Alternative satellite TV system?

[aslimversgwm]

Can anyone suggest an alternative satellite TV system as I've cancelled True Vision effective this month end because they arbitrarily cancelled BBC Entertainment and HBO channels?

I need BBC and ITV channels + CNN, Al Jazeera, Discovery, History, and Animal Planet + some good English language movie channels. Not interested in sport or kids channels.

I've had both Expat TV and Pulse TV on trial and both suffered buffering issues despite running on my pc, which is only about 30cm from my wifi box! In real life I want to run any system reliably on 2 TV's - one situated about 15 meters away and one upstairs, many meters away from my wifi box.

Using existing satellite cabling appears to be the only solution. I do not want the expense of running ethernet cabling to both TV's, which would be both expensive and ugly.

Any ideas folks?

 

[MadMac]

Get an Android box, nobody uses satellite anymore. 

[RichCor]

AIS has picked up the HBO Asia channels that TrueVision recently dropped.

 

AIS to show HBO channels
Started by snoop1130, February 6

 

...there are a lot of already running topic threads in Audio/Visual forum discussing alternative Internet iptv providers.

 

IF you wanted to stay with "old-school" satellite, look at Astro (Malaysia) on Measat 3/3a/3b at 91.5°E.  

The set top box and subscription has to be arranged.

 

 

[Mooner]

If Thaiexpat buffers you dont have a chance with other internet based tv  options. What speeds do you have?

[Chicog]

Use a cable, not Wifi. There are all sorts of reasons why that causes buffering.

 

 

[worgeordie]

Buy an Android box,check out Lazada, they have a good selection,

and you can get it sent C.O.D.,connect your box to the router with RJ45

cable,much better than using WiFi, then download,Mobdro app, it has

lots US channels, UK channels,Sports,has all HBO's,Discovery Channels,

and its FREE. that will get you started,then many more to add.

regards worgeordie

[CMKiwi]

If you go the android box way, make sure the os (Operating System) is at least 5.1. Otherwise the latest version of kodi (kodi 17) will not work. In fact the authorised version won't even let you download it!

 

And there a lot of good builds for Kodi 17 too.

[sfokevin]

For those of you who have cancelled your True Satellite - Keep your dish!... Know that you can go to any Big C/Tesco (And 7-11 sells a box) and buy a satellite box that can connect to your existing dish cable... this will give you a bunch of free channels (mostly Thai - But a few English)... They run about 800-1,500 baht 

 

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2015/01/watch-200-channels-for-free-on-true-digital-hd/

 

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop-tv-receivers/

 

I have this one with a small dish and get about 40 free channels:

http://www.lazada.co.th/gmm-z-hd-lite-8697168.html?rb=gmm-z

 

 

[MadMac]

I got one from Aliexpress, 16GB/2GB, less than 40$. Came with Kodi and god knows what streams loaded. Android 6. Never looked back.

[Jai Dee]

Topic moved to AV Forum.

 

/Moved.

[taotoo]

I don't think there is a satellite alternative to True any more. Don't buy a generic android box unless you like tinkering. Check out the Roku and Amazon Fire offerings - might have to buy from abroad. They probably won't offer everything you want, but they might offer enough. If necessary run wires, though my Roku works fine with Wifi (albeit mine flickers a bit, which I'm sensitive to).

[Encid]

2 hours ago, Chicog said:

Use a cable, not Wifi. There are all sorts of reasons why that causes buffering.

 

 

And you don't have to run wires either.

I solved that problem by running a LAN cable from my PON router to a TP-Link AV500 Powerline Edition 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender which plugs directly into the power socket in my computer room.

The AV500 Adapter plugs into the power sockets behind the TV's in my living room and master bedroom which have LAN cables connecting them to Android boxes connected to my TV's.

 

Final result: a "hard-wired" internet connection at fiber speed to my TV's and an extended WiFi range thanks to the TP-Link Extender and Adapters.

[aslimversgwm]

You"be lost me - sorry! I don't want cabling I want WiFi connections to 2 tv's. 1 is only about 6 metres from the WiFi box and the other lots of metres away upstairs in my bedroom
. Are you suggesting 2 TP link boxes sitting under or next to my TV sets connected by short cables then 2 sort of magic thingies that plugs into my power sockets?

Sent from my SM-J710F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[RichCor]

The PowerLine adapters that @Encid is recommending use your home electrical wiring to convey the highspeed data signal.  You can plug in Two, Three, Four... however many you need to get the Internet data to where you need it.  (One gets plugged into an AC socket and connected to your router, the other(s) plugged into AC where-ever you need an Internet connection.  

 

Some people have trouble with WiFi. If there are too many simultaneous users, nearby competing WiFi signals, dense walls, etc, then it may have problems delivering video data without buffering or dropouts.  That's why we'll usually recommend running an Ethernet cable so the TV gets a dedicated interference-free path.

[Encid]

This is a slightly different model to the one I have installed but it works on the same principles:

 

 

[CMKiwi]

Encid...you are correct. They are a good alternative for those that dont want cables running everywhere.  I use a slightly different system whereas the 'repeater' picks up the current 'weakened' wifi signal and boosts its range and signal strength.

 

The bonus is that I can still plug ethernet cable into the 'repeater' and also use wifi.

[edwinchester]

On 15/02/2017 at 1:54 PM, taotoo said:

I don't think there is a satellite alternative to True any more. Don't buy a generic android box unless you like tinkering. Check out the Roku and Amazon Fire offerings - might have to buy from abroad. They probably won't offer everything you want, but they might offer enough. If necessary run wires, though my Roku works fine with Wifi (albeit mine flickers a bit, which I'm sensitive to).

Astro, K+ and Skynet can all be subscribed to in Thailand.

[aslimversgwm]

On Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 11:42 AM, Mooner said:

If Thaiexpat buffers you dont have a chance with other internet based tv  options. What speeds do you have?

Speed tests yesterday: 

Ping 29ms- download speed 21.54 Mbps. Upload speed 6.51 Mbps. 

Ping 30ms- download speed 21 59 Mbps. Upload speed 6.58 Mbps 

 

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/15/2017 at 11:35 AM, MadMac said:

Get an Android box, nobody uses satellite anymore. 

So how does that get round my buffering issues which is why I really want a satellite solution. 

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/15/2017 at 11:37 AM, RichCor said:

AIS has picked up the HBO Asia channels that TrueVision recently dropped.

 

AIS to show HBO channels
Started by snoop1130, February 6

 

...there are a lot of already running topic threads in Audio/Visual forum discussing alternative Internet iptv providers.

 

IF you wanted to stay with "old-school" satellite, look at Astro (Malaysia) on Measat 3/3a/3b at 91.5°E.  

The set top box and subscription has to be arranged.

 

 

Does not appear to have all BBC or any ITV channels or Channels 4 and 5 (UK TV channels). 

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/15/2017 at 11:47 AM, Chicog said:

Use a cable, not Wifi. There are all sorts of reasons why that causes buffering.

 

 

As I said in my OP : I do NOT want to run ethernet cabling all over my house - it would be too expensive and very unsightly.

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/15/2017 at 1:03 PM, worgeordie said:

Buy an Android box,check out Lazada, they have a good selection,

and you can get it sent C.O.D.,connect your box to the router with RJ45

cable,much better than using WiFi, then download,Mobdro app, it has

lots US channels, UK channels,Sports,has all HBO's,Discovery Channels,

and its FREE. that will get you started,then many more to add.

regards worgeordie

As I said in my OP: I do NOT want to use any ethernet cabling - both my TV's are too far away from my router to make cabling a sensible option.

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/15/2017 at 1:30 PM, sfokevin said:

For those of you who have cancelled your True Satellite - Keep your dish!... Know that you can go to any Big C/Tesco (And 7-11 sells a box) and buy a satellite box that can connect to your existing dish cable... this will give you a bunch of free channels (mostly Thai - But a few English)... They run about 800-1,500 baht 

 

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2015/01/watch-200-channels-for-free-on-true-digital-hd/

 

http://www.lazada.co.th/shop-tv-receivers/

 

I have this one with a small dish and get about 40 free channels:

http://www.lazada.co.th/gmm-z-hd-lite-8697168.html?rb=gmm-z

 

 

As I said in my OP:: I want UK channels such as BBC, ITV + Discovery, NAT Geog, Animal Planet, History. Not interested in Thai channels - i can't understand Thai!

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/16/2017 at 11:11 AM, Encid said:

This is a slightly different model to the one I have installed but it works on the same principles:

 

 

Thanks for that. But the demo mentions a WPS button on the router as the final step - I don't have one! How will this work for me?

[aslimversgwm]

On 2/16/2017 at 11:45 AM, CMKiwi said:

Encid...you are correct. They are a good alternative for those that dont want cables running everywhere.  I use a slightly different system whereas the 'repeater' picks up the current 'weakened' wifi signal and boosts its range and signal strength.

 

The bonus is that I can still plug ethernet cable into the 'repeater' and also use wifi.

Where do I buy a 'repeater'? Is that the same as a powerline adaptor, or is that a wifi extender - 2 different thingy's I believe!

[Encid]

My router does not have a WPS button either.

I have the TP-Link 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender Kit AV500 Powerline Edition.

Once you connect the adapter with LAN cable to your fiber router and plug it into a power socket, you pair it by simply pressing the button on the front.

You then pair the extender by plugging it into another power socket, and pair it by pressing the button on the front.

The extender can then be moved to any room (inside or outside your house providing it's on the same power circuit), plugged into a power point, and paired.

[Encid]

Here is a link to Lazada's webpage with the TP-Link Powerline Range Extender as I described earlier.

 

Link

[aslimversgwm]

Just now, Encid said:

My router does not have a WPS button either.

I have the TP-Link 300Mbps Wi-Fi Range Extender Kit AV500 Powerline Edition.

Once you connect the adapter with LAN cable to your fiber router and plug it into a power socket, you pair it by simply pressing the button on the front.

You then pair the extender by plugging it into another power socket, and pair it by pressing the button on the front.

The extender can then be moved to any room (inside or outside your house providing it's on the same power circuit), plugged into a power point, and paired.

Great! And thanks for being so patient with me and all the info - very useful. I will now go and try and buy the kit you suggest and go for PulseTV 10k Baht annual package which includes a STB and all the channels I want, and more besides, which can be run on upto 4 devices whereas ExpatTV similar option is much more expensive for 2 TV's and similar channels.

[Encid]

5 minutes ago, aslimversgwm said:

Great! And thanks for being so patient with me and all the info - very useful. I will now go and try and buy the kit you suggest and go for PulseTV 10k Baht annual package which includes a STB and all the channels I want, and more besides, which can be run on upto 4 devices whereas ExpatTV similar option is much more expensive for 2 TV's and similar channels.

You are welcome.

You will notice that your wifi coverage will improve as well.

These adapters not only provide a network port for LAN cable wherever you need it, but also extend and improve your wifi signal range.

 

As far as your comment on PulseTv is concerned, you do realise that you will need 1 STB box per TV?

The 10k baht package is a license to use on up to 4 STB's.

 

There are better options out there if you do some more research.

All are better and cheaper than TrueVisions.

 

[aslimversgwm]

13 minutes ago, Encid said:

Here is a link to Lazada's webpage with the TP-Link Powerline Range Extender as I described earlier.

 

Link

just ordered it - many thanks for the link. Very easy to use website - so clear and straightforward.

I chose express, cash on delivery - it arrives on Sunday.

Thanks again for your time and patience!