posting in other forums about being the "biggest pirate in the world" and "never been busted or in jail"... Doesn't inspire confidence and I can imagine someone with this kind of lack of moral centre crowing about how many subscribers' money he has got away with if it all goes belly up (but you could look at that as karma for people like me who know it's dodgy and subscribe anyway.) It's only pay a month at a time, but this guy I think runs the IPTV service too, which you can pay for a year up front, so anyone with that be wary ...!"

I find the picture quality of ilikeHD good; better on my Samsung phone than on my computer.

IlikeHD packages are pay as you go, so you can buy a 2 or 3 or hour package (for 20, 30 and 50 baht I think) or you can buy an individual package for a month like the sports package or uk package for around 200 or 250 baht. It's therefore cheap and convenient.

The owner/management of IlikeHD leave very little'footprint' so you don't know who you're dealing with. When you pay by ATM to ATM it's in to a thai female name account.

I think the guy you are dealing with is the fellow in this thread here...http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/898290-iptv-thailand-tv-i-am-an-idiot/

[Bredbury Blue]

^Could well be, but with ilikeHD as you pay as little as you like and top up as you go, any potential loss is minimal...couple of hundred baht. Some people buy a 50baht package for 5 hours, watch it, go buy...repeat.

I was watching the UK Basic package last night on ilikeHD on my samsung phone and have to say the picture quality was excellent.

Ps. If you register for ilikeHD but then don't go and buy a package to watch, you will still get access to all the free (thai) channels...do it so the wife can watch ch3 wherever she is, bless her.

[tilaceer]

No contact from CTH three weeks after sending an email, and promised an update.

Sent another email just now and received the following.

Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:

[email protected]
The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now. Please try resending this message later, or contact the recipient directly.

[JetsetBkk]

No contact from CTH three weeks after sending an email, and promised an update.

Sent another email just now and received the following.

Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:

[email protected]

The recipient's mailbox is full and can't accept messages now. Please try resending this message later, or contact the recipient directly.

So they can't process the emails as fast as they are getting them, and you have to wait an hour or more for them to answer the phone!!

What a bunch of cowboys.

[Linesy]

Review of the GMMZ replacement CTH box and service:

EPG is now non existent - perhaps an indicator of their long term commitment!

FX HD still only Thai Audio.

Repeated short duration loss of video but not Channel signal (CTH logo remains).

Can not record programs to USB/hard drive (prior to EPG disappearing)

[tomwct]

Review of the GMMZ replacement CTH box and service:

EPG is now non existent - perhaps an indicator of their long term commitment!

FX HD still only Thai Audio.

Repeated short duration loss of video but not Channel signal (CTH logo remains).

Can not record programs to USB/hard drive (prior to EPG disappearing)

What is EPG? CTH has proven over the last 3 years they are not dependable, so I expect the same in

the future! Agree?

[Linesy]

Electronic Program Guide - TV Schedule

[tomwct]

Lost my CTH Channels this morning. Channel numbers 300 up no longer receivable! Anyone know what's going on?

[Linesy]

Lost my CTH Channels this morning. Channel numbers 300 up no longer receivable! Anyone know what's going on?

1st April was a cut off date for some services - What's your set up? ie: CTH box (old or new), PSI box, C band or KU band dish etc..

[partington]

Lost my CTH Channels this morning. Channel numbers 300 up no longer receivable! Anyone know what's going on?

This was expected and announced by scrolling messages (Thai only!) along the bottom of the screen on many channels. CTH have stopped broadcasting the pay channels on the C Band as from midnight April 1st.

They can now only be received if you get a KU band dish, a different construction, which receives broadcasts from a different satellite and must be pointed in a different direction.

Tough luck on people like me who live in a condo building which does not have this dish and is unlikely to install one. All the English language channels I watch (all the Nat Geos, Warner TV, Fox Premium movies, etc. etc.) disappeared at the stroke of midnight too!

However CTH will never be getting another penny of my money, so I wish them farewell...

[luckygeezer]

I have the new CTH box and went to buy a KU band dish today because I want to see the football season exciting finish this year. My old PSI/CTH box lost a lot of channels today as anticipated due to CTH warning customers about the change to KU band.The agent is a PSI agent but installs dishes for all companies. She told us that head office PSI informed her to warn customers of PSI/CTH to think very carefully before buying the KU band dish, because CTH are virtually bankrupt and the company will soon not be able to broadcast matches in Thailand. She said she will install the KU dish if we want it, but if it doesn't have what we want from CTH then it's not her fault.

So she is trying to be nice. Just need to know if somebody has a CTH new box with KU dish installed and need to know if CTH still broadcasting, especially the 7 stadium channels. If so I'll take the risk of them going tits up.

[lopburi3]

Suspect for next year you will need True but that remains to be seen.

As of now the current PSI free to air C-band box receives 231 active channels

http://www.psi.co.th/site/images/Frequency/C_Band01-04-15.pdf